Power factor correction is a frequently misunderstood topic. Improper techniques can result in over-correction, under-correction, and/or harmonic resonance, so it can be helpful to understand the ...

Many loads are mainly resistive; thus, they’re rated in watts (i.e., true power). Simply stated, these loads have a very small reactive component, which means an apparent power rating (VA) would not ...

Oscilloscopes measure current and voltage and, through the magic of mathematics, calculate power. Unfortunately, power comes in a large number of guises: instantaneous, real, apparent, and reactive.

Low power factor reduces an electrical system’s distribution capacity by increasing current flow. Therefore, having a low power factor is inefficient and expensive. But what is power factor and what ...

Your utility Power Factor is the ratio of the system’s Real Power and the Apparent Power (Eq. 1, Fig. 1). This unitless factor ranges from −1 to 1. The Power Factor ratio aptly describes the type of ...

The phrase power factor frequently is used in the electrical and power electronics industry. For example, home, office, and industrial electrical equipment often is fitted with power factor-corrected ...

Welcome to my first blog post that explores fundamental principles of electrical engineering and attempts to tease out some new insights. For many of you, this will be a refresh of concepts you ...