Abstract
This thesis presents an investigation into the actual electrical energy and demand use of a large metal fabrication facility located in Houston, Texas. Plant selection and the monitoring system are covered. The influence of a low power factor on energy consumption and demand is covered, including installation of correction and the effect of increasing the power factor on demand and energy consumption block sizes. The installation of capacitance correction has increased the low power factor of this facility from the low 60% range to the mid-to-high 70% range. A method has been developed to predict savings based on precorrection monitored data in the event the exact amount of capacitance installed is unknown. Savings for the month of February, 1994, are found to be $1327.56. This method can be used as a diagnostic tool to determine the amount of active capacitance. In this plant, that amount was found to be 315 KVAC, which correlates reasonably well with the amount active in the plant. The monitoring installation is described, and other uses (besides that dealing with power factor correction) are covered. Those uses include monitoring plant and equipment performance and productivity, and savings due to missed opportunities for equipment turn off.
Dorhofer, Frank Joseph (1994). Electrical Energy Monitoring in an Industrial Plant. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1994 -THESIS -D695.