Electronic Basics #38: True, Reactive, Apparent & Deformed Power

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In this electronic basics episode I will tell you all about the different kinds of power that exist. That includes true, reactive, apparent and deformed power. Along the way, I will demonstrate how reactive power gets produced and ways to counteract it. At the end you should understand that all kinds of reactive power are a problem for our power grid.
Music:
2011 Lookalike by Bartlebeats
Killing Time, Kevin MacLeod
(incompetech.com)

[@brendanberg9523]

The moment you realize that GreatScott in not about letting LEDs blink in fancy patterns anymore.

[@VoidHalo]

There's a lot more to electronics than blinkenlights, my friend. Take the time to learn about it. You'll be glad you did. allaboutcircuits.com and a circuit simulator on Paul Falstad's site that runs in your browser will get you off to a solid start.

[@MyShanghaiShuffle]

That circuit simulator is a revelation to me!

[@ShomiTheGreat]

I love the fact that this video touched the subject of mathematics within power electronics. Don't shy away from mathematics, it ain't boring. Most hardcore fans are either way engineers, students or technicians. You could make an entire series about practical application of mathematics, it'd attract attention.

[@iwantitpaintedblack]

This video came just in time, i am a first sem Electronics engineering student and out professor started this topic last week, if im not wrong the german words are "Scheinleistung, Wirkleistung, and Blindleistung" . this is one of the things i love about German language, some words are very self explanatory, Leistung means power Schein = Apparent Wirk = Working / Acting Blind = Blind Electronics engineering so so difficult but man it is fascinating, the difficult part is the flood of knowledge which is unleashed onto your brain every week. like it took 1 month from "What is a risistor" to "Phase shifted sinusoidal alternating current waveforms and fourier transformation"

[@rdavid5904]

Hello. I'm gonna be first year at electronic engineer. Do u study programming ?

[@anastasiszaro]

1st time watching this: I can't understand ANYTHING!!!! 3rd time watching this: ..........OK! now I get it! It just really shows you that with mathematics (especially when dealing with complex numbers) you have to really study these things again and again and again! Dude! Keep up these videos you are incredible at making these formulas look 10.000.000 times more tolerable than my mathematics courses in UNI :)

[@DaNiKzz]

Great Scott! Make a video about "safety capacitors" and how "safe" they are

[@greatscottlab]

I can put it on my to do list

[@DaNiKzz]

@@greatscottlab thanks=)

[@asgkllngfxxhkkvxdhkkbhjllnvcg]

Literally great Scott😃 lol

[@alexreeve]

i have a lot of old RIFA capacitors they make great smokebombs ;)

[@asgkllngfxxhkkvxdhkkbhjllnvcg]

@@alexreeve lol

[@juhailmarisalminen]

That "true power" at 2:00 was so beautiful! Almost song like.

[@brandonwalker4805]

This is been the bane of my existence since I began as a power electronics technician. It requires more information input than any other pay off my job.

[@himanshugupta999]

Best ever explanation of reactive and active power I have seen in 4 years of my engineering. Thanks a lot man :-)

[@chipheadnet]

Thank you. Informative as always!

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic! 😃 But now I'm lost. 😐

[@TheMrANONYMOOSE]

I'm a first year engineer and I absolutely can't wait to start learning this stuff, it's so cool to me

[@toto29620]

Those video should be shown to student in class for fast reminder before starting a new chapter or something, very short and on point. Great job !

[@foamyrocks665]

This is what power electronics is about. You really are a brilliant electronics engineer.

[@Pena8666]

All these years with electronics and now you explained this so that even I got it. Wonderful, Thank you!

[@theknifesedge57]

I really appreciate these kinds of videos. Quick, concise, and informative. Reactive power is kind of a pain to understand, but I think you nailed explaining it. On a side note, I need to get that multimeter XD.

[@altuber99_athlete]

He made a small mistake. Reactive power is not power that oscillates. The (magnitude of) reactive power is the amplitude of that oscillations. That oscillating power is called instantaneous reactive power.

[@woodywiest]

This video is fantastically clear and instructive. During your most recent QA you were right to say that maybe you should change the name. Thanks!

[@proyectosledar]

Thanks for this video!!!

[@greatscottlab]

You're welcome :-)

[@GuillermoAlfonsoMorales]

Gastón, tú también lo ves?, este chico es un monstruo para explicar.

[@Caffineman22]

Awesome. Been a couple months since I studied this. Very nice refresher

[@vikking390]

I know this video is kind of old, but it must be the best explanation of AC power I have ever seen online. 👏 Thank you 🙏

[@electromatic2014]

I am so happy you make this videos with such a high quality of info an video editting, by far the best channel of this topic, flawless explanation

[@Rapunzel_thicc]

Hey Scott kann nicht so gut Englisch das es reicht für den Text: Mittlerweile verfolge ich deinen Kanal schon über 2 Jahre und deine Videos haben mir sehr bei meiner Gesellenprüfung geholfen bin zwar „Nur“ Energie und Gebäudetechniker aber wir müssen auch Spannungteiler und Brückenschaltungen berechnen. Diese Videos haben mir besser gezeigt wie man es ausrechnen kann vorallem an einem Praktischen Beispiel Danke und mach weiter so tolle Videos 👍

Er kann aber Deutsch.

[@Tore_Lund]

@ Figured out GreatScott ages ago, with all that German engineering attention to detail. He could also be Swizz or Austrian?

[@justin-3985]

@@Tore_Lund no, I am from Switzerland (Schwitz as we say in Swiss german) and he would have this typical dialect.

[@saxon215]

Pretty straight forward and intuitive for a basics video on something most people don't know about

[@greatscottlab]

Thanks :-)

[@paulokao]

The best video about it on the youtube! Very good job!

[@DarmiGames]

Finally understood it after a long time always seeing it in school having no idea what it is

[@jsquaredm]

WOW! We're learning complex power inside of my Intro to Circuits class right now. What a coincidence.

[@veyoncecreations7251]

The way your explaining is too good. Great Job

[@JuraganLED]

I am now excited about the PFC thing

[@rdxdt]

I just watched a video from Applied Science about Impedance, nice to see this one coming right out.

[@jkbrown5496]

It helped me when I realized the power factor correcting capacitor was the same as a decoupling capacitor on a IC. The capacitor provides the in-rush current needed by the inductor and absorbs the inductive spike when the voltage changes. This limits the pumping on the power line so the power company can provide more stable power and the power lines can be smaller since the in-rush is only drawn off the mains at startup.

[@PowerScissor]

I get so lost duscussing AC. I literally am more confused now...but still enjoyed the video. Will definitely have to watch a few more times.

[@rraygen]

You just taught me in one video a topic that the professors at my school couldn't teach me in weeks of lessons.

[@PerKroon]

This was really great video! However I must admit that I had to pause the video to think about it a few times but that is also great, it's a sign that you actually learning something new. Thanks for really great videos, good work!

[@hackercop]

This was a great video, You explained it to me really well, thanks

[@KASHYAPMASIWAL]

I will have to watch this video two three times just to get all the knowledge.. Very informative video.. Thanks

[@marijntopgear]

Bought a shirt, because I’d like to support you. But maily because I like the shirt.

[@Jpriatna]

Terimakasih untuk penjelasan nya, begitu jelas sekali penjelasan tentang saya reaktif

[@MrJamesnight]

Transforma powa. Gold.

[@brice9613]

You do a better job than my teacher.

[@blackhunter2310]

Wow Scott this is really a great video on the subject. I can't wait to see more videos on these more advanced topics

[@OldCurmudgeon3DP]

The confusing part is that phase angle in America typically follows the positive lag convention where the phasors rotate CCW. This puts inductive load vectors below the horizontal, but puts Q above it.

[@reedsebastiyan3808]

Thanks for the video, I m waiting for PFC video.

[@jalal1118]

your videos used to be a lot of fun, now they are more educational with a little bit of fun. we demand a lot of fun and cool projects :)

[@chandrashekarr9527]

That's what the great scott a full detail explanation more than knowledge

[@minkusmaz]

This is one of the many reasons why we should be using DC for power transmission both over long distances and in buildings. Reactive power can be filtered out at the source and not transmitted along power lines. This would end noise nightmares for audio/video studios.

[@CircuitsDIY]

Great Scott you great 👍👍👍

[@philippeagbozo5259]

I learned that at school this year, I wonder why I didn't watch your video before but thank you anyway

[@taktsing4969]

Great. You explain better than my professor did.

[@hermannpaschulke1583]

Thanks, this was the best explainantion of reactive power I have seen

[@electron-1979]

PF isn't that important for such low power devices. It is important in industrial scenarios; that's why they measure and charge for it! These videos remind me so much of Electrical and Electronic Engineering classes!

[@EforEngineering]

Very helpful for my next interview 😍 thanks @Greatscott!

[@danielpiotrowski1681]

I really liked this one.

[@creeek3]

Took me back to college... a long time ago!!! A massive subject, phase, impedance on their own. All good stuff :) Pronunciation is a bit weird, but understandable (I am from UK)

[@NeTSkaTe22]

Awesome video GreatScott!, this video is like a summary of all the topics I've seen in some of the subjects I did this year in my university. I study electronic engeeniering. It's very cool to see all the theory applied in some examples.

[@ChakshuSharma_CANNOT]

Thanks exactly what i was waiting for. Can't wait for the next video.

[@Mcgreogor]

This was one of the hardest courses i had to take at school (cos phi inmprovement for single phase and for 3 phase). A lot of writing and even more calculating.

[@Luxcium]

That old intro is the best sorry for the next generation version which would be super nice too…

[@massimomoltoni5723]

Many compliments!

[@taldmd]

Medim and high voltage customers are actually charged for consumed power and power factor. I'm eager to watch your PFC video!

[@blackturbine]

DC for the win

[@Ramog1000]

kinda true, reactive power is the reason why some high voltage power lines use DC.

[@zvpunry1971]

@@Ramog1000 reactive power isn't the /only/ reason for HVDC. Reactive power can be compensated like shown in the video, this is normally done at substations with switched capacitors/inductors. The biggest advantages of HVDC are that there is no skin effect, that it doesn't need three conductors and it minimizes losses through capacitive coupling in underground/undersea lines. Edit: I added the word "only" in the first sentence. User DaUHardcoreCraft is correct with the statement that reactive power is one of the reasons for HVDC, but it isn't the only reason.

[@blackturbine]

But still keep the ac for brushless motors

[@pierresintre2390]

It would be great if we could have more details on the computations you have done to find the correct capacitance value to cancel the phase shift between current and voltage ! I couldn't find it elsewhere on the internet...

[@rooko12345]

That escalated quickly!

[@greencoder1594]

*Correction of Translation Error* @ 07:47 What is called "Scheinleistung" _S_ in German is NOT the apparent power _S_ but its magnitude as apparent power actually is "Komplexe Scheinleistung" in German: German // English "Scheinleistung" _S_ == "apparent power" |S| "Komplexe Scheinleistung" _ ̲S̲ _== "complex power" S The complex power _S_ in _VA_ is the sum of the true power (active power) _P_ in _W_ and the complex number _j_ times the reactive power _Q_ in _var_ . *Therefore, the complex power is the resulting vector, the apparent power **_|S|_** is its (non-complex) magnitude.*

[@MedSou]

Very informative ,Thank you 👍👍👍👍

[@tanmaytiwari6474]

Power factor!! Also represented as cos(μ) where μ os met phase angle!! i.e tan(μ)=(XL-ZC)/R Even if we have a series LCR circuit at resonance inductive and capacitive reactance are equal and therefore cancelling each other out!!

[@KiatHuang]

I'm not sure what's more impressive here, the electronics knowledge clearly imparted or the inhuman ability to perfectly write over his tiny writing a second time.

[@markys441]

Hello Scott! I have a suggestion for a Electronics Basics video - Feedback system. I know, it might be simple, but in my opinion it would be great to see a EB video about it to understand it better :) , because i quite dont know, how to make a feedback system for my future project - modified squarewave inverter by your design :)

[@ravirao1209]

Lucid explanation! 😍

[@zrnjan]

Excellent video. I felt like I was present at the University classes. :) Nice work.

[@DJkillstyler]

Yo GreatScott, i have some ideas for projects you can try/create to make a new video :D 1. a mobile car heating for the driver area and windows 2. a present card, and if you open it will play your music 3. a little spy cam with memory for videos Hope this are good concept s for you ;p

[@PhilipStubbs]

Feel like I have just been to school. BUT ITS THE WEEKEND!!!! ;-)

[@javierperez_21]

As always, you made an awesome and very helpful video. Thanks!!!

[@venugopalatchyutanna]

Thanks for the video. Great and correct information presented in a good way. Easy for beginners . Waiting for the next video

[@ventjemazzel8822]

Great video man; thanks a lot!

[@AmerZavlan]

I am a bit confused on why exactly your transformer (1:42) didn't get warm, even though you said Itotal = Itrue + Ireactive (4:25). The way I understood is that, all 5.5 watts you calculated (1:34) are still flowing through the wires of the transformer, and 5.5 watts flowing through the wires should really heat them up.

[@chaitanyagoswami2393]

Hey greatscott i like your channel too much...😍😍😍😍 Can you please make a video on communication basics..

[@SIKHGT650]

Hi Scott, can we make Arduino lithium battery charger discharger capacity tester upto 1to 5 cell ..

[@shashikantsingh7554]

You are awsesome I love your videos Your videos taught me many concepts of electronics Love u sir Your fan From INDIA

[@greatscottlab]

Glad you like them :-)

[@kedarprabhudessai]

Very good video as always, lot of knowledge and most important is u made me understand it properly 😃 👌👌👌 thanks. Keep it up 👍

[@johncaren9983]

Really great i don't understand at three times watching 😂 not sure in the fourth tough

[@FaysalKhalashi]

Heroic basic 🤯

[@moiquiregardevideo]

The reason the power grid don't like those load that are not pure resistive is the wasted heat in the he transformer. Any higher frequency harmonic created by the laptop power supply or the dimmer is affecting those fine tuned transformers. They are normally so efficient that little heat is created. But any perturbation suddenly increase the heat and, given million of them everywhere, one with small defect will self destroy.

[@annemariemiguel2541]

Hey great Scott, you should build a synthesizer. That would be awesome!

[@greatscottlab]

It is on my to do list

[@icucode]

Awesome video! Thanks!

[@Pokornz]

Hi Scott, love this series, I found especially the Deformed component interesting, because it was never mentioned in my college courses (only True and Reactive components). However, I don't understand from your video how the higher frequencies relate to the Deformed power. Google isn't very talkative about this specific topic, but I found a paper which defines Total Harmonic Distortion as a percentage of the frequencies that are not the fundamental frequency. Is that the ratio between the apparent power and the apparent power, which doesn't take the deformed component into account (in other words, is it equal to the cosine of the angle between the P-Q plane and the apparent power vector)?

[@Sizifus]

Just when I thought phasor diagrams of a transformer are complicated, this guy throws a whole new bag of cats

[@josedourado3747]

I saw once a 3 phase 1 MW power correction facility. With water cooled giant thyristors. You cant imagine how noisy it was

[@josedourado3747]

I forgot to mention that was a 30KV 3 phase 1MW machine. Maintaining the power factor to 1

[@animet8005]

One thing I get from the video is, that the inductor and source are playing catch-catch throwing electricity ⚡at each other. And the power loss or heat generated in a conductor due to this through and forth motion of the current is called Reactive Power. Correct ! me if I am wrong about this.🤔🤔

[@georgehahn8366]

Moin Danke, daß Sie sich die Zeit genommen haben, und diese Videos gemacht haben. Falls Corona uns irgendwann einmal wieder verläßt, hätten Sie Interesse an einem öffentlichen Auftritt auf einem Arduino Day? Bisher ist das nur ein Gedanke, der mir in en Kopf geschossen ist. Über eine Rückmeldung würde ich mich freuen.

[@javierferrer4634]

Excellent video scott, thank you.

[@kevgermany]

Brilliant. And now for smart meters, and how your bills can rise.

[@silvestrenet]

Very good, thanks!!!

[@prasantkumarmk9239]

Thanks a lot for the video

[@krishnendusardar5945]

Please make a vedio on 'BPW34' as a solar irradiance sensor and please describe "How the solar irradiance value comes from the ADC value!".

[@himrobotics7877]

Well explained.... I really like it.. It's more easy to understand with visual observations.. Thanks :) I looking for reactive power compensator project video using Arduino... I hope , I'll see this next time. Good luck.. ### Gut erklärt .... ich mag es wirklich .. Mit visuellen Beobachtungen ist es einfacher zu verstehen. Vielen Dank :) Ich bin auf der Suche nach einem Blindleistungskompensator-Projektvideo mit Arduino ... Ich hoffe, ich werde das nächste Mal sehen. Viel Glück..

[@americanrebel413]

Great presentation, Thank you! One thing I got from this is If a Charging mechanism is plugged in and not being used it still consumes electricity, Correct me if I'm wrong! Thanks again.

[@greatscottlab]

Correct

[@americanrebel413]

@@greatscottlab Thank you very much!!

[@iwantitpaintedblack]

because the switching circuit is running , something like a cellphone charger would probably cost like 3 euros per year or something

[@parameshpavin2708]

Nice to see this video its informative 👌👍

[@barbasbandas6665]

Great video!

[@littlecomponent139]

just something to keep in mind Jeremy. next time make a more simple videos thumbnail which would look more attractive. I like all you videos and just want you to keep going on (can you make a video about how to make a lab bench power supply From SCRATCH)

[@electronic7979]

Useful video 👍

[@inferno6012]

ok ok ok ok ok what what what where am i the numbers what do they mean need to watch over and over again (i am dumb) great video lots of work and explained very excellently. must be very hard to make it