1. What is Power Factor?

Power Factor (PF) is the ratio of real power to apparent power in an electrical system. It measures how effectively electrical power is being used and indicates the phase difference between voltage and current in AC circuits.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Power Factor formula:

Where:

• \( PF \) — Power Factor (dimensionless)
• \( \text{Real Power} \) — Actual power consumed (Watts)
• \( \text{Apparent Power} \) — Product of voltage and current (Volt-Amperes)

Explanation: Power factor ranges from 0 to 1, where 1 represents perfect efficiency and lower values indicate poor power utilization with reactive power losses.

3. Importance of Power Factor Calculation

Details: Power factor calculation is crucial for energy efficiency, reducing electricity costs, optimizing electrical system performance, and preventing penalties from utility companies for poor power factor.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter real power in Watts and apparent power in Volt-Amperes. Both values must be positive numbers greater than zero for accurate calculation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a good power factor value?
A: Ideally, power factor should be close to 1.0. Values above 0.95 are considered good, while values below 0.85 may incur penalties from utility providers.

Q2: What causes low power factor?
A: Low power factor is typically caused by inductive loads like motors, transformers, and fluorescent lighting that create phase differences between voltage and current.

Q3: How can power factor be improved?
A: Power factor can be improved by adding power factor correction capacitors, using synchronous condensers, or optimizing motor loads to reduce reactive power.

Q4: What's the difference between real and apparent power?
A: Real power performs actual work, while apparent power is the total power flowing in the circuit. The difference is reactive power, which doesn't perform useful work.

Q5: Why do utilities charge for poor power factor?
A: Utilities charge penalties because low power factor requires them to supply more current for the same real power, increasing transmission losses and infrastructure costs.