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True, Reactive, and Apparent Power

The document discusses three types of power in AC circuits: true power, reactive power, and apparent power. True power is the actual power dissipated and is measured in watts. Reactive power is power absorbed and returned by reactive components and is measured in volt-amperes reactive. Apparent power is the total power and is measured in volt-amperes.

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75 views5 pages

True, Reactive, and Apparent Power

The document discusses three types of power in AC circuits: true power, reactive power, and apparent power. True power is the actual power dissipated and is measured in watts. Reactive power is power absorbed and returned by reactive components and is measured in volt-amperes reactive. Apparent power is the total power and is measured in volt-amperes.

Uploaded by

Awa Stelk
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Volume Volume V

Volume Volume Volume III - Volume VI -


| | | IV - | - | Experiments | Forums | Links |
I - DC II - AC Semiconductors
Digital Reference

Power in resistive and


reactive AC circuits
True, Reactive, and
Apparent power
Calculating power factor
Practical power factor
correction
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Volume II - AC

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True, Reactive, and Apparent power


All About Circuits > Volume II - AC > Chapter 11: POWER FACTOR > True,
Reactive, and Apparent power

True, Reactive, and Apparent power

We know that reactive loads such as inductors and capacitors dissipate zero power, yet the
fact that they drop voltage and draw current gives the deceptive impression that they
actually do dissipate power. This "phantom power" is called reactive power, and it is
measured in a unit called Volt-Amps-Reactive (VAR), rather than watts. The mathematical
symbol for reactive power is (unfortunately) the capital letter Q. The actual amount of
power being used, or dissipated, in a circuit is called true power, and it is measured in wat
(symbolized by the capital letter P, as always). The combination of reactive power and true
power is called apparent power, and it is the product of a circuit's voltage and current,
without reference to phase angle. Apparent power is measured in the unit of Volt-Amps
(VA) and is symbolized by the capital letter S.

As a rule, true power is a function of a circuit's dissipative elements, usually resistances (R


Reactive power is a function of a circuit's reactance (X). Apparent power is a function of a
circuit's total impedance (Z). Since we're dealing with scalar quantities for power
calculation, any complex starting quantities such as voltage, current, and impedance must
be represented by their polar magnitudes, not by real or imaginary rectangular component
For instance, if I'm calculating true power from current and resistance, I must use the pola
magnitude for current, and not merely the "real" or "imaginary" portion of the current. If
I'm calculating apparent power from voltage and impedance, both of these formerly
complex quantities must be reduced to their polar magnitudes for the scalar arithmetic.

There are several power equations relating the three types of power to resistance,
reactance, and impedance (all using scalar quantities):
Please note that there are two equations each for the calculation of true and reactive powe
There are three equations available for the calculation of apparent power, P=IE being usefu
only for that purpose. Examine the following circuits and see how these three types of
power interrelate:

Resistive load only:

Reactive load only:


Resistive/reactive load:

These three types of power -- true, reactive, and apparent -- relate to one another in
trigonometric form. We call this the power triangle:
Using the laws of trigonometry, we can solve for the length of any side (amount of any typ
of power), given the lengths of the other two sides, or the length of one side and an angle.

z REVIEW:
z Power dissipated by a load is referred to as true power. True power is symbolized by
the letter P and is measured in the unit of Watts (W).
z Power merely absorbed and returned in load due to its reactive properties is referred
to as reactive power. Reactive power is symbolized by the letter Q and is measured
the unit of Volt-Amps-Reactive (VAR).
z Total power in an AC circuit, both dissipated and absorbed/returned is referred to as
apparent power. Apparent power is symbolized by the letter S and is measured in th
unit of Volt-Amps (VA).
z These three types of power are trigonometrically related to one another. In a right
triangle, P = adjacent length, Q = opposite length, and S = hypotenuse length. The
opposite angle is equal to the circuit's impedance (Z) phase angle.

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