1- General Characteristics - ITALFARAD IFC6 Notice D'utilisation

1. General characteristics
Regulator IFC6 and IFC12 are microprocessor-based instrument for automatic power
factor (cosφ) compensation in systems, with range of correction of up to 12 steps.
The instrument has been designed to ensure high accuracy in power factor correction as
well as optimum use of capacitor banks and contactors, even under conditions of noise
and highly distorted current waveforms.
The regulator can be installed in three phase power supplies 50/60Hz, and switched in
quadrature or direct, through a CT (current transformer) for acquisition of the line
current. The regulator can also be installed in single phase power supplies. All input
circuits are isolated from each other.
The front panel is provided with a 3 digit - 7 segment display for showing the
instantaneous values of cosj, voltage and line current: this avoids need to install other
panel meters (voltmeters, ammeters) on the power factor correction panel.
A full set of LED's on the front panel supplies information regarding the instrument
status, the capacitor banks enabled, the operating quadrant (inductive/ /capacitive) and
activation of automatic correction (C/K).
Through four buttons it is possible to show different measurements on the display,
program the instrument, operate manually on the capacitor banks or cancel the alarms.
The regulator is supplied with various protective features, through continuous monitoring
of the following quantities:
Line voltage: an alarm is generated when the voltage across the capacitors
exceeds the programmed value for a time greater than 30 minutes;
Line current: an alarm is generated when the line current exceeds the rated current
by +20%;
cosφ: an alarm is generated if the cosφ is not adequately compensated in the
programmed range within 15 minutes.
The alarms are eliminated automatically when the condition generating them
disappears: however, if more than 3 alarms occur within 1 hour, manual resetting of the
alarm is requested in order to signal a possible fault condition in the power factor
correction system.
TM
The TPDS (True Phase Detection System) technology used in processing the voltage
and current signals allows the regulator to operate correctly and accurately even with
highly distorted current waveforms: by using sophisticated digital processing of the
signals, the instrument is able to extract the fundamental voltage and current
components from all signal components in order to assess the relative phase shift and
therefore to correct the reactive power.
ITALFARAD S.p .A. via IV novembre n.1 Minerbio (BO) It aly
16
GB