Electric Machines and Power

Fundamentals

EECE 370

3- phase Circuits
(Appendix A)

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

 Three- Phase Circuits

• Three- Phase AC power systems consist of:

– Three-phase generators
– Three phase transmission lines
– Three phase loads (mostly)
• Advantage over DC systems:
– Voltage can be changed by transformers. (dc system minimize
impedances and inductances)

• Advantages over Single Phase systems:

– It is possible to get more power per kilogram of metal (higher
power- to- weight ratio).
– The power delivered is constant and not pulsating.
– Starting of induction motors is easier (self- starting).

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Generation of 3- phase Voltages and Currents
• Three-phase generator:
– Three single-phase generators, connected to 3 identical loads.
– Voltages are of equal magnitude.
– Phase angle difference (phase shift) is 120°.
– The current is: I  V
Z

Phase sequence

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Generation of 3- phase Voltages and Current (Ctd.)

• Currents flowing in the 3 phases are:

V 0
IA   I 
Z 
V   120
IB   I   120  
Z 
V   240
IC   I   240  
Z 

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Generation of 3- phase Voltages and Current (Ctd.)
• It is possible to connect the negative ends of 3 single
phase generators and the loads together, so that they
share a common return line (called the neutral).
• Now only 4 wires (instead of 6) are required to supply
power from the 3 generators to 3 loads.
• Hence, we get a 3- phase system.

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Generation of 3-phase Voltages and Current (Ctd.)

• How much current is flowing in the neutral wire?

The return current (IN)will be the sum of the currents
flowing to each individual load in the power system.

I N  I A  I B  IC
I N  I     I     120      240
I N  I cos     jI sin   
 I cos    120   jI sin    120 
 I cos    240   jI sin    240 
I N  I cos     cos    120   cos    240   
jI sin     sin    120   sin    240  

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 Generation of 3- phase Voltages and Current (Ctd.)

• Note: This derivation is only true if the 3-phase load

is balanced.
• Conditions for a system to be balanced are:
– The three loads are equal,
– The three voltages are equal,
– The phase angles are equal to 120°.

• Recall the trigonometric identities:

cos      cos  cos   sin  sin 
sin      sin  cos   cos  sin 
• Applying these identities yields:

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Generation of Three-phase voltages and Current (Ctd.)

I N  I cos     cos    cos120  sin    sin120  cos    cos 240  sin    sin 240 
 jI sin     sin    cos120  cos    sin120  sin    cos 240  cos    sin 240 
IN  0
• As long as the system is balanced there is no need for the Neutral
wire (only 3 wires instead of 6).

• Phase Sequence:
– The order in which the voltages in the individual phases peak

-ve sequence
+ve sequence
Voltages and Currents in a 3- Phase Circuit

• Two types of connection:

– Wye (Y) (or Star)
– Delta (Δ), possible because the sum of voltages is zero, hence no short-
circuit currents flow when the sources are connected head- to- tail.

• Terminology
– Voltages and currents in a given phase (or between phase and neutral
line) are called phase quantities.
– Voltages and currents between 2 phases (or 2 lines) are called line
quantities.

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 Voltages and Currents in a 3- Phase Circuit (ctd)

• Voltages and currents in the (Y) connection:

Van  V 0 I a  I 0 Assuming resistive loads

Vbn  V   120 I b  I   120

Vcn  V   240 I c  I   240

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Voltages and Currents in a Three-Phase Circuit (ctd)
• Voltages and currents in the Y connection
– The current in any line is the same as the current in the
corresponding phase. Hence:
I L  I Y connection

– Relationship between line voltage and phase voltage is:

Vab  Va  Vb
Vab  V 0  V   120
 1 3  3 3
Vab  V    V  j V   V  j V
 2 2  2 2
 3 1
Vab  3V   j 
 2 2
Vab  3V 30

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Voltages and Currents in a 3- Phase Circuit (ctd.)
– The relationship between the magnitude of the line-to-line
voltage and the line-to-neutral (phase) voltage in a Y-
connected generator load is:
VLL  3V

– Line voltages are shifted 30° with respect to the phase

voltages.

– Although the derivation was made for a resistive load (power

factor = 1), the calculations and equations still apply to any
kind of loads.

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Voltages and Currents in the (Y) connection-ctd
Phase Voltages Phase Current
Van  V 0 I a  I 0
Vbn  V   120 I b  I   120
Vcn  V   240 I c  I   240

Line Voltages Line Current

Vll  3V  I L  I

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 Voltages and currents in (Δ) connection
– Line and phase voltages are the same:
Line Voltages
Vll  V 

– The relationship between line current and phase current is:

I a  I ab  I ca
I a  I 0  I   240
 1 3  3 3
I a  I    I  j I   I  j I
 2 2  2 2
 3 1
I a  3I   j 
 2 2
I a  3I   30 and line currents are shifted by 30o
behind phase currents.

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 Voltages and currents in Δ connection
Phase Voltages Phase Current
Vab  V 0 I ab  I 0
Vbc  V   120 I bc  I   120
Vca  V   240 I ca  I   240

Line Voltages Line Current

Vll  V  I L  3 I

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Summary of Relationships in Y and Δ Connections

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 Power Relations in 3- Phase Circuits
Van  t   2V sin wt
Vbn  t   2V sin  wt  120 
Vcn  t   2V sin  wt  240 

ia  t   2 I sin  wt   
ib  t   2 I sin  wt  120   
ic  t   2 I sin  wt  240   

Instantaneous power in pa  t   van  t  ia  t   2VI sin  wt  sin  wt   

one phase:

p t   v t  i t  pb  t   vbn  t  ib  t   2VI sin  wt  120  sin  wt  120   

pc  t   vcn  t  ic  t   2VI sin  wt  240  sin  wt  240   

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 Power Relations- ctd
– Applying the trigonometric identity:
1
sin  sin   cos(   )  cos     
2

– Then:
pa  t   VI cos   cos  2wt    
pb  t   VI cos   cos  2wt  240    
pc  t   VI cos   cos  2wt  480    
– The total power supplied is:
ptot  t   p A  t   pB  t   pC  t   3VI cos 
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Instantaneous and Total Power Components

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 3- Phase Power Equations Involving Phase Quantities

P  3V I cos  Real Power

Q  3V I sin  Reactive Power
S  3V I Apparent Power

Knowing that VΦ = IΦZ, then:

P  3I2 Z cos  Real Power

Q  3I2 Z sin  Reactive Power S = P + jQ
S  3I2 Z Apparent Power

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Three-Phase Power Equations Involving Line Quantities
– For Y connected loads:
P  3V I cos 
since: I L  I
and: VLL  3V
Then:
P  3VLL I L cos 

– For Δ connected loads:

P  3V I cos 
I L  3 I
VLL  V
P  3VLL I L cos 
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Three-Phase Power Equations Involving Line Quantities- ctd

– By similar derivations we get:

P  3VLL I L cos 
Q  3VLL I L sin 
S  3VLL I L

Important note: The phase angle (power factor angle)

is between phase voltage and current only (not line
values).

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 Analysis of Balanced 3- Phase Systems (ctd.)

Y-Y system
Without
neutral line

With neutral
line

Per- phase
circuit

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 Example A-1

A 3- phase power system consists of a 208-V, Y-

connected generator connected through a 3- phase
transmission line to a Y-connected load. The line has
an impedance of 0.06+j0.12 Ω/phase and the load has
an impedance of 12+j9 Ω/phase.

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 Example A-1 (ctd.)
Calculate:
1. The magnitude of the line current.
2. The magnitude of the load’s line and phase voltages.
3. The real, reactive, and apparent powers consumed by the
load.
4. The real, reactive, and apparent powers consumed by the
transmission line.
5. The real, reactive, and apparent powers supplied by the
generator.
6. The generator’s power factor.
7. Repeat the above for a Δ- connected load (example A-2).

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 Example 1- Solution- ctd

208
where V= = 120𝑉
3

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 Example 1- Solution- ctd

Compared to 208V at source

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Example 1- Solution- ctd
 Example 1- Solution- ctd

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Example 1- Solution- ctd
 Analysis of Balanced 3- Phase Systems
• If a 3- phase power system is balanced, the voltages,
currents, and power are determined using the per-phase
equivalent circuit.

• In a balanced Y-Y system:

A neutral line can be added with no effect on the system
(no current is flowing, IN = 0, as derived earlier).

• Analysis is carried out for 1 phase (and neutral) and the

results will be valid for the other 2 phases.

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 Analysis of Balanced 3- Phase Systems
• In a Δ-Y connection:
The Δ- connected voltage source is converted to a Y
connection and then the calculations are carried out
normally.

• In a Y-Δ connection
The Y - Δ transformation states that a Δ load
consisting of 3 equal impedances, each of value “Z” is
totally equivalent to a Y- connection consisting of 3
impedances each of value Z/3.
That is: ZY  Z 
3

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 Analysis of Balanced 3- Phase Systems (ctd.)

In a Y-Δ connection: The Y-Δ transformation states that a Δ load

consisting of 3 equal impedances, each of value “Z” is totally equivalent to a
Y- connection consisting of 3 impedances each of value Z/3.

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 Example A-2
A 208-V three-phase power system is shown in the
figure. It consists of a 208-V Y-connected three-phase
generator connected through a three phase transmission
line to a Δ-connected load. The line has an impedance of
0.06+j0.12 Ω per phase and the load has an impedance
of 12+j9 Ω per phase.

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 Example A-2 (ctd.)

1. The magnitude of the line current?

2. The magnitude of the load’s line and phase voltage?
3. The real, reactive, and apparent powers consumed
by the load?
4. The real, reactive, and apparent powers consumed
by the transmission line?
5. The real, reactive, and apparent powers supplied by
the generator?
6. The generator’s power factor?

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