THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

ECNG 1007

THREE PHASE CIRCUITS

NOTE: Ensure that the POWER SWITCH is OFF before any connections are made or broken. The
Pre-Lob Reading exercise must be completed prior to the lab session. The Entire lab script must be
read before proceeding with the Lob Exercise. All Lab Exercises must be completed and signed by
the Demonstrator before leaving the Lab.

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 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Contents
1. General Information ................................................................................................................ 4
2. Lab Learning Outcomes .......................................................................................................... 5
3. Pre-Lab .................................................................................................................................... 5
3.1. Required reading resources ............................................................................................. 5

3.2. Recommended reading resources............................................................................................ 5

4. In-lab ........................................................................................................................................ 6
4.1 STAR CONNECTION…………................................................................................... 6

4.2 UNBALANCED CONDITIONS................................................................................... 8

4.3 POWER FACTOR DETERMINATION…....................................................................9

4.4 DELTA CONNECTION ...............................................................................................10

5. Post-Lab...................................................................................................................................11
5.1 Results............................................................................................................................11

5.2 Questions and Calculations.............................................................................................13

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 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

List of figures

Figure 1: Diagram showing star connected transformer secondary and load.................................6

Figure 2: Diagram showing unbalanced conditions………........................................................... 8

Figure 3: Diagram showing circuit for determining power factor.................................................. 9

Figure 4: Circuit diagram delta connected transformer secondary and load..................................10

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 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

ECNG 1007

Electrical Engineering Technology

Semester II

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Lab #: 3
Name of the Lab:
Three Phase Circuits
Lab Weighting: 4% Estimated total 4
study hours1:
Delivery mode: √ Lecture
√ Online
√ Lab
ˆ Other
Venue for the Lab: Energy Systems Lab

Lab Dependencies2 The theoretical background to this lab is provided in ECNG 1007
Theoretical content link: http://myelearning.sta.uwi.edu/

Recommended To undertake this lab, students should be able to:

prior knowledge • Understand the operation of a transformer
and skills3: • Understand 3 phase star/delta configurations

Course Staff Position/Role E-mail Phone Office Office

Hours
Mr. Tariq Lecturer Tariq.Wadi@sta.uwi.edu 2677 Pwr Elec
Wadi Lab
Mr. Andrew Instructor andrew.balgobin@sta.uwi.edu Energy
Balgobin Sys Lab

1
Estimate includes teaching time, study time, and student preparation time for classes and labs.
2
Include any Co-requisites, Post-requisites, or Forbidden course /lab combinations with respective code (C/P/F).
3
Lecturers can state lab input requirements in terms of student behaviours.
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 LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits

2. LAB LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of the lab assignment, students will be able Cognitive
to: Level

Understand the relationship between line and phase voltages and currents for 3
different 3 phase configurations.
Understand how a 3 phase circuit behaves under balanced and unbalanced 3
load conditions.
Determine the power factor of a 3 phase circuit with an inductive load. 3

3. PRE-LAB

Submission To be done before entering the Lab

Procedure:
Estimated time to 2 hrs
completion:

3.1. Required reading resources

• ECNG 1007 Class notes

3.2. Recommended reading resources

• Electrical and Electronic technology 10th edition pg 657

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 LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits

4. IN-LAB

Allotted Completion
Time: 3hrs.
Required lab Walk with graph paper
Equipment:

4.1 STAR CONNECTION

Figure 1: Diagram showing star connected transformer secondary and load

4.1.1 Connect the circuit as shown in figure 1.

(NB. For best accuracy, ensure that the readings from the meters are in the middle 20-80% of the
meter’s scale)

Do not energize the circuit until the demonstrator checks the circuit and permission is given
to energize.

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 LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits

4.1.2 Slowly raise the autotransformer voltage so that Vm reads 132 Volts.
4.1.3 Adjust the resistive load bank to load the transformer to 25% of its rated current.
4.1.4 Utilizing the Insertion Box, measure and record:
a) The three phase voltages Vrn, Vyn and Vbn.
b) The three phase currents Ir, Iy and Ib.
c) The three phase powers, Wr, Wy and Wb from the wattmeter.
d) The current in the neutral wire between the transformer secondary and load, In.
e) The three line voltages Vry, Vyb and Vbr.
(take note of the multiplication factor of the wattmeter)
4.1.5 De-energize the circuit.

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 LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits

4.2 UNBALANCED CONDITIONS

Figure 3: Diagram showing unbalanced load conditions

4.2.1 Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 2.

Do not energize the circuit until the demonstrator checks the circuit and permission is
given to energize.

4.2.2 Slowly raise the autotransformer voltage so that Vm reads 132 Volts.

4.2.3 Adjust the resistive load bank to create an unbalanced condition such that In reads about 1
A.

4.2.4 Utilizing the Insertion Box, measure and record:

a) The three phase voltages Vrn, Vyn and Vbn.
b) The three phase currents Ir, Iy and Ib.
c) The current in the neutral wire between transformer secondary and load.

4.2.5 De-energize the circuit

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 LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits

4.3 POWER FACTOR DETERMINATION

Figure 3: Diagram showing circuit for determining power factor

4.3.1 Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 3.

Do not energize the circuit until the demonstrator checks the circuit and permission is
given to energize.
4.3.2 Slowly raise the autotransformer voltage so that Vm reads 132 Volts.
4.3.3 Adjust the resistive and inductive load banks such that the wattmeter reading is between 50%
and 75% of the product VrnIr. Hence, calculate the load power factor.

4.3.4 Utilizing the Insertion Box, measure and record:

a) The three phase voltages Vrn, Vyn and Vbn.
b) The three phase currents Ir, Iy and Ib.
c) The three phase powers, Wr, Wy and Wb from the wattmeter.
d) The current in the neutral wire between the transformer secondary and load, In.
e) The three line voltages Vry, Vyb and Vbr.

4.3.5 De-energize the circuit.

LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits

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 4.4 DELTA CONNECTION

Figure 4: Diagram showing delta connected transformer secondary and load

4.1.1 Connect the circuit as shown in figure 4.

(NB. For best accuracy, ensure that the readings from the meters are in the middle 20-80% of the
meter’s scale)

Do not energize the circuit until the demonstrator checks the circuit and permission is
given to energize.
4.1.2 Slowly raise the autotransformer voltage so that Vm reads 230 Volts.
4.1.3 Adjust the resistive load bank to load the transformer to 25% of its rated current.
4.1.4 Utilizing the Insertion Box, measure and record:
a) The three phase voltages
b) The three line currents
c) The phase current I1.
d) The three powers W1, W2 and W3 from the wattmeter.

4.1.5 De-energize the circuit.

Note that the reference point (see Fig 4) must be properly connected to the correct phase. For example, to
take the readings for Vry, reference point is ‘y’ Î connect reference point to the y phase.

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 LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits

5 POST-LAB

ID #:

5.1 Results

Table 5.1: Star Connection Results

Vrn Vyn Vbn

Ir Iy Ib

Wr Wy Wb

In

Vry Vyb Vbr

Table 5.2: Unbalanced conditions Results

Vrn Vyn Vbn

Ir Iy Ib

In

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 LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits

Table 5.3: Power Factor Determination Results

Vrn Vyn Vbn

Ir Iy Ib

Wr Wy Wb

In

Vry Vyb Vbr

Table 5.4: Delta Connection Results

Vry Vyb Vbr

Ir Iy Ib

W1 W2 W3

I1 I2 I3

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 LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits

5.2 Questions and Calculations

5.2.1 Using the measured values from section 4.1 of In-Lab:

a) State the relationship between the phase and line currents at the load.

b) State the relationship between the phase and line voltages at the load.

c) Using an equation for the neutral current, verify the magnitude of the current obtained.

d) Draw a phasor diagram showing the phase currents, phase voltages and line voltages
and using this phasor diagram, determine the calculated phase powers Wrc, Wyc and
Wbc.

Compare the measured phase powers with those calculated giving reasons for any
differences and compute the total load power in each case.
. [19 marks]

5.2.2 Using the measured values from section 4.2 of In-Lab:

a) Using an equation for the neutral current, verify the magnitude of the current obtained.

b) Draw a phasor diagram showing the phase currents and phase voltages and using this
phasor diagram, calculate the phase powers Wrc, Wyc and Wbc.
[17 marks]

5.2.3 Using the measured values from section 4.3 of In-Lab:

a) Calculate the load power factor.

b) Using an equation for the neutral current, verify the magnitude of the current obtained.

c) Draw a phasor diagram showing the phase currents and phase voltages.

d) Calculate the real and reactive power of each phase.

e) Draw a phasor diagram showing the phase voltage and the resistive and inductive
voltages for each phase.
[21 marks]

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 LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits

5.2.4 Using the measured values from section 4.4 of In-Lab:

a) State the relationship between the phase and line currents at the load.

b) State the relationship between the phase and line voltages at the load.

c) Draw a phasor diagram showing the phase currents, phase voltages and line currents and
using this phasor diagram, calculated the phase powers W1c, W2c and W3c. Compare the
measured phase powers with those calculated giving reasons for any differences and
compute the total load power in each case. [17 marks]

End of Lab #3:

Updated by A. Balgobin 24/02/2012 Three Phase Circuits

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