Design and Implementation of an Automatic Power-Factor Correction Panel for Small-Scale...

Objective: To develop and deploy an automatic power-factor correction panel that monitors and improves the power factor in small industrial facilities, reducing electricity bills and penalties.

Small industries in India frequently suffer from low power factor issues due to inductive loads such as motors and transformers, leading to higher electricity bills, demand penalties, and inefficient power usage. This problem increases operational costs and affects the competitiveness of MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises), which are crucial to India's manufacturing sector.

The proposed solution is a microcontroller-based automatic power-factor correction (APFC) panel that continuously monitors the power factor and dynamically switches capacitor banks to maintain it near unity. The system will use real-time measurement, intelligent switching algorithms, and user-friendly HMI for fault indication and logging.

Key deliverables include a fully fabricated APFC panel prototype using industrial-grade contactors, microcontroller (such as Arduino Mega or STM32), power factor transducer (e.g., Schneider, Selec), relay modules, and stepwise capacitor banks. The team will demonstrate live performance by connecting typical small-industry loads and showcasing measurable power factor improvement and energy savings.

This project brings direct cost savings and grid reliability benefits to Indian MSMEs. The scalable design can be adapted for different load profiles, and the project equips students with essential industry skills, making them workforce-ready for power and automation sectors.