Notes on Complex Power

Consider the following circuits:

The textbook gives the following table (where = and = ):

The voltage, current, and impedance are related in the following ways:
= = = ( + )
= =
= =

=
( )

=
( )

Using these expressions, the complex power () can be expressed in several ways:
=

2
2

| |2
=
= ( ) =
=
=

( )

2
= ( )
= | |2 =
=
=

| |2

||2
2

We see that the phase angle of the complex power is just the phase angle of the impedance. Also,
2
( + )
= | |2 = + =

2
2
and =
.
so that =

The apparent power () is just the magnitude of the complex power.

= || = =

The average power () is given by:

2 + 2

2
2 2
+ 2
=
=

= cos( ) = Re{} = cos = pf,

where the power factor is pf = cos( ) = cos( ). The power factor is leading if < 0, i.e.
current leads the voltage for an RC load. The power factor is lagging if > 0, i.e. current lags the
voltage for an RL load.
The reactive power () is given by:
= sin( ) = Im{} = sin = 1 pf 2

A useful relation, if we are given the average power and power factor and want to know the complex
power is:

1 pf 2
= + = (cos + sin ) = 1 + = (1 + tan ) = 1

pf

Using the fact that = cos 1 (pf), and tan[cos 1 ()] =

1 2

. In the above equation, the + sign is

used for a lagging pf (RL load), and the sign is used for a leading pf (RC load).

(Maximum) Average Power Transfer

Similar to the Thvenin and Norton equivalent circuits in the (purely resistive) DC circuit case,
= , =

where

= ( // ) ,
+

, =

=
,
+
+

= + = , = + = .

The equation for the average power absorbed by the load is (Note, the factor of goes away if
were using effective values.):
=

1
1
cos( ) = cos
2
2

The magnitude of the phasor current and voltage are given by

=

Also, note that

( + )2 + ( + )2

cos =

2 + 2

( + )2 + ( + )2

+ 2

Using the previous expressions, the average power absorbed by the load is
=

2
1 2
1 | |2
1

=
.

2
2
2
2 | + |
2 ( + ) + ( + )2

Maximum average power transfer occurs when =

= . Then = /2 and

, =

2
1 2

=
.
2
8

2
2
Note, under the constraint that = 0 , MAPT occurs when = = | |2 =
+
.