ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

TOPIC 1.3B WEBINAR

Presented by – Deepak Pais

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 Learning outcomes
• Phasors for Y and Delta systems

• Balanced 3-phase loads

• Unbalanced loads

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 Power System Loads

• Utility tries to connect one third of its

single-phase loads to each phase
• Three-phase loads are generally balanced
• If unequal loads on the phases then this
causes unbalanced loading

3
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 Balanced three-phase voltages
A set of balanced three-phase voltages consists of three sinusoidal voltages that
have identical amplitudes and frequencies but are out of phase with each other by
exactly 1200. The phases are referred to as a, b, and c, and usually the a-phase is
taken as the reference.

ABC phase sequence: B-phase lags A-phase by 1200, and C-phase leads A-
phase by 2400.

Another important characteristic of a set of balanced three-phase voltages is that

the sum of the voltages is zero.
Vc

Va  Vm 00
Va  Vb  Vc  0
Va Vb  Vm - 120 0

Vc  Vm  2400

Vb
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 Three-phase voltage sources
A three-phase voltage source is a generator with
three separate windings distributed around the
periphery of the stator. The rotor of the generator
is an electro- magnet driven at synchronous speed
by a prime mover. Rotation of the electro- magnet
induces a sinusoidal voltage in each winding.

The phase windings are designed so that the

sinusoidal voltages induced in them are equal in
amplitude and out of phase with each other by
1200. The phase windings are stationary with
respect to the rotating electromagnet.

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 Y and 
There are two ways of interconnecting the separate phase windings to
form a 3-phase source: in either a Y or a delta ().

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 Phasors – Y system

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Line-to-line and Line-to-neutral voltages – Y system

If the line-to-line voltages are VAB, VBC, and

VCA .then the line-to-neutral voltages are
VAN, VBN, and VCN. So using KVL
VAB  VAN  VBN
VBC  VBN  VCN
VCA  VCN  VAN

For a ABC phase sequence where a-phase

is taken as reference

VAN  V 00 VBN  V - 1200

VCN  V - 2400

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Phase angles- Line to line and line to neutral voltages
– Y system

VAB  V 00  V - 1200  3V 300

VBC  V - 1200  V 1200  3V - 900
VCA  V 1200  V 00  3V - 2100

• The magnitude of the line-to-line voltage is 3 times

the magnitude of the line-to-neutral voltage.

• The line-to-line voltages form a balanced three-

phase set of voltages and lead the set of line-to-
neutral voltages by 300

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 Phasors – Delta system

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Phase angles- Line and phase currents – Delta system

I AB  I 00 , IBC  I -1200 , ICA  I  2400

I A  I AB  ICA  I 00  I  2400  3I - 300
IB  IBC  I AB  I - 1200  I 00  3I - 1500
IC  ICA  IBC  I  2400  I - 1200  3I  2700

The magnitude of the line currents is 3 times the magnitude of the phase
currents and the set of line currents lags the set of phase currents by 300.

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 Y -Y system
a A
Zl

ZL

n
N

ZL ZL
b
c B C
Zl

Zl

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 Delta -Delta system

a A
Zl

_ +

ZL
ZL
+ _

b
c _ + B C
Zl ZL

Zl

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 Delta -Y system

a A
Zl

_ + ZL

+ _
ZL ZL
b
c _ + B C
Zl

Zl

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 Balanced three-phase circuit
• The voltage sources form a set of balanced three-phase
voltages.

• The impedance of each phase of the voltage source is the

same

• The impedance of each line conductor is the same

• The impedance of each phase of the load is the same

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 Balanced three-phase circuit

Since the system is balanced, Van  Vbn  Vcn  0 and VN  0

If VN=0, the current in the neutral line is zero

For a balanced system, the currents in each line are equal in amplitude
and are1200 out of phase with the other two line currents .

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 Y- Circuit

•If the load in a three-phase circuit is connected in a

delta, it can be transformed into a Y by using the  to Y
transformation.

•Similarly, transformation can be done from Y to 

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Delta – Y transformation example

If Ra = 7 ohms, Rb = 3 ohms and Rc = 5 ohms, calculate R1, R2 and R3

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 Power ın a balanced Y load
PA  VAN IaA cos(vA  iA )
PB  VBN IbB cos(vB  iB )
PC  VCN IcC cos(vC  iC )

In a balanced three-phase Y system, the magnitude of

line current is the same as the magnitude of phase
current. But Vph = VL/sqrt(3)

V  VAN  VBN  VCN

I  IaA  IbB  IcC
  vA  iA  vB  iB  vC  iC

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 Total power delivered to a balanced Y load

For a balanced system, the power delivered to each phase of the load is
the same

PA  PB  PC  P  V I cos 
PT  3P  3V I cos 
VL
PT  3( ) I L cos   3VL I L cos 
3

Where PT is the total power delivered to the load.

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 Complex power in a balanced Y load

Reactive power in a balanced Y system

Q  V I sin 
QT  3Q  3VL I L sin 

Apparent power in a balanced Y system

ST  PT  jQT
ST  3S  3VL I L

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 Power ın a balanced Delta load
PAB  VAB I AB cos(vAB  ivAB )
PBC  VBC IBC cos(vBC  ivBC )
PCA  VCA ICA cos(vCA  ivCA )

In a balanced three-phase Delta system, the

magnitude of phase voltage is the same as the
magnitude of line voltage. But Iph = IL/sqrt(3)

VAB  VBC  VCA  V

I AB  IBC  ICA  I
vAB  iAB  vBC  iBC  vCA  iCA  
PAB  PBC  PCA  P  V I cos 

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 Total power delivered to a balanced Delta load

PT  3P  3V I cos 

IL
PT  3VL ( ) cos   3VL I L cos 
3

Where PT is the total power delivered to the load.

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Complex power in a balanced Delta load

Reactive power in a balanced Delta system

Q  V I sin 
QT  3Q  3VL I L sin 

Apparent power in a balanced Delta system

ST  PT  jQT
ST  3S  3VL I L

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 Unbalanced Loads
– Different voltages are obtained across each
phase of the load and between neutral points
– Unbalance currents
– Phase difference may not be 120 degrees between
the phases
– Causes issues such as:
 Overheating of motors
 Overheating of transformers
 Equipment malfunction etc

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 Unbalanced Three Phase Systems
An unbalanced system is due to unbalanced voltage sources or
unbalanced load. In a unbalanced system the neutral current is NOT zero.

I*aA

Unbalanced three phase Y connected load.

Line currents DO NOT add up to zero.

In= -(Ia+ Ib+ Ic) ≠ 0

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 Example
Calculate the phase currents and the real power taken by the load in
the unbalanced three phase circuit below.

The phase currents are:

IAB = 220/0 / -j5 = j44 = 44/90
IBC = 220/120 / j10 = 19.05 + j11 = 22/30
ICA = 220/-120 / 10 = -11 –j19.05 = 22/-120
Real power absorbed by resistive load = ICA2 x 10 =222 x 10 =4.84kW

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 QUESTIONS?

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