Three Phase Circuits

Prof. J. Meenakshi

Note: The materials include only an overview for easy

understanding. Refer to text books for more
details.
 Introduction
• A single phase AC power system consists of a
generator connected through a pair of wires to a
load.

• Circuits in which the AC sources operate a the

same frequency but different phases are known
as Polyphase systems.
 Three Phase System
• Consists of three voltage sources connected to
loads by three or four wires.

• Equivalent to three single phase circuits.

• The voltage sources can be either WYE

connected or DELTA connected.
 Balanced Three Phase Voltages
• Produced with a three phase AC generator or Alternator.

• The generator basically consists of a rotating magnet (called rotor)

surrounded by a stationary winding (called stator).

• Three separate windings or coils with terminals a-a’, b-b’ and c-c’
are physically placed 120 degrees apart around the stator.

• As the rotor rotates, its magnetic field “cuts’ the flux from the three
coils and induces voltages in the coils. Because the coils are placed
120 degrees apart, the induced voltages in the coils are equal in
magnitude but out of phase by 120 degrees.
Three Phase Generator
Three-phase voltages with 120degrees
of phase shift
Three Phase Waveform (sample)
Three Phase Four Wire System
 Star Connection
• Similar terminals (start or finish) of the 3
windings are joined together. The common
point is called “STAR” or “NEUTRAL” point.
 Star Connected Source
a a

V0 Wye Connected

_
n Source
_ _
V-240 V-120
+ +
b b
c

c
Star Connected Source
 Delta or Mesh Connection
• Dissimilar terminals of the three windings are
joined together i.e. ‘finish’ terminal of one
winding is connected to the ‘start’ terminal of
other winding and so one.

• This system is called Three Phase Three Wire

System.
Delta Connected Source

a a

_ + Delta
Source
+ _

c b b
_ +

c
abc or Positive Sequence
abc sequence or Positive sequence
• Van leads Vbn, which in turn leads Vcn.

• Phase sequence is the time order in which the

voltages pass through their respective
maximum values.
acb or Negative sequence
 Star and Delta Connected Loads
• A Y-connected load consists of three
impedances connected to a neutral node.

• A delta connected load consists of three

impedances connected around a loop.

• The load is BALANCED if the three impedances

are equal.
Star Connected Load
Delta Connected Load
 Wye – Wye System

a A
Zl

ZL

n
N

ZL ZL
b
c B C
Zl

Zl
 Delta – Delta System

a A
Zl

_ +

ZL
ZL
+ _

b
c _ + B C
Zl ZL

Zl
 Delta – Wye System

a A
Zl

_ + ZL

+ _
ZL ZL
b
c _ + B C
Zl

Zl
 Wye Delta System
a a
A
I aA I AB I CA
+

V0
_
Z Z
n
_ _
V-240 V-120 I BC
+ +
b b B C
c Z

c
 Common Terminologies
• Phase Sequence – Sequence in which the voltages in the three phases reach
maximum positive value is called phase sequence or phase order. The phase
sequence is generally given as RYB.

• Phase Voltage – The voltage induced in each winding.

• Phase Current – The current flowing through each winding.

• Line Voltage – Voltage available between any pair of terminals or lines.

• Line Current – Current flowing through each line.

• Balanced System – A three phase system is said to be balance if the voltages and
currents in the three phases are equal in magnitude and differ in phase from one
another by 120 degrees. Also the loads connected across the three phases are
identical.
Line and phase voltages in a Star
Connection
Line and phase currents in a Star
Connection.
Delta system voltage and current
relationships
 Three Phase Systems
• All electric power is generated and distributed in three phase, at
the operating frequency of 60 Hz in the US or 50 Hz in India. When
one phase or two phase inputs are required, they are taken from
the three phase systems rather than generated independently.

• The instantaneous power in a three phase system can be constant.

This results in uniform power transmission and less vibration of
three phase machines.

• For the same amount of power, the three phase system is more
economical than single phase.
 Advantages of 3 phase system
• Output is greater than that of a single phase system
• Three phase motors are self starting.
• Transmission and Distribution of a 3 phase system is cheaper
• The horsepower rating of three-phase motors and the kVA rating of
three-phase transformers are 150% greater than single-phase
motors or transformers of similar frame size.
• The power delivered by a single-phase system pulsates and falls to
zero. The three-phase power never falls to zero. The power
delivered to the load in a three-phase system is the same at any
instant. This produces superior operating characteristics for three-
phase motors.
• A three-phase system needs three conductors; however, each
conductor is only 75% the size of the equivalent kVA rated single-
phase conductors.
 Balanced Star-Star Connection
• A balanced Y-Y system is a three-phase system
with a balanced Y-connected source and a
balanced Y-connected load.
Also the line voltages lead their corresponding phase voltages by 30◦.
that is, the voltage across the neutral wire is zero. The neutral line can
thus be removed without affecting the system. In fact, in long distance
power transmission, conductors in multiples of three are used with the
earth itself acting as the neutral conductor. Power systems designed in
this way are well grounded at all critical points to ensure safety.
 Balanced Delta-Delta Connection
• A balanced Δ-Δ system is one in which both
the balanced source and balanced load are -
connected.
 Three Phase Power
• Three-phase power can be computed in two ways,
using line values or phase values.

• Apparent Power = 3 x ELine x ILine= 3 x EPhase x Iphase

• Active Power = 3 x ELine x Iline cos Φ= 3 x EPhase x Iphase

cos Φ

• Reactive Power = 3 x ELine x Iline sinΦ= 3 x EPhase x

Iphase sinΦ

• Note that this is the same on wye or delta systems.

Numericals on Three Phase Circuits
Numericals on Three Phase Circuits (cont.)
Numericals on Three Phase Circuits (cont.)
Numericals on Three Phase Circuits (cont.)
Numericals on Three Phase Circuits (cont.)
Numericals on Three Phase Circuits (cont.)