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Reactive Power in Power Systems

Matthew Pentland

What really is reactive power?

I understand reactive power as being the energy stored in an inductor or capacitor in the form of a magnetic or electric field, and it is a result of the phase difference between an AC current waveform and its corresponding voltage waveform. However, I am not confident in this concept. I am interested in understanding it better in an electrical distribution/power system. Can someone please explain?

Also, I have read on many websites online that reactive power is important in regulating voltage in a power system and providing gird stability.

How does reactive power affect grid and voltage stability? What happens if there is too much or not enough reactive power on a system?

Thanks

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    Hi Matthew. I was taught in simple terms that  reactive power is like a balancing act for AC circuits. It helps to keep the voltage, the magnetic force, and the electric force just right. But if there is too much or too little of it, things can go wrong. Too much reactive power can make the voltage go up and damage the equipment. Too little reactive power can make the voltage go down and cause a outage. Also the beer analogy helped me understand power factor better. You’ve probably seen it, the beer represents the useful power that does work, the foam represents the wasted power that causes losses, and the mug represents the total power that is supplied. The power factor is the ratio of the beer to the mug, and the higher it is, the more efficient the system is.

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    Hi Matthew. I was taught in simple terms that  reactive power is like a balancing act for AC circuits. It helps to keep the voltage, the magnetic force, and the electric force just right. But if there is too much or too little of it, things can go wrong. Too much reactive power can make the voltage go up and damage the equipment. Too little reactive power can make the voltage go down and cause a outage. Also the beer analogy helped me understand power factor better. You’ve probably seen it, the beer represents the useful power that does work, the foam represents the wasted power that causes losses, and the mug represents the total power that is supplied. The power factor is the ratio of the beer to the mug, and the higher it is, the more efficient the system is.

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