kraftfaktorn

Kraftfaktorn is a Swedish term that translates to "power factor" in English. It is a dimensionless quantity used in electrical engineering to describe the ratio of real power to apparent power in an AC electrical system. Real power, measured in watts, is the power that does useful work, such as heating or powering a motor. Apparent power, measured in volt-amperes, is the total power flowing in the circuit, including both real and reactive power. Reactive power is the power that oscillates back and forth between the source and the load, and does not do useful work.

The kraftfaktorn ranges from 0 to 1. A kraftfaktorn of 1 indicates that all the power supplied is real power, and there is no reactive power. A kraftfaktorn less than 1 indicates that some of the power supplied is reactive power. This can lead to inefficiencies in the electrical system, such as increased current and voltage drops.

A low kraftfaktorn is undesirable for several reasons. It increases the current flowing in the conductors, which can lead to overheating and increased losses. It also requires larger conductors and transformers, leading to higher capital costs. Furthermore, electricity suppliers often penalize industrial and commercial customers for low kraftfaktorn, as it places a greater burden on their generation and distribution systems.

Improving the kraftfaktorn is often achieved by installing capacitors or synchronous condensers to compensate for the inductive loads. This brings the phase angle between voltage and current closer to zero, thus increasing the kraftfaktorn and improving system efficiency.