SINUSOIDAL VOLTAGE – NON SINUSOIDAL CURRENT

PROBLEM

A periodic, sinusoidal voltage of instantaneous value V  200 2 sin t is applied to a nonlinear load impedance. The
resulting instantaneous current is given by:

I  2 20sin t  45o   10sin  2t  60o   10sin 3t  60o 

Calculate the components P, Q, D of the apparent voltamperes and hence calculate the displacement factor, the distortion
factor and the power factor.

SOLUTION

The presence of the nonlinearity causes frequency components of current (i.e. the second and third harmonic terms) that are
not present in the applied voltage. The rms voltage and current at the supply are:

200 2
V  200 Volt  V 2  200 2  4.104 Volt 2
2
2 2 2
 20 2   10 2   10 2 
I  I  I 2  I 3  
2
1
2 2 2
        6.10 A
2 2

 2   2   2 

The apparent voltamperes at the input is therefore given by

S 2  V 2 I 2  4.104 x 6.102  24.106 VA

2

In this example only the fundamental frequency components are common to both voltage and current. Therefore, the real
power P, the apparent power Q and the distortion power D are

P  V .I1 cos 1
 1 is displacement angle between fundamental of V and fundamental of I
P  200.20.cos 450
1 
 4000.  2
2 
 2000 2 Watt

Q  V .I1 sin 1
 1 is displacement angle between fundamental of V and fundamental of I
Q  200.20.sin 450
1 
 4000.  2
2 
 2000 2 Watt
D2  S 2  P2  Q2

   V .I cos    V .I sin  
2 2 2
 V .I 1 1 1 1

 V   I  I cos   I sin  
2
2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1

 V   I  I  cos   sin   
2
2 2 2 2
1 1 1

 V   I  I 
2
2 2
1

    I 
2 n
 V h
2
 I12 
 h 1 

    I 
2 3
 V h
2

 h2 

 200 I 2 2  I 32
2

 2002 10 2
 102   8.106 VA 
2

 D  2000 3 VA

Determine Power Factor (PF)

P V .I1 cos 1  I1 
PF       cos 1 
S V .I I 
1
Displacement factor   cos 1   cos 450  2  0.707
2
I  20 1
Distortion factor   1    6  0.817
I  6.102 3
1 1 1
Power Factor  PF   6. 2 3  0.577
3 2 3