teljesítményfaktor

The term "teljesítményfaktor" translates to "power factor" in English. It is a dimensionless quantity in an AC electric power system that represents the ratio of real power (the power that performs useful work) to apparent power (the product of RMS voltage and RMS current). A power factor of 1 (or 100%) means that all the power supplied is being used effectively.

A power factor less than 1 indicates that some of the current is not contributing to useful work. This can be due to inductive loads (like motors and transformers) or capacitive loads. Inductive loads cause current to lag behind voltage, while capacitive loads cause current to lead voltage. In both cases, the apparent power is greater than the real power, leading to a lower power factor.

Low power factor has several negative consequences. It increases the current flowing through the system, which can lead to higher energy losses in conductors due to increased resistive heating (I^2R losses). It also requires larger conductors and electrical equipment to handle the increased current, raising installation costs. Utilities often penalize industrial customers for low power factors to encourage them to improve it.

Power factor correction is the process of improving the power factor to a value closer to 1. This is typically achieved by installing capacitors to counteract the inductive loads or inductors to counteract capacitive loads. By correcting the power factor, energy efficiency is improved, voltage drops are reduced, and the overall performance of the electrical system is enhanced.