🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <555@neoucom.UUCP> wtm@neoucom.UUCP writes:
>
>What I was wondering if there is any convenient way for the
>electric co. to measure domestic customers' reactive power load, or
>do they just estimate the average domestic power factor and bill
>everyone under the same default assumption?  I presume that the
>electric co. keeps close tabs, and maybe even measures the phase
>angle at corporate customers' sites by hand.

Yes, there is a convenient way.  You just run a normal watthour
meter with the "voltage" coil 90 degrees out of its normal phase.
This integrates reactive power just as the normal connection
integrates real power.  Read both meters and a simple formula
gives you your average power factor.

At an auto plant where I worked, the real power was read automatically
every 15 minutes by a recorder on the meters, and the reactive power
was read by the meter reader when he came to eyeball-check the real
power meters and change the recording medium.  I assume different
utilities track power factor differently, depending on their regulatory
agencies.

===========================================================================
  "I've got code in my node."	| UUCP:  ...!ihnp4!itivax!node!michael
				| AUDIO: (313) 973-8787
	Michael McClary		| SNAIL: 2091 Chalmers, Ann Arbor MI 48104
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Above opinions are the official position of McClary Associates.  Customers
may have opinions of their own, which are given all the attention paid for.
===========================================================================