Ideally, the power factor should be 1; then the load appears as a resistor to the AC source. However, in the real world, electrical loads not only cause distortions in AC current waveforms, but also ...

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.

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 ...

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 ...

Most discussions on manufacturing energy efficiency focus on identifying easy-to-find-and-fix energy wasters such as compressed air leaks, inefficient lighting, equipment that is always left on when ...

When it comes to the most typical cause of poor power factor in a facility, motor inductance is a likely culprit. The problem worsens when motors are not loaded to their full capacity. Harmonic ...