Power Factor Correction Calculator
Calculate the reactive power (kVAR) and capacitance required to improve your system's power factor to a desired target value.
Results will appear here.
Formulas Used
Existing Reactive Power:
Qold = P × tan(arccos(PFold))
Target Reactive Power:
Qnew = P × tan(arccos(PFnew))
Required Capacitor Bank (kVAR):
Qc = Qold − Qnew
Required Capacitance:
C = Qc / (2π × f × V²) [Farads, line voltage]
Apparent Power: S = P / PF (kVA)
3-Phase Line Current: I = S × 1000 / (√3 × V) (A)
Assumptions & References
- Calculations assume a balanced three-phase AC system.
- Capacitance is calculated using the line (phase-to-phase) voltage.
- The load is assumed to be inductive (lagging power factor); capacitors are used for correction.
- No harmonic distortion is assumed (pure sinusoidal waveform).
- Power losses in the capacitor bank itself are neglected.
- Reference: IEEE Std 1036-2010 – Guide for Application of Shunt Power Capacitors.
- Reference: Electrical Technology – Power Factor Correction, B.L. Theraja.