THE LOAD CHARACTERISTICS

Connected Loads :
The aggregate capacity of all electric devices (lamps, applicances, equipments etc. connected by a
consumer to the supply system is called connected load.
Maximum demand :
The total of loads used at a time energy and this various from hour to hour and the maximum that
will be incident some point of time is called the instantaneous maximum demand. However, the
maximum demand in a continuous period of 15 or 30 minutes is taken as "Maximum Demand"
for billing purpose where MD is a billing parameter.
Demand factor :
The ratio of the maximum demand to the total connected load is called the demand factor.
Load factor :
The load factor is the ratio of the average load or demand for a period of time to the maximum
demand during that period.
Diversity :
Load diversity is the difference between the sum of the maximum demands of two or more
individual consumers' loads and the maximum demand of the combined loads.
Diversity factor :
The diversity factor is the ratio of the sum of maximum demands of each of the component loads
to the maximum demand of the load as a whole. This is the most important factor for economical
planning and design of distribution facilities.
Coincidence factor :
The coincidence factor is the ratio of maximum coincident total demand of a group of consumers
to the sum of the maximum demands of each of the consumers.
Utilisation factor :
The ratio of the maximum demand of a system to the rated capacity of the system is known as the
utilisation factor. The factor indicates the degree to which a system is being loaded during the
load peak with respect to its capacity. The rated capacity of a system is usually determined by
thermal rating coupled with the voltage drop.
Power factor :
The ratio of power (in watts) to the product of voltage and current (in volt amperes) is called the
power factor. It is a measure of the relation between current and voltage out of phase with each
other brought about by reactance in the circuit (including the device served). Infrastructure must
be designed to carry the full current and the losses vary with square of the current. Voltage drop is
proportional to the current. Sizes of Transformer, conductor cable, fuses, switches etc., are all
based on values of current. Each type of loads operate at different power. For example
incandescent lamps and heaters work at unity power factor where as induction motors run at
about 0.7 power factor.