A distribution bus has the following loads attached. What is the total MW load and is it inductive or capacitive?

5 MW and 1 Mvar
3 MW and 1 Mvar
2 MW and -2 Mvar
10 MW and 3 Mvar

Choices:
a. 3 Mvar / Inductive
b. 20 MW / Inductive
c. 3 Mvar / Capacitive
d. 20 MW / Capacitive

Thanks for your help!

 

bdl, how would you go about answering this? Most people don't mind helping those who at least put some effort in first.

Ciao, Tim

 

Well. The question asks for the total MW load, therefore the two options in Mvar don't make much sense. That leaves me with 20 MW for the total that does add up. As far as the Inductive or Capacitive part, the total Mvar would be positive which would lead me to believe it is a capacitive load?

 

Isn't that strange - you've answered the question yourself - well done!

 

Wait, don't capacitors provide reactive power?
So if the load is positive vars that means the load is absorbing vars, meaning it's inductive?

 

Ghar is right. When we refer to the load, we mean that the values given are consumed. So if the load consumes 3MVars of power, then it is an inductive one.

 

That does make sense. I was not looking at it from the load side. Mvars are being consumed by the load, which would then make it an inductive load.