Investigation of Electrical Energy Efficiency and Current Harmonic Mitigation of Electrical Drive: A Case Study of Sunti Golden Sugar Company Nigeria

Abstract

The sustainability of any nation's development depends on an adequate and consistent supply of energy. However, using and converting primary energy leads in energy waste, which raises the cost of energy. The study focused on energy audit and power quality issues at Sunti Golden Sugar Company (SGSC) since it has been observed that, on average, 45.12kWh of energy is needed to crush one ton of sugarcane, compared to the suggested standard of 35kWh. During the plant tour, sources of energy waste were noted, including the use of underloaded motors. In addition, the issues with harmonics in the power system brought on by the significant number of non-linear loads frequently result in motor overheating. This leads to motor burnout, as well as false tripping of protective relays, which results in an unnecessary downtime. Similarly, certain standard motors that were underloaded were found using the Motor Master software, and proper replacement with premium energy-efficient motors was recommended. As a result of replacing ordinary motors with energy-efficient motors, that is, replacing under-load motors with properly sized motors, payback period ranging from 1.17 to 5.85 years, the energy savings of 71,605kWh/year and cost savings of €3,938.00 per year which is equivalent to ₦3,256,579.05 was achieved. Shunt Hybrid Power Filters (SHPF) are designed and simulated in order to reduce current harmonics using MATLAB/Simulink software. As a result, the Total Harmonics Distortion (THD)% for Current Source Inverter (CSI) is reduced for the source current from 20.41% to 7.33% and the load current from 24.31% to 7.44%, respectively. While in the case of Voltage Source Inverter (VSI), the THD% is reduced from 17.99% to 6.67% for supply current and 20.20% to 9.62% for load current, respectively.