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1/9

Department of Electrical Engineering Revision No. 1

LAB3_POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN
Effective Date 14/03/2022
AC CIRCUIT

CENTRE FOR DIPLOMA STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM LABORATORY

(MAKMAL SISTEM KUASA ELEKTRIK)

WORKING INSTRUCTION AND REPORT

Course Code & Name /

DAE 32403 ( ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM )
Kod & Nama Kursus
Code & Title of Experiment/
LAB3_POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN AC CIRCUIT
Kod & Tajuk Ujikaji
Date of Experiment/
Tarikh Ujikaji
Programme/Program 2DAE
Group/ Kumpulan
Matrix No./
Name/Nama
Group Members/ No. Matrik
Ahli Kumpulan 1.
2.
3.
Instructor Name / 1.
Nama Instruktor 2.

Keputusan/Result - P3 /35%
Pengiraan/Calculation - P3 /25%
Perbincangan/Discussion - C3 /15%
Assessment / Penilaian Kesimpulan/Conclusion - C3 /15%
Minit mesyuarat/Minutes meeting –A2 /10%
TOTAL/
/100%
JUMLAH
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Department of Electrical Engineering Revision No. 1

LAB3_POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN
Effective Date 14/03/2022
AC CIRCUIT

EXPERIMENT: POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN AC CIRCUIT

AIM: To build and simulate an AC circuit, measure the necessary outputs to calculate the power triangle
component, and power factor.

OBJECTIVES:
(1) To understand the three power elements; real power (P), reactive power (Q), and apparent power
(S) behaviors within an AC circuit.
(2) To draw the power triangle and relate it to the power factor of the circuit.

1. INTRODUCTION

AC circuits that contain resistance and capacitance or resistance and inductance, or both, also contain
real power (P) and reactive power (Q). In order to calculate the total power consumed, the phase
difference between the sinusoidal waveforms of the voltage and current needs to be obtained.

In an AC circuit, the voltage and current waveforms are sinusoidal so their amplitudes are constantly
changing over time. Since we know that power is voltage times the current (P = V*I), maximum power
will occur when the two voltage and current waveforms are lined up with each other. That is, their peaks
and zero crossover points occur at the same time. When this happens the two waveforms are said to be
“in phase”. The impedance, (Z) of an AC circuit is equivalent to the resistance calculated in DC circuits,
with impedance given in ohms. For AC circuits, impedance is generally defined as the ratio of the voltage
and current phasors produced by a circuit component. Phasors are straight lines drawn in such a way as
to represent a voltage or current amplitude by its length and its phase difference with respect to other
phasor lines by its angular position relative to the other phasors.

AC circuits contain both resistance and reactance that are combined together to give a total impedance
(Z) that limits current flow around the circuit. But an AC circuits impedance is not equal to the algebraic
sum of the resistive and reactive ohmic values as a pure resistance and pure reactance are 90o out-of-
phase with each other. But we can use this 90o phase difference as the sides of a right angled triangle,
called an impedance triangle, with the impedance being the hypotenuse as determined by Pythagoras
theorem. This geometric relationship between resistance, reactance and impedance can be represented
visually by the use of an impedance triangle as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Impedance triangle

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Department of Electrical Engineering Revision No. 1

LAB3_POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN
Effective Date 14/03/2022
AC CIRCUIT
Note that impedance, which is the vector sum of the resistance and reactance, has not only a magnitude
(Z) but it also has a phase angle (Φ), which represents the phase difference between the resistance and
the reactance. Also note that the triangle will change shape due to variations in reactance, (X) as the
frequency changes. Of course, resistance (R) will always remain constant.

We can take this idea one step further by converting the impedance triangle into a power triangle
representing the three elements of power in an AC circuit. Ohms Law tells us that in a DC circuit, power
(P), in watts, is equal to the current squared (I2) times the resistance (R). So we can multiply the three
sides of our impedance triangle above by I2 to obtain the corresponding power triangle as:

Real power, 𝑃 = 𝐼 2 𝑅 watts (W)

Reactive power, 𝑄 = 𝐼 2 𝑋 Volt-Amperes Reactive (VAr)
Apparent power 𝑆 = 𝐼 2 𝑍 Volt-Amperes (VA)

Real Power in AC Circuits

Real power (P), also known as true or active power, performs the “real work” within an electrical circuit.
Real power, measured in watts, defines the power consumed by the resistive part of a circuit. Then real
power, (P) in an AC circuit is the same as power, P in a DC circuit. So just like DC circuits, it is always
calculated as I2*R, where R is the total resistive component of the circuit.

As resistances do not produce any phasor difference (phase shift) between voltage and current
waveforms (as in Figure 2), all the useful power is delivered directly to the resistance and converted to
heat, light and work. Then the power consumed by resistance is a real power which is fundamentally the
circuit’s average power.

Figure 2: No phase shift between voltage and current

To find the corresponding value of the real power the rms voltage and current values are multiplied by
the cosine of the phase angle, Φ as:

Real Power P = I2R = V*I*cos(Φ) Watts, (W)

But as their is no phase difference between the voltage and the current in a resistive circuit, the phase
shift between the two waveforms will be zero (0). Then, the real power in an AC circuit can be calculated
as:
𝑃 = 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 × 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 × cos 𝜃
cos 0° = 1
𝑃 = 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 × 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 × 1
∴ 𝑃 = 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 × 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 (𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠)
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Department of Electrical Engineering Revision No. 1

LAB3_POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN
Effective Date 14/03/2022
AC CIRCUIT
Where real power (P) is in watts, voltage (V) is in rms volts and current (I) is in rms amperes. Then real
power is the I2*R resistive element measured in watts, which is what you read on your utility energy meter
and has units in Watts (W), Kilowatts (kW), and Megawatts (MW). Note that real power, P is always
positive.

Reactive Power in AC Circuits

Reactive power (Q), (sometimes called wattless power) is the power consumed in an AC circuit that does
not perform any useful work but has a big effect on the phase shift between the voltage and current
waveforms. Reactive power is linked to the reactance produced by inductors and capacitors and
counteracts the effects of real power. Reactive power does not exist in DC circuits.

Unlike real power (P) which does all the work, reactive power (Q) takes power away from a circuit due to
the creation and reduction of both inductive magnetic fields and capacitive electrostatic fields, thereby
making it harder for the true power to supply power directly to a circuit or load.
The power stored by an inductor in its magnetic field tries to control the current, while the power stored
by a capacitor’s electrostatic field tries to control the voltage. The result is that capacitors “generate”
reactive power and inductors “consume” reactive power. This means that they both consume and return
power to the source so none of the real power is consumed. To find reactive power, the rms voltage and
current values are multiplied by the sine of the phase angle, Φ as:

Reactive Power Q = I2X = V*I*sin(Φ) volt-amperes reactive, (VAr)

As there is a 90o phase difference between the voltage and the current waveforms in a pure reactance
(either inductive or capacitive, as shown in Figure 3), multiplying V*I by sin(Φ) gives a vertical component
that is 90o out-of-phase with each other, so reactive power in AC circuit can be calculated as:

𝑄 = 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 × 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 × sin 𝜃

sin 90° = 1
𝑄 = 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 × 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 × 1
∴ 𝑄 = 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 × 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 (𝑉𝐴𝑟)

Figure 3: 90o phase shift between voltage and current

Where reactive power (Q) is in volt-amperes reactive, voltage (V) is in rms volts and current (I) is in rms
amperes. Then reactive power represents the product of volts and amperes that are 90o out-of-phase
with each other, but in general, there can be any phase angle, Φ between the voltage and the current.
Thus reactive power is the I2X reactive element that has units in volt-amperes reactive (VAr), Kilovolt-
amperes reactive (kVAr), and Megavolt-amperes reactive (MVAr).
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Department of Electrical Engineering Revision No. 1

LAB3_POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN
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AC CIRCUIT
Apparent Power in AC Circuits

We have seen above that real power is dissipated by resistance and that reactive power is supplied to a
reactance. As a result of this the current and voltage waveforms are not in-phase due to the difference
between a circuit’s resistive and reactive components. Then there is a mathematical relationship between
the real power (P), and the reactive power (Q), called the complex power. The product of the rms voltage,
V applied to an AC circuit and the rms current, I flowing into that circuit is called the “volt-ampere
product” (VA) given the symbol S and whose magnitude is known generally as apparent power.

This complex Power is not equal to the algebraic sum of the real and reactive powers added together but
is instead the vector sum of P and Q given in volt-amps (VA). It is complex power that is represented by
the power triangle. The rms value of the volt-ampere product is known more commonly as the apparent
power as “apparently” this is the total power consumed by a circuit even though the real power that does
the work is a lot less.

As apparent power is made up of two parts, the resistive power which is the in-phase power or real power
in watts, and the reactive power which is the out-of-phase power in volt-amperes, we can show the vector
addition of these two power components in the form of a power triangle. A power triangle has four parts;
P, Q, S, and θ. The three elements which make up power in an AC circuit can be represented graphically
by the three sides of a right-angled triangle, in much the same way as the previous impedance triangle.
The horizontal (adjacent) side represents the circuit real power (P), the vertical (opposite) side represents
the circuit reactive power (Q) and the hypotenuse represents the resulting apparent power (S), of the
power triangle as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Power triangle of AC circuit

Where:
P is the I2*R or Real power that performs work measured in watts, W
Q is the I2*X or Reactive power measured in volt-amperes reactive, VAr
S is the I2*Z or Apparent power measured in volt-amperes, VA
Φ is the phase angle in degrees. The larger the phase angle, the greater the reactive power
Cos(Φ) = P/S = W/VA = power factor, p.f.
Sin(Φ) = Q/S = VAr/VA
Tan(Φ) = Q/P = VAr/W

The power factor is calculated as the ratio of the real power to the apparent power because this ratio
equals cos(Φ).
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Department of Electrical Engineering Revision No. 1

LAB3_POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN
Effective Date 14/03/2022
AC CIRCUIT
Power Factor in AC Circuits

Power factor, cos(Φ), is an important part of an AC circuit that can also be expressed in terms of circuit
impedance or circuit power. Power factor is defined as the ratio of real power (P) to apparent power (S),
and is generally expressed as either a decimal value, for example 0.95, or as a percentage: 95%.

Power factor defines the phase angle between the current and voltage waveforms, were I and V are the
magnitudes of rms values of the current and voltage. Note that it does not matter whether the phase
angle is the difference of the current with respect to the voltage, or the voltage with respect to the
current. The mathematical relationship is given as:

watts P PI cos 𝜃
Power factor, 𝑝. 𝑓 = = = = cos 𝜃
volt−amperes S VI

We said previously that in a pure resistive circuit, the current and voltage waveforms are in-phase with
each other so the real power consumed is the same as the apparent power as the phase difference is zero
degrees (0o). So the power factor will be:

Power Factor, p.f. = cos 0o = 1.0

That is the number of watts consumed is the same as the number of volt-amperes consumed producing
a power factor of 1.0, or 100%. In this case, it is referred to as a unity power factor.

We also said above that in a purely reactive circuit, the current and voltage waveforms are out-of-phase
with each other by 90o. As the phase difference is ninety degrees (90o), the power factor will be:

Power Factor, pf = cos 90o = 0

That is the number of watts consumed is zero but there is still a voltage and current supplying the reactive
load. Clearly then reducing the reactive VAr component of the power triangle will cause θ to reduce
improving the power factor towards one, unity. It is also desirable to have a high power factor as this
makes the most efficient use of the circuit delivering current to a load. Then we can write the relationship
between the real power, the apparent power and the power of the circuit factor as:

Real Power (P) = Apparent Power (S) X Power Factor (p.f)

Real Power (P)in watts

Power Factor (p.f) =
Apparent Power (S)in volt−amps

An inductive circuit where the current “lags” the voltage (ELI) is said to have a lagging power factor, and
a capacitive circuit where the current “leads” the voltage (ICE) is said to have a leading power factor.
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Department of Electrical Engineering Revision No. 1

LAB3_POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN
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AC CIRCUIT
2. PRELAB

2.1 Create a New Folder at your desktop and named it as “DAE32403 Lab”and a subfolder in it,
named as “Lab 3”

3. EQUIPMENTS
(1) PSCAD software student version V5.
(2) Personal computer.

4. PROCEDURES

4.1 Task 1: Calculate the desired value for every component of an AC circuit.

(1) A wound coil that has an impedance of 50Ω and a resistance of 100Ω is connected to a 230Vrms
50Hz supply. Calculate:
a) The inductance of the coil, L = ______________H
b) The current, I = _______________A
c) The power factor, p.f. = ___________ lagging/leading
d) The apparent power consumed, S = _________________VA

(2) Activity 1: Draw and label appropriately the resulting power triangle for the above coil.
Discuss your finding based on the circuit behavior observation in the lab report.

4.2 Task 2: Build and simulate the AC circuit from task 1.

(1) Using the data given, built your schematic diagram in project file named “Lab3”. You may
refer to the schematic below:

Figure 5: Schematic AC circuit with a wound coil as a load

(2) Set the value of the parameter as given data in Task 1.

(3) Place a multimeter in your schematic and set the parameters as Figure 6 below:
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Department of Electrical Engineering Revision No. 1

LAB3_POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN
Effective Date 14/03/2022
AC CIRCUIT

Figure 6: Multimeter setting

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LAB3_POWER TRIANGLE AND POWER FACTOR IN
Effective Date 14/03/2022
AC CIRCUIT
(3) Run the simulation & measure the current and voltage outputs using a multimeter for:
 Sending voltage, VS = _______________V
 Sending current, IS = _______________A
 Receiving voltage, V (across load in rms) = _______________V
 Receiving current, I (thru load in rms) = _______________A
 Real power, P = _______________W
 Reactive power, Q = _______________VAr

(4) Find the Apparent Power, S = ________________VA

(5) Calculate the power factor, p.f = ________________lagging/leading
(6) Activity 2: Attached ALL output graphs in your lab report. Compare both the calculation and
simulation results. Discuss your finding based on the circuit behavior observation in the lab
report.

5. LAB REPORT WRITING

Lab report writing must consist of ALL of these items:

 Lab front page.

 Attached ALL schematic diagrams involves in this laboratory tasks.
 Shows ALL calculation steps accordingly.
 Activity 1: Draw and label appropriately the resulting power triangle for the above
coil. Discuss your finding based on the circuit behavior observation in the lab report.
 Activity 2: Attached ALL output graphs in your lab report. Compare both the
calculation and simulation results. Discuss your finding based on the circuit behavior
observation in the lab report.
 Brief Conclusion (not more than 1 page)
 Minutes meeting of lab report works distributions amongst group members (1 page)
 Report submission is within ONE WEEK after the lab session. Zero tolerance for
plagiarism; no marks will be given.
 Marks will be given according to the rubric marking schemes.

Prepared by / Disediakan oleh :

Signature / Tandatangan :
Name / Nama : Dr Zainab Zainal
Date / Tarikh : April 2022