![]() Unlike appliances with motors, their power factors are heavily compensated with capacitors, bringing them close to 1. Another appliance with inductors is an induction hob. Commonly, the power factor of these components will sit at around 0.8. Īppliances with motors, such as an electric drill or blender, are inductive loads and draw a high amount of reactive power to magnetise their coils. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that your electrical system’s average power factor won’t be over 0.8. Power factors vary between appliances, but it’s unlikely that you will see one below 0.8 in a campervan electrical system. ![]() We now know why manufacturers give inverter power ratings in VA, but how do we use this information when choosing an inverter? Simply, you need to make sure that the apparent power rating is large enough to account for the power factor of your camper’s appliances. We call the combination of real and reactive power the apparent power. These appliances will draw both real power, which will be used up, and reactive power, which will bounce to and fro between them and the inverter. Your campervan’s AC circuit will contain appliances with capacitors, inductors and many energy consuming components. ![]() The power, drawn by both capacitors and inductors, is called reactive power. In contrast, energy consuming components, such as motors, do work to convert electrical energy to mechanical and heat energy, for example. This means that all the energy they absorb returns to the supply. In a circuit with an ideal capacitor or inductor, there is a net-zero energy transfer. They absorb energy when they charge and return it to the power source when they discharge. Inductors store energy in a magnetic field, whereas capacitors store it in an electric field. These passive components are able to store electrical energy. Many appliances in AC circuits contain inductors and capacitors. Why is real power different to apparent power?
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