World Grain - March 2024 - 62

MILLING OPERATIONS
PF correction devices placed near an electrical load will
reduce the apparent power demand on the supply system. Capacitors
typically are used because they store energy needed
to handle inductive loads associated with electric motors. Under
normal conditions, capacitors will operate without trouble
for many years but do require inspection and preventive maintenance.
A
cost-effective passive LC (inductor-capacitor) filtering is
the recommended solution to consider for harmonic issues.
For more complex situations, active filtering is needed. Filtering
compensates for reactive currents, harmonic currents, and
unbalanced currents.
Alternative PF improvement solutions such as Power Factor
Controllers (PFC's) are also available. There are many alternative
approaches to improve PF.
There are many pathways to improved PF and a decision
must be made that is best suited for your specific operation
and local power quality issues. A solid root-cause analysis
of low PF is important to identify the best solution for
implementation.
Selecting a capacitor to resolve a low PF created because
of harmonic issues may lead to failure and maintenance
issues. It is reported, for example, that a capacitor
behaves like a short circuit for higher harmonics. Due to
internal resistance, the capacitor will heat up and have a
drastically reduced lifespan because of electrolyte vaporization.
Moving
forward
Systematic energy and electrical system evaluation along with
exhaustive alternative review is essential to ensure return on
PF improvement investment. Develop your own electrical
knowledge background so that you can seek out professional
qualified advisers that you can question and learn from as you
work together to improve PF and reduce PF penalty costs on
your mill's electric bill.
Consider a review of these resources, particularly the
https://electrical-engineering-portal.com resource, which is
a pdf file that can help evaluate the economic benefit of PF
improvement.
Now matter the cost of electricity at your mill today, the
cost and likely the penalty for poor energy utilization or low
PF will increase in the future.
Jeff Gwirtz, a milling industry consultant, is president of JAG Services, Inc.
He may be reached at jgwirtz@att.net.
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J G " Training, Service, Process Management Programs, Consulting "
A
JAG Services, Inc.
Providing
On-Site Training,
Technical
Advising,
Management
and Technical
Program
Development
for grain based
food and feed
manufacturing
including allied
industries for:
* Grain and Grain Product Quality
* Blending, Cleaning and
Conditioning
* Milling
* Troubleshooting and Skill
Development
* Flow Sheet Development and
Maintenance
* Experimental Design, Execution,
Analysis and Reporting
* Process Flow Audit
* Process and Product
Development
* Market/Business Analysis
J G
A
JAG Services Inc.
Contact Jeff Gwirtz
62
5000 Clinton Parkway #1308, Lawrence, KS 66047
Phone: 1-785-341-2371 E-mail: jeff@jagsi.com
March 2024 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
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