On 2017-08-08 16:50, James Knott wrote:
On 08/08/2017 10:42 AM, Carlos E. R. wrote:
From the consumers POV it means that more power is being consumed to get the
same amount of work done. When the voltage and current are completely out of phase no useful work is being done even though the power is being transmitted. More current, no more power. When the phase shift is 90° the power is zero.
Of course, there aren't a lot of loads that are purely reactive. Also, for many years, fluorescent tubes used inductors for ballast, which introduced significant power factor.
In Spain, all traditional fluorescent tubes use inductors for ballast, since decades. The "new" compacts don't, they use electronic switching. A theoretical coil is purely reactive, but such a thing doesn't exist, unless you can manage to use superconductors :-p -- Cheers / Saludos, Carlos E. R. (from 42.2 x86_64 "Malachite" at Telcontar)