TYPES OF ELECTRIC

SYSTEMS
 Alternating Current Single-Phase Systems
(Two-wire Systems)
• The simplest and oldest circuit consists of two conductors between which a relatively
constant voltage is maintained, with the load connected between the two conductors
• The live conductor should come in contact accidentally with the neutral conductor,
the voltage of the live conductor will be dissipated throughout a relatively large body
of earth and thereby rendered harmless.

Figure 1. AC single-phase
two wire system.
 Alternating Current Single-Phase Systems
(Three-wire Systems)
• A combination of two two-wire systems with a single wire serving as the neutral
of each of the two-wire systems.
• If the load is balanced between the two (two-wire) systems, the common neutral
conductor carries no current and the system acts as a two-wire system at twice
the voltage of the component system where each unit of load (such as a lamp) of
one component system is in series with a similar unit of the other system.
• If the load is not balanced, the neutral conductor carries a current equal to the
difference between the currents in the outside conductors.
• For a balanced system, power loss and voltage drop are deter-mined in the same
way as for a two-wire circuit consisting of the outside conductors; the neutral is
neglected.
Figure 2. AC single-phase
three-wire system.
 Alternating Current Two-Phase Systems
(Three-Wire Systems)

• Equivalent to a four-wire two-phase system, with one wire (the neutral) made
common to both phases.
• The third wire is taken from the junction of the two-phase windings I and II,
whose voltages are in quadrature with each other.
• The power delivered is equal to the sum of the powers delivered by the two
phases. The power loss is equal to the sum of the power losses in each of the
three wires.
• If the voltage between the third or neutral wire and either of the two wires is V,
then the voltage between the outer wires are V.
Figure 4. AC two-phase three-wire
system
 Alternating Current Two-Phase Systems
(Four-Wire Systems)

• Consists of two single-phase two-wire systems in which the voltage in one system is
90° out of phase with the voltage in the other system, both usually supplied from the
same generator.
• As before, the voltage of the two windings are in quadrature with each other and the
junction point may or may not be earthed. If voltage between the two wires of a phase
winding be V , then the voltage between one wire of phase I and one wire of phase II
is 0.707 V.
• In determining the power, power loss, and voltage drops in such a system, the values
are calculated as for two separate single-phase two-wire systems.
Figure 5. AC two-phase four-
wire system
 Alternating Current Three-Phase Systems
(Three-Wire Systems)
• Three-phase systems are used extensively. The 3-wire system may be delta-connected or
star-connected whose star point is usually earthed.
• The voltage between lines is V in delta-connection and √3 V in case of star connection
where V is the voltage of each phase

Figure 6. AC three-phase
three-wire system
 Alternating Current Three-Phase Systems
(Four-Wire Systems)

• The 4th or neutral wire is taken from the star point of the star-connection and is of half
the cross-section of the outers or line conductors.
• If V is the voltage of each winding, then line voltage is 3 V.
• Single-phase residential lighting loads or single-phase motors which run on 230 V are
connected between the neutral and any one of the line wires. These loads are connected
symmetrically so that line wires are loaded equally. Hence, the resultant current in the
neutral wire is zero or at least minimum.
Figure 7. AC three-phase
four-wire system