4th Year Electrical Power Lecture 5-Part 3 Dr.

Firas Mohammed

The Balanced Three-Phase Fault

This type of fault is defined as a simultaneous short circuit across
all three phases. It occurs infrequently, but it is the most severe type of
fault encountered. Because the network is balanced, it is solved on a per
phase basis. The other two phases carry identical currents except for the
phase shift.
Let us now consider the situation with a balanced three-phase fault
on phases A, B, and C, all through the same fault impedance Zf. This fault
condition is shown in Figure below.

Va

Vb

Vc
Ia Ib Ic

If the fault impedance is zero, the fault is referred to as the bolted

fault or the solid fault. It is clear from inspection in Figure above that the
phase voltage at the faults are given by

Va  I a Z f

Vb  I b Z f

Vc  I c Z f
It can be shown that

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4th Year Electrical Power Lecture 5-Part 3 Dr. Firas Mohammed

Va1
I a1 
Z1  Z f
I a2  I a0  0
The implications of last equation is obvious. No zero sequence nor
negative sequence components of the current exist. Instead, only positive
sequence quantities are obtained in the case of a balanced three-phase
fault.
Example 6
The system shown in Figure below is initially on no load with
generators operating at their rated voltage with their emfs in phase. The
rating of the generators and the transformers and their respective percent
reactance's are marked on the diagram. All resistances are neglected. The
line impedance is j160Ω. A three-phase balanced fault occurs at the
receiving end of the transmission line. Determine the short circuit current
and the short-circuit MVA.

Solution:
The base impedance for line is
(400) 2
ZB   1600
100

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4th Year Electrical Power Lecture 5-Part 3 Dr. Firas Mohammed

and the base current is

The reactances on a common 100 MVA base are

The impedance diagram is as shown in Figure below

Impedance to the point of fault is

The fault current is

The Short-circuit MVA is

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4th Year Electrical Power Lecture 5-Part 3 Dr. Firas Mohammed

Common Unbalanced Network Faults

 Single-line-to-ground faults (S-L-G)
 Double-line-to-ground faults (L-L-G)
 Line-to-line faults (L-L)

Single Line to Ground Fault (S-L-G)

Assume that phase A is shorted to ground at the fault point F as shown in
Figure below. The phase B and C currents are assumed negligible,
accordingly.

Ib  Ic  0 Ea
Eb
I a0  1 1 1 I a 
 I   1 1 a a 2   0 
Ec
 a1  3 
 I a 2  1 a 2 a   0 
I ao  I a1  I a 2  1/ 3I a
Va  Va 0  Va1  Va 2  0
Va  Ea  Z a I a  0
Va  E a  ( Z 012 I 012 )
Va  Ea  (Z ao I ao  Z a1I a1  Z a 2 I a 2 )
Va  Ea  (Z ao  Z a1  Z a 2 ) I ao

I ao 
Ea
I f  3I ao
( Z ao  Z a1  Z a 2 )

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4th Year Electrical Power Lecture 5-Part 3 Dr. Firas Mohammed

The resulting equivalent circuit is shown in Figure below.

Double-line-to-ground faults (L-L-G)

Assume that phase B and phase C is shorted to ground as shown in
Figure below.

Ea

Vb  0 Eb
Ec
Vc  0

I a  I ao  I a1  I a 2  0
I f  Ib  Ic

Va 0  1 1 1  Va 
V   1 1 a a 2   0 
 a1  3   
Va 2  1 a 2
a   0 
Va 0  Va1  Va 2

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4th Year Electrical Power Lecture 5-Part 3 Dr. Firas Mohammed

Z  Z0
I a1  Va1 2
Z2Z0
Ea ( Z 2  Z 0 )
I a1 
( Z1Z 0  Z 2 Z 0  Z1Z1 )
Ea
I a1 
Z Z
( Z1  2 0 )
Z2  Z0
Va 0 Va 2
I a0   &
I a2  
Z0 Z2
I abc  AI 012

Since I ao  I a1  I a 2  0 & I f  I b  I c

 I f  I ao  a 2 I a1  aI a 2  I ao  aI a1  a 2 I a 2

 2 I ao  a 2 ( I a1  I a 2 )  a ( I a1  I a 2 )
 2 I ao  (a 2  a )( I a1  I a 2 )

(a 2  a)  1
I f  2 I ao  ( I a1  I a 2 )
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4th Year Electrical Power Lecture 5-Part 3 Dr. Firas Mohammed

Line-to-line faults (L-L)

Let phase A be the un faulted phase. Figure below shows a three-
phase system with a line-to-line short circuit between phases B and C.

Vb  Vc  0
Ib  Ic  0 Ea
I a  I a 0  I a1  I a 2  0 Eb
I f  Ib  Ic Ec

I a0  1 1 1  0 
 I   1 1 a a 2   I b 
 a1  3 
 I a 2  1 a 2 a   I b 

I a0  0
1
I a1  (a  a 2 ) I b
3
1
I a 2  (a 2  a) I b
3
I a1   I a 2

Vb  Vc  (a 2  a )(Va1  Va 2 )  0

Va1  Va Z 1I a1
Va 2  Z 2I a 2 Z 2I a1

(a 2  a )Va  ( Z 1 Z 2) I a1   0

Va  ( Z 1 Z 2) I a1  0

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4th Year Electrical Power Lecture 5-Part 3 Dr. Firas Mohammed

Va ( pre  f )
I a1 
Z1  Z 2
I a1   I a 2

 I a  1 1 1  0 
 I   1 a 2 a   I a1 
 b 
 I c  1 a a 2   I a1 

I b  (a 2  a ) I a1   j 3I a1
 j 3Va
Ib 
Z1  Z 2
Ic  Ib

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