Patent ID: 6975946

Claim:
A method of power control for conserving energy in a facility having synchronous machines, comprising the steps of: monitoring the incoming power to the facility; monitoring the reactive power demand of the facility; monitoring the operation of the synchronous machines in the facility, the step of monitoring the operation including the steps of: forming a measure of the power capability of the synchronous machines; determining an overall power factor of the synchronous machines; selecting an optimum operating condition of the synchronous machines to bring the power factor to an optimum; adjusting excitation current of the synchronous machines based on the selected optimum operating condition by performing the steps of: when the determined overall power factor is leading, decreasing excitation current to the synchronous machines; when the determined overall power factor is lagging, increasing excitation current to the synchronous machines; when the determined overall power factor is neither leading nor lagging, repeating the step of determining an overall power factor of the synchronous machines; and repeating the step of determining the overall power factor and adjusting excitation current to maintain the selected optimum operating condition for the synchronous machines and conserve energy in the facility.