Active, Reactive, Apparent and Complex Power.

Simple explanation
with formulas.

Active,Reactive,ApparentandComplexPower.Simpleexplanationwithformulas.

(1)RealPower:(P)
AlternativewordsusedforRealPower(ActualPower,TruePower,WattfullPower,UsefulPower,Real
Power,andActivePower)
InaDCCircuit,powersupplytotheDCloadissimplytheproductofVoltageacrosstheloadandCurrent
flowingthroughiti.e.,P=VI.becauseinDCCircuits,thereisnoconceptofphaseanglebetweencurrent
andvoltage.Inotherwords,thereisnoPowerfactorinDCCircuits.
ButthesituationisSinusoidalorACCircuitsismorecomplexbecauseofphasedifferencebetweenCurrent
andVoltage.Thereforeaveragevalueofpower(RealPower)isP=VICosisinfactsuppliedtotheload.
InACcircuits,Whencircuitispureresistive,thenthesameformulausedforpowerasusedinDCasP=V
I.
YoumayalsoreadaboutPowerFormulasinDC,ACSinglePhaseandandACThreePhaseCircuits.
RealPowerformulas:
P=VI(InDCcircuits)
P=VICos(inSinglephaseACCircuits)
P=3VLILCosor(inThreePhaseACCircuits)
P=3VPhIPhCos
P=(S2Q2)or
P=(VA2VAR2)or
RealorTruepower=(ApparentPower2ReactivePower2)or
kW=(kVA2kVAR2)

(2)ReactivePower:(Q)
Alsoknownas(UselessPower,WattlessPower)
ThepowersthatcontinuouslybouncebackandforthbetweensourceandloadisknownasreactivePower
(Q)

Powermerelyabsorbedandreturnedinloadduetoitsreactivepropertiesisreferredtoasreactivepower
TheunitofActiveorRealpowerisWattwhere1W=1Vx1A.
Reactivepowerrepresentthattheenergyisfirststoredandthenreleasedintheformofmagneticfieldor
electrostaticfieldincaseofinductorandcapacitorrespectively.
ReactivepowerisgivenbyQ=VISinwhichcanbepositive(+ve)forinductive,negative(Ve)for
capacitiveload.
TheunitofreactivepowerisVoltAmperereactive.I.e.VARwhere1VAR=1Vx1A.
Inmoresimplewords,inInductororCapacitor,howmuchmagneticorelectricfieldmadeby1Ax1Vis
calledtheunitofreactivepower.
Reactivepowerformulas:
Q=VISin
ReactivePower=(ApparentPower2Truepower2)
VAR=(VA2P2)
kVAR=(kVA2kW2)

(3)ApparentPower:(S)
Theproductofvoltageandcurrentifandonlyifthephaseangledifferencesbetweencurrentandvoltage
areignored.
TotalpowerinanACcircuit,bothdissipatedandabsorbed/returnedisreferredtoasapparentpower
Thecombinationofreactivepowerandtruepoweriscalledapparentpower
InanACcircuit,theproductofther.m.svoltageandther.m.scurrentiscalledapparentpower.
ItistheproductofVoltageandCurrentwithoutphaseangle
TheunitofApparentpower(S)VAi.e.1VA=1Vx1A.
Whenthecircuitispureresistive,thenapparentpowerisequaltorealortruepower,butininductiveor
capacitivecircuit,(whenReactancesexist)thenapparentpowerisgreaterthanrealortruepower.
Apparentpowerformulas:
S=VI
ApparentPower=(Truepower2+ReactivePower2)
kVA=kW2+kVAR2
AlsoNotethat
Resistorabsorbstherealpoweranddissipatesintheformofheatandlight.
Inductorabsorbsthereactivepoweranddissipatesintheformofmagneticfield
Capacitorabsorbsthereactivepoweranddissipatesintheformofelectricorelectrostaticfiled

Theseallquantitiestrigonometricallyrelatedtoeachotherasshowninbelowfigure.

Clickimagetoenlarge

FormoreClearanceandexplanation.,iusedLaysChipsandBeerAnalogyforRealorTruePower,ReactivePower,Apparentpowerandpowerfactor
LaysChipsAnalogyofRealorTruePower,ReactivePower,Apparentpower&powerfactor
Clickimagetoenlarge

BeerAnalogyofActiveorTruepower,Reactivepower,ApparentPowerandPowerfactor.

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