EE330: Power Systems

Module 1 Lecture 2
Basic circuit principles: three phase

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The instructor of this course (Dr. Abheejeet Mohapatra) owns the copyright of all the course materials. This
lecture material was distributed only to the students attending the course EE330 of IIT Kanpur, and should not be
distributed in print or through electronic media without the consent of the instructor. Students can make their
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EE330 1
 Previous module/ lecture
➢ Basic circuit principles – single phase, power calculations

EE330 2
 Three phase voltages

➢ A standard practice is to generate, transmit and distribute

power in three phase
➢ An alternator inherently produces three phase balanced
voltages by design
➢ Balanced three phase voltages can be defined by
• Three phasors (or equivalent time domain representation)
• Having equal magnitudes (or equal amplitudes)
• And with same phase difference among each other

EE330 3
 Three phase voltages contd.
Vc=V<120° Vb=V<120°

120° 120°
120° 120°
Va=V<0 Va=V<0
120° 120°

Vb=V<-120° Vc=V<-120°

Positive Sequence Voltage Negative Sequence Voltage

(ABC) (ACB)
Vc=V<0
Vb=V<0
Va=V<0
Zero Sequence Voltage
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 Three phase current and load
➢ An alternator, inherently, generates positive sequence
voltages
➢ 3 phase balanced currents are produced when a 3 phase
balanced load is connected to a 3 phase balanced source
➢ Unlike balanced voltages and currents, balanced load is
one in which each phase has same load
➢ Configurations in three phase circuits – Star or Delta
➢ 3 phase stator windings of alternator are star connected
• With delta, possibility of circulating stator current in
presence of unbalanced loads
• Stator phase voltage is less as compared to delta
connection, hence less insulation requirement

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 Three phase instantaneous power
➢ For a balanced load ( Z l load in each phase)
V
I=
Z
Va (t ) = 2V sin(t ), I a (t ) = 2I sin(t −  l )
Vb (t ) = 2V sin(t − 120), I b (t ) = 2I sin(t − 120 −  l )
Vc (t ) = 2V sin(t + 120), I c (t ) = 2I sin(t + 120 −  l )
Va (t ) I a (t ) = VIcos  l − cos(2t −  l )
Vb (t ) I b (t ) = VIcos  l − cos(2t − 240 −  l )
Vc (t ) I c (t ) = VIcos  l − cos(2t + 240 −  l )
p (t ) = Va (t ) I a (t ) + Vb (t ) I b (t ) + Vc (t ) I c (t ) = 3VI cos  l
Total instantaneous power is constant and time invariant
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 Star (Y) connected generator
a
VaN=V<0

VcN=V<120° N VbN=V<-120°
b
c
➢ Let VaN, VbN, VcN be phase voltages
➢ The line-line voltages are
Vab = VaN − VbN = V0 − V − 120 = 3V30
Vbc = VbN − VcN = 3V − 90
Vca = VcN − VaN = 3V150

EE330 7
 Star (Y) connected generator contd.
➢ Line-line voltages are also balanced three phase voltages
Vca VcN
30° 90° Vab
30°
90°
90° VaN
VbN 30°

Vbc Vll = 3V ph 30

➢ Line-line voltage is 3 times phase voltage and leads
associated phase voltage by 30°
Voltage specification in 3 phase systems, generally refers to
the magnitude of the line-line voltage phasor
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 Star (Y) connected balanced load
a Ia

Z<θ
N Ib Z<
θ n Z<
θ
b Ic
c
➢ Balanced Y load is connected to a balanced Y source
➢ Let the source voltage be
Vab = Vll 0 ( )
VaN = Vll / 3  − 30
Vbc = Vll  − 120 V = (V / 3 ) − 150
bN ll
Vca = Vll 120 V = (V / 3 )90
cN ll
EE330 9
 Star (Y) connected balanced load contd.
- a Ia

Z<θ
VaN
+

N Ib Z<
θ n Z<
θ
b Ic
c
➢ By KVL, VaN + VN − Vn
Ia =
Z
VbN + VN − Vn
Ib =
Z
VcN + VN − Vn
Ic =
Z
EE330 10
 Star (Y) connected balanced load contd.
- a Ia

Z<θ
VaN
+

N Ib Z<
θ n Z<
θ
b Ic
c
➢ Since, there is no physical connection between source
neutral (N) and load neutral (n), by KCL at node n
I a + Ib + Ic = 0
➢ Since source voltage is balanced, the above implies
VN = Vn

EE330 11
 Star (Y) connected balanced load contd.
➢ Even though nodes N and n are open circuited, potential
difference between these nodes is 0
➢ Similar to short circuit of source and load neutrals
➢ Even when, neutrals are physical connected (bolted or
resistive connection), potential difference between
balanced source and balanced load neutrals will still be 0
➢ Thus, unlike single phase systems, there is no need of an
explicit return conductor (connecting the neutrals) for
star connected balanced three phase systems
➢ The same is also practised even in case of balanced
source and unbalanced loads so that VN = Vn
➢ This has added benefits in terms of system protection!

EE330 12
 Star (Y) connected balanced load contd.
➢ Phase currents are
VaN Vll
Ia = =  − (30 +  ) = I ph  − (30 +  )
Z 3Z
I b = I ph  − (150 +  )
I c = I ph (90 −  )
➢ Line current is same as phase current I ll = I ph
➢ Complex power consumed in each phase is
2 2
VaN V
S a = VaN I a* =  = ll  = Sb = S c
Z 3Z
➢ The total three phase complex power is
Vll2
S3 = S a + Sb + S c = 
Z
EE330 13
 Star (Y) connected balanced load contd.
➢ The total three phase apparent power is
2 2
V 3Vph
S 3 = ll
= 3Vll I ph = 3Vll I ll = 3Vph I ph =
Z Z
➢ Generally, the power specification for three phase
machines/ loads refers to the total three phase apparent
power with units in VA
➢ Total three phase real and reactive powers are
P3 = 3P = S 3 cos  = 3Vll I ll cos  = 3Vph I ph cos 
Q3 = 3Q = S 3 sin  = 3Vll I ll sin  = 3Vph I ph sin 
where  is the load impedance angle

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 Delta (∆) connected balanced load
a Ia
Iab

Z<
Z<

θ
N Ib Ica
Z<θ
b Ic Ibc
c
➢ Balanced ∆ load is connected to a balanced Y source
➢ Let the source voltage be
Vab = Vll 0
Vbc = Vll  − 120
Vca = Vll 120
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 Delta (∆) connected balanced load contd.
a Ia
Iab

Z<
Z<

θ
N Ib Ica
Z<θ
b Ic Ibc
c
➢ For ∆ connected load, phase voltage is same as line-line
voltage and hence phase currents are
Vab Vll
I ab = =  −  = I ph  − 
Z Z
I bc = I ph  − (120 +  )
I ca = I ph (120 −  )
EE330 16
 Delta (∆) connected balanced load contd.
➢ Note the difference in the definition of phase current
➢ The line currents are
I a = I ab − I ca = 3I ph  − ( + 30) = I ll  − ( + 30)
I b = I bc − I ab = I ll  − (150 +  )
I c = I ca − I bc = I ll (90 −  )
Ic
➢ For ∆ connected load, line
Ica 30°
current is 3 times the phase
90° Iab current and lags associated
90°
30° phase current by 30°
90° Ia I ll = 3I ph  − 30
Ib 30°
Ibc
EE330 17
 Delta (∆) connected balanced load contd.
➢ Generally, current specification in three phase systems
refers to the magnitude of line current phasor
➢ The total three phase apparent power is
2 2
3Vll 3V
S 3 = = = 3Vll I ph = 3Vph I ph = 3Vll I ll
ph

Z Z
as phase and line-line voltages are same
➢ Total three phase real and reactive powers are

P3 = 3P = S 3 cos  = 3Vll I ll cos  = 3Vph I ph cos 

Q3 = 3Q = S 3 sin  = 3Vll I ll sin  = 3Vph I ph sin 
Often, per phase analysis is done for balanced 3 phase
systems which is then scaled to three phase systems
EE330 18
 Next module/ lecture
➢ Transformers and per-unit analysis

EE330 19