Chapter 4:

Three-phase a.c Systems

Presented by
Prof. M. L. Chen
Dept. of Building services Engineering
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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 Three-phase a.c Systems
 Three-phase Supply
 Balanced three-phase system
 Unbalanced three-phase systems
 Three-phase system in buildings
 Power in a three-phase system
Focus on Phasor Expression, /Y
Transformation, Power calculation.

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 1.Three-phase Supply
•Three-phase = three independent ac with same frequency
and their phase voltages have:
VA =V0˚; VB =V-120˚; VC =V-240˚ =V+120˚.
•Phasor diagram & line voltage: VAB = VA -VB =3V30˚;
VBC = VB -VC =3V-90˚;
VA VAB VAC

VCA VAB
VCA = VC -VA =3V-210˚
1200
1200
VCB VBC
=3V150˚.
1200 VA + VB + VC = 0;
VC VB
VAB + VBC +VCA = 0;
VAB = - VBA = VBA-180˚
VBC
VCA VBA

All respect to phasor VA Similar for VBC and VCA.

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 2. Balanced three-phase system
• Balanced three-phase = the sources or loads are balanced.
• Can be connected in either star/Y or delta/ connection.
•In Y connection •In  connection
VA VRed VRed
VA
Vline VC Vline
VC VB VB
VYellow VYellow

Iline VBlue Iline VBlue

Vline  3V phase300 Vline  V phase

I line  I phase I line  3I phase   30 0
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 Y/ Transformation
• A load in delta connection can be transformed into the
equivalent load in star connection.
IY,phase VRed I,phase VRed
ZY
Z V,phase
VY,phase 
VYellow VYellow

VBlue
VBlue

V, phase  VY , phase00  VY , phase  1200  3VY , phase300

I Y , phase  I , phase00  I , phase  1200  3I , phase  300
Z   (V, phase / I , phase )  3 3(VY , phase / I Y , phase )  3ZY
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 V, I relationship for all 3-phase.
• Relationship of voltage and current in all three phases
can be described, as follows:
V r  V0  0 0
V y  V r   120 0  V0   120 0
Vb  V r 120 0  V0 120 0
I r  I 0  (0 0   )
I y  I r   120 0  I 0  (  120 0   )
I b  I r 120 0  I 0  (120 0   )
• Where Vr is the reference phasor, and Ir lags Vr by .

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 Per-phase equivalent circuit .
Ir R Iline
Z1
Eb Er In Z1 Vs Z2/3
n n’ n
Ey Iy Y

B Ib Z2

• Reversal of motor rotation - for three-phase induction and

synchronous motors, rotation direction can be easily
changed by interchanging any two of the supply cable.
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 3. Unbalanced three-phase system
• Unbalanced three-phase system = the loads,
voltages and currents in all these phases may not
be equal in magnitude.
• Accordingly, the per-phase equivalent circuit
discussed previously can not be used for circuit
analysis. We have to use the whole three-phase
circuit for analysis.

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 i)Three-phase four-wire system
R Ir

Er Zr
Eb n In n’ Zy
Zb
Ey Y Iy
B Ib

I r  Er Z r
I y  Ey Z y
I b  Eb Z b
I n  Ir  I y  Ib 9
ii)Three-phase three-wire system –Y/
R Ir

Er Zbr Zry
Eb n
Zyb
Ey Y Iy
B Ib

I ry  Ery Z ry I r  I ry  I br
I yb  E yb Z yb I y  I yb  I ry
I b  I br  I yb
I br  Ebr Z br
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 iii)Three-phase three-wire system -Y/Y
R Ir

Er Zr
Eb n n’ Zy
Zb
Ey Y Iy
B Ib
E rb  I r Z r  Z b   I y Z b Ir 
Erb ( Z y  Z b )  E yb Z b

E yb  I r Z b  I y Z y  Z b 
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( Z r  Z b )( Z y  Z b )  Z b
E yb ( Z r  Z b )  Erb Z b
Iy 
For neutral points n,n’: ( Z r  Z b )( Z y  Z b )  Z b
2

Vnn'  E r  I r Z r I b  I r  I y 
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 iv) 3-3-wire system -Y/ Transformation
• Can transform the Y into  or  into Y connection.
VR VR
Ibr Iry
Zr Ir Zbr Z
Zb
Iy  Zyb
ry
VY
VY
Zy
Ib Iyb
VB VB

Y
Z ry  Zr  Z y  Zr Z y Zb
Z yb  Z y  Z b  Z y Z b Z r
Z br  Z b  Z r  Z b Z r Z y
Y
Z r  Z ry Z br Z ry  Z yb  Z br 
Z y  Z yb Z ry Z ry  Z yb  Z br 
Z b  Z br Z yb Z ry  Z yb  Z br 
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 4. Three-phase system in buildings
• Loads - Depending on the power rating there are
three-phase and single-phase machines. 3-phase
motors much efficient than 1-phase motors.
• Sources - Three-phase, 380V/220V. Besides
supplying those three-phase loads, three-phase-four
wire supply system can also supply those single-
phase loads inside a building.
• Connection - Single-phase loads are being arranged
in away so as to be evenly distributed among the
three single-phase sources.

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 5. Power in three-phase systems
• Balanced Circuits: 3-phase = 3 single-phase.
1-phase circuit 3-phase circuit
S (kVA) VI or VI* 3V I =3VlIl
P (kW) VI cos =I2R 3V I cos =3VlIl cos
Q (kVar) VI sin =I2X 3V I sin =3VlIl sin
• 1-phase power measurement – Using a wattmeter
(voltage &current coils). Reading W=P =Real (S).
• Balanced Y-connected loads – Wtotal=3 x W1-phase
• Unbalanced 4-wires Y-connected loads – Total real
power = sum of wattmeter readings for all 3 phases.
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 Unbalanced 3-wires Y-connected loads
R Ir w
Er Zr
Eb n n’ Zy
Zb
Ey Y Iy
B Ib
w
Two-wattmeter method:
S1  S 2  Ery I r *  Eby I b *
 ( Er  E y ) I r * ( Eb  E y ) I b *
 Er I r *  E y ( I r *  I b *)  Eb I b *
 Er I r *  E y I y *  Eb I b *  Stotal
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 Unbalanced 3-wires -connected loads
R Ir
w
Er Zbr Zry
Eb n
Zyb
Ey Y Iy
B Ib
w
Two-wattmeter method:
S1  S 2  Ery I r *  Eby I b *
 Er I r *  E y I y *  Eb I b *  Stotal

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Example 1
Q.You are required to design a three-phase 18 kW
instantaneous water heater. Find the resistance of
the three resistors if they are connected in (i) star,
(ii) delta without star/delta transformation, and
(iii) delta with delta/star transformation.
Ans. Given P =18kW, three-phase.
Assume the line voltage is V=380V, line current
is I, and 3 pure resistors R are used. Then,
P =3 VI.
 I =18000W/(3*380V) = 27.3A.

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Example 1 – Answer (i)
(i) For star connected resistors:
Red I
Vp, Ip R
Ep s
n V n’
Yellow
Blue

Rs = Vphase/Iphase =(V/3)/I
=(380/3)/27.3 =8.07

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Example 1 – Answer (ii)
(ii) For delta connected resistors without using
star/delta transformation:
Red I
Ep Rd Vp Rd
n
V Rd Ip
Yellow
Blue

Rd = Vphase/Iphase =V/(I/3)
=380/(27.3/3) =24.2 =3Rs

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Example 1 – Answer (iii)
(iii) For delta connected resistors, using star/delta
transformation:
I I
Ibr
Rr Ir V R Iry V
Iy Rbr ry
Rb Ryb
Ry
Ib Iyb

Rry = Rr+Ry+Rr*Ry/Rb
Since Rr=Ry=Rb=Rs
Rd = Rry = Rs + Rs + Rs * Rs /Rs
=3Rs =24.21
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 Example 2
Q.A star connected three-phase supply with voltage 346 V is
supplying three single-phase loads each rated at 200V. A
820W toaster is connected to red phase, an hair dryer of
1200W is connected to the yellow phase and lastly a 100W
tungsten filament lamp connected to blue phase. The neutral
conductor at the source-end is disconnected accidentally.
Find the line currents. State all the assumptions clearly.
(Hint: Try to use Mesh Equations to calculate and then change the
loads to delta-connected equivalent by star/delta transformation
and calculate again. Compare the two methods, you will find
the usefulness of star/delta or delta/star transformation.)

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 Example 2-Answer
Red Ir

Eb
n Er=200V Vry=346V n’ Rr
Ry
Yellow Iy Rb
Ey
Blue Ib

At beginning it is a 4-wire Y- By accident, it becomes a 3-wire

Y system. Assume all loads
are pure resistors:
Rr =200V2/820W =48.78
Ry =200V2/1200W =33.33
Rb =200V2/100W =400
Y system. Transfer into a
equivalent Y- connection,
Rry =Rr+Ry+RrRy /Rb=86.18
Rbr =Rr+Rb+RrRb /Ry=1034.14
Ryb =Ry+Rb+RyRb /Rr=706.67
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 Example 2-Answer (continue)
R I
r Ibr
Eb n Er Rbr Iry Rry
Iyb
Ey Y Iy Ryb
B Ib
Iry= Vry/Rry= 34630/86.18 =4.0130 =3.473 +j2.005
Ibr= Vbr/Rbr= 346150/1034.14 =0.335150 = -0.29+ j0.168
Iyb= Vyb/Ryb= 346-90/706.67 =0.4896-90 = -j0.4896

Ir= Iry-Ibr= 3.763+j1.837 =4.18726

Iy= Iyb-Iry= -3.473-j2.495 =4.276-144.3
Ib= Ibr-Iyb= -0.29+j0.658 =0.7191113.8
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 Example 3
Q. A 346V delta-connected source is supplying a
balanced load of 300 kVA and 200kW and a capacitor
bank of 60 kVAr through a cable of impedance 0.0170
. Find the line currents and their phase angle.

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 Example 3 - Answer
A.Since the source is 346V delta-connected, and the loads
are in balance, this circuit can be analyzed by using
single-phase equivalent circuit.
Assume both load and capacitor are star-connected.
 load per phase ZL = 346V2/300kVA = 0.4
pf = 200kW/300kVA = 0.667= cos
ZL = 0.448.16 =0.27+j0.3
Capacitor, ZC = 346V2/60kVAr=2-90= -j2
For each phase, ZL and ZC are in parallel, the single-phase
equivalent circuit is as following:
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 Example 3 – Answer (continue)
Iphase 0.01 70
IC IL
200V ZC ZL

Since cable impedance of 0.01 is far smaller than ZL

and ZC , it can be ignored. Thus,
Iphase = IC +IL = Vline/ZC +Vline/ZL
=(200V/0.448.16 ) +(200V/ 2-90 )
=500-48.16 +10090
=333-j372+j100 =43039.2
Iline =Iphase =43039.2
(respect to corresponding line voltage)
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Three-phase a.c Systems

The end

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