What types of reactive power are there?
Reactive inductive power
Inductive loads include motors, transformers, and control gear. Magnetizing coils with inductive loads necessitates the use of electricity. This is known as inductive reactive power. The apparent power (S1) is defined as the vector sum of the actual power (P) and the inductive reactive power (Q1).
Reactive capacitive power
Capacitive loads include capacitors in electrical devices and lengthy connections. Capacitive loads require power to charge their capacity. This is known as capacitive reactive power. The apparent power (S1) is the vector sum of the real power (P) and the capacitive reactive power (Q1).
Cos-phi indicates how much energy is utilized for inductive and capacitive reactive power. This is known as the displacement power factor (dPF) in the international community. This is the ratio of the fundamental component’s actual and perceived power (50Hz component).
Reactive power with harmonics
Non-linear loads are increasingly being used in contemporary systems. Rectifiers (laptop power supply, servers) and inverters in contemporary UPS and frequency inverters are examples of this. The utilized current is no longer sinusoidal, which is a hallmark of a non-linear load. We also refer to the current distortion caused by harmonic distortion.
The additional power caused by harmonic distortion is referred to as the harmonic reactive power (Qh). This reactive power has neither inductive nor capacitive characteristics.
The Power Factor (PF) is the ratio of actual to apparent power under all conditions.
Reactive power’s negative impacts
Penalties and claims
White paper on fines and claims lowering reactive powerA network operator may punish you if your reactive power is too high. Excessive reactive power results in extra onerous fluxes and, as a result, excessive load for the network operator. If limit values are exceeded with harmonic reactive power, the network operator can submit a claim.
Installation overburdening
To calculate the total power (kVA) that must be able to operate through the system, we must include the real power (kW) and reactive power (kVar).
A greater energy bill as a result of more losses
greater reactive power translates to greater power flowing through the installation. More current flowing through the installation equals higher losses due to the installation’s impedance (resistance). This is sometimes referred to as watt losses.
Transformer and generator de-rating
Harmonic reactive power guarantees that transformers and generators have less available capacity. Additional copper and eddy current losses, as well as extra losses, are created by inductive and capacitive couplings due to the higher frequencies of the harmonics.
Electronics use minimizes inductive reactive power while increasing harmonic and capacitive reactive power. As the reactive power grows, so does the perceived power, and hence the installation’s necessary capacity. Because of the derating of transformers and generators, harmonic reactive power assures a decreased available capacity.
A capacitor bank can be used to minimize inductive reactive power. All sorts of reactive power can be decreased using an active dynamic filter, and transformer or generator derating is restricted.
