THREE PHASE CIRCUITS

Objectives
• Circuit analysis
– Source connection types and converting from one
to another
– Load connection types and converting from one to
another
– Solving for voltages and currents given source and
load
• Power calculations
• Power factor correction
Topics-1: Introduction and Circuit analysis
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Topics-2: Power calculation (power loss,
power deliver, and power absorptions).
Topics-3: Power Factor Correction: Wye-load
(above) and Delta-load (below)
 ( ) ( )
130o = cos 30o + j sin 30o =
2
3
+j
1
2

( ) 1
1120o = cos 120o + j sin 120o = − + j
2
(
2
3
)
( ) ( ) 1
1240o = cos 240o + j sin 240o = − − j
2 2
3

cos(x + y ) = cos(x ) cos( y ) − sin (x )sin ( y )

cos(x − y ) = cos(x ) cos( y ) + sin (x )sin ( y )

a 120o

3a
 THREE PHASE CIRCUITS
Circuits containing three voltage sources that are one-third of a cycle
apart in time

It is more advantageous and economical to generate and transmit

electric power in the polyphase mode than with single-phase
systems

If the three sinusoidal voltages have the same magnitude and

frequency and each voltage is 120° out of phase with the other two,
the voltages are said to be balanced

If the loads are such that the currents produced by the voltages are
also balanced,
the entire circuit is referred to as a balanced three-phase circuit.

Van is the voltage of phase a and is
measured between line a to neutral line n.
Similar definition applies to Vbn and Vcn.
Van = 1200o V rms
Vbn = 120(−120o ) V rms
Vcn = 120(−240o ) V rms
Balanced Y-connected
three phase source
Also denote it as
Wye-connected source.
The phase sequence of this
set is said to be abc (called positive
phase sequence), meaning that
Vbn lags Van by 120°.
We will standardize our notation so
that we always label the voltages
Van, Vbn, and Vcn
and observe them in the order abc
The same wye connection may
be drawn in different styles.
Recommended phasor notation for handwriting

Phasors or Complex quantities: Van Vab I aA

S 𝑍ሜ

Angle (or phase) of a phasor (or a complex quantity): Van

Amplitude of a phasor (or complex quantities): Van or | Van |

For a balanced wye-connected three-phase source of positive sequence, if the a phase
Voltage is

Determine the voltages of the b phase and the c phase source.

Solution:
In the time domain, the positive sequence phase voltages are expressed as

van (t ) = 120 cos(t ) Vrms

( )
vbn (t ) = 120 cos t − 120o Vrms
vcn (t ) = 120 cos(t − 240 ) Vrms
o
Total instantaneous power (Balanced three phase system):

Let Vm be the peak value of the phase voltages, and Im be the current peak
value of line a, b, and c. Then the time domain voltages and currents are

van (t ) = Vm cos(t ) V ia (t ) = I m cos(t −  ) A

(
vbn (t ) = Vm cos t − 120o V) (
ib (t ) = I m cos t −  − 120o A)
vcn (t ) = Vm cos(t − 240 ) V
o
ic (t ) = I m cos(t −  − 240 ) A
o

p(t ) = pa (t ) + pb (t ) + pc (t )
= van (t )ia (t ) + vbn (t )ib (t ) + vcn (t )ic (t )
= Vm I m cos(t ) cos(t −  )
( ) (
+ Vm I m cos t − 120o cos t −  − 120o )
( ) (
+ Vm I m cos t − 240o cos t −  − 240o )
Apply trigonomatric identity for the product of the cos() functions, and also the
following identity

( ) (
cos  + cos  − 120o + cos  + 120o = 0 )
The instantaneous power expression can be simplified to

p(t ) = 3
Vm I m
cos  W
2
It is a constant (independent of time)
Smooth power flow on the 3 lines.

It can be shown that in a balanced system the neutral line carries no

current and, for purposes of analysis, it may be omitted.
If we use Vp to denote the peak voltage of any line-to-neutral voltage, then

Van = V p 0o V
Vbn = V p (−120o ) V
Vcn = V p (−240o ) = V p (120o ) V
 It can be shown (can also be observed from the phasor diagram) that
Van + Vbn + Vcn = 0

10o = 1
1 3
1(−120o ) = cos(-120o ) + j sin(−120o ) = − − j
2 2
1 3
1(−240o ) = 1(120o ) = − + j
2 2

Van + Vbn
Load connection types
Wye (Y ) connection

A balanced load means that loads of the three phases are equal.

Note: in a balanced load, the three load impedances are equal

(in both amplitudes and the phases: No phase differences).
 MULTIPLE LOADS
PARALLEL CONNECTION

n n n

b
n

c
Load connection types

Delta () connection

The three source voltages can also be connected in Delta or Y configurations.
Hence we have 4 possible different configurations for source and load. They are

Y-Y (Source in Y, Load in Y)

Y- (Source in Y, Load in )
-Y (Source in , Load in Y)
- (Source in , Load in )
 BALANCED WYE-WYE CONNECTION
Since the neutral line has no current in a
balanced three phase system, the problem
can be solved in the per phase basis.
In a balanced wye-wye three phase system, Van=120 V (0 phase). If the load impedance
Is 15 + j20 Ohms, determine the line currents (ignore the line impedance).

Solution:
In a balanced wye-wye three phase system, Van=120 V (0 phase). If the load impedance
Is 15 + j20 Ohms, determine the line currents if the line impedance is 0.5+j1 Ohms.

Solution:
Multisim Simulation
 BALANCED WYE-WYE CONNECTION
The phase voltages are given by
Van = V p 0o V
Vbn = V p (−120o ) V
Vcn = V p (−240o ) = V p (120o ) V

The line voltage Vab = Van – Vbn can be

obtained as follows:

Vab = Van − Vbn = V p 0o − V p (−120o )

 1 3

= Vp −  − − j V p
 2 2 
3 3

= + j V p
2 2  Relation of line voltage and phase voltage:

= 3V p 30o V
Vab = Van 330 o
Phasor diagram illustration of Vab = Van - Vbn

Van

Vbn Vab

Relation of Vab and Van: Vab = Van − Vbn = V p 0o − V p (−120o )

 1 3
Amplitude ratio: sqrt(3) = V p −  − − j V p
Phase difference: 30 deg  2 2 
3 3

= + j V p
2 
Vab = Van 330 o 2
= 3V p 30o V
In a Wye-Wye balanced three
phase system, if Vab = 120 V,
determine the line voltage Vab.
Solution:
The line-to-line voltage of Vbc and Vca can be derived in the same way.
They have the same peak value as Vab, but have 120 (deg) and 240 (deg)
phase lags, respectively. Hence

Vab = 3V p 30o V These equations are used to

convert the wye-connected
Vbc = 3V p (−90o ) V source to Delta connected
source
Vca = 3V p (−210o ) V

If the line voltage peak value is VL, then

VL = 3V p
For a balanced Wye-Wye configuration, the line current,
Ia, Ib, and Ic will have the same amplitude, and Ib, Ic will
lag Ia by 120deg, and 240 deg, respectively, where

Van V p 0
o

Ia = =
ZY ZY
Converting from Delta-connected source to Wye-connected source
Converting from Delta-connected load to Wye-connected load
Solving problems for balanced three-phase systems

1. Simplify the system by keeping just one phase

2. Solve the one phase problem
3. The solutions to the other two phase quantities
are obtained from the above solution by adding
phase delays (-120 deg and -240 deg, respectively).

Treat a three-phase balanced circuit on a per-phase basis

and use the phase relationship to determine all voltages
and currents.
Balanced delta-delta three phase system
Balanced three phase system analysis: extract and solve
for the problem with one phase only and the solutions to
the quantities in the other two phases are obtained by
phase relation (-120 degree phase lag for phae-b vs
phase-a and for phase-c vs phase-b).
 Current in neutral line is the sum of Ia, Ib, and Ic. It can be shown that
I n = I a + Ib + Ic = 0
Also observed is that the line current is the same as the load current.

Example: An abc-sequence three-phase voltage source connected in a

balanced wye has a line voltage of Vab = 208 /−30° V rms. We wish to
determine the phase voltages.

Solution: Start from here: Vab = Van 330o V rms

1 1
Van = Vab (−30o ) = 208(−30o )  (−30o )
3 3
= 120(−60o )V rms
The other two voltages can be derived using Van by adding phase lagging of
120 (deg) and 240 (deg), respectively:

( )
Vbn = 120 − 180o V rms
Vcn = 120(− 300 ) = 12060 V rms
o o
Example: Wye-Wye connected balanced three-
phase circuit. For phase-a, Van=120 Vrms, load =
20 + j10 Ω, line impedance is 1 + j1 Ω.
Determine the value of the line currents and the
load voltages.
Solution:
The phase-a circuit is shown on the right.
Step-1: Calculate current using Van/(Zload+Zlin)
Van 1200o
I aA = = = 5.06(−27.65o ) A rms
Z load + Z line 21 + j11
Step-2: Use current to get load voltage

VAN = Z load I aA = (20 + j11)  5.06(−27.65o ) = 113.19(−1.08o )V rms

Step-3: The solutions for the other two phases are obtained using phase relation.

I bB = 5.06(−147.65o ) A rms VBN = 113.19(−121.08o ) V rms

I cC = 5.06(92.35o ) A rms VCN = 113.19(118.92o ) V rms
Notations:

Phase voltage (source side): Van

Voltage across the Y-load of phase a: VAN

Line current: I a or I aA
Wye-Wye Three Phase System
Source: Wye-connected
Load: Wye-connected.
Wye-Delta Three Phase System
Source: Wye-connected
Load: Delta-connected.
Delta-Delta Three Phase System
Source: Delta-connected
Load: Delta-connected.
Delta-Wye Three Phase System
Source: Delta-connected
Load: Wye-connected.
Example: Wye-Wye Three Phase System
Determine the line currents
and the total power absorbed by the load.
Solution:
Wye-Delta Three Phase System
Determine the line currents,
the phase currents in the loads, and the phase
voltages across the loads
Delta-Delta Three Phase System
Determine the line currents
and the phase currents in the load if
ZL=21+j30 Ohms and Zline=1+0.5j Ohms
Delta-Delta Three Phase System
Determine the line currents
and the phase currents in the load if
ZL=21+j30 Ohms and Zline=1+0.5j Ohms
Delta-Wye Three Phase System
Vab=180V (with 0 phase)

Determine the line currents

and the total average power absorbed by
load