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_Tegridy_ t1_ixcv1by wrote

Reply to comment by FourierXFM in How exactly is the "direction" of the flow of power measured in a alternating current system? by Landhund

The real power is oscillating as well, it's just that the mean value of the real power is VIcos(theta).

There is a double frequency component of oscillating real power on top of it.

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TrappedInASkinnerBox t1_ixcxt6j wrote

When the power factor is 1 the power (only real power here because of the pf) oscillates but isn't ever negative.

There's some coefficients in there but basically you square a sinusoidal waveform.

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_Tegridy_ t1_ixcz2at wrote

Yes, that's what I was trying to get at. Power as such is oscillatory as well but when we talk of V I cos(theta), that's just the average real power over one cycle.

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