Microchip based embedded system design for achievement of high power factor in electrical power systems

Transmission efficiency and harmonic loss reduction are among the main challenges of industrial power systems. To cope with these challenges, many control methods for Power Factor Correction (PFC) have actively been proposed. This paper explains the design of a power factor improvement circuit using PIC (Programmable Interface Controller) chip with reduced parts count to achieve desired efficiency and low cost. This involves measuring the power factor value from the load and uses an algorithm to determine and trigger switching capacitors in order to compensate for excessive reactive components to increase power factor value. MicroC compiler has been used to build a C language code and the algorithm has been implemented in Proteus ISIS simulator which gives the desired results of power factor improvement fairly close to unity to cut down excessive penalty imposed on customers with heavy industrial loads having poor power factor.