Department of BES-II

Even Semester
AY-2023-24

BASIC ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS

(23EC1203)

Topic:
POWER FACTOR

Session – CO2 (6)

 AIM OF THE SESSION

The aim of this session is to discuss the role of Power factor in Electrical System through suitable definitions of various powers
involved.
INSTRUCTIONAL
OBJECTIVES
This Session is designed to:
1. Demonstrate the basic definitions for various types of Powers for different loads and Power factor.
2. Summarize the concept of Calculating Power factor for an applied load types.
3. To Enumerate the effect of Power factor and Correction Methods.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this session, you should be able to:

1. Understanding the concept of Power factor for various types of loads.
2. Ability to Identify Power factor in Electrical Systems by applying various types of loads.
3. Compare & Contrast the effects and causes of Power factor in Electrical Systems.
 INTRODUCTION

• Power factor is essential in electrical systems that indicates how effectively electrical
power is being converted into useful work.

• A high power factor (close to 1) signifies efficient power usage,

minimizing energy losses and reducing the strain on the electrical
infrastructure.

• It's crucial for optimizing energy efficiency, reducing electricity costs, and
maintaining the stability of power distribution systems.

• Low power factor can lead to increased power consumption, additional expenses,
and decreased overall system efficiency.
 Contd.

Yellow Drink is active power (kW)

—the useful power, or the liquid, is the energy that is doing work.
This is the part you want.

Foam is reactive power (kVAR)

—the foam is wasted power or lost power. It’s the energy being
produced that isn't doing any work, such as the production of heat
or vibration.

The Jar is apparent power (kVA)

—the Jar is the demand power, or the power being delivered by

the utility.

Units: kW- Kilo Watt, kVAR-kilo Volt-Amp-Reactive, kVA-kilo Volt-Amp

4
Real Power (True power, kW)

• The power supplied to the

equipment that performs
useful and productive work.

• The actual amount of power

being used, or dissipated, in a
circuit is called true power or
real power

5
 Reactive Power(kVAR)

• The power required by equipment

such as transformers and motors to
produce magnetic fields enabling
actual work to be done.

• As inductors and capacitors drain

current and drop voltage, they
provide the false impression that
they dissipate power, even though we
know they dissipate zero power.

6
 Apparent Power(kVA)

• A circuit's apparent power is the product of its voltage and Reactive power is a function of a circuit’s
current, without taking phase angle into account. reactance (X).

Apparent power = Voltage X Current (without Phase, Ø)

Apparent power is a function of a circuit’s

• It is the sum of reactive power and true power. total impedance (Z).

Calculating for True Power, Reactive or Apparent Power:

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 POWER FACTOR

• The power factor (PF) of an AC electrical power system is

defined as the ratio of working/active power (measured in
kilowatts, kW) absorbed by the load to the apparent
power (measured in kilovolt amperes, kVA) flowing
through the circuit.

• A system with a low power factor wastes the incoming

electric supply and experiences losses.

• DC circuits do not involve power factor because of their

zero frequency. However, the power factor in AC circuits is 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 (KW)
always between 0 and 1. 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 ( 𝑷𝑭 )=
𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 (𝐊𝐕𝐀 )
8

Lagging (Inductor)
• In a circuit, when the current lags the
voltage, then the power factor of the
circuit is known as a lagging power
factor.
• The power factor lags when the circuit is
inductive. Loads such as coils, motors
and lamps are inductive and have
lagging power factor
POWER FACTOR
Leading (Capacitor) Unity
• When the current in the circuit leads • The power factor is unity for ideal
the voltage, then the power factor of circuits.
the circuit is said to be leading. A
capacitive circuit has a leading power
factor. • The power factor is unity when the
current and voltage are in phase.
• Capacitor banks and Synchronous
condensers are capacitive loads that
have a leading power factor.
9
EFFECTS OF LOW POWER: CAUSES OF LOW POWER:

• Large Copper Losses • Harmonic Current

• Large kVA rating • Improper Wiring

• Poor Voltage Regulation • Variation in the Power System Loading

• Inductive Load

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 POWER FACTOR CORRECTION

• In a three-phase system, the power factor is improved by connecting capacitors

in star or delta.
• The star and delta connections of the capacitor banks are shown in the diagram
below:

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 POWER FACTOR CORRECTION BY SYNCHRONOUS CONDENSER

• The power factor can also be correct by installing the specially designed induction motor, known as the
synchronous condenser.

• The synchronous condenser was running without the mechanical load, and it is connected in parallel with
the load.

It absorbs and generates the reactive power (Var) by varying the excitation of the motor.

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1Q) A DEVICE HAS A REAL POWER CONSUMPTION OF 800 WATT AND AN APPARENT
POWER OF 1000 VA. CALCULATE THE POWER FACTOR.

Sol) Real Power (W) =800W

Apparent Power (VA) =1000 VA

Power Factor (PF) =800 /1000 =0.8

So, the power factor is 0.8 or 80%

13
2Q) A MOTOR HAS A POWER FACTOR OF 0.9 AND AN APPARENT POWER OF 1200 VA. CALCULATE THE REAL
POWER CONSUMED BY THE MOTOR.

Sol) Power Factor (PF) =0.9

Apparent Power (VA) =1200 VA

Real Power (W) = Power Factor × Apparent Power

Real Power (W) = 0.9×1200=1080 W

So, the real power consumed by the motor is 1080 watts.

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 SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

1. What type of power represents the actual energy used to perform work in an electrical circuit (B)

A) Apparent power
B) True power
C) Reactive power
D) Complex power

2. Which unit is used to measure apparent power in an electrical circuit (B)

A) Watts (W)
B) Volt-amperes (VA)
C) Volt-amperes reactive (VAR)
D) Amperes (A)
 SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

3. Reactive power in an AC circuit is primarily associated with: (B)

A) Energy consumption
B) Magnetic and electric fields
C) Useful work output
D) Current flow

4. The combination of true power and reactive power in an AC circuit gives rise to: (A)

A) Apparent power
B) Complex power
C) Active power
D) Reactive power
 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1.Define true power and explain its role in electrical circuits.

2.Differentiate between apparent power and reactive power, emphasizing their

individual contributions in AC circuits.

3.Describe the unit of measurement for reactive power and its significance in
power systems.
 THANK YOU

Team – BASIC ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT