Auto Power Factor Control Panels (APFC) play a crucial role in optimizing power factor in electrical systems. For a company like BSNL that operates extensive power systems, efficient power factor management is essential to ensure optimal energy utilization and minimize losses.

Components:

Microcontroller/Controller: The microcontroller is the central processing unit that receives inputs from sensors, analyzes the power factor, and controls the operation of the APFC panel. It makes decisions based on the programmed logic to optimize the power factor.
Power Factor Controller: This component is responsible for processing the signals from the microcontroller and issuing commands to the capacitor bank. It ensures that the reactive power is adjusted to maintain the desired power factor.
Capacitor Bank: The capacitor bank consists of multiple capacitors connected in parallel or series. These capacitors provide reactive power to the system when switched on, compensating for lagging power factor and improving overall power factor.
Contactors/Switching Devices: Contactors or switching devices control the connection and disconnection of capacitors within the capacitor bank. They are activated based on signals from the power factor controller to adjust the reactive power as needed.
Current Transformers (CTs) and Voltage Transformers (VTs): CTs and VTs are used to measure the current and voltage in the electrical system. These measurements are crucial for calculating the power factor and determining the amount of reactive power needed for compensation.