Importance of Load Curve

Load curve  

• It is a graphical representation of load ( x – axis ) versus time ( y – axis ).

Importance of load curve

A load curve for small industry A is given as below. We can get following information from the load curve.

• Load at any time duration
• Maximum demand of load
• Minimum load for a given duration
• Average load of a given duration
• Numbers of units consumption for a given duration
• Connected load
• Demand factor
• Diversity factor
• Load factor
• Base load
• Peak load

A load of certain industry for a given time duration is given as below.

 

Time	1 PM to       2 PM	2 PM to 3 PM	3 PM to 4 PM	4 PM to       5 PM	5 PM to       6 PM	6 PM to       7 PM	7 PM to       8 PM	8 PM to      9 PM
Load  ( kW )	10	25	25	5	15	17.5	20	25

Draw load duration curve and find out

( a ) Maximum demand

( b ) Diversity factor

( c ) Area under the load curve

( d ) Average demand

( e ) Load factor

( f ) Demand factor

Solution

( a ) Maximum demand = 25 kW

( b ) Sum of all load demand for given hour durations

       = 10 + 25 + 25 + 5 + 15 + 17.5 + 20 + 25

       =  142.5 kW

Diversity factor

= Sum of all load demand / Maximum demand

= 142.5 / 25

= 5.7

( c ) Units consumption for a given time duration ( 1 PM to 9 PM )

 Area of load curve

= ( 10 )( 1 ) + ( 25 )( 2 ) + ( 5 )( 1 ) + ( 15 )( 1 ) + ( 17.5 )( 1 ) +

   ( 20 )( 1 ) + ( 25 )( 1 )

= 142.5

( d ) Average demand

= Unit consumption / Time ( hour )

= 142.5 / 8

= 17.81 kW

( e ) Load factor  

= ( Average demand / Maximum demand ) × 100

= ( 17.81 / 25 ) × 100

= 71.24%

( f ) Demand factor

= Maximum demand / Connected load

= 25 / 142.5

= 0.1754

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