Three-Phase Circuits

▪ So far in this course, we have dealt with single-phase AC circuits

single-phase ac power system consists of a generator connected through a pair of
wires (a transmission line) to a load
Three-Phase Circuits
Three-phase system is produced by a generator consisting of three sources having the
same amplitude and frequency but out of phase with each other by 120 degrees

Transmission
lines

3-phase load
3-phase supply
Three-Phase Circuits
Advantages of three phase systems

1. Nearly all electric power is generated and distributed in three-phase

Three-Phase Circuits
Advantages of three phase systems

2. Single phase or even poly phase can

be taken from three phase supply

1-phase
load
Three-Phase Circuits
Advantages of three phase systems

3. Three-phase is more economic rather than 1-phase system

▪ It requires less amount of wires
▪ It has lower power losses
▪ It has lower voltage drop

4. The instantaneous power in a three-phase system can be constant (not pulsating)

▪ This results in uniform power transmission

▪ less vibration of three-phase machines

▪ Excellent performance for 3-phase machines
 Three-Phase Circuits
❑ Balanced three phase supply
It consists of three sinusoidal voltage sources that have
identical amplitudes and frequencies, but are out of
phase with each others by exactly 120 degrees
 Three-Phase Circuits
❑ Balanced three phase supply

Three-phase voltages are often produced with a

three-phase ac generator (or alternator)

▪ The generator basically consists of a rotating

magnet (called the rotor)

▪ Stationary part (called stator) carries three separate

windings (coils)

▪ The three coils with terminals (a-a’) – (b-b’) – (c-c’) are

physically placed 120 degrees apart around the stator
 Three-Phase Circuits
❑ Balanced three phase supply

Three-phase voltages are often produced with a

three-phase ac generator (or alternator)

▪ Terminals (a-a’) for example, stand for one of the ends

of coils going into and the other end coming out of the
page.

▪ As the rotor rotates, its magnetic field “cuts” the three

coils and induces voltages in the coils

▪ Because the coils are placed 120 apart, the induced

voltages in the coils are equal in magnitude but out of
phase by 120 degrees
Three-Phase Circuits

3-phase 3-phase
supply load

star Delta star Delta

Three-Phase Circuits
A balanced load is one in which the phase impedances are equal in
magnitude and in phase.

Balanced Star connected load Balanced Delta connected load

➢ Star-connected load can be transformed into a delta connected load, or vice versa:
 Three-Phase Circuits
➢ Since both the three-phase source and the three-phase load can be either wye-
or delta-connected, we have four possible connections

4-wire system
1. Star - Star Connection
3-wires system

2. Star - Delta Connection

3. Delta - Star Connection

4. Delta - Delta Connection

 Three-Phase Circuits
➢ Firstly, we are going to deal with balanced three phase circuit

Balanced three phase circuit

Balanced 3-phase supply Balanced 3-phase load

Balanced supply consists of three Balanced load consists of three
sources equal in magnitude but out of identical impedances connected star
phase by 120 degrees or delta
Three-Phase Circuits
❑ Line Voltages of 3-phase system

➢ For the shown 3-phase supply

Van, Vbn, Vcn are called phase voltages

Vab, Vbc, Vca are called line voltages

➢ We need to find the relation between phase voltages and line voltages
Three-Phase Circuits
❑ Line Voltages of 3-phase system
Three-Phase Circuits
❑ Line Voltages of 3-phase system

➢ By the same procedure, we can get Vbc, Vca

Three-Phase Circuits
❑ Summary
➢ The magnitude of the line voltages times the
magnitude of the phase voltage

➢ The line voltages lead their corresponding

phase voltages by 30 degrees

Phase voltages (Vph) Line voltages (VL)

 Three-Phase Circuits
1. Balanced Star – Star connection (i) 4 – wire system

➢ Let the phase voltages are: ➢ The line voltages are:

Assume Z = 0
T.L

➢ To find the line currents Apply KVL to each phase

Three-Phase Circuits
1. Balanced Star – Star connection (i) 4 – wire system

For balanced 3-phase circuits, the line currents are equal in

magnitude and out of phase by 120 degrees

➢ To find the neutral current:

For balanced 3-phase systems, the neutral line can

thus be removed without affecting the system
Three-Phase Circuits
1. Balanced Star – Star connection (i) 4 – wire system

▪ In 3-phase systems, we have two types of currents

1. Line currents Currents flowing in each line

2. Phase currents Currents flowing in each phase

For Star connection

Line currents = phase currents
 Three-Phase Circuits
1. Balanced Star – Star connection
(ii) 3 – wire system
➢ Let the phase voltages are:

➢ In our analysis, we need to find:

1. Load phase currents

2. Load line currents
3. Load phase voltages
4. Load line voltages
 Three-Phase Circuits
1. Balanced Star – Star connection
(ii) 3 – wire system

➢ A common simple way to analyze balanced 3-phase

circuits is to draw the single -phase equivalent circuit

➢ Load phase or line currents

single -phase
equivalent circuit
 Three-Phase Circuits
1. Balanced Star – Star connection
(ii) 3 – wire system

➢ A common simple way to analyze balanced 3-phase

circuits is to draw the single -phase equivalent circuit

➢ Load phase voltages

single -phase
equivalent circuit
 Three-Phase Circuits
1. Balanced Star – Star connection
(ii) 3 – wire system

➢ A common simple way to analyze balanced 3-phase

circuits is to draw the single -phase equivalent circuit

➢ Load line voltages

single -phase
equivalent circuit
Example
 Three-Phase Circuits
❑ Relation between line and phase currents

➢ For the shown 3-phase delta connected load

IAB, IBC, ICA are called phase currents

IA, IB, IC are called line currents

➢ We need to find the relation between phase current and line currents
 Three-Phase Circuits
❑ Relation between line and phase currents

➢ Assume the 3 phase currents are :

➢ For the line currents: KCL at A

 Three-Phase Circuits
❑ Relation between line and phase currents
➢ The magnitude of the line current times the
magnitude of the phase current

➢ The line currents lag their corresponding phase

currents by 30 degrees

Phase currents Line currents

 Three-Phase Circuits
2. Balanced Star – Delta connection

➢ To be able to draw per phase equivalent circuit, we

need to convert delta load into star load

➢ Load line currents

single -phase
equivalent circuit
 Three-Phase Circuits
2. Balanced Star – Delta connection

➢ To be able to draw per phase equivalent circuit, we

need to convert delta load into star load

➢ Load phase currents

single -phase
equivalent circuit
Three-Phase Circuits
2. Balanced Star – Delta connection

For Delta connection

Line voltages = phase voltages

single -phase
➢ Load phase or line voltages equivalent circuit
Example
 Three-Phase Circuits
3. Balanced Delta – Star connection

➢ Given:

➢ To be able to draw per phase equivalent circuit, we

need to convert delta supply into star supply

single -phase
equivalent circuit
 Three-Phase Circuits
3. Balanced Delta – Star connection

➢ Given:

➢ Load line or phase currents

single -phase
equivalent circuit
 Three-Phase Circuits
3. Balanced Delta – Star connection

➢ Given:

➢ Load phase voltages

single -phase
equivalent circuit
 Three-Phase Circuits
3. Balanced Delta – Star connection

➢ Given:

➢ Load line voltages

single -phase
equivalent circuit
Example
Example
 Three-Phase Circuits
4. Balanced Delta – Delta connection

➢ Given:

➢ To be able to draw per phase equivalent circuit, we

need to convert delta supply into star supply

single -phase
equivalent circuit

➢ Delta connected load is converted to

star connected load
 Three-Phase Circuits
4. Balanced Delta – Delta connection

➢ Given:

➢ Load line currents

single -phase
equivalent circuit
 Three-Phase Circuits
4. Balanced Delta – Delta connection

➢ Given:

➢ Load phase currents

single -phase
equivalent circuit
 Three-Phase Circuits
4. Balanced Delta – Delta connection

➢ Given:

➢ Load phase or line voltages

single -phase
equivalent circuit
Example
 Three-Phase Circuits
5. Star supply – Star & delta loads

Delta load to star

single -phase
equivalent circuit
 Three-Phase Circuits
5. Star supply – Star & delta loads
 Three-Phase Circuits
5. Star supply – Star & delta loads

➢ Star load phase currents

➢ Star load phase voltages

 Three-Phase Circuits
5. Star supply – Star & delta loads
➢ Load line voltages (star or delta)

➢ Delta phase currents

Example
Example
Unbalanced Three-Phase System
➢ Unbalanced system is caused by two possible situations:

▪ The source voltages are not equal in magnitude and/or differ in phase by
angles that are unequal

▪ load impedances are unequal

An unbalanced system is due to unbalanced voltage sources or an

unbalanced load

1. Star – Star (4 wire system)

2. Star – Star (3 wire system)
3. Delta load
1. Star – Star (4 wire system)

➢ Apply KVL at each loop

Example
 2. Star – Star (3- wire system)

➢ Using mesh analysis

▪ Mesh (1)

▪ Mesh (2)

▪ Solving (1) & (2)

2. Star – Star (3- wire system)
Example
Example
Example
Example
Example
3. Unbalanced Delta load

Delta to star
transform

Using mesh analysis, solve the

circuit as star connected load (like
the previous case
3. Unbalanced Delta load

Delta to star
transform
3. Unbalanced Delta load

➢ If there is no ZTL

▪ Apply KCL
Example
Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Instantaneous Power
▪ Assume star connected load
▪ the phase voltages are

▪ the phase currents are :

▪ The instantaneous power is:

 Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Instantaneous Power

▪ Applying the trigonometric identity

Constant
Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Balanced system
1. Star load
Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Balanced system
1. Star load

➢ 3-phase powers can be obtained in terms of line voltages

and currents

❑ For star load

Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Balanced system
1. Star load

➢ 3-phase powers can be obtained in terms of line voltages

and currents
Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Balanced system
2. Delta load
Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Balanced system
2. Delta load

➢ 3-phase powers can be obtained in terms of line voltages

and currents

❑ For Delta load

Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Balanced system
2. Delta load

➢ 3-phase powers can be obtained in terms of line voltages

and currents
Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Balanced system
For delta or star load
Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Unbalanced system
For star load

• The power of each phase is calculated individually

Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ Unbalanced system
For Delta load

• The power of each phase is calculated individually

Power in 3-ph Circuits
➢ For transmission lines
Example 1
Example 1
Example 1
Example 1
Example 2
Example 2
P.F Correction in 3-Phase Circuits
Like 1-ph circuits, a bank of capacitors is connected in parallel across the 3-ph load in 3-ph
circuits to improve the power factor
P.F Correction in 3-Phase Circuits
The capacitor bank may be connected star or delta

Star Delta
capacitor bank capacitor bank
 Example
2 parallel loads are connected to a 240KV, 60 HZ power line
Load 1: 30KW, 0.6 P.f lagging
Load 2: 45KVAR, 0.8 P.f lagging

Find: (a) complex, real, reactive power for combined loads

(b) Line currents of the combined load
(c) KVAR rating of the capacitor bank to be connected
in delta to improve the total p.f to 0.9 lagging, then
find the capacitance of each phase
 Example
2 parallel loads are connected to a 240KV, 60 HZ power line
Load 1: 30KW, 0.6 P.f lagging
Load 2: 45KVAR, 0.8 P.f lagging

Find: (a) complex, real, reactive power for combined loads

(b) Line currents of the combined load
(c) KVAR rating of the capacitor bank to be connected
in delta to improve the total p.f to 0.9 lagging, then
find the capacitance of each phase
 Example
2 parallel loads are connected to a 240KV, 60 HZ power line
Load 1: 30KW, 0.6 P.f lagging
Load 2: 45KVAR, 0.8 P.f lagging

Find: (a) complex, real, reactive power for combined loads

(b) Line currents of the combined load
(c) KVAR rating of the capacitor bank to be connected
in delta to improve the total p.f to 0.9 lagging, then
find the capacitance of each phase
 Example
2 parallel loads are connected to a 240KV, 60 HZ power line
Load 1: 30KW, 0.6 P.f lagging
Load 2: 45KVAR, 0.8 P.f lagging

Find: (a) complex, real, reactive power for combined loads

(b) Line currents of the combined load
(c) KVAR rating of the capacitor bank to be connected
in delta to improve the total p.f to 0.9 lagging, then
find the capacitance of each phase