Experiment 15

Capacitive Reactance

OBJECTIVE

• To study the behavior of the capacitor in AC circuits.

• To become familiar with the meaning of capacitive reactive power.

DISCUSSION

Capacitance may be defined as a measure of the amount of electrical charge which

a device can store in the dielectric (insulation) between two conductors (plates)
when a given voltage is applied. The basic unit of capacitance is the farad. The
farad is used in equations that include capacitance terms. However, a farad is so
large a quantity, that measurements are made in microfarads (IJF) - one millionth
of a farad. In electronic work the picofarad (pF) - one millionth of a (IJF) - is a
common unit.

If a DC voltage is applied suddenly to a capacitor a large current will flow. This

•
current will continue to flow at a decreasing rate until the capacitor is charged up
(the voltage across the capacitor equals the source voltage). The current drops to
zero as soon as the capacitor voltage stabilizes (becomes constant - that is, when
the capacitor is neither charging nor discharging). The current can be quite large if
the voltage across the capacitor changes quickly. If the source voltage increases
at a rapid rate, a large current will flow into the capacitor to charge it up. Under
these conditions the capacitor acts as a load. Conversely, if the source voltage
- decreases at a rapid rate, a large current will flow out of the capacitor, and the latter
behaves like a momentary source of power; in fact, just like a generator.

A capacitor has the ability to store electric energy by virtue of the electrostatic field
which is set up between its plates. the quantity of energy stored depends upon the
capacitance (in farads) and upon the square of the voltage. When a capacitor is
being charged up, it receives and stores energy, but does not dissipate it. When the
unit is subsequently discharged, the stored energy will be released until the voltage
across the capacitor falls to zero.

A capacitor does not dissipate electric energy, it can only store it and then release
it. This is quite different from a resistor which cannot store energy, but can only
dissipate it in the form of heat.

These facts can help us to understand the behavior of a capacitor when it is

connected to an AC source of power. The AC voltage is continually increasing,
decreasing and reversing its polarity.

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Capacitive Reactance

When the voltage increases, the capacitor stores energy, and when the voltage
decreases, the capacitor must release it. During the "storing" period, the capacitor
acts as a load on the AC power supply but during the "releasing" period, the
capacitor actually returns its energy to the source.

We have the very interesting situation where the capacitor periodically acts as a
source of power returning energy to the very supply which gave it its energy in the
first place.

In an AC circuit, power flows back,and forth between the capacitor and its power
source and nothing useful is accomplished. If a wattmeter is placed between the
power source and the capacitor of the circuit shown in Figure 15-1, power will flow
from left to right when the capacitor charges up and from right to left when it
discharges.

SOURCE

v c

Figure 15-1.

Since no power is dissipated in the capacitor, the wattmeter will indicate zero. (It
actually tries to indicate positive when power flows from left to right and negative
when the power flow reverses, but the reversal takes place so quickly that the
pOinter does not have time to respond.

The active power associated with an ideal capacitor is therefore zero. There will,
however, be voltage drop across the capacitor and current will flow in the circuit.
The product of the two is the apparent power. The current leads the voltage by 90
electrical degrees.

the reason the current leads the voltage can be easily seen. When the applied
voltage is going through its peak, the voltage for that instant is not changing, hence,
the current will be zero. When the voltage is passing through zero it is a maximum.
Because of this unique condition, the apparent power is also called the reactive
power (var). Reactive power associated with capacitors carries a negative sign (-).

Capacitive reactance is the resistance offered to the flow of alternating current by

the presence of capacitance in the circuit. It is measured in ohms and is equal to the
ratio of Ell.

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Capacitive Reactance

Reactance also depends upon the frequency and the capacitance in farads and can
be expressed mathematically as:

1
(1)
Xc = 2nfC

where: Xc == capacitive reactance in ohms

C == capacitance in farads
f == frequency in cycles per second (Hz)
2n == 6,28

The capacitance value can be found by rearranging equation (1):

1
(2)
C = 2nfXc

When two or more capacitors are connected in parallel the total capacitance is the
sum of their individual capacitances:

C T = C, + C 2 + C 3 + ...... .. (3)

When two or more capacitors are connected in series the total capacitance is found
by:

111
= - + - + - + ......... • (4)
CT C1 C2 C3

When only two capacitors are connected in series:

C 1 C2
(5)
CT = C + C
1 2

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

Refer to the Equipment UtilizatIon Chart, in Appendix A of this manual, to obtain the
list of equipment required to perform this exercise.

PROCEDURE

CAUTION!

High voltages are present In this Experiment! Do not make or

modify any banana jack connections with the power on unless
otherwise specified!

o 1. Examine the construction of the Capacitive Load paying particular attention

to the capacitors, toggle switches, connection terminals and wiring.

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Capacitive Reactance

o 2. Note that the module is divided into three identical sections, each
composed of three capacitance elements with values of 0.66 IJF, 1.33 IJF
and 2.65 IJF. The reactance and AC current values (at 50 Hz) for each of
the capacitors are marked on the module face.

o 3. By closing the associated toggle switches, any pair or all three of the
capacitors may be connected in parallel. The parallel values are:

1.991JF, 3.21 IJF, 3.981JF and 4.64 IJF.

These paralleled capacitance values may be further doubled or tripled by

connecting sections in parallel.

o 4. Remember that when the capacitance is doubled, the reactance is halved.

Thus, by selecting the proper switches, the 50 Hz, 240 V line current can
be controlled in steps of 0.05 A up to a total of 1.05 A (all switches closed
- all sections paralleled).

o 5. Using your Capacitive Load, AC Ammeter, AC Voltmeter, Single-Phase

Wattmeter and Power Supply, connect the circuit shown in Figure 15-2.

0-1,5 A ac
4)---. ...---{ A ) - - - -.....- - - - ,

I
0·240
r-+0 2 0
30-+---'
4 0-+---. 0·250 V c
Vac Vac

Figure 15-2.

o 6. a. Connect all three capacitance sections in parallel and close (I) all of the
module switches.

b. Turn on the power supply and adjust for 240 V ac as indicated by the
AC voltmeter connected across the capacitance load.

c. Measure and record the current and the power as indicated by the
ammeter and the wattmeter.

1= Aac

P= W

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Capacitive Reactance

d. Return the voltage to zero and turn off the power supply.

o 7. Calculate the value of Xc and the corresponding capacitance in

microfarads. Evaluate apparent and reactive power.

a. Reactance ___________________________________________

_____________________________________ Xc= n
b. Capacitance _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____

________________---------------C= ~F

c. ApparentPower _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

________________________________ 8= VA

d. Reactive Power = _____________________________________

_____________________ Q = var

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Capacitive Reactance

o 8. The circuit voltage and current wave forms along with the resultant power
curve are shown on the graph of Figure 15-3.

imax = 1,5A\
+
p

e max = -340 V

Figure 15-3.

Note that the instantaneous power curve goes through two cycles during one
cycle (360°) of the voltage or current.

The power curve has equal positive and negative loops. Thus, for part of the
cycle p is negative, which must be interpreted to mean that energy is being
returned to the source during this time. This very important fact indicates
that, in an AC circuit with a capacitive load, energy is delivered to the circuit
by the source for parts of the cycle (positive power loops) and returned to the
source by the circuit for the remainder of the cycle. Accordingly, if, in one
cycle, the amount of energy returned is equal to the amount delivered by the
source, the net (total) power absorbed by the circuit is zero.

This is just the opposite of a resistance load circuit, where all the energy
delivered by the source is positive. The total power is dissipated by the
resistance in the form of heat, which cannot be returned to the source.

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Capacitive Reactance

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. The capacitor shown in the circuit of Figure 13-2 charges during the first
_ _ _ 0 of angular rotation (time).

2. This same capacitor then discharges during the next _ __

3. A capacitor draws a current of 3 A when connected to a 50 Hz, 500 V source.

Calculate:

a) The apparent power _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

_________________ s = VA

b) The reactive power _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

_____________________________ 0= VA

c) The active power _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

________________ p = W

d) The reactance of the capacitor _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

_______________________ xc= n

e) The value of the capacitor __________________

-------------~--------------
C = flF

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Capacitive Reactance

4. A capacitor has a reactance of 1000 on a 50 Hz system.

a) What is its reactance at 100 Hz? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Xc =____ 0

b) What is its reactance at 25 I;Iz? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Xc =--'-___ 0

c) What rule can you give about capacitive reactance vs frequency?

d) What would the capacitance value have to be at 50 Hz?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ C =____ IJF

e) What would the capacitance value have to be at 100 Hz?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ C =____ IJF

f) What would the reactance be at DC?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Xc =____ 0

5. Calculate the value of capacitance having a reactance of 1200 0 at 50 Hz.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ C =____ IJF

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Capacitive Reactance

Does this compare with the value shown on the capacitance module? Explain.

15-9