Thyristor switching of capacitors for power factor improvement has many advantages over conventional contractor switching. Thyristor Switching is highly with minimum maintenance, especially suitable for fast variable loads, where contractor Switching systems fail to give desired results. The capacitors are switched at'' ZERO CURRENT CROSS OVER THRESHOLD''
Automatic power factor correction is typical for large electrical systems with fluctuating load where it is common to connect number of capacitors to main power distribution station or substation. The capacitors are controlled by controller which continuously monitors the relative power demand. The relay connects or disconnects the capacitors to compensate for actual reactive power of the total load and reduce overall demand supply. Thyristors are used to switch the capacitors On and Off in the system.