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Basic Theory

Power Factor Details

Power Factor Details Definition Power factor is the ratio of active power to apparent power. Significance - Reflects electrical energy utilization efficiency -…

About 5 min read intermediate
Power factorReactive compensationEnergy efficiency

Power Factor Details

Definition

Power factor is the ratio of active power to apparent power.

PF = P / S = cos(φ)

Significance

  • Reflects electrical energy utilization efficiency
  • The closer PF is to 1, the higher the efficiency
  • Typical Values

    Load TypePF Value
    Pure resistance1.0
    Motor0.7-0.85
    Fluorescent lamp0.5-0.9

    Power Factor Correction

    Principle

    Connect capacitor in parallel to compensate reactive power

    Calculation

    Qc = P × (tan(φ1) - tan(φ2))