Injection moulding business in Brisbane

An injection moulding business based in Brisbane engaged Fuseco to investigate ways to reduce the cost of their electricity expenditure. Their operation is a good example of a dynamic medium sized engineering facility. After conducting a site visit and analysing their power quality, it became apparent that correcting their power factor would yield significant savings. A saving of over $1,000 per month was achieved!

Injection moulding business in Brisbane

An injection moulding business based in Brisbane engaged Fuseco to investigate ways to reduce the cost of their electricity expenditure. Their operation is a good example of a dynamic medium sized engineering facility. After conducting a site visit and analysing their power quality, it became apparent that correcting their power factor would yield significant savings. A saving of over $1,000 per month was achieved!

THE CHALLENGE

Management felt that their electricity costs were too high and they wanted to investigate some options that would reduce their costs and result in a return on investment in under 3 years. As is commonly the case, the peak kVA Demand occurs during a combination of full production and office air-conditioning during the warmer months (Dec, Jan & Feb). Even if this peak kVA demand is only needed for 15 minutes, it becomes the peak kVA charge for the month (according to this particular billing contract used by their supply authority). Therefore, the company was still charged the maximum amount even in a very low load month. The challenge here was to find a way of saving money by lowering the peak kVA.

THE SOLUTION

The merits of power factor correction and solar power were investigated. A solar power solution was not selected as it usually provides benefit for an average of 4 hours a day over the 365 days of a year. This is due to cloud cover, bad weather and night-time which is particularly relevant when the operation is a double shift or 24 hour concern. Whereas power factor correction by using the Sinexcel SVG provides a 24-hour reduction in kVA consumption irrespective of the time of day or night and the weather conditions.

Analysis revealed that the site had a ‘real’ (kW) demand for electrical energy of 500kW and a power factor of 0.8. Power factor is expressed as kW/KVA, so the ‘apparent’ power required to produce this ‘real’ power was 500/0.8 = 625KVA. Improving the power factor will reduce this KVA and therefore reduce the supply transformer requirements or increase the available ‘real’ power from the transformer.

The Sinexcel Static Var Generator (SVG) provides for the greatest return by maintaining 0.99 lagging (or better) which allows the business to fully utilise the capacity of the supply transformer at all times. The required compensation was calculated to be 303.8kVAr. Fuseco provided three wall-mount SVG modules for installation (1 x 200kVAr, 1 x 100kVAr & 1 x 50kVAr), providing a total compensation capacity of 350kVAr. The wall mounting modules also saved valuable floor space in the company’s switch room.

THE OUTCOME

By using the Sinexcel SVG Power Factor Correction Equipment, the power factor was improved to 0.99, the apparent power required to produce 500kW of real power was reduced to 505KVA, a saving of 120KVA. At 415V 3-phase, this is a reduction in switchboard current to 166A per phase. The installation was being charged on a KVA demand basis, so a tangible saving was achieved. In this case, the KVA demand charge was $8.90/KVA/month, so the following was achieved:

  • A reduction in electricity charges of $1,068 / month.
  • A return on investment (ROI) well under 2 years.
Image of a PFC Report
  • If your billing has changed to a kVA demand tariff and you have poor power factor, you are definitely paying for electricity that you are not using. In such cases, the SVG will reduce your electricity bills. Typically, most installations achieve savings of 10%-30%. 
  • No capacitor banks therefore no maintenance costs & performance issues associated with capacitors. 
  • Excellent power factor correction performance - Can maintain a PF of 0.99 lagging or unity if required.
  • Dynamic Step-Less Compensation - Profiles the load and operates with a response speed of <15ms. No possibility of over or under compensation, will only inject the kVAr that is needed in that moment.
  • Corrects load imbalance.
  • Compensates both inductive and capacitive loads - corrects lagging and leading power factor.
  • Can work with & enhance existing capacitor-bank based systems.
  • Not affected by resonance.
  • Can operate at low voltages.
  • Excellent ROI (Return on Investment).

THE SINEXCEL SVG - BENEFITS

Simple PFC solutions incorporate banks of capacitors that work as silent reactive power ‘generators’. These systems were designed many decades ago when electrical environments were a lot simpler than they are today. They are common, very economical and suitable for linear load environments. 

However, in today’s modern electrical environments, linear loads are not easy to find. Due to the proliferation of LED/energy efficient lighting, switch-mode power supplies, VSD’s, UPS’s, servers/computers and typical appliances, today’s electrical systems experience complex, dynamic non-linear loads. Loads are being switched so fast that the traditional capacitor bank PFC systems struggle to maintain an effective compensation set-point. Therefore, they are perpetually ‘chasing’ the load, either under or over-compensating but rarely providing effective compensation. 

Fuseco offers the latest generation of advanced performance PFC solutions that offer instantaneous, dynamic step-less compensation, ideal for the challenging demands of modern electrical environments. The Sinexcel SVG solutions do not need a capacitor bank and offer many advantages due to their compact & modular configuration (including wall-mount options).


Applicable Industries

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From the moment the AHF and SVG units were turned on our power factor issues were a thing of the past. At both sites our PF is now 0.99 on all phases all the time, the units react instantaneously to our fluctuating load and power factor and the result has been an excellent return on investment.

Brad Kilner

OPERATIONS MANAGER AT KILNER'S ENGINEERING

The PFC units are now installed and running. They are doing a great job at maintaining a constant PF of 0.99 across all phases. Great product and excellent support from both of you. Very pleased doing business with you. Your help has been much appreciated.

Darren Brownscombe

ENGINEER AT TURBOSMART

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