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Electrical PowerBy : Suraj - 27-Sep-2018 
How does a capacitor correct a power factor?
1 likes - 2 comments

Pranav28-Sep-2018

Improving power factor means reducing the phase difference between voltage and current. Since the majority of loads are of inductive nature, they require some amount of reactive power for them to function. The capacitor or bank of capacitors installed parallel to the load provides this reactive power. They act as a source of local reactive power, and thus less reactive power flows through the line. They reduce the phase difference between the voltage and current.

Ankita28-Sep-2018

Power factor plays a very vital role in AC systems. It decides the efficiency and voltage regulation of a system.

Ideally , Power factor equals to one but that is not possible because of different types of inductive loads connected to the system. Inductive loads have lagging power factor. This means if an inductive load is connected, power factor will be always lesser than 1. All Air conditioners, fans, motors, refrigerators, etc. are of inductive nature.

So as to improve power factor one must need to add capacitive load which has a leading power factor.

Thus adding capacitor banks can actually improves the power factor of a system.