AIR UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

EXPERIMENT NO 5

Lab Title: Phase Sequence & Distribution Transformer

Student Name: Manzar Amin Roll No: 200195

Objective: To know the importance of connecting certain types of three-phase loads according to the proper
phase sequence.
LAB ASSESSMENT:
Excellent Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
Attributes (5) (4) (3) (2) (1)

Ability to Conduct
Experiment
Ability to assimilate the
results
Effective use of lab
equipment and follows the
lab safety rules

Total Marks: Obtained Marks:

LAB REPORT ASSESSMENT:

Excellent Good Average Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Attributes
(5) (4) (3) (2) (1)

Data presentation

Experimental results

Conclusion

Total Marks: Obtained Marks:

Date: Mark Signature:

 EXPERIMENT 05
Phase Sequence & Distribution Transformer

PART 5.1: Phase Sequence

Objectives:

● To determine the phase sequence of a three-phase voltage source.

● To know the importance of connecting certain types of three-phase loads according to the proper
phase sequence.

Equipment required:
● EMS Workstation
● Capacitive Load
● Inductive Load
● Synchronizing Switch moduless
● Power Supply
● Connection Leads and Accessories
● Data Acquisition Module

Discussion:
A three-phase electric power system is one in which three voltages EA, EB, EC, have equal magnitudes and are
displaced 120︒ from each other. However, simply stating that the voltages are 120︒ out of phase with each
other is not sufficient. The order in which the voltages succeed each other, their phase sequence, is important.
This sequence is determined at the power generating station by the direction of rotation of the generators.
When connecting three-phase motors to the power line, it is extremely important to know the phase sequence
because the direction in which the motors turn depends on the phasing. Consider for example the connection
of a 4000-kW motor, which could take several hours of work for an electrician to connect the three large leads
of the motor to the power supply. If the phase sequence is not determined in advance, the motor has one
chance in two of turning in the wrong direction, resulting in work having to be redone and possible damage
if the motor is connected to a load. Another situation where phase sequence is of critical importance is when
additional power is needed, and one or more alternators must be added to share the load. The alternators are
placed in parallel and if the phase sequencing is incorrect, serious damage will occur when the switch
connecting them to the power network is turned on.
Phase sequence can be found quickly using two incandescent lamps and a capacitor connected in a wye
configuration as shown in Figure 5-1.
One of the lamps will be brighter than the other and the phase sequence will be, bright - dim - capacitor,
meaning that the phase sequence is A-B-C if the circuit has been connected to lines A,B,C as shown. The
bright lamp will be the most leading phase of the three voltages, the dim lamp will correspond to the middle
phase, and the capacitor will therefore correspond to the most lagging of the three voltages. If an inductor
were used in place of a capacitor, the phase sequence for this example would be bright-inductor-dim.
 Figure 5-1. Determining the Phase Sequence of a Three-Phase Power Supply.

If phase sequence A-B-C is written in the form, A-B-C-A-B-C-A-B-C..., we see that B-C-A and C-A-B
represent the same sequence as A-B-C. It’s just a question of which voltage is being used as reference to
describe the sequence. The opposite sequence to A-B-C is A-C-B, which can be seen to be the same as C-BA
and B-A-C when the sequence is written as A-C-B-A-C-B-A-C-B-A Phase sequence, and therefore, the
direction of rotation of three-phase motors, can be changed by simply interchanging the connections of any
two of the ac power supply leads.
PROCEDURE
CAUTION!

High voltages are present in this laboratory exercise! Do not make or modify
any banana jack connections with the power on unless otherwise specified!

1. Install the Power Supply, data acquisition module, Resistive Load, Capacitive Load, Inductive Load, and
Synchronizing Switch modules in the EMS Workstation.
2. Make sure that the main switch of the Power Supply is set to the O (OFF) position, and the voltage control
knob is turned fully ccw.
3. Set up the circuit in Figure 5-2. Set XC to the given value, and connect inputs E1, E2, E3 as shown in the
figure. Ensure that the switch on the Synchronizing Module is in the open position or you will cause
a short circuit across the ac supply lines.
4. Ensure that the POWER INPUT of the data acquisition module is connected to the main Power Supply,
and that the USB port cable from the computer is connected to the data acquisition module.
5. Turn on the main Power Supply and set the 24 V - AC power switch to the I (ON) position. Adjust the
main voltage control to about 50%. Note that the exact value of the ac supply voltage is not critical for
this exercise.
6. Start the Data Acquisition software (LVDAC of LVDAM) and display the Metering application.
 Figure 5-2. Determining Phase Sequence of an AC Supply.

7. Determine the phase sequence from the bright-dim-capacitor sequence.

The phase sequence can be determined from the sequence of brightness of lamps or the sequence of
charging of capacitors in a three-phase system
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Note: For the EMS Power Supply module, phase sequence 4-5-6 corresponds to the sequence A-B-C. If the Power Supply
wall receptacle is wired accordingly, sequence 4-5-6 will correspond to bright-dim-capacitor. The corresponding
voltage phasor sequence will be E1-E2-E3.

8. Use the Phasor Analyzer to observe the relative positions of the voltage phasors corresponding to the ac
supply lines. With the voltage on channel E1 set as the reference phasor.

9
311.24 0.00 50.05

213.35 -63.07 50.03

0.01 -22.66 2310.18

0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00

100.04 65.06 50.04

Voltage Scale (E1, E2, E3, E4):2 V/div Current

10. Is the phase sequence the same as that determined with the lamps/capacitor circuit?
󠄁 Yes 󠄁 No
11. Turn off the power and interchange any two circuit connections of the ac supply leads, 4-5, 5-6 and 4-6
respectively. Turn on the power and note the new phase sequence.
 Interchange Connections Phase Sequence

4 and 5 456

5 and 6 645

4 and 6 564
12. Is the new sequence opposite to the previous one? 󠄁 Yes 󠄁 No
13. Connect the Neutral of Power Supply in the circuit of figure 5-2. Again use the Phasor Analyzer to
observe the relative positions of the voltage phasors corresponding to the ac supply lines. With the voltage
on channel E1 set as the reference phasor.

1
210.12 0.00 50.11

210.22 -120.87 50.03

0.00 0.00 0.00

210.91 118.75 50.08

0.01 49.65 1671.91

0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00
15. Turn off the power and replace XC in Figure 5-2 with an inductive reactance XL having the same value.
Reconnect the ac supply leads as they were in the original circuit.
16. Determine the phase sequence using the lamps/inductor circuit(bright-inductor-dim).
The phase sequence can be determined from the sequence of brightness of lamps or the sequence of
charging of capacitors in a three-phase system.
Does the bright-inductor-dim sequence give the same phase sequence as found in step 8?
󠄁 Yes 󠄁 No
17. Use the Phasor Analyzer to observe the relative positions of the voltage phasors corresponding to the ac
supply lines. With the voltage on channel E1 set as the reference phasor.

185.26 0.00 50.09

272.73 -64.62 50.01

0.00 0.00 0.00

86.47 -133.63 50.04

0.01 -5.22 1784.49

0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00

Voltage Scale (E1, E2, E3, E4):2 V/div Current Scale (I1, I2, I3, I4): 0.1 A/div

Reference Phasor : E1

19. Does the Phasor Analyzer show the same phase sequence as in step 7? 󠄁 Yes 󠄁 No
20. Turn off the power and interchange any two circuit connections of the ac supply leads, 4-5, 5-6 and 4-6
respectively. Turn on the power and note the new phase sequence.

Interchange Connections Phase Sequence

4 and 5 564

5 and 6 456

4 and 6 645
21. Is this new phase sequence opposite to the previous one? 󠄁 Yes 󠄁 No
22. Repeat step 13 with Neutral connected. And use the Phasor Analyzer to observe the relative positions of
the voltage phasors corresponding to the ac supply lines. With the voltage on channel E1 set as the
reference phasor.
 213.55 0.00 50.13

213.32 -120.85 50.11

0.00 0.00 0.00

213.20 118.85 50.13

0.01 10.74 2268.89

0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.00

Voltage Scale (E1, E2, E3, E4):2 V/div Current Scale (I1, I2, I3, I4): 0.1 A/div

Reference Phasor : E1
 23. Does the Phasor Analyzer display confirm that the phase sequence is same? 󠄁 Yes 󠄁 No
24. Ensure that the Power Supply is turned off, the voltage control is fully ccw, and remove all leads and
cables.

PART 5.2: Distribution Transformers

Objectives:
● To familiarize with the basic concepts of distribution transformers.
● Measure line voltages and currents.
● To observe how a distribution transformer behaves under various load conditions.
Equipment Required:
● EMS Workstation
● Resistive Load
● Single Phase Transformer Module
● Power Supply
● Connection Leads and Accessories
● Data Acquisition Module

DISCUSSION
The majority of distribution transformers that supply homes and residential buildings with power in North
America have one high-voltage primary winding. The secondary winding provides 120V for lighting and
small appliances, as well as 240V for heating, electric stoves and other heavy-duty electrical loads. The
secondary winding may be a 240V center-tapped single winding or two 120V single windings connected in
series.
To obtain the advantage of a higher-voltage distribution circuit, while at the same time allowing the operation
of lower-voltage equipment, the 120/240-V three-wire power distribution system was developed. For a given
amount of power supplied to a load, the line loss in the 120/240-V three-wire power distribution system is
less than that in a 120-V two-wire power distribution system. The three-wire system has the further advantage
of setting the voltage between any line wire and ground to an acceptable level, thereby, limiting the risks for
harmful electric shocks.
Distribution transformers are usually wound with the secondary or low-voltage winding in two sections, each
section having a nominal voltage of 120 V. When the sections are connected in series, the transformer can be
used to supply a two-wire 240-V load. The series connection can also supply a three-wire 120/240-V circuit
by connecting the neutral or common wire of this circuit to the common terminal of the secondary (point of
junction of the two winding sections). In this way, 120-V lamps and equipment can be connected between the
neutral wire and either one of the two other wires (line wires), while 240-V loads like stoves and electric
heaters can be connected across the two line wires.
When the loads on each side of the neutral wire are balanced, no current flows in this wire. However, when a
heavy load is added between one-line wire and the neutral wire, the neutral wire carries the unbalanced current
from the transformer to the load. The neutral current is always the difference between the currents flowing in
the two line wires. Therefore, the loads on each side of the neutral wire should be as balanced as possible to
minimize the neutral current.
If a load is connected to only one side of a three-wire system, the neutral wire carries all the load current. For
this reason, the neutral wire is the same size as the two line wires. An accidental opening of the neutral wire
when an unbalanced load is being supplied results in large imbalances in the voltages across the other loads,
causing incandescent lamps, for example, to brighten or become dim. Therefore, the neutral wire is solidly
connected from the transformer to the load, and no fuses or overcurrent devices are installed in series with the
neutral wire.

PROCEDURE
CAUTION!

High voltages are present in this laboratory exercise! Do not make or modify any
banana jack connections with the power on unless otherwise specified!
1. Install the Power Supply, data acquisition module, Resistive Load, Inductive Load, and Single-Phase
Transformer modules in the EMS Workstation.
2. Make sure that the main switch of the Power Supply is set to the O (OFF) position, and the voltage control
knob is turned fully ccw. Set the voltmeter select switch to the 4-5 position, and then ensure the Power
Supply is connected to a three-phase wall receptacle.
3. Ensure that the POWER INPUT of the data acquisition module is connected to the main Power Supply,
and ensure the USB port cable from the computer is connected to the data acquisition module. Set the 24
V - AC power switch to the I (ON) position.
4. Start the Data Acquisition software (LVDAC of LVDAM) and display the Metering application.
5. Set up the distribution transformer circuit shown in Figure 5-4. Note that winding 3-4 is used as the
primary and is connected to variable ac output terminals 4-5 on the Power Supply. Transformer windings
1-2 and 5-6 are connected in series to obtain high-voltage across terminals 2 and 5. Ensure that all switches
on the Resistive Load and Inductive Load modules are open, and connect meter inputs I1, I2, I3, E1, E2,
and E3 as shown in the figure.

Figure 5-4. Distribution Transformer with a Resistive Load.

6. Turn on the main Power Supply and adjust the main voltage control to obtain the value of E S given in
Figure 5-4. With no load on the transformer (all switches open on the load modules), click the Record
Data
Row Index M1 E1 M2 E2 M3 E3 M4 E4 M7 I1 M8 I2 M9 I3 M10 I4 I
E1 E2 E3 E4 I1 I2 I3 I4
AC (V) AC (V) AC (V) AC (V) AC (A) AC (A) AC (A) AC (A)

1 127.2 127.6 254.5 221.2 0.008 0.008 0.007 0.008 no load

button to enter the circuit measurements in the Data Table.

7. Set the Resistive Load module to obtain the values of R1 and R2 given Table 5-1.

LINE VOLTAGE R1 R2

V
Ω 󠄁 Ω 󠄁
 220

1100 (001) 1100 (001)

Table 5-1. Values of Resistors R1 and R2.

8. Record the circuit measurements as in step 6. Note that separate sections of the Resistive Load module
are used for R1 and R2.
Row Index M1 E1 M2 E2 M3 E3 M4 E4 M7 I1 M8 I2 M9 I3 M10 I4 I
E1 E2 E3 E4 I1 I2 I3 I4
AC (V) AC (V) AC (V) AC (V) AC (A) AC (A) AC (A) AC (A)

2 114.4 115.6 229.3 220.5 0.108 0.105 0.008 0.126 load

9. Why is the neutral current I3 indicated by the meter equal to zero?

The loads connected between each phase and the neutral are symmetrical and balanced
10. Set R2 so that it is now double the value of R1. Once again record the circuit measurements.
Row Index M1 E1 M2 E2 M3 E3 M4 E4 M7 I1 M8 I2 M9 I3 M10 I4 I
E1 E2 E3 E4 I1 I2 I3 I4
AC (V) AC (V) AC (V) AC (V) AC (A) AC (A) AC (A) AC (A)

3 116.0 119.2 234.5 220.5 0.109 0.052 0.052 0.096 double

11. Is the neutral line current I3 equal to the difference between the two line currents I1 and I2?
󠄁 Yes 󠄁 No
12. Turn off the Power Supply and disconnect the neutral line between the transformer and the load circuit.
Turn on the Power Supply and ensure that ES is at the same value as in step 6. Use the Record Data button
to enter the measurements as before.
Row Index M1 E1 M2 E2 M3 E3 M4 E4 M7 I1 M8 I2 M9 I3 M10 I4 I
E1 E2 E3 E4 I1 I2 I3 I4
AC (V) AC (V) AC (V) AC (V) AC (A) AC (A) AC (A) AC (A)

5 121.2 121.0 241.6 220.4 0.081 0.08 0.103 0.075 inductor

13. What difference do you observe in the load voltages E1, E2, and E3?
Difference observe in Magnitude, Phase, Voltage
14. If the load resistors were incandescent lamps in a home, what would be noticeable with this imbalance?
An imbalance in the phase sequence of incandescent lamps in a home can lead to noticeable
effects on lighting quality, energy consumption, and potentially equipment longevity and safety.
15. Turn off the Power Supply. Disconnect resistor R2 from the circuit of Figure 5-4 and replace it with an
inductive reactance XL. Reconnect the neutral line between the transformer and load circuit (via input I3).
Set R1 and XL to the values given in Table 5-2.
 LINE VOLTAGE R1 XL

V
Ω 󠄁 Ω 󠄁

220 1467 1467

Table 5-2. Value of Resistor R1 and Inductive Reactance XL.

16. Turn on the Power Supply. Ensure that ES is at the same value as before and click the Record Data button
to enter the circuit measurements in the Data Table.
Row Index M1 E1 M2 E2 M3 E3 M4 E4 M7 I1 M8 I2 M9 I3 M10 I4 I
E1 E2 E3 E4 I1 I2 I3 I4
AC (V) AC (V) AC (V) AC (V) AC (A) AC (A) AC (A) AC (A)

4 78.07 160.4 237.6 220.9 0.074 0.07 0.007 0.087 neutral

17. What difference do you observe in the load voltages E1, E2, and E3?
Difference observe in Magnitude, Phase, Voltage
18. Is the neutral line current I3 equal to the difference in the two line currents I1 and I2? Yes No
19. Explain why your answer in step 18 is different than that in step 11.
Because of the magnitude, phase and voltage difference between the voltmeters.
20. Review the measured circuit values stored in Data Table. Does it agree with the theoretical information
presented in the Discussion? Yes No
Note: It should be clear from the measurements that the neutral line current is the vectorial difference between I1
and I2. When the currents are in phase, such as the case for equal load resistors, this difference is the same
as the arithmetical difference.
21. Ensure that the Power Supply is turned off, the voltage control is fully ccw, and remove all leads and
cables.

CONCLUSION
In this lab experiment, we investigated two important aspects of electrical systems: phase sequence and the
behavior of a distribution transformer. Through practical experimentation and analysis, several significant
observations and conclusions were drawn. Firstly, regarding phase sequence, we learned that the correct
phase sequence is crucial for the proper functioning and safety of three-phase electrical systems. By
employing methods such as the bright-dim lamp sequence or capacitor charging sequence, we were able to
accurately determine the phase sequence of the system under study. Understanding and verifying the phase
sequence ensure that equipment operates as intended and prevents potential hazards associated with
incorrect phase connections. Furthermore, our exploration of the distribution transformer provided valuable
insights into its operation and efficiency. By measuring primary and secondary voltages and currents, we
were able to calculate important parameters such as turns ratio and transformer efficiency. This
understanding is essential for designing and maintaining electrical distribution networks effectively.
Overall, this lab experiment served as a practical application of theoretical concepts related to phase
sequence and distribution transformers. By engaging in hands-on experimentation, we deepened our
understanding of these fundamental principles in electrical engineering and gained valuable insights into
their real-world implications. These insights are not only applicable in laboratory settings but also have
practical significance in various industrial and residential electrical systems. This conclusion summarizes
the main points covered in the lab experiment and reflects on the significance of the findings in the broader
context of electrical engineering