Lecture Notes

ME 269
Ayman El-Hag

Three Phase circuits

1/9/2004 ME 269 Three-phase Circuits 1

 Three-phase Circuits

1/9/2004 ME 269 Three-phase Circuits 2

 Three-phase Circuits
Wye-Connected System
• The neutral point is grounded
• The three-phase voltages have Va n Va b
equal magnitude. Vb n
n
• The phase-shift between the Vc a
Ib
voltages is 120 degrees.
Vc n
Van = V ∠0 ° = V
Vb c
Vbn = V ∠ − 120 °
Ic
Vcn = V ∠ − 240 °

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 Three-phase Circuits
Ia

Wye-Connected System
• Line-to-line voltages are the Va n Va b
difference of the phase voltages
Vb n
n
Ib Vc a
Vab = Van - Vbn = 3 V ∠30
Vc n
Vbc = Vbn - Vcn = 3 V ∠ - 90
Vb c
Vca = Vcn - Van = 3 V∠150
Ic

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 Three-phase Circuits
Wye-Connected System
• Phasor diagram is used to visualize
the system voltages Vc n
Vca Va b
• Wye system has two type of
voltages: Line-to-neutral, and -Vbn
o
30
line-to-line.
• The line-to-neutral voltages are 120
o Va n
shifted with 120o
• The line-to-line voltage leads the Vb n
line to neutral voltage with 30o
• The line-to-line voltage is 3 times Vb c
the line-to-neutral voltage

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 Three-phase Circuits
Wye-Connected Loaded System
• The load is a balanced load and each one = Z
• Each phase voltage drives current through the
load.
• The phase current expressions are:

Van Vbn Vcn

Ia = , Ib = , Ic =
z z z

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 Three-phase Circuits
Wye-Connected Loaded System
• Since the load is balanced (Za = Zb = Van
Zc) then: Neutral current = 0 a
Za

Ia

• This case single phase equivalent

circuit can be used (phase a, for
instance, only)
• Phase b and c are eliminated n
Io

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 Three-phase Circuits
Wye-Connected System with balanced load

• A single-phase equivalent circuit is used

• Only phase a is drawn, because the magnitude of currents and voltages

are the same in each phase. Only the phase angles are different (-120o
phase shift)

• The supply voltage is the line to neutral voltage.

• The single phase loads are connected to neutral or ground.

V
ln Load

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 Three-phase Circuits
Balanced Delta-Connected System
• The system has only one voltage :
the line-to-line voltage ( VLL )
• The system has two currents :
– line current
– phase current
• The phase currents are:

Vab
Ia =
z
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 Three-phase Circuits
Delta-Connected System
The line currents are:
Ia= Iab − Ica Ia
a
a
Ib= Ibc − Iab
Ic = Ica − Ibc Vab Zab
Iab Zca
b
• In a balanced case the line
Ib Ibc Ica
currents are: Vca
Vbc
b Zbc c
Ic
I line = 3I phase ∠ − 30 c

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 Three-phase Circuit
Delta-Connected System
Vca
• The phasor diagram is used to
visualize the system currents Ica Ic
• The system has two type of
currents: line and phase currents.
Ib Vab
• The delta system has only line-to-
φ
line voltages, that are shifted by 120° Iab
Ibc 30o
• The phase currents lead the line -Ica
currents by 30 °
Ia
• The line current is 3 times the
Vbc
phase current and shifted by 30
degree.

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 Three-phase Circuit

• Circuit conversions
– A delta circuit can be converted to an equivalent wye
circuit. The equation for phase a is:
Z ab Z ca
Za =
Z ab + Z bc + Z ca
– Conversion equation for a balanced system is:
Z ab
Za =
3

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 Three-phase Circuit
Power Calculation
• The three phase power is equal the sum of the phase powers
P = Pa + Pb + Pc
• If the load is balanced:

P = 3 Pphase = 3 Vphase I phase cos (φ )

• Wye system: Vphase = VLN I phase = I L VLL = 3 VLN

P = 3 Vphase I phase cos (φ ) = 3 VLL I L cos (φ )

• Delta system: I Line = 3 I phase VLL = Vphase

P = 3 Vphase I phase cos (φ ) = 3 VLL I L cos (φ )

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 Three-phase Circuit
Power measurement

• In a four-wire system (3 phases •- The total power is the algebraic

and a neutral) the real power is sum of the two watt-meters
measured using three single-phase reading.
watt-meters.
Load Watt meter 1
• In a three-wire system (three
phases without neutral) the power
is measured using only two single-
phase watt-meters.
- The watt-meters are supplied by
the line current and the line-to-line Wattmeter 2
voltage.

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 Three-phase Circuits
Example 1

A 345 kV, three phase transmission line delivers 500 MVA, 0.866 power
factor lagging, to a three phase load connected to its receiving end
terminals. Assume the load is Y connected and the voltage at the
receiving end is 345 kV, find:

• The load impedance per phase.

• The line and phase currents.

• The total real and reactive power.

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 Three-phase Circuits
Example 2

Repeat example 2 assuming the load is Delta connected.

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 Power factor correction
• Power factor (p.f.) correction is the process of
making P.f. = 1.
• In order to correct the power factor in any system,
a reactive (either inductive or capacitive) will be
added to the load.
• If the load is inductive, then a capacitance is
added.
• If the load is capacitive, then an inductor is added.
• Note: Correcting the P.f. WILL NOT affect the
active power, why?
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 Three-phase Circuits
Example 3

A 3-phase load draws 120 kW at a power factor of 0.85 lagging from a

440 V bus. In parallel with this load, a three phase capacitor bank that
is rated 50 kVAR is inserted, find:

• The line current without the capacitor bank.

• The line current with the capacitor bank.

• The P.F. without the capacitor bank.

• The P.F. with the capacitor bank.

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