Power Factor basics

By: Jafar Khan

Content

What is power factor

What causes low power factor
Why should I improve my power factor
How should I correct (Improve) my power factor

What is Power Factor?

Power factor is the measure of how effectively your electrical

equipment converts electric power (supplied by your power utility)
into useful power output.
In technical terms, it is the ratio of Active Power (kW)) to the
Apparent Power (kVA) of an electrical installation.

 KW is Working Power (also called Actual Power or Active

Power or Real Power). It is the power that actually powers the
equipment and performs useful work.
KVAR is Reactive Power. It is the power that magnetic
equipment (transformer, motor and relay) needs to produce the
magnetizing flux.
KVA is Apparent Power. It is the vectorial summation of
KVAR and KW.

Simple analogy in order to better understand these terms.

P.F. =

KW
KVA

P.F. =

KW
KW+KVAR

P.F. =

Beer
Beer+Foam

The more foam you have (the higher the percentage of KVAR), the lower your
ratio of KW (beer) to KVA (beer plus foam). Thus, the lower your power factor.
The less foam you have (the lower the percentage of KVAR), the higher your ratio
of KW (beer) to KVA (beer plus foam). In fact, as your foam (or KVAR) approaches
zero, your power factor approaches 1.0.

Lets look at another analogy

Mac here is dragging a heavy load. Macs Working Power (or

Actual Power) in the forward direction, where he most wants his load to
travel, is KW.
Unfortunately, Mac cant drag his load on a perfect horizontal (he would
get a tremendous backache), so his shoulder height adds a little Reactive
Power, or KVAR.
The Apparent Power Mac is dragging, KVA, is this vectorial summation
of KVAR and KW.

KVAR (Reactive Power)

Power Traingle

Power Traingle
KV
A(
Ap
par
e

nt

Po

we

r)

KW (Real Power)

= COS

Power Factor (COS ) should be close to unity

What causes Low Power Factor?

Low power factor results when KW is small in relation to KVA.

Remembering our beer mug analogy, this would occur when KVAR (foam, or Macs
shoulder height) is large.

What causes a large KVAR in a system? The answer isinductive loads.

Transformers
Induction motors
Induction generators (wind mill generators)
High intensity discharge (HID) lighting

KVAR
KVAR

KVAR

Reactive power (KVAR) required by inductive loads increases the amount of

apparent power (KVA) in distribution system.
This increase in reactive and apparent power results in a larger angle
measured between KW and KVA.
As increases, cosine (or power factor) decreases.

KV
A

KV
A
KV
A

KW

KW

Why should I Improve my Power Factor?

Lower the Utility bill
inductive loads require reactive power, caused your low power factor. This
increase in required reactive power (KVAR) causes an increase in required
apparent power (KVA), which is what the utility is supplying.
So, a facilitys low power factor causes the utility to have to increase its
generation and transmission capacity in order to handle this extra demand.
By raising your power factor, you use less KVAR. This results in less KW,
which equates to savings from the utility.

Increased system capacity and reduced system losses

By adding capacitors (KVAR generators) to the system, the power factor is
improved and the KW capacity of the system is increased.
Reduces I2R losses in conductors

 Increased voltage level and cooler, more efficient motors

As uncorrected power factor causes power losses in distribution system. As
power losses increase, you may experience voltage drops. Excessive voltage
drops can cause overheating and premature failure of motors and other
inductive equipment.
So, by raising power factor, minimizes these voltage drops along feeder cables
and avoid related problems. Your motors will run cooler and be more efficient,
with a slight increase in capacity and starting torque.
A 10% drop in terminal voltage from the rated,
Will reduce the Induction motor torque by approx 19%,
Increase full load current by approx 11%,
Reduce overload capacity
Increase temperature rise by approx 6-7 degrees.

Six
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
No lights
lights
light
lights
lights
lights
on
on
on
on
on
on
24
14
20
23
25
0 Watts
Wattstotal
total
(room
(some
(roomgets
light
is dark)
darker)
brighter)
in room)
Voltage
Voltagedrops
is normal
more
some

12/11/97

13

 Reduces loading on transformers

For example, a 1,000 KVA transformer with an 80% power factor provides 800
KW (600 KVAR) of power to the main bus.
1000 KVA =

(800 KW)2 + ( ? KVAR)2

KVAR = 600
By increasing the power factor to 90%, more KW can be supplied for the same
amount of KVA.
1000 KVA =

(900 KW)2 + ( ? KVAR)2

KVAR = 436
The KW capacity of the system increases to 900 KW and the utility supplies only
436 KVAR.

How do I correct my Power Factor?

We have seen that consumers of Reactive power (Inductive loads) decrease
power factor
Similarly, Sources of Reactive Power increase power factor:
Capacitors
Synchronous generators (utility and emergency)
Synchronous motors
One way to increase power factor is to add capacitors to the system.

 Installing capacitors (KVAR Generators)

Installing capacitors decreases the magnitude of reactive power (KVAR), thus
increasing your power factor.
Reactive power (KVARS), caused by inductive loads, always acts at a 90-degree
angle to working power (KW).
Capacitance (KVAR)

Working power (KW)

Reactance (KVAR)
Capacitors store KVARS and release energy opposing
the reactive energy caused by the inductor.

If the motor is unloaded and is located a short distance from the generator,
the energy from the generator causes magnetic fields to form around the
motor coils.

Reactive power
In both directions between the
generator and the motor
Feeder line

True power
delivered to load
Generator
Outputapparent power
(Combination of true and reactive power)

Since the coils of the motor are reactive, the current causes a magnetic
field to expand around the coils during one portion of the alternation.
During another portion of the alternation, the magnetic field collapses,
induces a voltage at the coil, and causes current from the motor to flow
back to generator.

The current causes a magnetic field to expand around the coils during one
portion of the alternation.

Reactive power from the

generator to the motor

For Ascending
Positive Alternation

During another portion of the alternation, the magnetic field collapses,

induces a voltage at the coil, and causes current from the motor to flow
back to generator.

Reactive power from the

motor to the generator

For Descending
Positive Alternation

The current causes a magnetic field to expand around the coils during one
portion of the alternation.

Reactive power from the

generator to the motor

For Ascending
Negative Alternation

During another portion of the alternation, the magnetic field collapses,

induces a voltage at the coil, and causes current from the motor to flow
back to generator.

Reactive power from the

motor to the generator

For Descending
Negative Alternation

Individual Correction

Group Correction

Capacitor sizing
KVAr required = kW (tan 1 tan 2)
Where 1 = Cos-1 (PF 1) and
1 = Cos-1 (PF 2) and
PF1 and PF2 are initial and final
Power factors respectively

Q=

S2 - P2

Conclusion
PF is the ratio of Active Power (kW)) to the Apparent Power
(kVA).
More the reactive power, less is the power factor
Power factor can be improved by locally providing required
Reactive power

Thank You