The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

This course was written with the intention of removing the magic and mystique that surrounds the idea of Power Factor Correction. With that in mind, the course starts by reviewing direct current and single phase alternating current circuits, including resistive, capacitive, and inductive circuits. This is a quick review emphasizing voltage, current, and power relationships in these three common circuit elements. Waveforms and their relationship to vectors are shown. Line voltage drops and line power losses are examined.

This course was designed for both engineers in disciplines other than electrical, and electrical engineers who desire to deepen their understanding of power factor correction. This course contains some basic electrical theory, but is easily adapted to the practical world of industrial and commercial electrical systems, and specifically Power Factor Correction.

The material in this course is presented with numerous diagrams, waveforms, and vectors to help students understand how electrical power works and what power factor means. The material assumes some skill in basic mathematics, trigonometry, vector analysis, and the ability to convert between polar and rectangular co-ordinates. A calculator that does polar to rectangular and rectangular to polar conversions is very helpful, but not necessary, in working through this material.

The student must take a multiple choice quiz consisting of twenty questions at the end of the course to obtain PDH credits. It is the author’s intention that the material presented in this course will help the students be better versed in power factor correction, and therefore be more comfortable when working with engineers, technicians, and craftsmen in the field.

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.

Please Note: Continuing Education credits for this course are awarded as PDH (Professional Development Hour Credits).