Input values explained
- Power in watts
- Use the electrical active power drawn by the load. A nameplate, data sheet or power meter is more reliable than an estimate.
- Voltage
- Match the voltage to the selected electrical system. Single-phase calculations use line-to-neutral voltage, while three-phase calculations use voltage between two line conductors.
- Power factor cos φ
- cos φ is the ratio of active to apparent power. It is close to 1 for resistive heating loads; use the data-sheet value for motors and transformers.
- Electrical system
- Choose single-phase AC for a 230 V circuit and three-phase for a balanced three-phase system. This selection changes the formula factor.