Three Phase Circuits

Chapter Objectives:
 Be familiar with different three-phase configurations and how
to analyze them.
 Know the difference between balanced and unbalanced circuits
 Learn about power in a balanced three-phase system
 Know how to analyze unbalanced three-phase systems
 Be able to use PSpice to analyze three-phase circuits
 Apply what is learnt to three-phase measurement and
residential wiring
 Power in a Balanced System
 The total instantaneous power in a balanced three phase system is constant.
 From the given equation in taking the RMS we have:
1 T 2 Im2 T 1 I
I Rms  
T 0
I m cos 2  tdt 
T 
0 2
(1  cos 2 t )dt  m
2
 and then;
v AN  2V p cos(t ) vBN  2V p cos(t  120) vCN  2V p cos(t  120)
ia  2 I p cos(t   ) ib  2 I p cos(t    120) ib  2 I p cos(t    120)
1
p  pa  pb  pc  v AN ia  vBN ib  vCN iccos A cos B  [cos( A  B )  cos( A  B)]
2
p  3V p I p cos  The instantenous power is not function of time (similar to DC)

 where the factor √2 is necessary because Vp has been defined as the rms value of the
phase voltage and Ip is the rms value of the phase current.
 If ZY = Z θ, the phase currents lag behind their corresponding phase voltages by θ.
 Thus the total instantaneous power in a balanced three-phase system is Constant and it
is true whether the load is Y- or Δ-connected.
  Since the total instantaneous power is independent of time, the average power
per phase Pp for either the -connected load or the Y-connected load is p/3, or
 where Vp and Ip are the phase voltage and
phase current with magnitudes Vp and Ip,
respectively. The total average power is the sum
of the average powers in the phases:

 Similarly, the total reactive power is:

 The complex power per phase is Sp. The total complex power for all phases is S.
Sp  Pp  jQp  Vp I p Complex power for each phase
3Vp 2
S=3Sp  3Vp I p  3I p 2 Z p  
Toal complex power
Zp
S  P  jQ  3VL I L 
Vp , I p , VL and I L are all rms values,  is the load impedance angle
 Power in a Balanced System
3Vp 2
S=3Sp  3Vp I p  3I p 2 Z p  
Toal complex power
Zp
S  P  jQ  3VL I L 
Vp , I p , VL and I L are all rms values,  is the load impedance angle

 Notice the values of Vp, VL, Ip, IL for different load connections.

VL  3 V p IL  I p VL  V p IL  3 I p

Ip
Vp Vp
Ip Vp VL
VL
VL Ip
VL Ip
Vp Vp

VL Vp
Ip Ip
VL
Y connected load. Δ connected load.
Power in a Balanced System
 Single versus Three phase systems
 Advantage of 3 phase system over single phase: Three phase systems uses lesser
amount of wire than single phase systems for the same line voltage VL and same
power delivered PL.

a) Single phase system b) Three phase system

Wire Material for Single phase 2( r 2l ) 2r 2 2

 '2
 '2  (2)  1.33
Wire Material for Three phase 3( r l ) 3r 3
If same power loss is tolerated in both system, three-phase system use
only 75% of materials of a single-phase system
• We will compare these cases and assume in both
that the wires are of the same material (e.g.,
copper with resistivity ρ), of the same length , and
that the loads are resistive (i.e., unity power
factor). For the two-wire single-phase system in
Figure(a), IL = PL/VL, so the power loss in the
two wires is
Vconductor = Area x Length

=4/3
Example 1: Refer to the circuit in the given Figure. Determine the total
average power, reactive power, and complex power at the source and at the
load.
(ans. Ss = −(2087 + j834.6) VA and SL = (1392 + j1113) VA)
Example 2: A three-phase motor can be regarded as a balanced Y-load. A three-
phase motor draws 5.6 kW when the line voltage is 220 V and the line current is
18.2 A. Determine the power factor of the motor. (ans. pf = 0.8075)

Example 3: Two balanced loads are connected to a 240-kV rms 60-Hz line, as
shown in Fig. 12.22(a). Load 1 draws 30 kW at a power factor of 0.6 lagging,
while load 2 draws 45 kVAR at a power factor of 0.8 lagging. Assuming the abc
sequence, determine: (a) the complex, real, and reactive powers absorbed by the
combined load, (b) the line currents, and (c) the kVAR rating of the three
capacitors -connected in parallel with the load that will raise the power factor to
0.9 lagging and the capacitance of each capacitor. (ans. C = 635.5 pF)
Example 4: (Practice Problem 12.2)A Y-connected balanced three-phase generator
with an impedance of 0.4+j0.3 ohms per phase is connected to a Y-connected
balanced load with an impedance of 24 + j19 ohms per phase. The line joining
the generator and the load has an impedance of 0.6 + j0.7 ohms per phase.
Assuming a positive sequence for the source voltages and that Van = 120 angle
30◦ V, find: (a) the line voltages, (b) the line currents.
VL=840 V (Rms)

IL

Capacitors for pf
Correction
 S 73650
IL    50.68A
3 VL 3 840
Without Pf Correction
 Unbalanced Three Phase Systems
 An unbalanced system is caused by two possible situations: (1) the source
voltages are not equal in magnitude and/or differ in phase by angles that are
unequal, or (2) load impedances are unequal.
 An unbalanced system is due to
unbalanced voltage sources or
unbalanced load.
 In a unbalanced system the
neutral current is NOT zero.

 Note: To simplify analysis, we

will assume balanced source
voltages, but an unbalanced load.
 Unbalanced three-phase systems
are solved by direct application of Unbalanced three phase Y connected load.
mesh and nodal analysis.
Line currents DO NOT add up to zero.
In= -(Ia+ Ib+ Ic) ≠ 0
Example 1: The unbalanced Y-load shown in the Figure has balanced voltages of
100 V and the acb sequence. Calculate the line currents and the neutral
current. Take ZA = 15 Ω , ZB = 10 + j5 Ω, ZC = 6 − j8 Ω. (ans. In =
)

Example 2: The unbalanced Δ-load shown in the Figure is supplied by balanced

voltages of 200 V in the positive sequence. Find the line currents. Take Vab as
reference.
Example 3: For the unbalanced circuit in Figure shown, find: (a) the line
currents, (b) the total complex power absorbed by the load, and (c) the total
complex power supplied by the source.
Example 4: Find the line currents in the unbalanced three-phase circuit of
Figure and the real power absorbed by the load.
 APPLICATION:
• Both wye and delta source connections have important
practical applications.
• The wye source connection is used for long distance
transmission of electric power, where resistive losses
(I2R) should be minimal. This is due to the fact that the
wye connection gives a line voltage that is √3 greater
than the delta connection; hence, for the same power,
the line current is √3 smaller.
• The delta source connection is used when three single-
phase circuits are desired from a three-phase source.
(ex. Residential wiring)
 Three Phase Power Measurement

 A single wattmeter can also measure

the average power in a three-phase
system that is balanced, so that P1 = P2 =
P3; the total power is three times the
reading of that one wattmeter.
 The three-wattmeter method of power
measurement, shown in Figure, will work
regardless of whether the load is
balanced or unbalanced, wye- or delta-
connected.

 where P1, P2, and P3 correspond to the readings of wattmeters W 1, W2, and
W3, respectively. Notice that the common or reference point o in Figure is
selected arbitrarily. If the load is wye-connected, point o can be connected to
the neutral point n. For a delta-connected load, point o can be connected to any
point.
 Three Phase Power Measurement

 The two-wattmeter method is the most

commonly used method for three-phase
power measurement. The two wattmeters
must be properly connected to any two
phases, as shown typically in the Figure.

 The total real power is equal to the algebraic sum of the two wattmeter
readings,
 Three Phase Power Measurement
 We recall that each line voltage leads
the corresponding phase voltage by 30◦.
Thus, the total phase difference between
the phase current Ia and line voltage Vab
is (θ + 30◦), and the average power read
by wattmeter W1 is:

 Similarly, we can show that the average power read by wattmeter 2 is:
 Three Phase Power Measurement
 Finding the sum and the difference of the two wattmeter readings:

 since 2 cos 30◦ = √3. It shows that the sum of the wattmeter readings gives
the total average power:

 Similarly;
 Three Phase Power Measurement
 since 2 sin 30◦ = 1. It shows that the difference of the wattmeter readings
is proportional to the total reactive power, or

 Thus, the total apparent power can be obtained using the equation of PT and
QT as:

 Dividing QT and PT gives the tangent of the power factor angle as:

 from which we can obtain the power factor as pf = cos θ. Thus, the two-
wattmeter method not only provides the total real and reactive powers, it
can also be used to compute the power factor.
 Three Phase Power Measurement
 From the given Equations we conclude that:
1. If P2 = P1, the load is resistive.
2. If P2 > P1, the load is inductive.
3. If P2 < P1, the load is capacitive.

 Although these conclusion are derived from a balanced wye-connected

load, they are equally valid for a balanced delta-connected load.

 We use the three-wattmeter method to measure the real power in a

three-phase four-wire system.
 Three Phase Power Measurement
Example 1: Three wattmeters W1, W2, and W3 are connected, respectively, to
phases a, b, and c to measure the total power absorbed by the unbalanced wye-
connected load in the given figure. (a) Predict the wattmeter readings. (b) Find
the total power absorbed. (ans. PT = 2067 W)
 The unbalanced Y-load shown in the Figure has balanced voltages of 100
V and the acb sequence. Calculate the line currents and the neutral current.
Take ZA = 15 Ω , ZB = 10 + j5 Ω, ZC = 6 − j8 Ω.
 Three Phase Power Measurement
Example 2: Repeat Example 1 for the network in the given Figure. Hint:
Connect the reference point o in Figure point B.

 The unbalanced Δ-load of Figure is supplied by balanced voltages of 200 V

in the positive sequence. Take Vab as reference.
 Three Phase Power Measurement
Example 3: The two-wattmeter method produces wattmeter readings P1 = 1560
W and P2 = 2100 W when connected to a delta-connected load. If the line
voltage is 220 V, calculate: (a) the per-phase average power, (b) the per phase
reactive power, (c) the power factor, and (d) the phase impedance. Assume a
balanced connected load. (ans. a.) Pp = 1220 W; b.) QT = 311.77 VAR; c.) cos θ
= 0.9689 (leading) it is a leading pf because QT is positive or (P2 > P1);
d.)
 Three Phase Power Measurement
Example 4: Let the line voltage VL = 208 V and the wattmeter readings of the
balanced system in the given Figure be P1 = −560 W and P2 = 800 W.
Determine:
(a) the total average power
(b) the total reactive power
(c) the power factor
(d) the phase impedance
Is the impedance inductive or capacitive?
 Three Phase Power Measurement
Example 5: The three-phase balanced load in the given Figure has impedance
per phase of ZY = 8+j6 Ω. If the load is connected to 208-V lines, predict the
readings of the wattmeters W1 and W2. Find PT and QT . (ans. a.) PT = P1 + P2
= 3.4586 kW and QT = √3(P2 − P1) = 2.594 kVAR)
 Three Phase Power Measurement
Example 6: If the load in the given Figure is delta-connected with impedance
per phase of Zp = 30−j40 Ω and VL = 440 V, predict the readings of the
wattmeters W1 and W2. Calculate PT and QT .
Answer: 6.166 kW, 0.8021 kW, 6.968 kW, −9.291 kVAR.
Residential Wiring

Single phase three-wire residential wiring