Research on Power Factor Compensation of Induction Motors with Different Numbers of Poles at the Same Output

Induction motors are one of the most widely used rotating machines in industrial settings. Since this induction motor is an inductive load, the power factor is relatively low. Induction motors have different efficiency and power factor depending on the number of poles even if the output is the same. Despite these differences in characteristics, when the output of the motor is the same, power factor correction capacitors of the same capacity are often used. In this study, induction motors with the same output but different numbers of poles were simulated to calculate the voltage, current, and power using the parameters indicated on the nameplate, and to analyze the difference in power factor between them and select the optimal capacitor capacity to compensate for the insufficient power factor. As shown in the simulation results, when the number of poles is different even for motors with the same output, the magnitude of the active power and reactive power during starting and normal operation differs, and there is also a difference in the time it takes to reach the normal state.In addition, it was found that a larger capacitor is required to supply additional reactive power than a motor with a lower number of poles, because the power factor is lower when the number of poles is high even for the same capacity. Copyright © The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers.