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Three Phase Current

Three-phase current has several advantages over single-phase current. It allows transmission of three times the power using only twice the material costs. It also provides a simple means of producing a uniform rotary field to power three-phase motors and generators. Additionally, a three-phase system requires only a single three-leg transformer rather than separate single-phase transformers, saving on materials and costs. As a result of these benefits, all public electricity grids today use three-phase systems to distribute power.

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Thien Tran
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115 views

Three Phase Current

Three-phase current has several advantages over single-phase current. It allows transmission of three times the power using only twice the material costs. It also provides a simple means of producing a uniform rotary field to power three-phase motors and generators. Additionally, a three-phase system requires only a single three-leg transformer rather than separate single-phase transformers, saving on materials and costs. As a result of these benefits, all public electricity grids today use three-phase systems to distribute power.

Uploaded by

Thien Tran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Advantages of three-phase current

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Advantages of three-phase current


Definition
Three-phase, or more precisely, three-phase alternating current and three-phase alternating
voltage are all terms used to denote a system comprising three individual alternating current
and voltage signals of the same frequency and displaced mutually by a fixed angle of 120.
A three-phase system's individual phases have the same
frequency and are displaced mutually by a fixed angle of
120.
Three-phase systems are used especially in the field of electrical energy technology to
transport and distribute electrical energy via inter-regional, high-voltage grids and to supply
local, low-voltage networks with electricity. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the voltage
between the outer conductors (phases) of public low-voltage grids is 400 V.

Energy transmission
Inter-linking the consumers connected to the three individual phases results in a star circuit
which will be studied in more detail later. This circuit can be operated as a three-wire
network or a four-wire network with a neutral conductor connected additionally at the star
point. One particular advantage of this over a single-phase AC network is transmission of
three times the power at no more than twice the material cost (in the case of a four-wire
network).

380 kV high-voltage line

Drive technology
Three-phase AC offers a simple means of producing a uniform rotary field without any
further aids. This field can be used by 3-phase machines serving either as drives or as
generators of electrical energy. A distinction is made here between synchronous machines
(rotor's and rotary field's speeds are identical) and asynchronous machines (rotor's and
rotary field's speeds differ). Asynchronous machines are especially robust, easy to maintain
and economical, thanks to their simple design (squirrel-cage rotor). Requiring no
commutator, they operate more dependably than single-phase AC motors.

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View of an asynchronous motor's stator

Transformers
Instead of separate, single-phase transformers for each of its phases, a three-phase system
is supplied by a solitary, three-phase transformer furnished with a three-leg iron core. This
allows significant savings in materials and related costs. Given the same total power, this
type of transformer also has significantly lower iron losses due to the lower mass of its iron
core.

Medium-voltage, three-phase transformer

Three-phase networks
Because of the simple generation and transformation of three-phase signals and the benefits
of three-phase machines compared with single-phase AC machines, all public electricity
grids today comprise three-phase systems. Low-voltage networks usually have a four-wire
configuration with a grounded neutral conductor. On arrival at a household, for example, the
power is then distributed among separate AC lines. High-voltage networks usually have a
three-wire configuration. A three-phase network's outer conductors are now designated in
standard fashion as L1, L2 and L3, the neutral conductor as N. However, obsolete
designations R, S and T are still occasionally used for outer conductors.

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Roof stand supporting a common, four-wire household network

Colour codes
Depending on country and region, a standard set of colours applies to the outer conductors
L1, L2, L3 and the neutral conductor N in low-voltage cable networks. The table below
provides an overview of the main colour schemes (several colours are available as options
in some cases):
L1

L2

L3

Protective
ground

EU
Hong Kong
USA

Canada
Australia
New
Zealand
China

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