What type of capacitor is commonly used in power factor correction?

Power factor correction capacitors are specifically designed to improve the power factor in electrical systems. Power factor refers to the ratio of real power, which performs the actual work, to apparent power, which is the product of current and voltage in the circuit. When inductive loads are present, such as motors or transformers, they can cause a phase difference between voltage and current, leading to a lower power factor.

Power factor correction capacitors provide reactive power to the circuit, helping to align the voltage and current waveforms more closely. This results in reduced demand charges from utilities, improved efficiency, and lowered energy costs. These capacitors are optimized for this purpose, making them essential in applications where maintaining or improving power factor is critical.

Other types of capacitors, like electrolytic, tantalum, and film capacitors, while useful in various applications, do not serve the specific function of power factor correction as efficiently or effectively. Electrolytic capacitors typically serve in energy storage and filtering in power supplies, tantalum capacitors are used in compact circuits requiring high capacitance per volume, and film capacitors are often utilized in applications requiring stable performance across a range of frequencies. Thus, for the specific goal of power factor correction, power factor correction capacitors are