Power Factor
Power factor is defined as the ratio of real power to the apparent power.
The formula for the power factor is given below :
Power Factor = cosФ = Real power/Apparent power
Real Power – The capacity of the electricity for performing work. It is also known as true power, active power, and working power. It is measured in kilowatts(kW).
Apparent Power – The combination of real power and reactive power. It is also known as total power. It is measured in kilovolt amperes(kVA).
Power Factor in AC circuit
The power factor is determined by the cosine of the phase angle between voltage and current. In AC circuits, the phase angle between voltage and current is aligned, or in other words, zero. But, practically there exists some phase difference between voltage and current. The value of the power factor always lies between 0 and 1. For a purely capacitive circuit, it is 0 and for the purely resistive circuit, it is 1. whereas, there is no power factor in DC circuits due to zero frequency. It is used to measure how effectively the incoming power is used in an electrical system(energy efficiency).
Table of Content
- Power Factor
- Different types of power in AC circuit
- Mathematical Analysis
- Consumption of power in AC Circuit
- Conclusion