ACPT Use of the Frequency Response Technique to Analyze the Impact of Improving the Power Factor in the Electrical Networks

Abstract

Current electrical systems tend to have low power factors that are often accompanied by high levels of harmonic distortion of voltage and current, which have been growing by the increase of the loads no line in the electrical systems, infringing the limits established by the norms and regulations in force.

These operating conditions affect the stability of the network and the bad functioning of the equipment, presenting high costs of billing and sanctions imposed by the state.

Therefore, the need to analyze the electrical systems before the ingredient of non-linear loads arises in order to guarantee the correct operation and the quality of the power according to the normative requirements. This article presents a typical case study; The installation of capacitor banks to improve the power factor, which fulfil their main task, but serious problems such as the generation of resonances in parallel in the natural response of system, deformation of the waveforms of tension and current, and increase of the harmonic distortion individual and total of tension and current. for which a frequency response or frequency-scanning analysis is presented using ETAP as an additional analysis tool.