An Experimental Study to Determine the Relationship Between Power Factor and Harmonic Distortion in Single-Phase AC Voltage Controller

This paper deals with the determination of the relationship between the power factor and the harmonic distortion in a single-phase AC (SPAC) voltage controller. The aim of this study is to investigate the change of power factor (PF) and total harmonic distortion (THD) during different phase triggering angles (PTA). Firstly, the advantages of using thyristor instead of triac in single-phase AC voltage controllers operating at high frequencies are mentioned. Secondly, the power factor and total harmonic distortions for single-phase AC voltage controllers are theoretically examined. Finally, the relationship between power factor and total harmonic distortion are demonstrated by both simulation and experimental studies. However, it is monitored that, at lower output voltages, the power factor (PF) is pretty much reduced and total harmonic distortion (THD) is significantly increased.