Automatic power factor correction for three-phase induction motors with embedded IoT-Based monitoring system

Abstract

Power efficiency and responsible electricity usage are the topmost global concern nowadays, as significant electricity resources are mostly non-renewable. In industries, power factor correction dramatically reduces system power losses, increases the load carrying capabilities, maintains an efficient electrical system, and more. Power factor (PF) measures an electrical system’s power efficiency and is an essential aspect in improving the quality of supply. In terms of induction motors, the power factor drastically changes as the motor changes load; therefore, automatic power factor correction deals the most significant part in maintaining the efficiency of the power supplied to the machine. The study aims to build an Automatic Power Factor Correction (APFC) Unit with embedded Internet of Things (IoT)-Based energy consumption monitoring system that will automatically improve the system’s power factor. An open-source energy monitoring library was implemented to design accurate power calculations to display the system’s voltage, current, power, power factor, energy consumption, and frequency. Through a wireless sensor network, the real-time data reading from the IoT-Based energy monitoring system can be accessed and obtained from the IoT-Based web server through the Blynk IoT platform. Energy measurement and monitoring are done in the sensor microcontroller unit (MCU). The data is then calculated and transmitted to the capacitor bank MCU that handles the switching of relays to the capacitor bank to compensate for the system’s lagging power factor. The result shows that APFC provides the ease of monitoring more efficiently and can be achieved due to reduced power losses and reduced electric consumption.