Power Factor

and
Reactive Power
Ward Jewell
Wichita State University
Power Systems Engineering Research Center
(pserc.org)

PSERC

Energy to lift a 5 pound weight

2 feet high:
2 ft x 5 lb = 10 ft-lb
= 0.0000038 kWh
= 0.0033 calories
(which are actually kcal)

Value at 10.3 cents per kWh:

(average residential US price, summer 2006)

0.000039 cents
PSERC

Page 1

As dragline bucket lowers, motors

generate, return electricity to source

PSERC

Induction motor with no load

800

energy
to motor

735.249

power (watts)

600

400

200

p ( t)

0 energy
from
motor

200

400

465.196
600

0
0

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.01

0.012

0.014

time (seconds)

PSERC

Page 2

0.016

0.018
0.017

Induction motor
800
735.249

power (watts)

600

average
power:
130 watts

400

200

p ( t)
0

200

400

465.196
600

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.01

0.012

0.014

0.016

0.018
0.017

time (seconds)

PSERC

Incandescent lights
350
306.8

power (watts)

300

250

average
power:
150 watts

200

p ( t)
150

100

50
0
0

0
0

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.01

0.012

0.014

time (seconds)

PSERC

Page 3

0.016

0.018
0.017

Incandescent Lights

PSERC

Induction motor with no load

PSERC

Page 4

Lights and Motor

Power

Current

Voltage

Incandescent
lights

0.15 kW

1.3 A

118.0 V

Induction
motor with
no load

0.13 kW

5.1 A

117.7 V

PSERC

Why do the Volts and Amps matter?

PSERC

Page 5

Motors and Resistance Heat:

100 MW
Customer voltage

Power lost in wires

Resistance Heat

12.3 kV

1.0 MW

Motors

11.7 kV

2.3 MW

PSERC

Incandescent Lights

PSERC

Page 6

Incandescent lights power:

Power = 118 V x 1.3 A
= 153 W
= 0.15 kW
= power measured by meter

PSERC

Incandescent Lights

PSERC

Page 7

Induction motor with no load

PSERC

Induction motor power:

117.7 V x 5.1 A
= 600 W?
= 0.6 kW?
NOT the power measured by meter

PSERC

Page 8

Induction motor with no load

PSERC

Define some new values:

Apparent power = volts x amps
For the motor:
117.7 V x 5.1 A
= 600 VA
= 0.6 kVA
VA: volt-ampere
PSERC

Page 9

Define some new values:

Power Factor =
Average (real) (kW) power
Apparent (kVA) power
For the motor:
pf = 0.13 kW / 0.60 kVA
pf = 0.22

VI2 average power2

2

( 0.60kVA) ( 0.13kW) = 0.59 kVAR

0.58 kVAR

reactive power = 0.58 kVAR

reactive power =

Appa
rent p
ower
=

Define some new values:

the power triangle
for the motor:

0.60
kVA

PSERC

VAR: volt-ampere reactive

real power = 0.13 kW
PSERC

Page 10

Induction motor with no load

PSERC

Lights and Motor

Real Reactive Apparent Power Current Voltage
power
factor
power
Power
Incandescent
lights

0.15
kW

0 kVAR

0.15 kVA

1.0

1.3 A

118.0 V

Induction
motor with
no load

0.13
kW

0.58
kVAR

0.60 kVA

0.22

5.1 A

117.7 V

Note: the motors reactive power will stay near its

no-load value of 0.58 kVAR as its load and real
power (and thus apparent power and power
factor) vary from no load to full load.
PSERC

Page 11

Power factor and reactive power

are indicators of

power losses in wires

voltage drop between supply and load

PSERC

Typical Power Factors

Induction motor

0.7-0.8

Resistance heat

1.0

Incandescent lights

1.0

Fluorescent lights

0.6-1.0

Battery Chargers

0.6-1.0

Computers

0.5-1.0

Variable Speed Motor Drives

0.5-1.0

PSERC

Page 12

Power factor:
lagging or leading?

Most loads with lower power factor

are inductive.
Current lags voltage.
Power factor is lagging.

PSERC

Induction motor with no load

voltage

current

3.6 ms

Current lags voltage by about 3.6 milliseconds

PSERC

Page 13

Another way to calculate power factor

16.7 ms

3.6 ms

One 60 Hz cycle = 1/60 seconds = 16.7 ms

PSERC

Another way to calculate power factor:

displacement power factor
(3.6 ms / 16.7 ms) x 360 degrees = 77 degrees
current lags voltage by 77 degrees
cosine (77 degrees) = 0.22
power factor is 0.22 lagging
pf = cos
= angle between voltage and current
PSERC

Page 14

Incandescent lights

PSERC

Current and voltage are in phase.

Incandescent lights:
displacement power factor:
angle between voltage and current
= 0 degrees
pf = cos(0 degrees) = 1.0

PSERC

true power factor:

pf = 0.15 kW / 0.15 kVA
pf = 1.0

Page 15

If voltage and current are sinusoidal

displacement pf (DPF) = true pf (PF)

lights

motor

PSERC

Correcting (increasing)
power factor

PSERC

Page 16

Capacitors to improve power factor:

capacitors release energy
when inductors consume
1.2
1

Capacitor
current

0.5

iL( t)
0
ic ( t)

Inductor
current

0.5

1
1.2
0

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.01
t

0.012

0.014

0.016

0.018
0.017

PSERC

Induction motor with

power factor correction capacitor

PSERC

Page 17

Induction motor with

power factor correction capacitor
Real Reactive Apparent
power power
power

Power
factor

Current Voltage

Induction
motor

0.13
kW

0.58
kVAR

0.60
kVA

0.22

5.1 A

117.7
V

Induction
motor with
capacitors

0.13
kW

0.11
kVAR

0.18
kVA

0.96

1.5 A

118.4
V

PSERC

Wire losses:
motors with capacitors
Customer voltage

Power lost in wires

Motors

11.7 kV

2.3 MW

Motors with power

factor correction
capacitor

12.3 kV

1.0 MW

PSERC

Page 18

Incandescent lights with

power factor correction capacitor

PSERC

Incandescent lights with

power factor correction capacitor

Incandescent
lights
Lights with
capacitors

Real Reactive Apparent

power power
power
0.15
0 kVAR 0.15 kVA
kW
0.15
kW

0.64
kVAR

0.66 kVA

PSERC

Page 19

Power
factor
1.0

0.23
leading

Current Voltage
1.3 A

118.0 V

5.5 A

119.9 V

Wire losses:
lights with capacitors
Customer voltage

Power lost in wires

Resistance heat

12.3 kV

1.0 MW

Resistance heat
with power factor
correction
capacitors

13.0 kV

2.0 MW

PSERC

Leading power factor

Current leads voltage in a capacitor.
Too much capacitance causes low leading
power factor.
(just as bad as low lagging power factor)

Leading power factor causes high voltage

and increased wire losses.
Use the correct amount of capacitance.
(more is not better)

Switch capacitors off when motors are off

(just put capacitor on same switch as motor)
PSERC

Page 20

If voltage and current are sinusoidal

displacement pf = true pf

lights

motor
PSERC

If waveform is not sinusoidal:

PC voltage and current

PSERC

Page 21

If waveform is not sinusoidal:

PC voltage and current

PSERC

Harmonic distortion

PSERC

Page 22

Low power factor caused by

harmonic distortion cannot be
corrected by capacitors
Harmonic currents are not accompanied by
harmonic voltage, so average (real) power
in harmonics is almost zero.
pf = average power / apparent power
decreases
PSERC

Common harmonic loads

computers
motor drives
battery chargers
rectifiers
induction heaters
arc furnaces

To correct low power factor caused by

distorted current waveforms, the
harmonic currents must be filtered.
PSERC

Page 23

Capacitors can make

harmonic distortion worse:

Lights with power factor correction capacitor

This is rare, but should be considered

in the presence of harmonic loads

PSERC

Summary

Induction motors and other inductive equipment load the electric

power system differently than incandescent lights and resistive
heaters
Power Factor and Reactive Power are indicators of power lost in
wires and reduced customer voltage
Low displacement power factor caused by induction motors (and
other inductive loads) can be corrected with power factor
correction capacitors
Power factor correction capacitors must be sized properly
Power factor correction capacitors cost much less than utility
power factor charges and will eliminate those charges
Power factor correction capacitors should be disconnected when
motors are disconnected
Low harmonic power factor is corrected with filters, not capacitors.
Capacitors may make it worse.

PSERC

Page 24

Ward Jewell
316.978.6340
ward.jewell@wichita.edu
pserc.org
(slides are posted under presentations)

PSERC

Page 25