Why is there active power and reactive power in the power grid?

What is active power?

Active power (P) refers to the electrical power required to keep the equipment running, that is, the electrical power that converts electrical energy into other forms of energy (mechanical, optical, thermal, etc.).

For example, a 5.5 kW electric motor converts 5.5 kW of electrical energy into mechanical energy, which drives pump water pumping or thresher threshing.

What is reactive power?

Reactive power is relatively abstract. It is mainly used for energy exchange between electric field and magnetic field in electrical equipment. The power of magnetic field is established and maintained in electrical equipment (circuit system), and does not perform external work. For electrical equipment with electromagnetic coils, reactive power must be consumed to establish a magnetic field.

For example, a 40-watt fluorescent lamp requires more than 40 watts of active power (the ballast also consumes a part of the active power) to emit light. It also needs about 80 depletion of reactive power for the ballast coil to establish an alternating magnetic field.

Why is there active power and reactive power in the power grid?

Why is the power divided between active power and reactive power?

Please check the table below:

Why is there active power and reactive power in the power grid?

It can be seen from the table that there is only a resistor in the circuit, there is no phase difference between voltage and current, and the active power is full power. However, in actual electrical equipment, there are also inductors and capacitors, which cause a phase difference between voltage and current, so that there is active and reactive power.

Its calculation formula is as follows:

Why is there active power and reactive power in the power grid?

Relationship between active power and reactive power

The rotating magnetic field required for the motor to operate is built and maintained by reactive power. With a rotating magnetic field, the rotor can be rotated to drive the operation of the machine, thereby converting electrical energy into mechanical energy.

The work of the transformer also requires reactive power, which causes the primary coil to generate a magnetic field and the secondary coil to induce a voltage.

Give a simple example to illustrate:

Think of merit as flour and waste as water.

Why is there active power and reactive power in the power grid?

With the help of water, the flour is converted into a variety of foods.

Why is there active power and reactive power in the power grid?

Similarly, “active” is done with the help of “reactive power” to complete the conversion of energy.

Active and reactive, indispensable

All electrical equipment with electromagnetic coils need to establish a magnetic field, and the energy used to build and maintain the magnetic field comes from reactive power.

No reactive power motor can't rotate, the transformer can't run, the reactor can't work, the relay won't work, the magnetic field in all the equipment can't be established, and the electrical equipment won't run.

Therefore, in addition to providing active power to the user, the power supply system must provide reactive power, and both are indispensable, otherwise the electrical equipment will not operate.

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