POWER FACTOR

• In alternating current systems, the load current and voltage are not
always in phase as shown in figure 1 below:

I V
Figure 1: Waveforms showing the phase
difference between current and voltage
t

• The current could leads or lags behind the voltage depending on the
type of load.
• For inductive loads, current lags the voltage while for capacitive loads,
current leads. The two cases are as depicted in figures 2 (a) and (b)
below
 I
V

I
V
I
(a) Current Lagging (a)Current Leading

Figure 2: Lagging and Leading Current

• Irrespective of the type of load, the cosine of the phase difference

between the load current and voltage in an alternating current system is
termed power factor (Pf).
• Hence, the measure of the displacement between current and voltage
gives rise to power factor (Pf).
 IMPEDANCE/ POWER TRIANGLE
• The easiest way to remember all the formulae for power factor
calculation is by using the impedance/power triangle

A
C
Example:
A 230V, 50Hz single phase ac power system was used to power a
series R-L-C load with the following parameters: R =8Ω, L = 22.2 mH
and C = 212.11µF
(a)Sketch the circuit diagram of the system
(b)Calculate the:
i. Impedance of the load
ii. Current flowing through the load
iii. Load power factor
iv. Apparent power
v. Real power
vi. Reactive power
 Power Factor Correction
• As a result of the above disadvantages of low power factor, some necessary steps must be taking
to improve the systems power factor so as to keep the power factor close to unity.
• Power factor correction is the process of improving the system’s power factor.
• The general method of improving the overall power factor of an installation is to connect a load
with a leading power factor in parallel with the loads having lagging power factor. In this way
each load operates on its own power factor but the overall power factor of the combined load is
improved.
• The various methods employed to improve the power factor of an installation include the use of:
• Synchronous motors
• Synchronous Compensators
 Shunt Capacitors
 Phase Advancers
 Generator excitation control
 Exercises
1. The current in a circuit is 45+j12A when the voltage is 82+j100V.
Determine the phase angle between voltage and current, the power
factor, the active power, the reactive power and the apparent power in
the circuit.
2. A 230V, single phase electric welding machine is rated at 2kW.
(a) Calculate the currents drawn by the machine at the following power
factors: 0.95, 0.85, 0.8, 0.75, 0.5
(b) What inference can be drawn from the results in (a) above
3. An alternator is supplying a load of 1000kW at a power factor of 0.75
lagging. If the power factor is raised to unity, how many more
kilowatts can the alternator supply for the same kVA loading?