Wattless Current

Even if there is current flowing through it, a wattless current is an AC that contains merely a capacitor or inductor with zero power dissipation. In other words, wattless current occurs when current flows without power loss, wherein a pure inductor is coupled to an AC circuit.

It consists of a reactive component, which is the algebraic sum of the inductive and capacitive reactances. Both reactances obstruct the flow of AC. 

The resistive components perform two things. First, they convert power into heat, which is then squandered. Second, they store power in a magnetic field, which means no power is wasted. These resistive components are also known as wattless current.

What exactly is a watt?

In addition to understanding the wattless current meaning, let us focus on the watt. Watt is primarily a power unit defined as a derived unit of one joule per second. It describes the rate of energy transfer. 

Watt and watt-hours are vastly different, as both terms power and energy are misleading. Power is the rate at which energy is used or generated and its measuring unit is in watts. 

There are two additional terms, megawatts and gigawatts. Both work in the field of energy and power. They are separate yet related . Both of them make up a significant portion of the wattless current.

In an AC circuit, how can you get  wattless current?

You can achieve  wattless current in an AC circuit by using a purely inductive or capacitive circuit. 

When the circuit’s usual power consumption equals zero, you will observe  wattless current. This phenomenon is possible only when the circuit has responsive parts like a capacitor or an inductor. 

It is because for both capacitor and inductor, the stage difference between current and voltage is 90 degrees and the ‘Cos’ factor determines the power. As ‘Cos 90’ equals zero, the power burned through will be equal to zero, resulting in  wattless current.

Power factor in wattless current

The power factor indicates how much actual power (dynamic power) the circuit consumes from the power supply (apparent power).

If a circuit has  0.8 power factor and consumes 100kVA, the real power, such as dynamic power, can be found by multiplying 1000.8 by 80kW. In this method, the 0.8 power factor indicates that the circuit uses 80 percent of aggregate (apparent) power, such as dynamic power.

Furthermore, it is defined mathematically as the cosine of points between voltage and current. There will be a stage distinction (phi) between voltage and current in AC circuits. This point’s cosine is phi and it’s a power factor. 

Assuming the circuit is inductive, the current will slacken the voltage, and the power factor will also relax. However, if the circuit is capacitive and the current goes to the voltage, the power factor is expected to be driving at that point.

To put it in another way, in single-stage AC circuits,

P = V × I × cosϕ

Where, cosϕ is the power factor.

What are the important points of wattless current?

Transformers do not work on direct current but rather on the alternating voltage at the input and output. That is why wattless current consists of various points that make it more useful and easier to comprehend. 

Another aspect to consider is that a transformer is a device that changes magnetic energy into electric energy. Subsequently, it does not amplify power like a vacuum tube.

Because a choke coil is a pure inductor, its efficiency ranges from 70% to 90%, and per cycle, the average power consumed is 0. These oils are employed when there is no loop in the current flow from one end to the other. 

As a result, one end can be an inductor, capacitor or resistor and the other can likewise be a trio of capacitor, inductor and resistor. It is critical in raising the coil and ensuring that a sufficient amount of current passes through the circuit while minimising the damage to the reactance.

Conclusion

When the average power spent or dissipated in a given electrical circuit is identical to zero, the electric current in that circuit is a wattless current. When the usual power burnt through in an AC circuit is equal to zero, the current in the circuit is the real meaning of wattles current. 

Ideal current is another name for this type of current. If the typical power burned through in the circuit is zero, an AC circuit including either capacitor or inductor current is wattless.