1. What is 3-Phase Power Calculation?

The 3-phase power calculation is used to determine the real power (in kilowatts) in a three-phase electrical system. It accounts for the voltage, current, and power factor in balanced three-phase circuits.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the 3-phase power formula:

Where:

• \( V \) — Line-to-line voltage (volts)
• \( I \) — Current (amperes)
• \( PF \) — Power factor (unitless, 0 to 1)
• \( \sqrt{3} \) — Constant for 3-phase systems (≈1.732)

Explanation: The formula calculates real power by accounting for the phase relationship between voltage and current in AC systems.

3. Importance of Power Factor

Details: Power factor represents the ratio of real power to apparent power. A lower power factor means more current is required to deliver the same amount of real power, leading to inefficiencies.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter line-to-line voltage in volts, current in amperes, and power factor (typically between 0.8 and 1 for most industrial loads). All values must be valid (voltage > 0, current > 0, 0 ≤ PF ≤ 1).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between line-to-line and line-to-neutral voltage?
A: In 3-phase systems, line-to-line voltage is √3 times the line-to-neutral voltage (e.g., 400V line-to-line = 230V line-to-neutral).

Q2: What is a typical power factor value?
A: Induction motors typically have 0.85 PF, corrected systems ~0.95, and purely resistive loads have 1.0 PF.

Q3: Can I use this for single-phase calculations?
A: No, single-phase uses P = V × I × PF (without the √3 factor).

Q4: Why divide by 1000?
A: This converts watts to kilowatts (1 kW = 1000 W).

Q5: How does unbalanced 3-phase affect the calculation?
A: This formula assumes balanced loads. For unbalanced systems, calculate each phase separately and sum the results.