Mike Dolt Enterprises
Mike Dolt Enterprises
User: aarifisher, Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Asked on: Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 4:00 pm EDT
Answered on: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4:50 am EDT
Question: I need to buy a 400 amp generator for a local grocery.So i was looking at the specs. Of a 130kw generator and the rated amps is 451aNow, I made the calculation as 130,000 / 360 = 361ampsSo I contacted the manufacturer and this is the answer i got(130,000 (kw) / 208(VAC) * 1.73 * 0.8 (Power factor) = 451A output)Now, to my understanding the power factor should reduce the output.Can someone please explain?Thank you
The power factor is a measure of how efficiently the generator converts electrical power into useful work. A power factor of 1 indicates that all of the electrical power is being converted into useful work, while a power factor of 0 indicates that none of the electrical power is being converted into useful work.In the case of the generator you are looking at, the power factor is 0.8. This means that 80% of the electrical power is being converted into useful work, while 20% is being lost as heat.The reason that the power factor reduces the output of the generator is because the generator must compensate for the power that is being lost as heat. This means that the generator must produce more electrical power than is actually being used, in order to make up for the power that is being lost.In your case, the generator is producing 451 amps of current. However, only 80% of this current is being converted into useful work. This means that the actual output of the generator is 361 amps.Therefore, the power factor does reduce the output of the generator. This is because the generator must compensate for the power that is being lost as heat. Flag for review