Per-Unit System of Measurement

• Solving transformer problem is tedious - need to refer different voltage levels on

different sides to a common level.
• Another approach to solve circuits containing transformers is the per-unit system.
• Impedance and voltage-level conversions are avoided.
• Also, machine and transformer impedances fall within fairly narrow ranges for each
type and construction of device while the per-unit system is employed.
• The voltages, currents, powers, impedances, and other electrical quantities are
measured as fractions of some base level instead of conventional units.

𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒
𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 =
𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦
 Per-Unit System of Measurement
• Usually, two base quantities are selected to define a given per-unit system:
• 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝑽𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆
• 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓, 𝑺𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆
• In a 1-phase system:

𝑆𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 = 𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝐼𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒

𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒
𝑍𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 =
𝐼𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒
• For transformer analysis:
• 𝑆𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 is the same at both ends since transformer input power = output power
• 𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 changes at every transformer in the system according to its turns ratio
 Per-Unit System of Measurement
• Hence, P.U. system automatically refers quantities to a common
voltage level.
• When analysing only one device, its own ratings are used as Sbase and
Vbase.
• If more than one machine and one transformer present, Sbase and Vbase
can be chosen arbitrarily but entire system must have same base.
 Per-Unit System: Example 2.3
A 480V generator is connected to an ideal 1:10 step-up transformer, a transmission
line, an ideal 20:1 step-down transformer and a load. The impedance of the
transmission line is 20+j60  and the impedance of the load is 10∠30° Ω. The base
values for this system are chosen to be 480V and 10kVA at the generator.

a) Find the base voltage, current, impedance and apparent power at every
point in the power system
b) Convert this system to its per-unit equivalent circuit
c) Find the power supplied to the load in this system
d) Find the power loss in the transmission line
 Per-Unit System: Example 2.3(a) Solution
a) Find the base voltage, current, impedance and apparent power at every
point in the power system
Generator Region Transmission Region Load Region

𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 480 V 𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒1 𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒2

𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒2 = 𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒3 =
𝑎1 𝑎2
480 4800
= =
0.1 20
= 4800𝑉 = 240 𝑉

𝑆𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 10 kVA 10 kVA 10 kVA

𝐼𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑆𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒1 𝑆𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒2 𝑆𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒3

𝐼𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒1 = 𝐼𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒2 = 𝐼𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒3 =
𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒1 𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒2 𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒3
10000 𝑉𝐴 10000 𝑉𝐴 10000 𝑉𝐴
= = =
480 𝑉 4800 𝑉 240 𝑉
= 20.83 𝐴 = 2.083 𝐴 = 41.67 𝐴

𝑍𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒1 𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒2 𝑉𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒3

𝑍𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒1 = 𝑍𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒2 = 𝑍𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒3 =
𝐼𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒1 𝐼𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒2 𝐼𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒3
480 𝑉 4800 𝑉 240 𝑉
= = =
20.83 𝐴 2.083 𝐴 41.67 𝐴
= 23.04 Ω = 2304 Ω = 5.76 Ω
 Per-Unit System: Example 2.3(b) Solution
b) Convert this system to its per-unit equivalent circuit
To convert a power system to a per-unit system, Therefore, the load’s per unit impedance is:
each component must be divided by its base
value in its region. The generator’s per-unit 𝑍𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑,𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙
voltage is 𝑍𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑,𝑝𝑢 =
𝑍𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑,𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒
𝑉𝐺,𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 10 ∠30°
𝑉𝐺,𝑝𝑢 = =
𝑉𝐺,𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 5.76 Ω
480 ∠0 ° 𝑉 = 1.736 ∠30 ° 𝑝𝑢 = 1.503 + 𝑗0.868 𝑝𝑢
=
480 𝑉
= 1.0 ∠0 ° 𝑝𝑢
The current flowing in this per-unit power system is :
The transmission line’s per unit impedance is:
𝑉𝑝𝑢
𝑍𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒,𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝐼 𝑃𝑢 =
𝑍𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒,𝑝𝑢 = 𝑍𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙,𝑝𝑢
𝑍𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒,𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒
1.0 ∠0 ° 𝑝𝑢
20 + 𝑗60 Ω =
= (0.0087 + 𝑗 0.026) + (1.736 ∠30 °)
2304 Ω
= 0.569 ∠ − 30.6 °)
= 0.0087 + 𝑗 0.026 𝑝𝑢
Per-Unit System: Example 2.3(b) Solution
b) Convert this system to its per-unit equivalent circuit
Per-Unit System: Example 2.3(c) Solution
c) Find the power supplied to the load in this system

The per-unit power on the load is:

2
𝑃𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑,𝑝𝑢 = 𝐼𝑝𝑢 𝑅𝑝𝑢
2
= 0.569 1.503
= 0.487 𝑝𝑢

The actual power on the load is:

𝑃𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑,𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 = 𝑃𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑,𝑝𝑢 𝑆𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒

= 0.487 10000
= 4870 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡
Per-Unit System: Example 2.3(d) Solution
d) Find the power loss in the transmission line

The actual power on the line is:

2
𝑃𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒,𝑝𝑢 = 𝐼𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒,𝑝𝑢 𝑅𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒,𝑝𝑢
= 0.569 2 0.0087
= 0.00282 𝑝𝑢

The actual power on the line is:

𝑃𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒,𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 = 𝑃𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒,𝑝𝑢 𝑆𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒

= 0.00282 10000
= 28.2 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡