Introduction to 3-PHASE SYSTEMs

π 2π

Single-Phase System

π 2π

Three-Phase System

Differences between single and three phase systems

Three-Phase System Single-Phase System

1 Power delivered is constant Power delivered is pulsating
2 Three phase motors have high starting torque No starting torque
3 Induction motors are Self starting Not self starting
4 Parallel operation is possible Parallel operation is not possible
5 High power factor Low power factor
6 Can develop rotating magnetic field Cannot develop rotating magnetic field

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7 For transmitting the same amount of power, Give less output
three-phase machines give more output
8 High efficiency Low efficiency
9 Less maintenance More maintenance
10 Less number of turns, less insulation and less More number of turns, more insulation
installation cost and more installation cost
11 Can easily be converted to single-phase Cannot easily be converted to 3-phase
12 Motors are robust and cheap Not robust, not cheap
13 Lighter weight Heavier weight
14 Less frequency of vibration More frequency of vibration
15 Suitable for domestic, industrial and Suitable for only domestic application
commercial application

Phase Sequence

This is the sequence in which the voltages of a three- phase reach their maximum positive
values.

Three-phase system are either connected in star or in delta as shown below

I RL
I Rp
V RN =V RPℎase V RY
I Yp=I YL V BR

V YN =V YPℎase V YB
I Bp

I BL
V BN =V BPℎase

Figure 1: Star connected 3-phasse, 4 wire-system

phase and line currents are the same
phase and line voltages are different

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 I RL

VB
V RY
V BR I RY VR
I BR
I YB

I YL
VY
V YB

I BL
Figure 2: Delta connected 3-phasse, 4 wire-system

phase and line currents are different

phase and line voltages are the same

Relationship between phase and line voltages and phase and line currents for a star
connected system

From the schematic diagram of the star connected system shown in figure 1, it could be deduced
that;

p ℎ ase current=line current i.e

I Rp=I RL, I Yp=I YL and I Bp=I BL (1a)

Note that these phase currents are denoted simply as I R , I Y I B respectively in figure 3.

Thus (1a) can be rewritten as;

I R =I RL, I Y =I YL and I B=I BL (1b)

However, the phase voltages and the line voltages are different.

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V RY =V Rp − V Yp

V YB =V Yp −V Bp (2a)

V BR=V Bp −V Rp

Note: the phase voltages are denoted simply as V R, V Y , and V B respectively in figure 3

Thus (2a) can be rewritten as;

V RY =V R −V Y

V YB =V Y − V B (2b)

V BR=V B −V R

Figure 3: Phasor diagram of currents and voltages in a star connected three-phase system

From figure 3, using vector notation, we have

V RY = √ V R + V Y +2 V R V Y cos ⁡(θ R − θY )
2 2
(3)

Where θ R −θY = p ℎ ase difference between V R ∧V Y =600

Thus (3) becomes;

4
From figure 3, using vector notation, we have

V RY = √ V R2+ V Y 2 +2 V R V Y cos ⁡60 (4)

For a balance three phase system the line and phase voltages are the equal, thus (4) can be
written as

√
V L= V p2 +V p2 +2 V p V p ×
1
2

V L= √ 2 V p2 +V p2=√ 3 V p2=V p √ 3

VL
V p= (5)
√3
ANALYSIS OF BALANCED AND UNBALANCED LOAD

For a balanced source of figure 4,

I R + I Y + I B=I N =0

V RY ,V YB∧V BR are equal i.e. V RY =V YB =V BR

R
5
 Figure 5: Balanced load

For a balanced load of figure 5,

Z R=Z Y =Z B and are displaced from each other by 1200

For an unbalanced system of figure 6,

N
I R + I Y + I B=I N

V RY ,V YB∧V BRare all different i.e. V RY ≠V YB ≠ V BR B Y

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 B Y
Figure 7: Unbalanced load

For an unbalanced load,

Z R, ZY and Z B are all different loads i.e. Z R ≠ Z Y ≠ Z B

Active power, reactive power and power factor measurements in a balanced load (two
wattmeter method)

The circuit arrangement for a two wattmeter method for power measurement in a balanced
system is as shown in figure 8

W1

W2

Figure 8: Two wattmeter method for power measurement in a balanced system

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From figure 8;

Current through the coil (CC) of the wattmeter 1, W 1=I R

Current through the coil (CC) of the wattmeter, W 2 =I B

Voltage across the pressure coil (PC) of the wattmeter 2, W 1=V RY

Voltage across the pressure coil (PC) of the wattmeter, W 2 =V BY

Reading of wattmeter 1, W 1=V RY I R cos ⁡(30+∅ ) (1)

Reading of wattmeter 2, W 2 =V BY I B cos ⁡(30 −∅ ) (2)

Total active power , P=W 1+ W 2

¿ V RY I R cos ( 30+∅ ) +V BY I B cos ⁡(30 −∅ )

¿ V L I L [cos ( 30+ ∅ ) + cos ( 30 −∅ ) ]

¿ V L I L [cos 30 cos ∅ −sin 30 sin ∅ +cos 30 cos ∅ +sin 30 sin ∅ ]

¿ 2 V L I L cos 30 ×cos ∅

¿ 2 V L I L × √ cos ∅
3
2

∴ P=√ 3 V L I L cos ∅ (3)

Similarlaly,

W 2 −W 1=V BY I B cos (30 − ∅ ) −V RY I R cos ( 30+∅ )

W 2 −W 1=V L I L cos [ ( 30 −∅ ) ¿− cos ( 30+∅ ) ]¿

W 2 −W 1=V L I L [ cos 30 cos ∅ + sin 30 sin∅ −cos 30 cos ∅ + sin30 sin ∅ ]

W 2 −W 1=2V L I L sin 30 sin ∅

W 2 −W 1=V L I L sin ∅ (4)

Multiplying both sides of (4) by √ 3 will yield

√ 3(W 2 −W 1)= √3 V L I L sin ∅ (5)

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The right hand side of (5) is the system’s reactive power

Thus, reactive power ,Q=√ 3 (W 2 −W 1 )

∴ Q=√ 3(W 2 −W 1) (6)

Note: t ℎ e system ’ s total∨apparent power , S=P+ jQ

S= √ 3 V L I L cos ∅ + j √ 3 ( W 2 −W 1 ) =√ 3 [V L I L cos ∅ + j ( W 2 − W 1 ) ] (7)

For the power factor, the power triangle can easily be used to deduce the formula as follows

From the power triangle,

Q
tan∅ =
P

√ 3V L I L sin ∅
¿
√3 V L I L cos ∅
sin ∅
¿
cos ∅

√3 ( W 2 −W 1 )
¿
W 1 +W 2

∅ =tan
−1
[ √3 ( W 2 −W 1 )
W 1 +W 2 ]
Active power measurement in a unbalanced load (two wattmeter method)

The circuit arrangement for a two wattmeter method for power measurement in a unbalanced
system is as shown in figure 9 which the same as figure 8 except that the lines are not balanced

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 W2

Figure 9: Two wattmeter method for power measurement in a unbalanced system

From figure 9;

Current through the coil (CC) of the wattmeter 1, W 1=I R

Current through the coil (CC) of the wattmeter, W 2 =I B

Voltage across the pressure coil (PC) of the wattmeter 2, W 1=V RY

Voltage across the pressure coil (PC) of the wattmeter, W 2 =V BY

Reading of wattmeter 1, W 1=V RY I R

Reading of wattmeter 2, W 2 =V BY I B

Here, the circuit is not balanced so,

P=W 1+ W 2

P=V RY I R +V BY I B

P=( V RN −V YN ) I R + ( V BN −V YN ) I B

P=V RN I R −V YN I R +V BN I B −V YN I B

P=V RN I R +V BN I B −V YN (I ¿ ¿ R+ I B )¿ (8)

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Applying KCL at N, becomes

I R + I Y + I B=0 → − I Y =I R + I B (9)

Substituting (9) into (8) gives,

P=V RN I R +V BN I B +V YN I Y

Thus the power in an unbalanced system is the sum of all the instantaneous powers in the system

Active power measurement in a unbalanced delta connected system

W1

I BR I RY

I YB

W2

Figure 10: Active power measurement in an unbalance delta connected system

For the circuit of figure 10,

Current through the coil (CC) of the wattmeter 1, W 1=I R

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Current through the coil (CC) of the wattmeter, W 2 =I B

Voltage across the pressure coil (PC) of the wattmeter 2, W 1=V RY

Voltage across the pressure coil (PC) of the wattmeter, W 2 =V BY

Reading of wattmeter 1, W 1=V RY I R

Reading of wattmeter 2, W 2 =V BY I B

Since the circuit is unbalanced, we have;

P=W 1+ W 2

P=V RY I R +V BY I B (10)

At node R: applying KCL will give;

I R + I BR =I RY , → I R =I RY − I BR (11)

And at node B;

I B + I YB =I BR ,→ I B=I BR − I YB (12)

Substituting (11) and (12) into (10) will give;

P=V RY ( I RY – I BR ) +V BY ( I BR – I YB )

P=V RY I RY −V RY I BR +V BY I BR − V BY I YB ¿ (13)

But V BY =− V YB

Thus (13) become

P=V RY I RY +V YB I YB − V YB I BR − V RY I BR

P=V RY I RY +V BY I YB − I BR (V YB +V RY ) (14)

But the summation of all the voltages is equal to zero i.e.

V RY +V YB +V BR=0. → V BR=−(V RY +V YB ) (15)

Putting (15) into (14) yields

P=V RY I RY +V BY I YB + I BR V BR ¿ (16)

Thus the power in an unbalanced system is the sum of all the instantaneous powers in the system

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Analysis of unbalanced three phase loads

The unbalanced three phase loads can be either of the following

1. Unbalance 3-phase, 3-wire star connected (figure 11a)

2. Unbalance 3-phase, 4-wire star connected (figure 11b)
3. Unbalance 3-phase, delta connected (figure 11c)

Figure 11(a): Unbalance 3-phase, 3-wire star connected load

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 Figure 11(b): Unbalance 3-phase, 4-wire star connected load

Unbalance 3-phase, delta connected load

Methods for analyzing three phase unbalanced systems

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Three methods exist for analyzing three phase systems. They include:

1. Loop method
2. Star-delta or delta-star transformation
3. Application’s of Milliman’s theorem

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 1. loop method
Consider figure 12 below

2
B Y
V BY

Figure 12

Applying KVL to loop 1 will give:

V RB − I 1 Z R − I 1 Z B + I 2 Z B=0

V RB=I 1 Z R + I 1 Z B − I 2 Z B

I 1 ( Z R + Z B ) + I 2 ( − Z B ) =V RB (i)

Similarly, applying KVL to loop 2 will yield;

V BY − I 2 Z B − I 2 Z Y + I 1 Z B=0

I 1 ( − Z B ) + I 2 ( Z B +Z Y ) =V BY (ii)

Equations (i) and (ii) can be solved simultaneously to obtain the loop currents I 1∧I 2 using
matrix method as follows

[ Z R +Z B − Z B
−Z B Z B + Z Y
V
= RB
V BY][ ] (iii)

From (ii),

∆=( Z R + Z B ) ( Z B + Z Y ) − ( − Z B ) ( − Z B )

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∆ 1=
[ V RB − Z B
V BY Z B + Z Y ]
=V RB ( Z B + Z Y ) − V BY (− Z B )

and

∆ 2=
[ Z R + Z B V RB
− Z B V BY ]
=V BY ( Z B + ZY ) −V RB (− Z B )

Recall that;

∆1 ∆
I 1= and I 2= 2
∆ ∆

But from figure 12, the system’s currents are I R =I 1 , I Y =− I 2∧I B=I 2 − I 1

And the phase voltages are

V R=I R Z R

V Y =I Y Z Y

V B=I B Z B

2. Star-Delta or Delta-Star method - Refer to lecture 1

3. Application of Milliman’s Theorem

In any network consisting of a number of sources in series with resistances and connected in
parallel, the voltage sources with the associated resistances can be replaced by a single
voltage source in series with a single resistance.

This can be illustrated as Figure 13

Figure 13: Illustration for Source conversion

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 Figure 14 below shows the application of Milliman’s theorem to three-phase systems

Figure 14

Applying the milliman’s theorem to figure 14, we have

V RN Y R +V YN Y Y + V BN Y B
V NN =
'
Y R + Y Y +Y B

1 1 1
Note that: Y R= ,Y = and Y B=
Z R Y ZY ZB

The load phase voltages are

V RN Y R+ V YN Y Y +V BN Y B
V R N =V RN −V N N =V RN −[
' ' ]
Y R +Y Y + Y B

V Y N =V YN −V N N
' '

V B N =V BN −V N N
' '

The phase currents are:

V RN
I R=
ZR

V YN
IY=
ZY

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 V BN
I B=
ZB

Representation of 3-phase voltage

V R=V R ⎳ 0
0

V Y =V R ⎳ −12 0
0

V B=V R ⎳ −24 0 or V B=V R ⎳ 120

0 0

Tutorials

(1) Three inductive coils each having a resistance and reactance of 16Ω and 12Ω respectively
are connected in Y across a three-phase source of 400V,50Hz. Calculate the:
(a) Line voltage,
(b) Phase voltage
(c) Line current
(d) Phase current
(e) Power factor
(f) Power absorbed
(g) Draw the phasor diagram

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