Types of Electrical Loads

Resistive Loads

- Resistive loads are loads which consume electrical energy in a sinusoidal manner. This means that the
current flow is in time with and directly proportional to the voltage.

- It is a load that contains no inductance or capacitance, just pure resistance. Therefore; when a resistive
load is energised, the current rises instantly to its steady-state value without first rising to a higher
value.

- It includes loads such as incandescent lighting and electrical heaters.

Inductive Loads

- An Inductive Load is a load that pulls a large amount of current (an inrush current) when first
energised. After a few cycles or seconds the current "settles down" to the full-load running current.

- Inductive loads can casue excessive voltages to appear when switched.

- Examples of Inductive Loads are motors, transformers, and wound control gear.

Capacitive Loads

- A Capacitive Load is an AC electrical load in which the current wave reaches its peak before the
voltage.

- Capacitive loads are loads that capacitance esceeds inductance.

- Example of a Capacitive Load is the flash of the camera.

Ferranti effect is an increase in voltage occurring at the receiving end of a long transmission
line, above the voltage at the sending end. This occurs when the line is energized, but there
is a very light load or the load is disconnected. The capacitive line charging current produces
a voltage drop across the line inductance that is in-phase with the sending end voltages
considering the line resistance as negligible. Therefore both line inductance and capacitance
are responsible for this phenomenon.[1]

Illustration of the Ferranti Effect; addition of voltages across the line inductance
The Ferranti Effect will be more pronounced the longer the line and the higher the voltage
applied.[2] The relative voltage rise is proportional to the square of the line length
What Is Reactive Power ?

Most loads on an electrical distribution system can be placed

in one of three categories:

Resistive

Inductive

Capacitive

The most common of these three on modern systems is the

inductive load. Typical examples include transformers, fluorescent
lighting and AC induction motors.

The common characteristic of these inductive loads is that they

utilize a winding in order to operate. This winding produces an
electromagnetic field which allows the motor or transformer to
function and requires a certain amount of electrical power in
order to maintain this field.

All inductive loads require two kinds of power to function properly:

Active power (kW) - actually performs the work

Reactive power (kvar) sustains the electromagnetic field

One common example of reactive power can be seen in an

unloaded AC motor. When all load is removed from the motor,
one might expect the no-load current to drop near zero. In truth
however, the no-load current will generally show a value between
25% and 30% of full load current. This is because of the
continuous demand for magnetizing current by any induction load.

Active power is the total power that would be read on a wattmeter

Apparent power is the combination of reactive and active power.

What is Power Factor Correction ?

Power factor is the relationship between working (active) power

and total power consumed (apparent power). Essentially, power
factor is a measurement of how effectively electrical power is
being used. The higher the power factor, the more effectively
electrical power is being used and vice versa.

A distribution system’s operating power is composed of two parts:

Active (working) power

Reactive (non-working) magnetising

power.

The ACTIVE power performs the useful work. The REACTIVE power does not as its only function is to
develop magnetic fields required by inductive devices.

Generally, power factor decreases (Ø increases) with increased

motor loads. Therefore, when more inductive reactive power is
needed, more apparent power is also needed. This geometric
relationship of apparent power to active power is traditionally
expressed by the right angled triangle relationship of:

CosØ = p.f. = kW / kVA

Why Improve Low Power Factor?

Low power factor means poor electrical efficiency. The lower

the power factor the higher the apparent power drawn from the
distribution network.

When low power factor is not corrected, the utility must provide
the non-working reactive power IN ADDITION to the working
active power. This results in the use of larger generators,
transformers, bus bars, cables, and other distribution system
devices, that otherwise would not be necessary. As the utility’s
capital expenditures and operating costs are going to be higher,
they are going to pass these higher expenses down the line
to industrial users in the form of power factor penalties.

High power factor

eliminates utility power factor penalties

High power factor

reduces the I²R losses of transformers and distribution equipment

High power factor

stabilises voltage levels

The following diagram illustrates the relationship of power factor to total current consumed. With a
power factor of 1.0, given a constant consumed power load, the 100% figure represents the required
useful current.

As the power factor drops from 1.0 to .9, power is used less
effectively. Therefore, 10% more current is required than when
the power factor was 1.0 to handle the same load.

A power factor of .7 requires approximately 43% more current;

and a power factor of .5 requires approximately 100% (twice
as much) as required when the power factor was 1.0 to handle
the same load.

The Role of Capacitors

How Power Factor Correction Capacitors Solve the Problem of Low Power Factor.

Low power factor is a problem that can be solved by adding power factor correction
capacitors to the plant distribution system.

Correction capacitors work as reactive current generators “providing” needed reactive power
(kvar) into the power supply. By supplying their own source of reactive power, the industrial
user frees the utility from having to supply it, therefore, the total amount of apparent power
supplied by the utility will be less.

Power factor correction capacitors reduce the total current drawn from the distribution
system and subsequently increase system capacity by raising the power factor level.

Capacitor Ratings

Power factor correction capacitors are rated in electrical units called “vars”. One var is
equivalent to one volt-ampere of reactive power. Vars, then, are units of measurement for
indicating just how much reactive power the capacitor will supply.

As reactive power is usually measured in the thousands of vars, the letter “k” (abbreviation
for kilo”, meaning thousands) precedes the var creating the more familiar “kvar” term.

The capacitor kvar rating, then, shows how much reactive power the capacitor will supply.
Each unit of the capacitor’s kvar will decrease the inductive reactive power demand
(magnetising demand) by the same amount

EXAMPLE:

A low voltage network requires 410 kW active power at full load, and the power factor is
measured to be .70. Therefore, the system’s full load consumption of apparent power is
579.5 kVA. If 300 kvar of capacitive reactive power is installed, the power factor will rise to
.96 and the kVA demand will be reduced from 579.5 to 424.3 kVA.