UNIT-3 Sequence impedances and sequence networks:

• Sequence impedance of power system elements (alternator,

transformer and transmission line), positive, negative and zero
sequence networks of power system elements. Construction of
sequence network of a power system.
Sequence Impedances of Power System Elements
• Knowing the impedances provided by the various power system
components to the flow of the various phase sequence components
of current is required to determine how the power system will
behave under unbalanced situations (unbalanced loads or
unsymmetrical faults).
• The sequence impedances of certain significant power system
components, including synchronous and induction machines,
transmission lines, transformers, and static loads.
• Figure depicts an unloaded synchronous machine (generator or
motor) grounded through an impedance ‘Zn’ reactor. The three
phases' induced emfs are ‘Ea’, ‘Eb’, and ‘Ec’.
• Unbalanced currents ‘la’, ‘Ib’, and ‘Ic’ flow in the lines when an
asymmetrical fault develops on the machine terminals.
• If the fault is in the ground, reactor ‘Zn’ allows a current In
(equivalent to the phasor sum of the line currents ‘la’, ‘Ib’, and ‘Ic’ ) to
flow from the ground to neutral.
• One or more of the line currents may be zero depending on the
failure type. It is possible to separate unbalanced line currents into
their symmetrical halves.
1. Positive-Sequence Impedance and Network:
• A synchronous machine has induced emfs of positive sequence solely
because it is built with symmetrical windings; no negative- or zero-
sequence voltages are induced in it.
• Positive-sequence currents provide an armature response field that rotates
synchronously in the same direction as the rotor and is stationary with
regard to field excitation. When the short circuit transient advances in
time, the machine provides an analogous direct-axis reactance whose
value rises from subtransient reactance (X"d) to transient reactance
(X'd), and then to steady-state (synchronous) reactance (Xd). In a
circuit where a sudden value of current during switching fault state has to
be achieved, subtransient reactance is applied.
• Transient reactances are utilized when current after three or four
cycles is sought, whereas steady-state or synchronous reactances are
employed in steady-state conditions. The positive sequence
subtransient, transient, or steady-state positive sequence impedances
are made up of positive-sequence reactances and negligible resistance,
accordingly.
• The positive-sequence network for a synchronous machine
can be represented by the source emf on no load and the positive
sequence impedance ‘Z1’ in series with it, as shown in Fig.. The
neutral impedance ‘Zn’ does not appear in the circuit because the
phasor sum of ‘Ia1’, ‘Ib1’ and ‘Ic1’ is zero and no positive
sequence current can flow through Zn. Since it is a balanced
network, it can be drawn on single phase basis, as shown in Fig , for
purpose of analysis.
• A positive-sequence network's reference bus is at neutral potential.
Moreover, the neutral is at ground potential since there is no current
flowing from ground to neutral. As can be seen from Fig., the
positive-sequence voltage of terminal a with respect to the reference
bus is provided as Va1 = Ea – Ia1Z1
• 2. Negative-Sequence Impedance and Network:
• The synchronous machine does not generate any negative-sequence voltage. Flow of
negative sequence currents in the stator winding produces an mmf rotating synchronously in a
direction opposite to that of the rotor. Thus the negative sequence field rotates at a
speed twice the synchronous speed with respect to rotor. Currents at double the
stator frequency are, therefore, induced in rotor field and damper winding.
• In sweeping over the rotor surface, the negative sequence mmf is alternately presented with
reluctances of direct and quadrature axes. Thus the negative-sequence reactance
X2 is found to oscillate between Xd” and Xq” and the value taken is usually the average.
• Thus the negative-sequence reactance –X2 = Xd” + Xq”/2

• The negative-sequence networks of a synchronous machine, on a three-phase and single phase

basis are shown in Fig.. The reference bus for the negative- sequence network is also the neutral
of the machine.
• The negative-sequence voltage of terminal a with respect to reference bus is given as –

• Va2= – Ia2Z2
• Network and Zero-Sequence Impedance: The synchronous machine
does not induce any zero-sequence voltage. Three mmfs are
generated by zero-sequence currents flowing through the stator
windings; these mmfs are in time phase but are 120° apart in space.
Hence, zero-sequence currents yield no consequent air gap field.
Because of this, only zero-sequence currents cause leaking reactance
in the rotor windings.
• As the reactor's impedance Zn represents the total of the zero sequence
currents flowing through its three phases, the voltage drop it causes will
be 3 Ia0 Zn.
• Now, the voltage drop of the zero sequence from the synchronous
machine's terminal a to ground is equal to 3 Ia0 Zn + Ia0 Zg0,
• where ‘Zg0‘ is the generator's zero-sequence impedance. As ‘Ia0‘ is a zero-
sequence current, the total zero-sequence impedance is -Z0 = 3 Zn + Zg0

• Hence, the following is the zero-sequence voltage of terminal an of the

synchronous machine with respect to ground:
• Z0 = -Ia0 (Zg0 + 3Zn) = Va0 = -Ia0
• Induction machine sequence impedances: In rotating machines, the three phase sequence
impedances will often differ. The typical equivalent circuit of the machine, for instance,
represents the positive-sequence impedance in the case of induction machines. A magnetic field
rotates in the opposite direction but at the same speed as usual when negative-sequence stator
currents are present (against the rotor). Because of this, under typical circumstances the field rotates in relation to the
rotor at a speed that is several times faster than its speed in relation to the stator. The induced currents in the rotor also increase
significantly. They tend to weaken the magnetic field more than they would under normal circumstances, according to Lenz's law,
which results in a decrease in the magnetic field.

• With the same applied positive- and negative- sequence voltages, as well as the same speed and rotational direction, the stator
currents rise as a result, and as a result, the motor gives a lower impedance to the negative- than to the positive-sequence currents
(i.e., Z2 > Z1).

• The corresponding circuit may be thought of as just having magnetising and leakage impedances since zero-sequence stator currents
do not result in a rotating field. But, in actuality, the zero-sequence analysis of induction machines takes the presence of third-
harmonic currents and fluxes into significant account.
• Sequence Impedances of Transmission Lines:
• The positive and negative sequence impedances of a transmission line are independent of
phase sequence and equal because a fully transposed three-phase line is perfectly
symmetrical. Both positive and negative sequences can use the "Elements of Power
Systems" equation for inductive reactance. The currents in each phase of a transmission
line that exclusively carry zero-sequence currents are identical in size and phase.

• These currents partially return through the earth and partially through the above ground
wires. In contrast to the magnetic field produced by the passage of positive or negative
sequence currents, the magnetic field produced by the flow of zero-sequence currents via
transmission lines, ground wires, and the ground is extremely different. The reactance of
the zero-sequence impedance, in particular, is around.
• Sequence Impedances and Networks of Transformers:
• A transformer's leakage reactance is equal to its positive-sequence
series impedance (the resistance of the winding is usually small in
comparison to the leakage reactance). Transformers are static
devices, thus their positive and negative-sequence impedances are
the same because, as long as the applied voltages are balanced,
impedance is independent of phase order.
• Thus, for a transformer –
• Z1 = Z2 = Zleakage
• In terms of zero-sequence impedance, the situation with 3-phase transformers is
more complicated due to the potential for various connections. A transformer
offers a zero-sequence impedance that is slightly different from positive-sequence
impedance but the difference is so small that zero-sequence impedance can be
assumed to be equal to positive- or negative-sequence impedance under the
assumption that such transformer connections allow zero-sequence currents to
flow on both sides.
• However, the zero- sequence currents can flow through the winding connected
in star only if the star point is grounded. Moreover, the zero- sequence currents
cannot flow in the windings if the star point is isolated. No zero-sequence
currents can flow in the lines connected to a delta-connected winding as no
return path is available for these zero-sequence currents. Zero-sequence currents
can, however, flow through the delta-connected windings themselves if any zero
sequence voltages are induced in delta.
• This fact is illustrated in Fig. 3.13. These various conditions can be taken into
account by the use of general circuit shown in Fig. 3.14. Z0 is the zero-sequence
impedance of windings of the transformer. There are two series and two shunt
switches-one series and one shunt switch for each side. The series switch of a
particular side is closed if it is star grounded and the shunt switch is closed if
that side is delta connected, otherwise they remain left open.

•
Sequence impedances and sequence networks:
Positive sequence network:
Figure is the positive sequence network for three phase system and its equivalent for single phase system.

Here, Va1, Ia1, Z1 are voltage, current and impedance of positive sequence network
respectively, Ea is voltage magnitude in phase.
Negative sequence network:
Figure is the negative sequence network for three phase system and its equivalent
for single phase system.
• Va2, Ia2, Z2

Va2 =- Z2 Ia2
Here, Va2, Ia2, Z2 are voltage, current and impedance of positive sequence network
respectively.
• Zero sequence network:
• Figure is the zero sequence networks for three phase system and its equivalent for single
phase system.
By analyzing this sequence network, the
zero sequence voltage can be expressed as,

Here, Va0, Ia0, Z0 are voltage, current and impedance of zero sequence network respectively
and Zn is neutral impedance.
The relation between three sequence impedances is Z0 < Z2 <Z1 . These symmetrical components play
a significant role in the fault calculations and analysis of the power system networks.
EXAMPL 1:Solve the (+), (-) and (0) sequence networks of the above power
system.
Example 1: For the power system shown in the SLD, draw the sequence
networks