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1Formulas and methods
Three-phase power
Y connection
VL = √3·Vph, IL = Iph
Δ connection
VL = Vph, IL = √3·Iph
Total real power
P = √3·VL·IL·cos φ = 3·Iph²·R
Apparent and reactive power
S = √3·VL·IL, Q = P·tan φ
Correction capacitors
QC = P(tan φ1 − tan φ2), C = QC/(3ωV²)
Voltage across each capacitor
Δ: VL Y: VL/√3
Motor input
Pin = Pout/η
Transformers
Turns ratio
a = N1/N2 = V1/V2
Current ratio
I1/I2 = N2/N1 = 1/a
Rated current
I = S/V
Referred impedance
Z1′ = a²·ZL
Copper loss at part load
Pcu = x²·Pcu,fl
Efficiency
η = x·S·pf/(x·S·pf + Pcore + x²·Pcu,fl)
Maximum efficiency
x = √(Pcore/Pcu,fl)
AC power & power factor
Real power
P = V·I·cos φ
Reactive power
Q = V·I·sin φ
Apparent power
S = V·I = √(P² + Q²)
Power factor
pf = cos φ = P/S
Correction capacitor
QC = P(tan φ1 − tan φ2), C = QC/(ωV²)
AC impedance & phasors
Impedances
ZR = R, ZL = jωL, ZC = 1/(jωC)
Angular frequency
ω = 2πf
Magnitude and angle
|Z| = √(R² + X²), φ = atan(X/R)
Phasor Ohm’s law
V = I·Z
Method
Convert the frequency: ω = 2πf.
Find each reactance: XL = ωL and XC = 1/(ωC).
Add impedances like resistors, with Z = R + jX.
Find the magnitude |Z| = √(R² + X²) and the angle φ = atan(X/R), then use Ohm’s law with phasors.
DC motors
Armature circuit
V = E + IaRa
Back-EMF and torque
E = k·ω, T = k·Ia
Speed
ω = 2π·n/60, ω = (V − IaRa)/k
No-load speed and stall torque
ω0 = V/k, Tstall = k·V/Ra
Powers
Pin = V·Ia, Pdev = E·Ia = T·ω, Pout = Pdev − Prot
Starting
Istart = V/(Ra + Rst)
Speed regulation
SR = (n0 − nFL)/nFL
Maximum developed power
Pmax = V²/(4Ra)
Chopper drive
Va = D·Vdc
Method
Draw the armature circuit: supply V, resistance Ra and the back-EMF E in series.
Use V = E + Ia·Ra to link voltage, current and back-EMF.
Use E = k·ω for speed and T = k·Ia for torque, with ω = 2π·n/60.
For power and efficiency, start from V·Ia, subtract the copper loss Ia²·Ra and then the rotational losses.
2Practice problems
1.Three-phase powerMedium
A balanced three-phase load draws a line current of 10 A from a supply with a line-to-line voltage of 208 V. The power factor is 0.85 lagging. Find the total real power P drawn by the load in kW.
VL = 208 VIL = 10 Acos φ = 0.85
P = kW
2.Three-phase powerHard
A balanced three-phase load takes 250 kW at a power factor of 0.72 lagging from a 690 V (line-to-line), 50 Hz supply. A three-phase capacitor bank in parallel with the load must raise the overall power factor to 0.98 lagging. The real power stays the same. Find the total reactive power QC the capacitor bank must supply, in kvar.
P = 250 kWpf1 = 0.72pf2 = 0.98VL = 690 Vf = 50 Hz
QC = kvar
3.TransformersMedium
A single-phase 25 kVA, 6600/230 V transformer operates at its rated load. Treat it as ideal. Find the current ILV in the low-voltage winding.
S = 25 kVAV1 = 6600 VV2 = 230 V
ILV = A
4.TransformersHard
A single-phase 75 kVA transformer has a core loss of 600 W and a copper loss of 1800 W at rated load. It supplies 50% of its rated kVA at a power factor of 0.85 lagging. Find the total losses Ploss in watts at this load.
A single-phase motor takes 1 kW at a power factor of 0.85 lagging from a 240 V supply. Find the line current I.
P = 1 kWpf = 0.85V = 240 V
I = A
6.AC power & power factorHard
A single-phase load takes 45 kW at a power factor of 0.6 lagging from a 240 V, 50 Hz supply. A capacitor connected in parallel raises the power factor to 0.9. Find the capacitance C needed.
P = 45 kWpf1 = 0.6pf2 = 0.9V = 240 Vf = 50 Hz
C = µF
7.AC impedance & phasorsMedium
A series RLC circuit is connected to a 120 V (rms), 200 Hz supply. Find the rms current I.
V = 120 V (rms)f = 200 HzR = 80 ΩL = 150 mHC = 4.7 µF
I = A
8.AC impedance & phasorsHard
A series RLC circuit is connected to a 24 V (rms), 100 Hz supply. Find the rms current I.
V = 24 V (rms)f = 100 HzR = 15 ΩL = 50 mHC = 10 µF
I = A
9.DC motorsMedium
A DC motor delivers 11 kW of mechanical power at 1800 rpm. Find the shaft torque T.
P = 11 kWn = 1800 rpm
T = N·m
10.DC motorsHard
A DC motor (k = 0.4 V·s/rad, Ra = 0.4 Ω) on a fixed 120 V supply drives a load of 4 N·m. Find the series resistance Rs that slows it down to 1500 rpm.
Balanced three-phase systems: in a Y (star) connection the line-to-line voltage is √3 times the phase voltage, VL = √3·Vph, and the line current equals the phase current. In a Δ (delta) connection the line-to-line voltage equals the phase voltage and the line current is √3 times the phase current, IL = √3·Iph. The total power is three times the power of one phase: P = 3·Vph·Iph·cos φ = √3·VL·IL·cos φ.
Apparent power
S = √3·VL·IL = √3·208·10 = 3.603 kVA
Real power
P = S·cos φ = 3.603·0.85 = 3.062 kW
Answer
P = 3.062 kW
2.Three-phase power
Answer: QC = 190.2 kvar
Balanced three-phase systems: in a Y (star) connection the line-to-line voltage is √3 times the phase voltage, VL = √3·Vph, and the line current equals the phase current. In a Δ (delta) connection the line-to-line voltage equals the phase voltage and the line current is √3 times the phase current, IL = √3·Iph. The total power is three times the power of one phase: P = 3·Vph·Iph·cos φ = √3·VL·IL·cos φ. Power factor correction: capacitors supply reactive power locally, QC = P·(tan φ1 − tan φ2). Each of the three capacitors supplies QC/3 = V²·ω·C, where V is the voltage across that capacitor: VL in a Δ bank, VL/√3 in a Y bank.
Reactive power before and after
The real power is unchanged, so each power factor fixes the reactive power: Q = P·tan φ.
Q1 = 250·tan(acos 0.72) = 250·0.9639 = 241 kvar
Q2 = 250·tan(acos 0.98) = 250·0.2031 = 50.76 kvar
Reactive power from the capacitors
QC = Q1 − Q2 = 190.2 kvar
Answer
QC = 190.2 kvar
3.Transformers
Answer: ILV = 108.7 A
Ideal transformer: the voltages are in the ratio of the turns and the currents in the inverse ratio: V₁/V₂ = N₁/N₂ = a and I₁/I₂ = N₂/N₁ = 1/a, so the power in equals the power out, V₁·I₁ = V₂·I₂. A load impedance Z on the secondary looks like a²·Z from the primary.
Rated current
Both windings carry the same apparent power.
ILV = S/V = 25000/230 = 108.7 A
Answer
ILV = 108.7 A
4.Transformers
Answer: Ploss = 1050 W
Transformer losses: the core loss (hysteresis and eddy currents) depends on the voltage and is the same at any load. The copper loss in the windings goes with the current squared, so at a fraction x of rated load it is x²·Pcu,fl. Efficiency η = Pout/(Pout + Pcore + Pcu), with Pout = x·S·pf. The efficiency is highest at the load where the copper loss equals the core loss.
Copper loss at this load
Pcu = x²·Pcu,fl = 0.25·1800 = 450 W
Total losses
The core loss is the same at any load.
Ploss = 600 + 450 = 1050 W
Answer
Ploss = 1050 W
The efficiency at this load is η = 96.81%.
5.AC power & power factor
Answer: I = 4.902 A
AC power: apparent power S = V·I (VA) splits into real power P = S·cos φ (W), which does useful work, and reactive power Q = S·sin φ (var), which moves back and forth between source and load. The power factor is cos φ. A capacitor in parallel supplies reactive power locally, so the line current drops for the same real power.
Line current
Only the real part of the power does work, so divide by the power factor.
I = P/(V·cos φ) = 1000/(240·0.85) = 4.902 A
Answer
I = 4.902 A
6.AC power & power factor
Answer: C = 2111 µF
AC power: apparent power S = V·I (VA) splits into real power P = S·cos φ (W), which does useful work, and reactive power Q = S·sin φ (var), which moves back and forth between source and load. The power factor is cos φ. A capacitor in parallel supplies reactive power locally, so the line current drops for the same real power.
Reactive power before and after
The real power P does not change; only the reactive power drawn from the supply does.
Q1 = P·tan φ1 = 45·tan(53.13°) = 60 kvar
Q2 = P·tan φ2 = 45·tan(25.84°) = 21.79 kvar
QC = Q1 − Q2 = 38.21 kvar
Capacitance
A capacitor across the supply delivers Q = V²·ωC.
C = QC/(2πf·V²) = 38206/(2π·50·240²) = 2111 µF
Answer
C = 2111 µF
7.AC impedance & phasors
Answer: I = 1.459 A
AC circuits with phasors: resistors, inductors and capacitors have impedances R, jωL and 1/(jωC), with ω = 2πf. In series, impedances add like resistances, but as complex numbers. Rms current and voltage follow Ohm’s law with |Z|.
Reactances
ω = 2πf = 2π·200 = 1257 rad/s
XL = ωL = 1257·0.15 = 188.5 Ω
XC = 1/(ωC) = 1/(1257·4.7·10⁻⁶) = 169.3 Ω
Impedance
In series the impedances add as complex numbers: Z = R + j(XL − XC).
The same current flows through every element of a series circuit.
I = V/|Z| = 120/82.27 = 1.459 A
Answer
I = 1.459 A
8.AC impedance & phasors
Answer: I = 0.1866 A
AC circuits with phasors: resistors, inductors and capacitors have impedances R, jωL and 1/(jωC), with ω = 2πf. In series, impedances add like resistances, but as complex numbers. Rms current and voltage follow Ohm’s law with |Z|.
Reactances
ω = 2πf = 2π·100 = 628.3 rad/s
XL = ωL = 628.3·0.05 = 31.42 Ω
XC = 1/(ωC) = 1/(628.3·10·10⁻⁶) = 159.2 Ω
Impedance
In series the impedances add as complex numbers: Z = R + j(XL − XC).
The same current flows through every element of a series circuit.
I = V/|Z| = 24/128.6 = 0.1866 A
Answer
I = 0.1866 A
9.DC motors
Answer: T = 58.36 N·m
DC motor: the armature is a resistance Ra in series with the back-EMF E, so V = E + Ia·Ra. The back-EMF grows with speed, E = k·ω, and the torque with current, T = k·Ia, with the same motor constant k (V·s/rad = N·m/A) in SI units. Convert speeds with ω = 2π·n/60. The developed power is E·Ia = T·ω; the input power is V·Ia, and the copper loss Ia²Ra and the rotational loss make the difference. The speed falls in a straight line with torque, ω = V/k − Ra·T/k², from the no-load speed V/k to zero at the stall torque k·V/Ra. At standstill E = 0, so the starting current V/Ra is large unless a resistor limits it.
Speed in rad/s
ω = 2π·1800/60 = 188.5 rad/s
Torque
T = P/ω = 11000/188.5 = 58.36 N·m
Answer
T = 58.36 N·m
10.DC motors
Answer: Rs = 5.317 Ω
DC motor: the armature is a resistance Ra in series with the back-EMF E, so V = E + Ia·Ra. The back-EMF grows with speed, E = k·ω, and the torque with current, T = k·Ia, with the same motor constant k (V·s/rad = N·m/A) in SI units. Convert speeds with ω = 2π·n/60. The developed power is E·Ia = T·ω; the input power is V·Ia, and the copper loss Ia²Ra and the rotational loss make the difference. The speed falls in a straight line with torque, ω = V/k − Ra·T/k², from the no-load speed V/k to zero at the stall torque k·V/Ra. At standstill E = 0, so the starting current V/Ra is large unless a resistor limits it.
Current and back-EMF
Ia = 4/0.4 = 10 A
E = 0.4·157.1 = 62.83 V
Series resistance
Ra + Rs = (120 − 62.83)/10 = 5.717 Ω
Rs = 5.317 Ω
Answer
Rs = 5.317 Ω
The resistor wastes 531.7 W; a chopper controls the speed with far less loss.