Power factor correction implementation?

Thanks Jazz, you mentioned "until the 80's when clean power was universally available". My experience is that power 'clean enough' for high end systems,such as my Spectral/MIT reference level gear is not available in the areas I have lived in. It took very minimal experimentation for me to experience the benefits of improved AC power, in every unit used, from sources to amp. And this in spite of Spectral's attention to internal power supplies. I believe the quality of AC through the Oracle series p/c's made it easier to appreciate improvements wrought from isolators/conditioners. 

I'm not certain what, "industrial use" some might be used to, but-  when  doing the PFC, for the factories I contracted, simple capacitor banks were all that was required.   I'm certain there are variables, in design applications, but blanket statements generally prove uninformed. ie: (http://www.nhp.com.au/files/editor_upload/File/Power%20Quality/Introduction-to-Power-Factor-Correcti...)

Rodmann99999,

I too am unsure as to what "industrial use" necessarily connotes, but as you appear to note, variable capacitance is the most common mechanism of achieving power factor correction.  The article you cite notes what common lower powered systems cite as the key benefit of power factor correction- i.e., improved efficiency due to reduction of any mismatch in impedance between the source and the load, thus resulting in more efficient delivery of power to the load.

jazzonthehudson,

I don't really agree with the statement "until the 80's when clean power was universally available" - clean power is not universally available now, much less in the 80s, and was certainly variable both then and now based on location and prevailing conditions.  If you are achieving <1% THD on you home power, you are doing pretty well - I have seen anything between 2 and 11% THD.

I also don't follow what you mean by "put a frequency generator for high power" - using a "frequency generator" is not a mechanism for achieving power factor correction - rather, you need a mechanism for matching the impedance of the source to the load, typically using variable capacitors / inductors.  Addressing what I understand to be your further comments, the "perfection" of the sinusoid waveform is not directly related to power factor correction - you can have a great looking AC waveform, but still poor power factor due to significant mismatches between source and load (subject to how the load responds to the reflected power).