Capacitor Banks play an important role in power systems and are mainly used to provide reactive power compensation, improve voltage quality, and improve system stability. Capacitor banks can be divided into many types according to different classification standards. Here are some common capacitor bank types:
1. Classification by connection method
-
Star-connected capacitor bank: The capacitor units are connected in a star (Y-shaped) fashion, common in low-voltage and medium-voltage systems. This connection method can provide better voltage balance and fault protection.
-
Triangular connection capacitor bank: The capacitor units are connected in a triangular (Δ-shaped) manner, which is suitable for some specific applications, such as those requiring special phase compensation.
2. Classification by installation location
-
Substation capacitor bank: installed in the substation to compensate for the reactive power demand of the transmission line and the substation itself, and to improve system voltage stability and power factor.
-
User-side capacitor bank: installed on the user side, such as factories, shopping malls, etc., to compensate for the reactive power demand of user loads and improve the voltage quality and power factor of the user side.
3. Classification by function
-
Fixed capacitor bank: The capacity is fixed and cannot be adjusted. It is suitable for occasions where the reactive power demand is relatively stable.
-
Automatic capacitor bank: Through switching operation or power electronic device control, the capacity of the capacitor bank can be adjusted, which is suitable for situations where reactive power demand changes greatly.
4. Classification by special design
-
Filter capacitor bank: Used in conjunction with reactors to form a filter loop, used to filter out harmonics in the power grid and improve power quality.
-
Parallel capacitor bank: connected in parallel with the power grid to provide reactive power compensation and improve voltage quality.
-
Series capacitor bank: connected in series with the power grid, used to improve the transmission capacity of the line and reduce line losses.
5. Classification by grounding method
-
Single star grounded capacitor bank: One capacitor unit is grounded, and other capacitor units are not grounded. It is suitable for certain occasions with specific grounding requirements.
-
Double star ungrounded capacitor bank: All capacitor units are not grounded, suitable for situations where system grounding requirements are not high.
6. Other special types
It should be noted that the above classification is not absolute, and different types of capacitor banks may overlap in practical applications. In addition, with the development of power electronics technology, some new capacitor banks have emerged, such as Static var Generator (SVG) based on power electronic devices, which may have superior performance than traditional capacitor banks in some aspects. .
When selecting the type of capacitor bank, it is necessary to comprehensively consider various factors such as specific application scenarios, system requirements, economic costs, and maintenance convenience.
