Experiment-5

Aim: To measure active and reactive power in single phase ac circuit.

Apparatus required:

S. No. Apparatus Range Type Quantity

1. Voltmeter 0-300V AC 1
2. Ammeter 0-2.5 A AC 1
3. Rheostat 0-110 ohms 1
4. Wattmeter AC 1
5. Capacitor 200mF/400v-2A 1
6. Connecting wires
7. Multimeter
8. Mains supply 1-Ჶ, 230V, 50Hz AC 1
9. Auto transformer 8A, 0-260V AC AC 1

Diagram:

Theory:
In an electrical circuit comprising of alternating current source, an impedance (
any combination of resistance, inductance and capacitance ) the power input
has two components (i) active power which is indicator of power consumed as
a useful work done and is non-retrievable (ii) other component of the power
input is stored in the inductive/capacitive circuit elements, this part of the
power can be re-used. This power stored in inductance and capacitance is
called reactive power; it does not contribute to any useful work, however, this
power is required for the generation of magnetic flux and charging of
dielectrics in the circuit.
The two components active and reactive (wattles) of the power can be
expressed in terms of applied voltage and current drawn, as below:
Active power, P = VI cos 𝜑 (watts)
(I cosᶲ is the component of current I in phase with voltage)
Reactive power, Q = VI sin 𝜑 (VAR)
(I sin 𝜑 is the component of current I in quadrature with voltage)
The product of Voltage and Current (VI) is called apparent power, measured in
VA.
Formula:
W = VI cos 𝜑
Z = V/I Ω
R = Z cos 𝜑 Ω
Xc = Z sin 𝜑 Ω
Procedure:
1. Draw a neat and well labelled circuit diagram.
2. Select appropriate range of various apparatus.
3. Prepare the requisition slip indicating the range, type and quantity of
apparatus.
4. Note the multiplying factor of the wattmeter according to the range of
current and voltage.
5. Make neat and tight connections as shown in the circuit diagram.
6. Set an appropriate value for the voltage in auto transformer.
7. Vary the load resistance and the readings of the voltmeter, ammeter and
wattmeter in the observation table.
8. Plot the variation of active power and reactive power with the change in
load parameters( R and C )
Observations:

S.no. V(Volts) I(Amp) Power(W) Cos 𝜑 Sin 𝜑 Power(VAR)

(Active) (Reactive)
1 138 0.76 50 0.480 0.877 91.97
2 160 0.86 70 0.508 0.861 118.4
3 170 0.92 80 0.511 0.859 134.30
4 180 0.98 90 0.510 0.860 151.50
5 190 1.04 100 0.506 0.862 170.33
6 200 1.10 110 0.500 0.866 190.52
7 209 1.14 120 0.503 0.864 205.85
8 216 1.18 130 0.510 0.860 219.19

Graph:

Plot of Active power and Reactive power is shown below:

Sources of error:
1. Heating up of apparatus
2. Observation without removing parallax
3. Loose connections

Precautions:
1. Switch on the circuit only for a short duration to avoid heating.
2. Make sure the connections are tight.
3. Do not touch metallic contacts.
4. Work on the electrical equipment must be done only after the power
has been disconnected.
5. Do not overload circuits or wiring.

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