Apparent power and power factor in unbalanced and distorted systems. Applications in three phase load compensations

The apparent power and the derived power factor are two of the quantities of the biggest use and application inside the Electric Engineering. However, nowadays it continues staying the controversy on their definitions and more appropriate meaning in the most general situations in unbalance and distortion, and unequal resistances in the distribution lines. In the last years, they have been distinguished two focuses concerning the functional definitions of apparent power: the European approach, more theoretical and better developed, and the American approach, more practical focus but with smaller rigor. Although from the point of view of their practical application, the use of a definition or another doesn't suppose important numeric differences, they present differences from the conceptual point of view. This is made notice in applications that suppose the use of modern equipments of static compensation. The apparent power of the European approach in its conception only permits parallel compensation, while the apparent power of the American approach admits the series-parallel compensation. This paper introduces the definitions of apparent power of both approaches and establishes a discussion on its application in the three-phases loads compensation.