KVA stands for **Kilovolt-Amperes**. It is a unit of measurement used in electrical systems to represent the apparent power in an alternating current (AC) circuit.
Here's a breakdown of the term:
- **Kilo**: This prefix means 1,000. So, 1 kilovolt (kV) is 1,000 volts.
- **Volt-Ampere (VA)**: This is the unit of apparent power. It represents the product of the voltage (in volts) and the current (in amperes) in an AC circuit.
When we combine these, 1 KVA equals 1,000 VA.
Apparent power (measured in KVA) is the total power used in a circuit, including both the real power (measured in kilowatts, or KW) that does the actual work, and the reactive power (measured in kilovars, or KVAR) that sustains the electromagnetic fields in devices like motors and transformers.
To convert KVA to KW, you need to know the power factor (PF) of the load, which is a measure of how effectively the electrical power is being used. The formula to convert KVA to KW is:
\[ \text{KW} = \text{KVA} \times \text{Power Factor} \]
For example, if you have a 10 KVA transformer with a power factor of 0.8, the real power (KW) it can provide is:
\[ \text{KW} = 10 \text{ KVA} \times 0.8 = 8 \text{ KW} \]