PROtek : Jurnal Ilmiah Teknik Elektro
Vol 13 No 3 (2026): Protek : Jurnal Ilmiah Teknik Elektro

Optimization of Bank Capacitor Placement to Improve Power Quality in the Electrical System

Rosyaadi mustafa (Universitas Khairun)



Article Info

Publish Date
25 Sep 2026

Abstract

Inductive and nonlinear loads in office buildings increase reactive power demand, lower the power factor, and inject harmonic currents into low-voltage distribution panels. The power quality of the Rectorate Building of Universitas Khairun, Ternate, has not been assessed despite its growing demand. This study evaluates its main distribution panel and determines the capacitor bank rating required for power factor correction. Voltage, current, active, reactive and apparent power, power factor, and total harmonic distortion (THD) of each phase were recorded with a power quality analyzer at 30-min intervals from 10:30 to 16:00. The required compensation and capacitance were calculated per phase for a target power factor of 0.95. The phase voltage ranged from 214.5 to 219.7 V and the frequency from 50.05 to 50.08 Hz. Phase S carried the highest current, 134–155 A, showing unbalance. The power factor exceeded 0.92 for most of the day. At 13:30–14:00, it fell to 0.778–0.832 on all phases because reactive power rose to 11.6–20.1 kVAR per phase. Voltage THD remained between 3.6% and 4.5%, within the IEEE 519-2022 limit. Current THD reached 8.2–11.6% and was dominated by the third harmonic. The required compensation was 7.6, 11.9, and 8.2 kVAR on phases R, S, and T, corresponding to 528, 800, and 558 µF. Compensation reduces the estimated line current by 12.5–18.2%. An automatically switched, detuned capacitor bank of about 30 kVAR is recommended to keep the power factor above the 0.85 utility threshold without overcompensation. Load rebalancing and a harmonic resonance study should accompany the installation

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Journal Info

Abbrev

protk

Publisher

Subject

Computer Science & IT Control & Systems Engineering Electrical & Electronics Engineering Energy

Description

PROtek adalah jurnal ilmiah teknik elektro yang pertama kali dipublikasikan pada September 2013. Jurnal PROtek berada di bawah asuhan Program Studi Teknik Elektro Fakultas Teknik Universitas Khairun, yang merupakan wadah ilmiah untuk menyebarluaskan hasil-hasil penelitian dan kajian analisis yang ...