IMPROVING THE POWER FACTOR AT UNBALANCED CONSUMERS

Unbalanced consumers have led to power quality problems, necessitating solutions and equipment to improve this quality. The objective of this paper is to compare two methods for enhancing the power factor at unbalanced consumers: the installation of a capacitor at the point of common coupling (PCC) analyzed through an analytical approach, and the installation of a shunt active power filter at the PCC, analyzed via simulation using Matlab/Simulink software. Methodology includes a thorough assessment of existing compensation methods, particularly addressing their limitations associated with unbalanced consumption. Results demonstrate that compensation for reactive power consumption is more effective when utilizing information acquired from all three phases rather than relying on single-phase reference methods. These findings emphasize the need for appropriate compensators in unbalanced electrical systems to ensure adherence to regulatory power factor limits, ultimately promoting improved power quality and reduced economic impacts. Therefore, the study advocates for the employment of active power filters as a viable solution to mitigate issues arising from unbalanced electrical consumption.