EE 132

LECTURE 1
Polyphase Circuits

Prepared by:
Engr. Rogelio F. Bersano Jr.

Topic Outline

Polyphase Systems
Single-Phase Three-wire Systems
Three Phase Balanced Circuit
The Delta ( ) & Wye (Y) Connection
Power Calculation in Balanced circuit
Wattmeter Method
Three Phase Unbalanced Circuit
Unbalanced Delta and Wye Connected Loads
Power Calculation in Unbalanced circuit

Course Objective
1. Learn the distinction between single-phase and
polyphase systems.
2. Familiarize with working with both Y- and connected three-phase sources and three-phase
networks.
3. Master the technique of per-phase analysis of
three-phase systems.

Single Phase System

1. A generator connected through a pair of wire to a
load Single Phase Two Wire.
2. Vp is the magnitude of the source voltage, and
is the phase.

Polyphase System

Circuit or system in which AC sources operate at

the same frequency but different phases are
known
as
polyphase.

Polyphase System
Two Phase System:
A generator consists of two coils placed
perpendicular to each other
The voltage generated by one lags the other by
90.

Polyphase System
Three Phase System:
A generator consists of three coils placed 120
apart.
The voltage generated are equal in magnitude
but, out of phase by 120.
Three phase is the most economical polyphase
system.

Polyphase System
Three Phase System:

Ideal Y- and - connected voltage

sources

Real Y- and - connected voltage

sources
Internal impedance of a generator is usually
inductive (due to the use of coils).

Balanced three-phase source

Three sinusoidal voltages of the same amplitude,
frequency, but differing by 120 phase
difference with one another.
There are two possible sequences:
1. abc (positive) sequence : vb(t) lags va(t) by
120.
2. acb (negative) sequence: vb(t) leads va(t) by
120.

3-phase Advantages
1. The horsepower rating of three-phase motors
and the kVA rating of three-phase transformers
are 150% greater than single-phase motors or
transformers of similar frame size.

3-phase Advantages
2. The power delivered by a single-phase system
pulsates and falls to zero. The three-phase
power never falls to zero. The power delivered to
the load in a three-phase system is the same at
any instant. This produces superior operating
characteristics for three-phase motors.

3-phase Advantages
3. A three-phase system needs three conductors;
however, each conductor is only 75% the size of
the equivalent kVA rated single-phase
conductors.

3-phase: Basic Properties

Three-phase systems have either three or four

conductors.
These three-phase conductors are identified as
A, B, and C.
The three phases are 120 degrees out of phase
with each other (360 divided by 3).
There is sometimes a fourth conductor, which is
the neutral.

3-phase: Wye Connection

The wye, or star, connection is made by

connecting one end of each of the phase
windings together in a common node.
Each line terminals has a voltage drop known as
the phase voltage.
The line voltage is measured from phase
conductor to a different phase conductor.

3-phase: Wye Connection

In a wye system, the line voltage is higher than

the phase voltage by a factor of the square root
of 3 (1.732).
ELine = EPhase x 1.732
EPhase = ELine / 1.732

In a wye system, the line current is equal to the

phase current.
ILine = IPhase

3-phase: Wye Connection

Wye Connected Source

Van V p 0

Van V p 0

Vbn V p 120

Vbn V p 120

Vcn V p 240

Vcn V p 240

a) abc or positive sequence

b) acb or negative sequence

3-phase: Wye Connection

Van V p 0, Vbn V p 120, Vcn V p 120

Vab Van Vnb Van Vbn 3V p 30
Vbc Vbn Vcn 3V p 90
Vca Vcn Van Van Vbn 3V p 210

3-phase: Wye Connection

Line and phase voltages in a wye connection.

3-phase: Wye Connection

Line and phase currents in a wye connection.

3-phase: Wye Connection

Vector sum of typical wye system voltages.

3-phase: Delta Connection

In a delta system, the line current is higher than
the phase current by a factor of the square root
of 3 (1.732).
ILine = IPhase x 1.732
IPhase = ILine / 1.732

3-phase: Delta Connection

In a delta system, the line voltage is equal to the
phase voltage.
ELine = EPhase

3-phase: Delta Connection

Delta Connected Source

Vca

Vbc

Vab

Vbc

a) abc or positive sequence

Vab

Vca

b) acb or negative sequence

3-phase: Delta Connection

I a I AB I CA I AB 3 30
I b I BC I AB I BC 3 30
I c I CA I BC I CA 3 30

I L I a Ib Ic
I p I AB I BC I CA
I L 3I p

3-phase: Delta Connection

Delta system voltage and current relationships.

Balanced Three-phase Load

A Balanced load has equal impedances on all
the phases

a) Wye-connected load

b) Delta-connected load

Balanced Three-phase Load

Balanced Impedance Conversion:

Conversion of Delta circuit to Wye or Wye to Delta.
ZY Z1 Z 2 Z 3
Z Z a Zb Zc
Z 3ZY

1
ZY Z
3

Balanced Three-phase Network

Balanced Y-Y Connection

Line Impedance

Source
Impedance

Load
Impedance

Line current In add up to zero.

Neutral current is zero:
In= -(Ia+ Ib+ Ic)= 0

Balanced Y-Y Connection

Single Phase Equivalent of Balanced

Y-Y Connection

Balanced three phase circuits can be analyzed on per

phase basis..
We look at one phase, say phase A and analyze the
single phase equivalent circuit.
Because the circuit is balanced, we can easily obtain
other phase values using their phase relationships.

Van
Ia
ZY

Example 1
Obtain the line currents in the 3-phase circuit of the figure
shown below

Balanced Y- Connection

Three phase sources are usually Wye connected and

three phase loads are Delta connected.
There is no neutral connection for the Y- system.

Balanced Y- Connection

Phasor diagram of phase and line currents

I L I a Ib Ic
I p I AB I BC I CA
I L 3I p

Single phase equivalent circuit of the balanced Wye-delta

connection
Z
3

Example 2
Solve for the line currents in the Y- circuit of the figure
shown below. Take Z = 6045

Balanced - Connection

Both the source and load are Delta connected and

balanced.

I AB

V
V
VAB
, I BC BC , I CA CA
Z
Z
Z

I a I AB ICA , Ib I BC I AB , Ic ICA I BC

Example 3
Refer to the - circuit of the figure shown below. Find the
line and phase currents. Assume that the load impedance is
12 + j9 per phase.

Balanced -Y Connection

Transforming a Delta connected source

to an equivalent Wye connection

Single phase equivalent of Delta Wye connection

Vp 30
3

Example 4
In the circuit, if Vab = 440 10 , Vbc = 440250 , Vca =
440130. Find the line currents.

Power in a Balanced System

The total instantaneous power in a balanced three phase system is
constant.

Power in a Balanced System

The total instantaneous power in a balanced three phase system is
constant.

=
=

Power in a Balanced System

The complex power per phase is Sp. The total complex power for all
phases is S.

p 3V p I p cos
1
p V p I p cos
3
Sp Pp jQp Vp I p
Pp =

Qp =

1
p V p I p sin
S p Vp I p
3
Complex power for each phase

P Pa Pb Pc 3Pp 3V p I p cos 3VL I L cos

Q 3Q p 3V p I p sin 3VL I L sin
S=3Sp 3Vp I p 3I p 2 Z p

3Vp 2
Zp

Total complex power

S P jQ 3VL I L
Vp , I p , VL and I L are all rms values, is the load impedance angle

Power in a Balanced System

S=3Sp 3Vp I p 3I p 2 Z p

3Vp 2
Zp

Toal complex power

S P jQ 3VL I L
Vp , I p , VL and I L are all rms values, is the load impedance angle
Notice the values of Vp, VL, Ip, IL for different load connections.

VL 3 Vp

VL Vp

IL I p

IL 3 I p
Ip

Vp
Ip
VL

Vp

VL

VL
Vp

VL

Ip

VL

Y connected load.

Ip

Ip

Vp
Ip

Vp

VL

connected load.

Vp

Example 5

VL=840 V (Rms)

IL

Capacitors for pf
Correction

Unbalanced Three Phase Systems

An unbalanced system is due to unbalanced voltage sources or

unbalanced load.
In an unbalanced system the neutral current is NOT zero.

Unbalanced three phase Y connected load.

Line currents DO NOT add up to
zero.

In= -(Ia+ Ib+ Ic) 0

Example 5

Power Measurements: The Wattmeter

The wattmeter is a four-terminal device that measures power
delivered to the network if connected as shown:

the wattmeter

Measuring Three-Phase Power

The sum of the
powers measured
by the wattmeters
is the total power
delivered.
The common node
x is arbitrary.

The Two-Wattmeter Method

One wattmeter
can
be
eliminated if the
point
x
is
moved to a line
(as shown, B).

Example 6
A three-phase system has a line-to-line voltage of 4000 V rms and a
balanced Delta-connected load with Z = 40 + j30 ohms. The phase
sequence is abc. Use the two wattmeters connected to lines A and C,
with line B as the common line for the voltage measurement.
Determine the total power measurement recorded by the wattmeters.

Example 7
An unbalanced delta-connected load is connected across the lines of a
4-wire balanced three-phase supply with neutral connection. Two
wattmeter W 1, W 2 are connected in lines 1 and 3 with the common
potential connection in the neutral wire. These wattmeters read 1796.5
and 3000 watts, respectively. The current in lines 1 and 3 is 20 A. If the
common potential connection is transferred to line 2, what will be the
reading of the two wattmeters? Solve the power factor of the system.
The system voltage per phase is 208 V. Assume a phase sequence of
1-2-3 with V1n as reference.

END