Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Electrical Basic Course

Lesson 15
Three phase systems

Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Single Phase Circuit

+

Power Line
Source

Load

Source

Load

Load1
Source
Load2

Load3

Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Three Phase system

A three-phase system is constituted by a three phase source system that
supply one or more three phase loads.
A three phase source is obtained by the connection of three sinusoidal sources
connected in one common point: source voltages are called phase voltage.

Power Line
Source

Load

Source

Load

Electrical Basics Course

Three Phase Source

3-phase symmetric positive sequence

Prof. Aldo Canova

Electrical Basics Course

Three Phase Source

3-phase symmetric negative sequence

Prof. Aldo Canova

Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Phase and Line voltages of the source

3-phase symmetric positive sequence

E1 = Ee

V12 = E1 E2 = 3Ee j ( +30 )

E2 = Ee j ( 120 )

V23 = E2 E3 = 3Ee j ( +30120 )

E3 = Ee j ( +120 )

V31 = E3 E1 = 3Ee j ( +30+120 )

Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Three Phase Load

three-phase loads are made by connections of two
terminal components

if the three impedances are equal in magnitude and

phase the load system is called balanced

Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Phase and Line current and voltages

1

A
V

I F1

I 1

+
V12

I 2

I F2

V23

I F3

+ U1

+U2

A
V
A

I 1

V12
I 2

+ U3

I 3

I F1

+
V23

+
U1

I F2

U2

I 3
I F3

I 1 = I F1

I 2 = I F 2

I 3 = I F 3

V 12 = U 1 U 2

V 23 = U 2 U 3

V 31 = U 3 U 1

V 12 = U 1

V 23 = U 2

V 31 = U 3

I 1 = I F1 I F 3

I 2 = I F 2 I F1

I 3 = I F 3 I F 2

U3
+

Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Three-phase system: Y-Y circuit solution

by connecting a set of Y sources with a one of Y loads a circuit is
obtained

The structure is made by three branches, or phase circuits,

connected in parallel between start centers O and O

Electrical Basics Course

Three-phase system: Y-Y circuit solution

Prof. Aldo Canova

Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Three-phase system: Y-Y circuit solution Balanced

solution
if the load system is made by three impedance equal in
magnitude and phase, the load is called balanced and
in this case:

If
then the voltage applied to
each load impedance is equal to the
one of the source
Since
then all star centers of
balanced loads are at the same
potential

Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Three-phase system: Y-Y circuit solution Balanced

solution
since the two star centers are at the same potential, the
phase branch can be redrawn:

12

Electrical Basics Course

Three-phase system: Y-
circuit solution

Prof. Aldo Canova

Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Three-phase system: Y-
circuit solution - balanced
delta connected load solution
the three currents Ijk are called phase currents while In are
called line currents
if the three delta connected impedances form a balanced
load, then:

14

Electrical Basics Course

Prof. Aldo Canova

Three-phase + neutral conductor

the main effect of load unbalance is the voltage difference
between star centers: this effect can be canceled by
inserting a new conductor connecting them
the fourth conductor:
constraints the two points to have the same potential so
that
allows a new current to flow between two star centers

wipes-off the advantage of

1/4th of material saving in
three-phase systems