EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 1
EEE102
POWER NETWORKS
12/15/2020 Chapter 12 - Three-Phase Circuits
12.1 Introduction
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Three-phase systems are important for 3 major
reasons:
Nearly all electric power is generated and distributed in
three-phase, at the operating frequency of 60 Hz in the
US or 50 Hz in some other parts of the world.
When one phase or two phase inputs are required, they are
taken from the three phase system rather than generated
independently.
Even when more than 3 phases are required, eg. In the
aluminium industry where 48 phases are needed for melting
purposes, they can be provided by manipulating the 3 phases.
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.1 Introduction
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Secondly, the instantaneous power in a three phase
system can be constant (not pulsating).
This results in uniform power transmission and less
vibration of three-phase machines.
Thirdly, for the same amount of power, the three-phase
system is more economical than the single-phase.
The amount of wire required for a three-phase system is
less than that required for an equivalent single-phase
system.
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.2 Balanced Three-Phase Voltages
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Three phase voltages are produced with a three-
phase ac generator which basically consists of:
A rotating magnet (rotor) surrounded by…
… a stationary winding (stator).
Three separate windings or
coils with terminals a-a’,
b-b’, and c-c’ are physically
placed 120° apart around
the stator.
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.2 Balanced Three-Phase Voltages
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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° apart, the
induced voltages in the coils are equal in
magnitude but out of phase by 120°.
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.2 Balanced Three-Phase Voltages
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A three-phase system consists of three voltage
sources and is equivalent to three single-phase
circuits.
The voltage sources can be either:
Wye (Y)-connected or…
… delta (∆)-connected.
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.2 Balanced Three-Phase Voltages
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Consider Y-connected voltages:
Voltages Van, Vbn, and Vcn are between lines a, b, c and
the neutral line n.
These voltages are called phase voltages.
Balanced phase voltages are equal in magnitude
and are out of phase with each other by 120°.
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.2 Balanced Three-Phase Voltages
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The phase sequence is the time
order in which the voltages pass
through their respective
amplitudes.
abc/positive sequence:
V V 0,
an p
Vbn V p 120,
Vcn V p 120 V p 240
acb/negative sequence:
Van V p 0,
Vcn V p 120,
Vbn V p 240 V p 120
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.2 Balanced Three-Phase Voltages
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A three-phase load can be either y-connected or delta-
connected.
A balanced load is one in
which the phase impedances
are equal in magnitude and
in phase.
For a balanced y-connected
load: Z Z Z Z
1 2 3 Y
For a balanced delta-connected
load: Z A Z B ZC Z
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.2 Balanced Three-Phase Voltages
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The impedance transform for Y-∆ is:
Z 3ZY
There are 4 possible connections for the source-
load:
Y-Y connection
Y-∆ connection
∆- ∆ connection
∆-Y connection
PP 12.1
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.3 Balanced Y-Y connection
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Phase voltages:
Van V p 0
Vbn V p 120
Vcn V p 120
Line voltages:
Vab 3V p 30
Vbc 3V p 90
Vca 3V p 210
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12.3 Balanced Y-Y connection
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Line currents are the same as phase currents
whereby: Van
Ia
ZY
An alternative way of analyzing a balanced Y-Y
system is to do so on a “per-phase” basis.
PP 12.2
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12.4 Balanced Y-∆ connection
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Phase voltages (same as Y-Y):
Van V p 0
Vbn V p 120
Vcn V p 120
Line voltages (same as Y-Y):
Vab 3V p 30
Vbc 3V p 90
Vca 3V p 210
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.4 Balanced Y-∆ connection
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Currents:
I a 3 I AB 30
I b I a 120
I c I a 120
For the single phase equivalent circuit, the ∆-
connected load needs to be transformed to its Y-
connected equivalent: Z Y Z
3
PP 12.3
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12.5 Balanced ∆-∆ connection
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Phase voltages are the same as line voltages,
whereby:
Vab V p 0 VAB
Vbc V p 120 VBC
Vca V p 120 VCA
Currents (same as Y-∆):
I a 3 I AB 30
I b I a 120
I c I a 120
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.5 Balanced ∆-∆ connection
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The single phase Y-Y equivalent of the ∆-∆ circuit is:
Note that the ∆-connected source and load has been transformed
into its Y-equivalents using:
Vp
Van 30 Vbn Van 120 Vcn Van 120
3
Z
ZY
3
PP 12.4
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12.6 Balanced ∆-Y connection
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Phase voltages are the same as line voltages,
whereby (same as ∆-∆):
Vab V p 0 VAB
Vbc V p 120 VBC
Vca V p 120 VCA
Currents: V p
30
Ia 3
ZY
I b I a 120 I c I a 120
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
12.6 Balanced ∆-Y connection
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Alternate methods to solving ∆-Y:
a) Convert ∆-source to
equivalent Y-source (fig):
Vp
Van 30 Vbn Van 120 Vcn Van 120
3
Vp
b) Convert Y-load to VAN 30
equivalent ∆-load: 3
VCN V AN 120 VBN V AN 120
PP 12.5
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12.7 Power in a Balanced System
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The total instantaneous power in a balanced system three-
phase system is constant – it doesn’t change with time as the
instantaneous power of each phase does, or whether the load
is Y or ∆ connected.
The total complex power:
2
* 3V
S 3S p 3V p I p 3I p2 Z p * P jQ 3VL I L
p
Zp
Where Vp, Ip, VL and IL are all rms values and θ is the angle of
the load impedance or the angle between the phase voltage and
the phase current.
PP 12.6, 12.7, 12.8
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
References
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Fundamentals of Electric Circuits, 4th Edition –
Alexander Sadiku, McGraw Hill.
EEE3183 – Circuits and Signals 2 12/15/2020
