Intelligent control system for compensation devices in the electric power system of a mining and processing plant

Abstract

Modern mineral processing plants are characterized by high energy intensity of technological processes and numerous electricdrives with nonlinear load characteristics. At the same time, industrial facilities are required to maintain appropriate power qualitywithin their internal supply systems. An essential task in this context is effective management of reactive power flows, which reduceselectrical energy losses, optimizes equipment operating modes, and improves the reliability of all links in the plant’s power system.Conventional compensation systems based on static settings or local algorithms often fail to perform efficiently under variableloading and fluctuating process conditions, since they typically do not account for changing load regimes and have limited adaptivecapability. This work proposes an approach to intelligent control of reactive power sources based on integration of synchronousmotors and capacitor banks into a unified, centralized intelligent control system. Daily and annual electrical energy consumption datafor the plant’s substation consumers were analyzed to inform the design. An innovative strategy for improving energy efficiency isproposed, and optimal conditions for deploying synchronous motors and capacitor banks are identified. The model relies on theintegration of modern monitoring technologies and data analysis tools, enabling adaptation to dynamic load changes and promptadjustment of compensation system parameters. The study evaluates the developed methods’ impact on system stability and on theeconomic feasibility of implementation. The approach is grounded in adaptive algorithms that consider load variability, powerquality indices and relevant technological parameters to rationalize the compensation process. A key feature of the system isregulation based on an adaptive algorithm that provides flexible control of reactive flows under rapidly changing productionconditions; this reduces unnecessary switching operations, extends equipment service life, lowers the probability of fault regimes,and increases the overall energy efficiency of the plant’s power system. The obtained results demonstrate the promise of the proposedreactive power compensation solutions for enhancing production energy efficiency. Consequently, the developed intelligent controlsystem for compensation devices can serve as a foundation for building “smart” energy subsystems at industrial enterprises, aligningwith contemporary Smart Grid and power-sector digitalization trends.