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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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    It is worth noting that the reactive power measurement (i.e. current and voltage phase offset) as an indication of grid health and if things should be speeded up  up or slowed down, only works properly with generation from  rotating machines that vary between generating and 'motoring' when they are trying to run fast or slow  relative to the frequency of the rest of the grid.

    With increasing amounts of inverter generation from solar panes and windfarms and so on that has no physical  inertia, this effect has to be emulated quite carefully to work with the current control mechanisms. In an inverter it is more arbitrary and by altering the switching instants to a different part of the cycle  the effect of a quite un-physical capacitor or inductor can be generated more or less at the press of a button,  Also inverters do not drop in frequeny when overloaded, so the trigger for automatic load balancing/load shedding decisions needs to be adjusted,

    Mike

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  • 0

    It is worth noting that the reactive power measurement (i.e. current and voltage phase offset) as an indication of grid health and if things should be speeded up  up or slowed down, only works properly with generation from  rotating machines that vary between generating and 'motoring' when they are trying to run fast or slow  relative to the frequency of the rest of the grid.

    With increasing amounts of inverter generation from solar panes and windfarms and so on that has no physical  inertia, this effect has to be emulated quite carefully to work with the current control mechanisms. In an inverter it is more arbitrary and by altering the switching instants to a different part of the cycle  the effect of a quite un-physical capacitor or inductor can be generated more or less at the press of a button,  Also inverters do not drop in frequeny when overloaded, so the trigger for automatic load balancing/load shedding decisions needs to be adjusted,

    Mike

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