Study and diagnosis of the quality of the energy of a university campus on the north coast of Colombia

Abstract

The quality of electrical energy is a very important issue in the different lines of the economy, where it is required to have an electrical service that does not generate damage in sensitive equipment that does not tolerate fluctuations in energy such as voltage, current and frequency, since they can suffer damage even though these fluctuations are minimal. This article focuses on the study and diagnosis of the power quality
of the internal distribution network in the facilities of a University in the Caribbean region of Colombia, through the analysis of parameters such as waveform distortions (harmonics), voltage fluctuations and power factor, taking into account national and international regulatory guidelines, in order to provide recommendations to maintain proper operation of electrical equipment of the institution. In general, it was found that
the power quality in terms of frequency and harmonic voltage distortion are within the limits allowed by current regulations, while the power factor is presented below the limits, with 45% and 89% of the time for the substation of the administrative block and block laboratory, respectively, which results in higher power consumption and therefore an increase in the cost of service.