1

CHAPTER 2

Power Computations

Power
Electronics

Apparent power and power factor

Sinusoidal source and linear load
i
R

v(t ) 2Vrms cos(t )

i(t ) 2 I rms cos(t )

v
L

Decompose the current with two components

i(t ) 2 I rms cos(t )
2 I rms (cos cos t sin sin t )
( 2 I rms cos ) cos t ( 2 I rms sin ) sin t

in-phase
current
component
i p (t ) ( 2 I rms cos ) cos t

Power
Electronics

out-of-phase
(quadrature)
current
component
iq (t ) ( 2 I rms sin ) sin t

i(t ) i p (t ) iq (t )

Apparent power and power factor

Sinusoidal source and linear load
p(t ) v(t )i(t ) v(t )i p (t ) iq (t ) p p (t ) pq (t )
p p (t ) v(t )i p (t )

2V

rms

cos(t ) ( 2 I rms cos ) cos t

(Vrms I rms cos )1 cos(2t )

pq (t ) v(t )iq (t )

2V

rms

cos(t ) ( 2 I rms sin ) sin t

(Vrms I rms sin )sin(2t )

average power

p p (t ) Vrms I rms cos

average power

pq (t ) 0

only iP is
responsible for
the power
transfer

iq does not
transfer the
power.

Real power (active power)

P Vrms I rms cos [W ]

Reactive power

Q Vrms I rms sin [VAR]

The reactive power is commonly used in conjunction with voltage and current for
inductors and capacitors, which transfers no net power in steady-state.
Power
Electronics

Apparent power and power factor

Complex power: combining real and reactive power in a complex form
j
S=P + jQ Vrms I rms cos jVrms I rms sin Vrms I rms (cos j sin ) Vrms I rms e Vrms I rms

Apparent power (S): the magnitude of the complex power

2
2
S = S P Q Vrms I rms [VA]

product of rms voltage magnitude and rms

current magnitude

Power factor (pf): the ratio of average power to apparent power

pf

P
P

S Vrms I rms

Index to represent the effectiveness of power transfer

With sinusoidal voltage and current

P
P
pf
cos
S Vrms I rms

larger inductor Q pf
0 v & i in-phase pure resistive (R) load pf =1
90o v & i 90o-phase-shift pure inductive (L) load pf =0

P Vrms I rms cos

Power
Electronics

angle between the

voltage and the current

Apparent power and power factor

Physical meanings

Apparent power (S): the cost of most electrical equipment such as generators,
transformers, ad transmission lines increases with S. i.e. specifying the rating of power
equipment, because the electrical insulation level depends on V and the conductor size
depends on I.

Real power (P) : representing useful work

Reactive power (Q) : characterized by energy storage during one-half of the cycle and
energy retrieval during the other half.
In most situations, it is desirable to have the reactive power Q be zero. i.e. desirable to
make pf = 1

Power
Electronics

Power computation (Nonsinusoidal periodic)

Power electronics circuits typically generate nonsinusoidal periodic currents.

Nonsinusoidal periodic waveforms can be decomposed with series of sinusoids with

different frequencies by Fourier series.

Review of Fourier series

f (t ) a0 [an cosn0t bn sin n0t ]

n 1

1 T /2
f (t )dt
T T / 2
2 T /2
an
f (t ) cos n0t dt
T T / 2
2 T /2
bn
f (t ) sin n0t dt
T T / 2
a0

f (t ) a0 Cn cos(n0t n )
n 1

b
Cn an2 bn2 and n tan 1 n
an
Power
Electronics

a0: average value of f(t) = dc value of f(t)

Power computation (Nonsinusoidal periodic)

rms value of nonsinusoids

f (t ) a0 Cn cos(n0t n )

Frms

n 1

F
n 0

2
n , rms

C
a n
n 1 2

2
0

Average power of nonsinusoids

v(t ) V0 Vn cos n0t n

n 1

i (t ) I 0 I n cos n0t n

1 t o T
v(t )i(t )dt
T to

n 1

The average of voltage and current products at the same frequency is

P Vrms I rms cos

The average of voltage and current products at the different frequency = 0

n 0

n 1

P Pn V0 I 0 Vn ,rms I n ,rms cos( n n )

or ,
I
V
P V0 I 0 n ,max n ,max
2
n 1

Power
Electronics

cos n n

Power computation (Nonsinusoidal periodic)

Apparent power (S): the magnitude of the complex power

S = S Vrms I rms [VA]

v(t ) V0 Vn cos n0t n

product of rms voltage magnitude and rms

current magnitude
Vrms

n 1

i (t ) I 0 I n cos n0t n
n 1

I rms

V
V n
n 1 2

2
n , rms

I
I n
n 1 2

V
n 0

I
n 0

2
n , rms

2
0

2
0

Power factor (pf): the ratio of average power to apparent power

pf

Power
Electronics

P
P

S Vrms I rms

Index to represent the effectiveness of power transfer

Power computation (Nonsinusoidal periodic)

Sinusoidal source and nonlinear load

D1
D2

D1

D3

D4

D2

D3
D4
2p

Power
Electronics

10

Power computation (Nonsinusoidal periodic)

Sinusoidal source and nonlinear load
v(t ) V1 sin0t 1

i(t ) I 0 I n sin(n0t n )
n 1

Average power

I
V

P V0 I 0 n ,max n ,max cos n n

2
n 1

0 I
V1 I1
n , max
0I 0
cos n n
cos 1 1
2
2
n2

V I
1 1 cos 1 1 V1,rms I1,rms cos 1 1
2

The only current component at the

frequency of the source voltage contributes
to average power.

Apparent power
S Vrms I rms

The current component at the all frequency contributes to apparent power.

Power factor

V I
cos1 1 I1,rms
P
P
cos1 1
pf
1,rms 1,rms

S Vrms I rms
V1,rms I rms
I
rms

I rms

I
n 0

2
n , rms

I
I n
n 1 2
2
0

In case of sinusoidal current (linear circuit)

I

pf 1,rms cos1 1 cos1 1

I rms
Power
Electronics

termed as displacement power factor (DPF)

11

Power computation (Nonsinusoidal periodic)

Sinusoidal source and nonlinear load
Distortion factor (DF) : quantifies how much the current includes nonsinusoidal harmonics terms
represents the reduction in pf due to the nonsinusoidal property of the current waveform

pf 1,rms cos1 1
I rms

DF

I1,rms
I rms

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) : another term to quantify the nonsinusoidal harmonics terms

THD

I
n 1

I12,rms

I
n 1

Power
Electronics

2
n , rms

2
n , rms

I
n 1

2
n , rms

I1,rms

DF

2
I rms
I12,rms

I1,rms

pf

THD pf

As highly as the current waveform is distorted

from sinusoidal waveform reduced
effectiveness of power transfer

12

Power computation (Nonsinusoidal periodic)

Sinusoidal source and nonlinear load
Reactive power
Q V1,rms I1,rms sin1 1

Apparent power
S Vrms I rms V1,rms I

2
1, rms

I
n 1

2
n , rms

2
2
1, rms 1, rms

2
1, rms

I
n 1

2
n , rms

V1,2rms I12,rms cos 2 1 1 sin 2 1 1 V1,2rms I n2,rms

n 1

P V1,rms I1,rms cos1 1

Q V1,rms I1,rms sin1 1

P2 Q2 D2

Distortion volt-amps (D)

S P2 Q2 D2

Power
Electronics

D V1,rms

I
n 1

2
n , rms

Larger displacement angle

between the fundamental voltage
and current (1 - 1) Q

Increased amount of nonsinusoidal

harmonics D

S pf
reduced
effectiveness of
power transfer