Unit-1

BALANCED THREE PHASE CIRCUITS

1.1 Introduction:
There are two types of systems available in electrical circuits, single phase and three
phase. In single phase circuits, there will be only one phase, i.e the current will flow through
only one wire and there will be one return path called neutral line to complete the circuit. So
in single phase minimum amount of power can be transported. Here the generating station
and load station will also be single phase. This is an old system using from previous time.

In 1882, new invention has been done polyphase system, that more than one phase
can be used for generating, transmitting and for load system. Three phase circuit is the
polyphase system where three phases are send together from generator to the load. Each
phase are having a phase difference of 1200, i.e 1200 angle electrically. So from the total of
3600, three phase are equally divided into 1200 each. The power in three phase system is
continuous as all the three phases are involved in generating the total power. The sinusoidal
waves for 3 phase system is shown below .

Fig.1.1

The three phase can be used as single phase each. So if the load is single phase, then
one phase can be taken from the three phase circuit and the neutral can be used as ground to
complete the circuit.
1.1.1 Why three phase is preferred over single phase?
There are various reasons for this question because there are numbers of advantages
over single phase circuit. The three phase system can be used as three single phase line so it
can act as three single phase system. The three phase generation and single phase generation
is same in the generator except the arrangement of coil in the generator to get 1200 phase
difference. The conductor needed in three phase circuit is 75% that of conductor needed in
single phase circuit.

And also the instantaneous power in single phase system falls down to zero as in
single phase we can see from the sinusoidal curve but in three phase system the net power
from all the phases gives a continuous power to the load.

Till now we can say that there are three voltage sources connected together to form a
three phase circuit and actually it is inside generator. The generator is having three voltage
sources which are acting together in 1200 phase difference. If we can arrange three single
phase circuit with 1200 phase difference, then it will become a three phase circuit. So 1200
phase difference is must otherwise the circuit will not work, the three phase load will not be
able to get active and it may also cause damage to the system.

The size or metal quantity of three phase devices is not having much difference. Now
of we consider the transformer, it will be almost same size fro both single phase and three
phase because transformer will make only the linkage of flux. So the three phase system will
have higher efficiency compared to single phase for the same or little difference in mass of
transformer, three phase line will be out whereas in single phase will be only one. And losses
will be minimum in three phase circuit. So overall in conclusion the three phase system will
have better and higher efficiency compared to the single phase system.

A balanced polyphase system is one in which there are two or more equal voltages of
the same frequency displaced equally in time phase, which supply power to loads connected
to the lines. In general, in a n-phase balanced polyphase system, there are n-equal voltages
3600 2𝜋
displaced in time phase by or (except in the case of a 2-phase system, in which there
𝑛 𝑛

are two equal voltages differing in phase by 900 ). Systems of six or more phases are used in
polyphase rectifiers to obtain rectified voltage with low ripple. But three phase system is
most commonly used polyphase system for generation and transmission of power. Hence we
study in detail the 3-phase voltage generation and analysis of 3-phase circuit in this unit.
 A 3-phase system has the following advantages over single phase system. For a given
frame size of a machine a 3-phase machine will have large capacity than a single phase
machine. The torque produced in a 3-phase motor will be more uniform where as in a 1-phase
motor it is pulsating. The amount of copper required in a certain amount of power over a
particular distance, is less compared to a single phase system.

1.1.2 Phase sequence:

It is the order in which the phase voltages will attain their maximum values. From the
fig it is seen that the voltage in A phase will attain maximum value first and followed by B
and C phases. Hence three phase sequence is ABC. This is also evident from phasor diagram
in which the phasors with its +ve direction of anti-clockwise rotation passes a fixed point is
the order ABC, ABC and so on. The phase sequence depends on the direction of rotation of
the coils in the magnetic field. If the coils rotate in the opposite direction then the phase
voltages attains maximum value in the order ACB. The phase sequence gets reversed with
direction of rotation. Then the voltage for this sequence can be represented as

ea  Em sin t
ec  Em sin(t  1200 )
eb  Em sin(t  2400 )

The RMS values of voltage can be expressed as

E A  E00
EC  E  1200
EB  E  2400
1.1.3 Star and Delta connection

The three phase windings have six terminals i.e., A,B,C are starting end of the
windings and A’,B’ and C’ are finishing ends of windings. For 3 phase systems two types of
common interconnections are employed.

1.1.3(a) Star connection: the finishing ends or starting ends of the three phase windings are
connected to a common point as shown in. A’, B’, C’ are connected to a common point called
neutral point. The other ends A, B, C are called line terminals and the common terminal
neutral are brought outside. Then it is called a 3 phase 4 wire star connected systems. If
neutral point is not available, then it is called 3 phase, 3 wire star connection.
 Fig.1.2

1.1.3(b) Delta connection: in this form of interconnection the dissimilar ends of the three
coils i.e A and B’, B and C’, and C and A’ are connected to form a closed Δ circuit (starting
end of one phase is connected to finishing end of the next phase). The three junction are
brought outside as line terminal A, B, C. the three phase windings are connected in series and
form a closed path. The sum of the voltages in the closed path for balanced system of
voltages at any instant will be zero fig.

Fig.1.3

The main advantage of star connection is that we can have two different 3-phase
voltages. The voltage that was the line terminals between A & B, B&C, and C & A are called
line voltages and form a balanced three phase voltage. Another voltage is between the
terminals A & N, B& N, and C &N are called phase voltage and form another balanced three
phase voltage (line to neutral voltage or wye voltage).

1.2 Relation between line and phase voltage and currents in balanced
systems:
 In this section we will derive the relation between line and phase values of voltages
and currents of 3-phase star connected and delta connected systems.

1.2.1 Star connection:

We will employ double subscript notation to represent voltages and currents. The
terminal corresponding to first subscript is assumed to be at a higher potential with respect to
the terminal corresponding to second subscript.

Fig.1.4

The voltage across each coil, i.e., the voltage between A & A’,B& B’, and C & C’ are called
phase voltages(acting from finishing end to starting end).

VAA, VBB, VCC, or VAN, VBN, VCN represent phase voltages.

The voltages across line terminals A & B, B & C, C & D are called line voltages. The
connection diagram and the corresponding phasor diagram of voltages is shown in fig. From
the star connected 3 phase system, it is clearly observed that whatever currents flow through
the lines A, B, C also flow through the respective phase windings. Hence in star connected
system, the phase currents and line currents are identical.

Phase current (Iph) = Line currents (IL)

 Iph= ILine

The voltage VAB between lines A and B is obtained by adding VAN and VNB respectively.

VAB = VAN+VNB = VAN - VBN

Similarly

VBC = VBN+VNC = VBN – VCN

VCA = VCN+VNA = VCN – VAN

The line voltage VAB is obtained by adding VAN with reversed vector of VBN.VAB bisects the
angle between VAN and -VBN

VAB2 = VL2= Vph2 + Vph2 + 2 VphVphcos 600

= 3Vph2

VAB = √3 Vph

Line voltage = √3 phase voltage

The line voltages VAB, VBC, VCA are equal in magnitude and differ in phase by 1200.
Hence they form a balanced 3-phase voltage of magnitude √3 Vph. The two voltages differ in
phase by 300. When the system is balanced, the three phase currents IA, IB, IC are balanced.
The magnitude and phase angle of current is determined by circuit parameters.

IA, IB, IC are line or phase currents. The current in the neutral wire is IN and is by applying
kirchoff’s current law at star point, we get

IN = -( IA+ IB+ IC)

If the currents are balanced, then the neutral current is zero.

1.2.2 Delta connection or MESH connection:

Fig.1.5.
 The currents flowing through the phase windings IAA’, IBB’, and ICC’ or IAB, IBC, and
ICA are called phase currents and are balanced as shown in phase diagram Fig.1.5.

By applying KCL at node A

IA+ICA = IAB , IA = IAB - ICA

Similarly by applying KCL at nodes B and C

IB = IBC - IABIC = ICA - IBC

The line current IA is obtained by adding IAB and –ICA vectorially. IA bisects the angle
between IAB and -ICA

IA2 = ILine2= Iph2 + Iph2 + 2 IphIphcos 600

= 3Iph2

IL = √3 Iph

Line current(IL) = √3 phase voltage(Iph)

The line current IA, IB, IC and also equal and differ in phase by 1200. They form a balanced
system of currents. The line and phase currents differ in phase by 300.

1.3 Analysis of balanced three phase circuits

A set of three impedances interconnected in the form of a star or delta form a 3-phase
star or delta connected load. If the three impedances are identical and equal then it is a
balanced 3-phase load, otherwise it is an unbalanced 3-phase load.

The analysis of balanced 3-phase circuits is illustrated as follows

1.3.1 Balanced delta connected load:

Fig.1.6
Let us consider a balanced 3-phase delta connected load

Determination of phase voltages:

VAB = V∠00, VBC = V∠-1200, VCA = V∠ − 2400= V∠1200

Determination of phase currents:

Phase current = Phase voltage/ Load impedance

VAB VBC VCA
IAB= ; IBC= ; ICA=
Z Z Z

Determination of line currents:

Line currents are calculated by applying KCL at nodes A,B,C

IA = IAB – ICA ; IB = IBC - IAB ; IC = ICA - IBC

Note: Line currents are also balanced and equal to √3phase current.

1.3.2 Balanced star connected load:

Fig.1.7

Let us consider a balanced 3-phase star connected load.

For star connection, phase voltage= Line voltage/(√3)

For ABC sequence, the phase voltage is polar form are taken as

VAN = Vph∠ − 900 ; VCN = Vph∠1500 ; VBN = Vph∠300

For star connection line currents and phase currents are equal
VAN VBN VCN
IA = ; IB = ; IC = ;
Z Z Z

To determine the current in the neutral wire apply KVL at star point

IN + IA + IB + IC =0

IN = -( IA + IB + IC) (since they are balanced)

 In a balanced system the neutral current is zero. Hence if the load is balanced, the
current and voltage will be same whether neutral wire is connected or not. Hence for a
balanced 3-phase star connected load, whether the supply is 3-phase 3 wire or 3-phase 4 wire,
it is immaterial. In case of unbalanced load, there will be neutral current.