07-Dec-16

Three-Phase Circuits
Chapter 12

Alexander-Sadiku
Fundamentals of Electric
Circuits

12.1
12.2
12.3
12.4
12.5
12.6

Chapter 12
Three-Phase Circuit

What is a Three-Phase Circuit?

Balance Three-Phase Voltages
Balance Three-Phase Connection
Power in a Balanced System
Unbalanced Three-Phase Systems
Application Residential Wiring

Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

12.1 What is a Three-Phase Circuit?(1)

12.1 What is a Three-Phase Circuit?(2)

It is a system produced by a generator consisting of

three sources having the same amplitude and
frequency but out of phase with each other by 120.

Three sources
with 120 out
of phase

Advantages:

Four wired
system

1. Most of the electric power is generated and

distributed in three-phase.
2. The instantaneous power in a three-phase system
can be constant.
3. The amount of power, the three-phase system is
more economical that the single-phase.
4. In fact, the amount of wire required for a threephase system is less than that required for an
equivalent single-phase system.

07-Dec-16

12.2 Balance Three-Phase Voltages (1)

12.2 Balance Three-Phase Voltages (2)

A three-phase generator consists of a rotating

magnet (rotor) surrounded by a stationary
winding (stator).

Two possible configurations:

Three-phase voltage sources: (a) Y-connected ; (b) -connected

A three-phase generator

The generated voltages

5

12.2 Balance Three-Phase Voltages (3)

12.2 Balance Three-Phase Voltages (4)

Example 1

Balanced phase voltages are equal in

magnitude and are out of phase with each other
by 120.
The phase sequence is the time order in which
the voltages pass through their respective
maximum values.
A balanced load is one in which the phase
impedances are equal in magnitude and in phase

Determine the phase sequence of the

set of voltages.

van 200 cos(t 10)

vbn 200 cos(t 230)
vcn 200 cos(t 110)
8

07-Dec-16

12.2 Balance Three-Phase Voltages (5)

12.3 Balance Three-Phase Connection (1)

Solution:

The voltages can be expressed in phasor form

as

Four possible connections

1. Y-Y connection (Y-connected source
with a Y-connected load)

Van 20010 V
Vbn 200 230 V

2. Y- connection (Y-connected source

with a -connected load)

Vcn 200 110 V

We notice that Van leads Vcn by 120 and Vcn in
turn leads Vbn by 120.

3. - connection
4. -Y connection

Hence, we have an acb sequence.

9

12.3 Balance Three-Phase Connection (2)

A balanced Y-Y system is a three-phase system with a
balanced y-connected source and a balanced y-connected
load.

10

12.3 Balance Three-Phase Connection (3)

Example 2
Calculate the line currents in the three-wire Y-Y
system shown below:

VL 3V p , where
V p Van Vbn Vcn

Ans
I a 6.81 21.8 A

VL Vab Vbc Vca

Ib 6.81 141.8 A
I c 6.8198.2 A
11

*Refer to in-class illustration, textbook

12

07-Dec-16

12.3 Balance Three-Phase Connection (4)

A balanced Y- system is a three-phase system with a
balanced y-connected source and a balanced -connected
load.

12.3 Balance Three-Phase Connection (5)

Example 3
A balanced abc-sequence Y-connected source with
( Van 10010 ) is connected to a -connected load
(8+j4) per phase. Calculate the phase and line
currents.
Solution

I L 3I p , where

Using single-phase analysis,

I L I a Ib Ic
I p I AB I BC ICA

Ia

Van
10010

33.54 16.57 A
Z / 3 2.98126.57

Other line currents are obtained using the abc phase

sequence
13

14

*Refer to in-class illustration, textbook

12.3 Balance Three-Phase Connection (6)

A balanced - system is a three-phase system with a
balanced -connected source and a balanced -connected
load.

12.3 Balance Three-Phase Connection (7)

Example 4
A balanced -connected load having an impedance 20j15 is connected to a -connected positive-sequence
generator having ( Vab 3300 V ). Calculate the phase
currents of the load and the line currents.
Ans:
The phase currents

I AB 13.236.87 A; I BC 13.2 81.13 A; I AB 13.2156.87 A

The line currents
I a 22.866.87 A; Ib 22.86 113.13 A; I c 22.86126.87 A
15

*Refer to in-class illustration, textbook

16

07-Dec-16

12.3 Balance Three-Phase Connection (8)

A balanced -Y system is a three-phase system with a
balanced y-connected source and a balanced y-connected
load.

12.3 Balance Three-Phase Connection (9)

Example 5
A balanced Y-connected load with a phase impedance
40+j25 is supplied by a balanced, positive-sequence
-connected source with a line voltage of 210V. Calculate
the phase currents. Use Vab as reference.

Answer
The phase currents

I AN 2.57 62 A;
I BN 2.57 178 A;
I CN 2.5758 A;

17

12.4 Power in a Balanced System (1)

Comparing the power loss in (a) a single-phase system,
and (b) a three-phase system

18

*Refer to in-class illustration, textbook

12.5 Unbalanced Three-Phase Systems (1)

An unbalanced system is due to unbalanced voltage
sources or an unbalanced load.

Ia

VAN
V
V
, Ib BN , I c CN ,
ZA
ZB
ZC

I n ( I a I b I c )
P 'loss 2 R

PL2
, single - phase
VL2

P'loss R'

PL2
, three - phase
VL2

If same power loss is tolerated in both system, three-phase

system use only 75% of materials of a single-phase system

To calculate power in an unbalanced three-phase system

requires that we find the power in each phase.
19

The total power is not simply three times the power in one phase
20
but the sum of the powers in the three phases.

07-Dec-16

12.3 Unbalanced Three-Phase Systems (2)

12.6 Application Residential Wiring (1)

Example 6
Determine the total average power, reactive power, and
complex power at the source and at the load

Ans
At the source:
Ss = -(2087 + j834.6) VA
Pa = -2087W
Pr = -834.6VAR

*Refer to in-class illustration, textbook

At the load:
SL = (1392 + j1113) VA
Pa = 1392W
Pr = 1113VAR
21

12.6 Application Residential Wiring (2)

A 120/240 household power system

22

12.6 Application Residential Wiring (3)

Single-phase three-wire residential wiring

A typical wiring diagram of a room
23

24