FUNDAMENTALS OF POWER SYSTEMS 3

The value of p is positive when both v and i are either positive or negative and represents
the rate at which the energy is being consumed by the load. In this case the current flows in
the direction of voltage drop. On the other hand power is negative when the current flows in
the direction of voltage rise which means that the energy is being transferred from the load
into the network to which it is connected. If the circuit is purely reactive the voltage and
current will be 90 out of phase and hence the power will have equal positive and negative half
cycles and the average value will be zero. From equation (1.2) the power pulsates around the
average power at double the supply frequency.

p
v
i

IVIIII cos f

Fig. 1.1 Voltage, current and power in single phase circuit.

Equation (1.2) can be rewritten as

p = VI cos (1 cos 2t) VI sin sin 2t (1.3)
I II
We have decomposed the instantaneous power into two components (Fig. 1.2).

II
p = VI cos f

VI sin f

Fig. 1.2 Active, reactive and total power in a single phase circuit.
(i) The component P marked I pulsates around the same average power VI cos but
never goes negative as the factor (1 cos 2t) can at the most become zero but it will never go
negative. We define this average power as the real power P which physically means the useful
power being transmitted.