AC POWER ANALYSIS

Lecture Notes and Solved Problems for Practice

Note: (topics taught in the class but not included here are
equally important)

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Content

Average Power, Reactive Power etc.

Maximum Average Power Transfer
Complex Power
Power Factor Correction

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AVERAGE POWER

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Average Power
Average Power, in watts (W), is the average
of instantaneous power over one period

1
P = Vm I m cos( v i )
2

U D Dwivedi ,RGIPT

Average Power
Resistive load (R) absorbs power all the time.
For a purely resistive circuit, the voltage and
the current are in phase (v = i).
1
1 2
1 2
P = Vm I m = I m R = | I | R
2
2
2

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Average Power
Reactive load (L or C) absorbs zero average
power.
For a purely reactive circuit, the voltage and the
current are out of phase by 90o (v - i = 90).

1
o
P = Vm I m cos 90 = 0
2
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Practice Problem 1

Find the average power supplied by the source and the average
power absorb by the resistor

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Solution
The current I is given by

530 o
= 1.11856.57 o A
I=
4 j2
The average power supplied by the voltage source is

1
P = (5)(1.118)cos(30o 56.57 o ) = 2.5W
2

U D Dwivedi ,RGIPT

Solution
The current through the resistor is

I R = I = 1.11856.57 o A
The voltage across resistor is

VR = 4I R = 4.47256.57 o V
The average power absorbed by the resistor is

1
P = (4.472)(1.118) = 2.5W
2
Notice that the average power supplied by the voltage source is same
as the power absorbed by the resistor.
This result shows the capacitor absorbed zero average power.

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Practice Problem 2

Calculate the average power absorbed by the resistor and the

inductor. Then find the average power supplied by the voltage source

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Solution
The current I is given by

845o
I=
= 2.5326.57 o A
3+ j
For the resistor

I R = I = 2.5326.57 o A

VR = 3I = 7.5926.57 o V
PR =

1
1
Vm I m = (7.59)(2.53) = 9.6W
2
2
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Solution
For the inductor

I L = I = 2.5326.57 o A
VL = jI L = 2.53116.57 o V

1
PL = (2.53)(2.53)cos(90o ) = 0W
2
The average power supplied by the voltage source is

1
P = (8)(2.53)cos(45o 26.57 o ) = 9.6W
2
Notice that the average absorbed by the resistor is same as the power
supplied by the voltage source.
This result shows the inductor also absorbed zero average power.
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Practice Problem 3

Determine the load impedance ZL that maximize the power drawn

and the maximum average power.

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Solution
First we obtain the Thevenin equivalent
To find Zth, consider circuit (a)

Z Th = j5 + 4 || (8 j6)

= (2.933 + j4.467)
To find Vth, consider circuit (b)

VTh =

(8 - j6)
(100 o )
4 + (8 - j6)

= 7.454 10.3o V
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Solution
From the result obtained, the load impedance draws the maximum
power from the circuit when

Z L = Z Th * = (2.933 j4.467)
The maximum average power is

Pmax

| VTh |2 (7.454) 2
=
=
= 2.368W
8R Th
8(2.933)

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COMPLEX POWER

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Complex Power

Apparent Power, S (VA)

Real Power, P (Watts)
Reactive Power, Q (VAR)
Power Factor, cos

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Complex Power

Complex power is the product of the rms

voltage phasor and the complex conjugate
of the rms current phasor.
Measured in volt-amperes or VA
As a complex quantity

Its real part is real power, P

Its imaginary part is reactive power, Q

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Complex Power (Derivation)

1
S = VI *
2
S = Vrms I rms *

Vrms

V
= Vrms v
=
2

I rms

I
=
= I rms i
2

S = Vrms I rms v i

= Vrms I rms cos( v i ) + jVrms I rmssin( v i )

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Complex Power (Derivation)

S=I

rms

S = I 2 rms (R + jX)

= I 2 rms R + jI 2 rms X

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Complex Power (Derivation)

From derivation, we notice that the real power is

P = Vrms I rms cos( v i ) or P = Vrms I rms cos

where = ( v i )
or

P=I

rms

and also the reactive power

Q = Vrms I rms sin

or

Q = I 2 rms X
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Real or Average Power

The real power is the average power

delivered to a load.
Measured in watts (W)
The only useful power
The actual power dissipated by the load

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Reactive Power

The reactive power, Q is the imaginary parts

of complex power.
The unit of Q is volt-ampere reactive (VAR).
It represents a lossless interchange between
the load and the source

Q = 0 for resistive load (unity pf)

Q < 0 for capacitive load (leading pf)
Q > 0 for inductive load (lagging pf)
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Apparent Power

The apparent power is the product of rms

values of voltage and current
Measured in volt-amperes or VA
Magnitude of the complex power

| S |= Vrms I rms = P + Q
2

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Power Factor

Power factor is the cosine of the phase

difference between voltage and current.
It is also cosine of the angle of the load
impedance.

P
pf = = cos
S

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Power Factor

The range of pf is between zero and

unity.
For a purely resistive load, the voltage
and current are in phase so that v- i = 0
and pf = 1, the apparent power is equal
to average power.
For a purely reactive load, v- i = 90 and
pf = 0, the average power is zero.
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Power Triangular

Comparison between the power triangular (a) and the impedance triangular (b).
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Practice Problem 4
For the following voltage and current phasors, calculate the
complex power, apparent power, real power and reactive
power. Specify whether the pf is leading or lagging.

a)

V = 22030o Vrms, I = 0.560o Arms.

b)

V = 250-10o Vrms, I = 6.2-25o Arms.

c)

V = 1200o Vrms, I = 2.4-15o Arms.

d)

V = 16045o Vrms, I = 8.590o Arms.

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Solution
a)

S = VI* = (22030o)( 0.5-60o)

= 110-30o VA = 95.26 j55 VA

c)

Apparent power = 110 VA

Real Power = 95.26 W
Reactive Power = -55 VAR
pf is leading because current leads voltage
b)

S = VI* = (250-10o)(6.225o)
= 155015o VA = 1497.2 + j401.2 VA
Apparent power = 1550 VA
Real Power = 1497.2 W
Reactive Power = 401.2 VAR
pf is lagging because current lags voltage

S = VI* = (1200o)( 2.415o)

= 28815o VA = 278.2 + j74.54 VA
Apparent power = 288 VA
Real Power = 278.2 W
Reactive Power = 74.54 VAR
pf is lagging because current lags voltage

d)

S = VI* = (16045o)(8.5-90o)
= 1360-45o VA = 961.7 j961.7 VA
Apparent power = 1360 VA
Real Power = 961.7 W
Reactive Power = -961.7 VAR
pf is leading because current leads voltage

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Practice Problem 5
Determine the complex power for the following cases:
a)

P = 269 W, Q = 150 VAR (capacitive)

b)

Q = 2000 VAR, pf = 0.9 (leading)

c)

S = 600 VA, Q = 450 VAR (inductive)

d)

Vrms = 220 V, P = 1 kW, |Z| = 40 (inductive)

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Solution
a) Given P = 269W, Q = 150VAR (capacitive)
Complex power,

S = P jQ = (269 j150)VA
= 308 29.14 o VA

b) Given Q = 2000VAR, pf = 0.9 (leading)

pf = cos = 0.9 = 25.84 o

Q
2000
Q = S sin S =
=
= 4588.31
o
sin sin( 25.84 )
P = S cos = 4129.48
Complex power,

S = P jQ = (4129 j2000)VA
= 4588 - 25.84 o VA
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Solution
c) Given S = 600VA, Q = 450VAR (inductive)

Q 450
Q = S sin sin = =
= 0.75
S 600
= 48.59 o

pf = cos = 0.6614
P = S cos = 396.86
Complex power,

S = P + jQ = (396.9 + j450)VA
= 60048.59 o VA
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Solution
d) Given Vrms = 220V, P = 1kW, |Z| = 40 (inductive)

| V |2 220 2
S=
=
= 1210
| Z|
40
P 1000
P = S cos cos = =
= 0.8264
S 1210

= 34.26 o
Q = S sin = 681.25
Complex power,

S = P + jQ = (1000 + j681.2)VA
= 121034.26 o VA
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Practice Problem 6
A 110Vrms, 60Hz source is applied to a load impedance Z. The
apparent power entering the load is 120VA at a power factor
of 0.707 lagging. Calculate

a)

The complex power

b)

The rms current supplied to the load.

c)

Determine Z

d)

Assuming that Z = R + j L, find the value of R and L.

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Solution
Given S = 120VA,

pf = 0.707 = cos

= 45o

a) the complex power

S = S cos + jS sin = 84.84 + j84.84VA

b) the rms current supplied to the load

S = Vrms I rms
I rms

120
S
=
=
= 1.091A
Vrms 110

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Solution
c) the impedance Z

S = I rms Z
S
Z =
= (71.278 + j 71.278)
2
I rms
2

d) value of R and L
If Z = R + jL

then

Z = 71.278 + j 71.278

R = 71.278

L = 71.278

71.278
L =
= 0.1891H
2f
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Practice Problem 7
Oscilloscope measurement indicate that the voltage across a
load and the current through is are 21060o V and 825o A
respectively. Determine

a)

The real power

b)

The apparent power

c)

The reactive power

d)

The power factor

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Solution
a) the real power

1
1
S = VI* = (21060 o )(8 25o )
2
2
= (84035o )VA = (688.1 + j481.8)VA
P = S cos(35o ) = 840 cos(35o ) = 688.1W
b) the apparent power

S = 840VA
c) the reactive power

Q = S sin (35o ) = 840 sin (35o ) = 481.8VAR

d) the power factor

pf =

P
= cos(35o ) = 0.8191(lagging)
S
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POWER FACTOR
CORRECTION

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Power Factor Correction

The process of increasing the power

factor without altering the voltage or
current to the original load.
It may be viewed as the addition of a
reactive element (usually capacitor) in
parallel with the load in order to make
the power factor closer to unity.
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Power Factor Correction

Normally, most loads are inductive.

Thus power factor is improved or
corrected by installing a capacitor in
parallel with the load.
In circuit analysis, an inductive load is
modeled as a series combination of an
inductor and a resistor.
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Implementation of Power Factor Correction

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Calculation
If the original inductive load has apparent power S1, then

P = S1 cos 1

and

Q1 = S1 sin 1 = P tan 1

If we desired to increased the power factor from

cos1 to cos2 without altering the real power,
then the new reactive power is

Q2 = P tan 2

The reduction in the reactive power is caused by the shunt capacitor is given by

QC = Q1 Q2 = P (tan 1 - tan 2)
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Calculation
The value of the required shunt capacitance is determined by the
formula

QC
P(tan1 tan 2 )
C=
=
2
2
V rms
V rms
Notice that the real power, P dissipated by the load is not affected
by the power factor correction because the average power due to
the capacitor is zero
U D Dwivedi ,RGIPT

Assignment (A Part) Problem 9

When connected to a 120V (rms), 60Hz power line, a

load absorbs 4 kW at a lagging power factor of 0.8.
Find the value of capacitance necessary to raise the
pf to 0.95.

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Solution
If the pf = 0.8 then,
cos1 = 0.8

1 = 36.87o

where 1 is the phase difference between the voltage and current.

We obtained the apparent power from the real power and the pf as shown below.

P
4000
S1 =
=
= 5000VA
cos1
0.8
The reactive power is

Q1 = S1 sin 1 = 5000 sin 36.87 = 3000VAR

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Solution
When the pf raised to 0.95,
cos2 = 0.95

2 = 18.19o

The real power P has not changed. But the apparent power has changed. The
new value is

P
4000
S2 =
=
= 4210.5VA
cos 2 0.95
The new reactive power is

Q2 = S 2 sin 2 = 1314.4VAR
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Solution
The difference between the new and the old reactive power is due to the parallel
addition of the capacitor to the load.
The reactive power due to the capacitor is

QC = Q1 Q2 = 3000 1314.4 = 1685.6VAR

The value of capacitance added is

QC
1685.6
C=
=
= 310.5F
2
2
V rms 2 (60)(120)

U D Dwivedi ,RGIPT

Practice Problem 8
A 240Vrms, 60Hz source supplies a parallel
combination of a 5 kW heater and a 30 kVA
induction motor whose power factor is 0.82.
Determine

a)
b)
c)

d)

The system apparent power

The system reactive power
The kVA rating of a capacitor required to adjust the
system power factor to 0.9 lagging
The value of capacitance required

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Solution
For the heater
P1 = 5000

Q1 = 0

For the 30kVA induction motor, the pf = 0.82 then,

cos1 = 0.82

1 = 34.92o

The real and the reactive power for the induction motor

P2 = S 2 cos(34.91) = 30000 x 0.82 = 24600 W

Q2 = S 2 sin(34.91) = 17171kVAR
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Solution
The total system complex power
Stotal = S1 + S2 = (P1 + P2) + j (Q1 + Q2) = 29600 + j17171
The system apparent power
S = |Stotal| = 34.33kVA
The system reactive power
Q = 17171 kVAR
The system power factor

P 29600
= 0.865
pf = =
S 34220
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Solution
The system pf = 0.865 then,
cos1 = 0.865
The new system pf = 0.9 then,
cos2 = 0.9

1 = 30.12o

2 = 25.84o

The rating for the capacitance required to adjust the power factor to 0.9
QC = P (tan 1 + tan 2) = 29600 (tan 30.12 + tan 25.84) = 2833kVAR

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Solution
The value of capacitance is

QC
2833
=
= 130.46F
C=
2
2
V rms 2 (60)(240)

U D Dwivedi ,RGIPT