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3-Phase Power Consumption Formula:
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Three-phase power consumption refers to the amount of electrical energy used by a three-phase system, commonly found in industrial and commercial settings. It accounts for the balanced load across all three phases of the electrical system.
The calculator uses the 3-phase power formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates real power consumption by accounting for all three phases and the power factor, which represents the phase difference between voltage and current.
Details: Accurate power consumption calculation is essential for energy management, cost estimation, electrical system design, and equipment sizing in industrial and commercial applications.
Tips: Enter line-to-line voltage in volts, current in amperes, power factor (typically 0.8-0.95 for motors), and operating time in hours. All values must be positive numbers.
Q1: What's the difference between single-phase and three-phase power?
A: Three-phase systems use three alternating currents (120° apart) which provides more consistent power delivery and is more efficient for large loads.
Q2: What is a typical power factor value?
A: Power factor ranges from 0 to 1. Motors typically have 0.8-0.9, while purely resistive loads have 1.0. Low power factors indicate inefficient power usage.
Q3: Why use line-to-line voltage?
A: In three-phase systems, line-to-line voltage is the standard measurement between any two phases, which is √3 times the line-to-neutral voltage.
Q4: Can I use this for single-phase calculations?
A: No, for single-phase use the formula: kWh = (V × I × PF × h) / 1000 (without the √3 factor).
Q5: How accurate is this calculation?
A: It provides theoretical consumption. Actual consumption may vary due to voltage fluctuations, unbalanced loads, and other system inefficiencies.