12 Facts About Power factor

Linear loads with a low power factor can be corrected with a passive network of capacitors or inductors.

Power factor is defined as the ratio of real power to apparent power.

The power factor describes the amount of real power transmitted along a transmission line relative to the total apparent power flowing in the line.

Power factor can be computed as the cosine of the angle ? by which the current waveform lags or leads the voltage waveform,.

Power factor is described as leading if the current waveform is advanced in phase with respect to voltage, or lagging when the current waveform is behind the voltage waveform.

Since the units are consistent, the power factor is by definition a dimensionless number between -1 and 1.

When power factor is equal to 0, the energy flow is entirely reactive and stored energy in the load returns to the source on each cycle.

High power factor is generally desirable in a power delivery system to reduce losses and improve voltage regulation at the load.

Power factor correction brings the power factor of an AC power circuit closer to 1 by supplying or absorbing reactive power, adding capacitors or inductors that act to cancel the inductive or capacitive effects of the load, respectively.

Distortion power factor is a measure of how much the harmonic distortion of a load current decreases the average power transferred to the load.

In linear circuits having only sinusoidal currents and voltages of one frequency, the power factor arises only from the difference in phase between the current and voltage.

Distortion power factor is the distortion component associated with the harmonic voltages and currents present in the system.