He who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must

pass himself.
—G. Herbert

Developing and enhancing your “ability to identify, formulate, and

solve engineering problems” is a primary focus of textbook. Follow-
ing our six step problem-solving process is the best way to practice
this skill. Our recommendation is that you use this process whenever
possible. You may be pleased to learn that this process works well for
nonengineering courses.

“An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility” is required

of every engineer. To some extent, this understanding is very personal
for each of us. Let us identify some pointers to help you develop this
understanding. One of my favorite examples is that an engineer has the
responsibility to answer what I call the “unasked question.” For
Photo by Charles Alexander
instance, assume that you own a car that has a problem with the trans-
mission. In the process of selling that car, the prospective buyer asks
you if there is a problem in the right-front wheel bearing. You answer
no. However, as an engineer, you are required to inform the buyer that
there is a problem with the transmission without being asked.
Your responsibility both professionally and ethically is to perform
in a manner that does not harm those around you and to whom you are
responsible. Clearly, developing this capability will take time and matu-
rity on your part. I recommend practicing this by looking for profes-
sional and ethical components in your day-to-day activities.
 So far in this text, we have dealt with single-phase circuits. A single-phase
ac power system consists of a generator connected through a pair of wires
(a transmission line) to a load. Figure 12.1(a) depicts a single-phase two-
wire system, where V is the rms magnitude of the source voltage and
is the phase. What is more common in practice is a single-phase three-
wire system, shown in Fig. 12.1(b). It contains two identical sources
(equal magnitude and the same phase) that are connected to two loads by
two outer wires and the neutral. For example, the normal household sys-
tem is a single-phase three-wire system because the terminal voltages
have the same magnitude and the same phase. Such a system allows the
connection of both 120-V and 240-V appliances.

a A

Vp + ZL1
n N

Vp + ZL Vp + ZL2
b B

(a) (b)

Single-phase systems: (a) two-wire type, (b) three-wire type.

a A Circuits or systems in which the ac sources operate at the same fre-

quency but different phases are known as polyphase. Figure 12.2 shows
Vp 0 + ZL1 a two-phase three-wire system, and Fig. 12.3 shows a three-phase four-
n N wire system. As distinct from a single-phase system, a two-phase system
is produced by a generator consisting of two coils placed perpendicular
Vp 90 + ZL2 to each other so that the voltage generated by one lags the other by 90 .
b B
By the same token, a three-phase system is produced by a generator con-
sisting of three sources having the same amplitude and frequency but out
Two-phase three-wire system. of phase with each other by 120 . Since the three-phase system is by far
the most prevalent and most economical polyphase system, discussion in
this chapter is mainly on three-phase systems.
Three-phase systems are important for at least three reasons. First,
nearly all electric power is generated and distributed in three-phase, at
the operating frequency of 60 Hz (or 377 rad/s) in the United
Vp 0
a A ZL1 States or 50 Hz (or 314 rad/s) 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
Vp 120
b B ZL2 more than three phases are needed—such as in the aluminum industry,
+ where 48 phases are required for melting purposes—they can be provided
by manipulating the three phases supplied. Second, the instantaneous
Vp 120
c C ZL3 power in a three-phase system can be constant (not pulsating), as we
+ will see in Section 12.7. This results in uniform power transmission
and less vibration of three-phase machines. Third, for the same amount
n N
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
Three-phase four-wire system. than that required for an equivalent single-phase system.
 (1856–1943) was a Croatian-American engineer whose
inventions—among them the induction motor and the first polyphase ac
power system—greatly influenced the settlement of the ac versus dc de-
bate in favor of ac. He was also responsible for the adoption of 60 Hz as
the standard for ac power systems in the United States.
Born in Austria-Hungary (now Croatia), to a clergyman, Tesla had
an incredible memory and a keen affinity for mathematics. He moved
to the United States in 1884 and first worked for Thomas Edison. At
that time, the country was in the “battle of the currents” with George
Westinghouse (1846–1914) promoting ac and Thomas Edison rigidly
leading the dc forces. Tesla left Edison and joined Westinghouse
because of his interest in ac. Through Westinghouse, Tesla gained the
reputation and acceptance of his polyphase ac generation, transmission,
and distribution system. He held 700 patents in his lifetime. His other Courtesy Smithsonian
Institution
inventions include high-voltage apparatus (the tesla coil) and a wire-
less transmission system. The unit of magnetic flux density, the tesla,
was named in honor of him.

We begin with a discussion of balanced three-phase voltages. Then

we analyze each of the four possible configurations of balanced three-
phase systems. We also discuss the analysis of unbalanced three-phase
systems. We learn how to use PSpice for Windows to analyze a bal-
anced or unbalanced three-phase system. Finally, we apply the concepts
developed in this chapter to three-phase power measurement and resi-
dential electrical wiring.

Three-phase voltages are often produced with a three-phase ac gener-

ator (or alternator) whose cross-sectional view is shown in Fig. 12.4.
The generator basically consists of a rotating magnet (called the rotor)
surrounded by a stationary winding (called the stator). Three separate

Three-
phase b c
output
b N a Stator
c
Rotor

a S b

A three-phase generator.
 Van Vbn Vcn windings or coils with terminals a-a , b-b , and c-c are physically
placed 120 apart around the stator. Terminals a and a , for example,
stand for one of the ends of coils going into and the other end coming
0
out of the page. As the rotor rotates, its magnetic field “cuts” the flux
120 240 t 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 (Fig. 12.5). Since each coil can be
regarded as a single-phase generator by itself, the three-phase genera-
The generated voltages are 120 apart tor can supply power to both single-phase and three-phase loads.
from each other. A typical three-phase system consists of three voltage sources con-
nected to loads by three or four wires (or transmission lines). (Three-
phase current sources are very scarce.) A three-phase system is
equivalent to three single-phase circuits. The voltage sources can be
either wye-connected as shown in Fig. 12.6(a) or delta-connected as in
Fig. 12.6(b).

a a
+ Van
n Vca + Vab
Vcn Vbn
b + b
Vbc
c c
(a) (b)

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

source.

Vcn
Let us consider the wye-connected voltages in Fig. 12.6(a) for
now. The voltages V , V , and V are respectively between lines a, b,
120 and c, and the neutral line n. These voltages are called phase voltages.
120
If the voltage sources have the same amplitude and frequency and
Van are out of phase with each other by 120 , the voltages are said to be
120 balanced. This implies that
V V V 0 (12.1)
Vbn
V V V (12.2)
(a)
Thus,
Vbn

.
120

120
Since the three-phase voltages are 120 out of phase with each
Van other, there are two possible combinations. One possibility is shown in
120 Fig. 12.7(a) and expressed mathematically as

Vcn
V V 0
(b) V V 120 (12.3)

Phase sequences: (a) abc or positive V V 240 V 120

sequence, (b) acb or negative sequence.
where V is the effective or rms value of the phase voltages. This is
known as the abc sequence or positive sequence. In this phase sequence,
V leads V , which in turn leads V . This sequence is produced when
the rotor in Fig. 12.4 rotates counterclockwise. The other possibility is
shown in Fig. 12.7(b) and is given by

V V 0
V V 120 (12.4)
V V 240 V 120

This is called the acb sequence or negative sequence. For this phase
sequence, V leads V , which in turn leads V . The acb sequence is
produced when the rotor in Fig. 12.4 rotates in the clockwise direction.
It is easy to show that the voltages in Eqs. (12.3) or (12.4) satisfy
Eqs. (12.1) and (12.2). For example, from Eq. (12.3),
V V V V 0 V 120 V 120
V (1.0 0.5 j0.866 0.5 j0.866) (12.5)
0

The phase sequence is determined by the order in which the phasors

pass through a fixed point in the phase diagram.
In Fig. 12.7(a), as the phasors rotate in the counterclockwise
direction with frequency , they pass through the horizontal axis in a
sequence abcabca . . . . Thus, the sequence is abc or bca or cab. Sim-
ilarly, for the phasors in Fig. 12.7(b), as they rotate in the counter- a
clockwise direction, they pass the horizontal axis in a sequence
acbacba . . . . This describes the acb sequence. The phase sequence is b
Z2
important in three-phase power distribution. It determines the direc-
tion of the rotation of a motor connected to the power source, for n Z1
example.
Z3
Like the generator connections, a three-phase load can be either
wye-connected or delta-connected, depending on the end application. c
Figure 12.8(a) shows a wye-connected load, and Fig. 12.8(b) shows a
(a)
delta-connected load. The neutral line in Fig. 12.8(a) may or may not
be there, depending on whether the system is four- or three-wire. (And, a
of course, a neutral connection is topologically impossible for a delta
Zc Zb
connection.) A wye- or delta-connected load is said to be unbalanced
if the phase impedances are not equal in magnitude or phase. b
Za
c
(b)

For a balanced wye-connected load, Two possible three-phase load configura-

tions: (a) a Y-connected load, (b) a
Z Z Z Z (12.6) -connected load.
where Z is the load impedance per phase. For a balanced delta-
connected load,
Z Z Z Z (12.7)
where Z is the load impedance per phase in this case. We recall from
Eq. (9.69) that
1
Z 3Z or Z Z (12.8)
3
so we know that a wye-connected load can be transformed into a delta-
connected load, or vice versa, using Eq. (12.8).
Since both the three-phase source and the three-phase load can be
either wye- or delta-connected, we have four possible connections:
• Y-Y connection (i.e., Y-connected source with a Y-connected
load).
• Y- connection.
• - connection.
• -Y connection.
In subsequent sections, we will consider each of these possible con-
figurations.
It is appropriate to mention here that a balanced delta-connected
load is more common than a balanced wye-connected load. This is due
to the ease with which loads may be added or removed from each phase
of a delta-connected load. This is very difficult with a wye-connected
load because the neutral may not be accessible. On the other hand,
delta-connected sources are not common in practice because of the cir-
culating current that will result in the delta-mesh if the three-phase volt-
ages are slightly unbalanced.

Determine the phase sequence of the set of voltages

200 cos( t 10 )
200 cos( t 230 ), 200 cos( t 110 )

The voltages can be expressed in phasor form as

V 200 10 V, V 200 230 V, V 200 110 V

We notice that V leads V by 120 and V in turn leads V by 120 .

Hence, we have an acb sequence.

Given that V 110 30 V, find V and V , assuming a positive

(abc) sequence.

110 150 V, 110 90 V.

We begin with the Y-Y system, because any balanced three-phase sys-
tem can be reduced to an equivalent Y-Y system. Therefore, analysis
of this system should be regarded as the key to solving all balanced
three-phase systems.

Consider the balanced four-wire Y-Y system of Fig. 12.9, where a

Y-connected load is connected to a Y-connected source. We assume a
balanced load so that load impedances are equal. Although the imped-
ance Z is the total load impedance per phase, it may also be regarded
as the sum of the source impedance Z , line impedance Z , and load
impedance Z for each phase, since these impedances are in series. As
illustrated in Fig. 12.9, Z denotes the internal impedance of the phase
winding of the generator; Z is the impedance of the line joining a
phase of the source with a phase of the load; Z is the impedance of
each phase of the load; and Z is the impedance of the neutral line.
Thus, in general
Z Z Z Z (12.9)

Zl
a A

Zs
ZL
Van + Zn
n N

Vcn + + Vbn ZL ZL

Zs Zs

b C B
c
Zl

Zl

A balanced Y-Y system, showing the source, line,

Ia
and load impedances.
a A

Van + In ZY
Z and Z are often very small compared with Z , so one can assume
that Z Z if no source or line impedance is given. In any event, by n N
lumping the impedances together, the Y-Y system in Fig. 12.9 can be Vcn + + Vbn ZY ZY
simplified to that shown in Fig. 12.10.
c Ib
Assuming the positive sequence, the phase voltages (or line-to- C B
neutral voltages) are Ic b
V V 0
(12.10)
V V 120 , V V 120 Balanced Y-Y connection.
 The line-to-line voltages or simply line voltages V , V , and V are
related to the phase voltages. For example,
V V V V V V 0 V 120
1 3 (12.11a)
V 1 j ) 3V 30
2 2
Similarly, we can obtain
V V V 3V 90 (12.11b)
V V V 3V 210 (12.11c)
Thus, the magnitude of the line voltages V is 3 times the magnitude
of the phase voltages V , or

V 3V (12.12)

where
V V V V (12.13)
and
V V V V (12.14)
Also the line voltages lead their corresponding phase voltages by 30 .
Figure 12.11(a) illustrates this. Figure 12.11(a) also shows how to
determine V from the phase voltages, while Fig. 12.11(b) shows the
same for the three line voltages. Notice that V leads V by 120 , and
V leads V by 120 , so that the line voltages sum up to zero as do
the phase voltages.
Vnb Vab = Van + Vnb Applying KVL to each phase in Fig. 12.10, we obtain the line cur-
Vcn rents as
30 V V V 120
Van I , I I 120
Z Z Z
(12.15)
V V 240
I I 240
Vbn Z Z
(a) We can readily infer that the line currents add up to zero,
Vca Vcn Vab I I I 0 (12.16)
so that
I (I I I) 0 (12.17a)
Van
or
Vbn V ZI 0 (12.17b)
that is, the voltage across the neutral wire is zero. The neutral line can
thus be removed without affecting the system. In fact, in long distance
Vbc power transmission, conductors in multiples of three are used with the
(b)
earth itself acting as the neutral conductor. Power systems designed in
this way are well grounded at all critical points to ensure safety.
Phasor diagrams illustrating the relation- While the line current is the current in each line, the phase current
ship between line voltages and phase is the current in each phase of the source or load. In the Y-Y system, the
voltages. line current is the same as the phase current. We will use single subscripts
for line currents because it is natural and conventional to assume that line a
Ia
A
currents flow from the source to the load.
An alternative way of analyzing a balanced Y-Y system is to do Van + ZY
so on a “per phase” basis. We look at one phase, say phase a, and ana-
lyze the single-phase equivalent circuit in Fig. 12.12. The single-phase
n N
analysis yields the line current I as
A single-phase equivalent circuit.
V
I (12.18)
Z

From I , we use the phase sequence to obtain other line currents. Thus,
as long as the system is balanced, we need only analyze one phase.
We may do this even if the neutral line is absent, as in the three-wire
system.

Calculate the line currents in the three-wire Y-Y system of Fig. 12.13.

5 – j2 A
a

+ 110 0 V

10 + j8

110 240 V + + 110 120 V

5 – j2 B 10 + j8
b
c

10 + j8
5 – j2 C

Three-wire Y-Y system; for Example 12.2.

The three-phase circuit in Fig. 12.13 is balanced; we may replace it

with its single-phase equivalent circuit such as in Fig. 12.12. We obtain
I from the single-phase analysis as
V
I
Z
where Z (5 j2) (10 j8) 15 j6 16.155 21.8 . Hence,

110 0
I 6.81 21.8 A
16.155 21.8

Since the source voltages in Fig. 12.13 are in positive sequence, the
line currents are also in positive sequence:
I I 120 6.81 141.8 A
I I 240 6.81 261.8 A 6.81 98.2 A
A Y-connected balanced three-phase generator with an impedance of
0.4 j0.3 per phase is connected to a Y-connected balanced load
with an impedance of 24 j19 per phase. The line joining the gen-
erator and the load has an impedance of 0.6 j0.7 per phase.
Assuming a positive sequence for the source voltages and that V
120 30 V, find: (a) the line voltages, (b) the line currents.

(a) 207.85 60 V, 207.85 60 V, 207.85 180 V,

(b) 3.75 8.66 A, 3.75 128.66 A, 3.75 111.34 A.

The balanced Y-delta system is shown in Fig. 12.14, where the

source is Y-connected and the load is -connected. There is, of course,
no neutral connection from source to load for this case. Assuming the
positive sequence, the phase voltages are again
V V 0
(12.19)
V V 120 , V V 120
As shown in Section 12.3, the line voltages are
V 3V 30 V , V 3V 90 V
(12.20)
V 3V 150 V
showing that the line voltages are equal to the voltages across the load
impedances for this system configuration. From these voltages, we can
obtain the phase currents as
V V V
I , I , I (12.21)
Z Z Z
These currents have the same magnitude but are out of phase with each
other by 120 .
Ia
a

Van +

n A
I AB
Z
Vcn + + Vbn
Z ICA
Ib Z
b B
c C
Ic I BC

Balanced Y- connection.
 Another way to get these phase currents is to apply KVL. For
example, applying KVL around loop aABbna gives
V Z I V 0
or
V V V V
I (12.22)
Z Z Z
which is the same as Eq. (12.21). This is the more general way of find-
ing the phase currents.
The line currents are obtained from the phase currents by apply-
ing KCL at nodes A, B, and C. Thus,
I I I , I I I , I I I (12.23)
Since I I 240 ,

I I I I (1 1 240 )
I (1 0.5 j0.866) I 3 30 (12.24)

showing that the magnitude I of the line current is 3 times the mag-
nitude I of the phase current, or

I 3I (12.25)

where
Ic
I I I I (12.26)
and
I CA 30
I I I I (12.27)
Also, the line currents lag the corresponding phase currents by 30 , I AB
assuming the positive sequence. Figure 12.15 is a phasor diagram illus- 30
trating the relationship between the phase and line currents.
30 Ia
An alternative way of analyzing the Y- circuit is to transform
the -connected load to an equivalent Y-connected load. Using the -Y Ib I BC
transformation formula in Eq. (12.8),
Phasor diagram illustrating the relationship
between phase and line currents.
Z
Z (12.28)
3
Ia
After this transformation, we now have a Y-Y system as in Fig. 12.10.
The three-phase Y- system in Fig. 12.14 can be replaced by the single- Z
Van +
phase equivalent circuit in Fig. 12.16. This allows us to calculate only 3
the line currents. The phase currents are obtained using Eq. (12.25) and
utilizing the fact that each of the phase currents leads the correspon- A single-phase equivalent circuit of a bal-
ding line current by 30 . anced Y- circuit.

A balanced abc-sequence Y-connected source with V 100 10 V

is connected to a -connected balanced load (8 j4) per phase. Cal-
culate the phase and line currents.
This can be solved in two ways.

The load impedance is

Z 8 j4 8.944 26.57
If the phase voltage V 100 10 , then the line voltage is

V V 3 30 100 3 10 30 V
or
V 173.2 40 V
The phase currents are

V 173.2 40
I 19.36 13.43 A
Z 8.944 26.57
I I 120 19.36 106.57 A
I I 120 19.36 133.43 A
The line currents are
I I 3 30 3(19.36) 13.43 30
33.53 16.57 A
I I 120 33.53 136.57 A
I I 120 33.53 103.43 A

Alternatively, using single-phase analysis,

V 100 10
I 33.54 16.57 A
Z 3 2.981 26.57
as above. Other line currents are obtained using the abc phase sequence.

One line voltage of a balanced Y-connected source is V

240 20 V. If the source is connected to a -connected load of
20 40 , find the phase and line currents. Assume the abc sequence.

12 60 A, 12 180 A, 12 60 A, 20.79 90 A,
20.79 150 A, 20.79 30 A.

The source as well as the load may be delta-connected as shown

in Fig. 12.17. Our goal is to obtain the phase and line currents as usual.
 Ia
a A
IAB
Z
Vca + Vab
+
Z
ICA
Ib
c + C
b B
Vbc Ic IBC Z

A balanced - connection.

Assuming a positive sequence, the phase voltages for a delta-connected

source are
V V 0
(12.29)
V V 120 , V V 120
The line voltages are the same as the phase voltages. From Fig. 12.17,
assuming there is no line impedances, the phase voltages of the delta-
connected source are equal to the voltages across the impedances; that is,
V V , V V , V V (12.30)
Hence, the phase currents are
V V V V
I , I
Z Z Z Z
(12.31)
V V
I
Z Z
Since the load is delta-connected just as in the previous section, some
of the formulas derived there apply here. The line currents are obtained
from the phase currents by applying KCL at nodes A, B, and C, as we
did in the previous section:
I I I , I I I , I I I (12.32)
Also, as shown in the last section, each line current lags the correspond-
ing phase current by 30 ; the magnitude I of the line current is 3 times
the magnitude I of the phase current,
I 3I (12.33)
An alternative way of analyzing the - circuit is to convert both
the source and the load to their Y equivalents. We already know that
Z Z 3. To convert a -connected source to a Y-connected source,
see the next section.

A balanced -connected load having an impedance 20 j15 is

connected to a -connected, positive-sequence generator having
V 330 0 V. Calculate the phase currents of the load and the line
currents.
The load impedance per phase is
Z 20 j15 25 36.87
Since V V , the phase currents are
V 330 0
I 13.2 36.87 A
Z 25 36.87
I I 120 13.2 83.13 A
I I 120 13.2 156.87 A
For a delta load, the line current always lags the corresponding phase
current by 30 and has a magnitude 3 times that of the phase current.
Hence, the line currents are
I I 3 30 (13.2 36.87 )( 3 30 )
22.86 6.87 A
I I 120 22.86 113.13 A
I I 120 22.86 126.87 A

A positive-sequence, balanced -connected source supplies a balanced

-connected load. If the impedance per phase of the load is 18 j12
and I 19.202 35 A, find I and V .

11.094 65 A, 240 98.69 V.

Consider the -Y circuit in Fig. 12.18. Again, assuming the abc

sequence, the phase voltages of a delta-connected source are
V V 0, V V 120
(12.34)
V V 120
These are also the line voltages as well as the phase voltages.
We can obtain the line currents in many ways. One way is to apply
KVL to loop aANBba in Fig. 12.18, writing
V Z I Z I 0
or
Z (I I) V V 0
Thus,
V 0
I I (12.35)
Z
 Ia
a A

ZY

Vca + Vab N
+
ZY ZY
Ib
c + C
b B
Vbc Ic

A balanced -Y connection.

But I lags I by 120 , since we assumed the abc sequence; that is,
I I 120 . Hence,
I I I (1 1 120 )
1 3 (12.36)
I 1 j I 3 30
2 2
Substituting Eq. (12.36) into Eq. (12.35) gives
V 3 30
I (12.37)
Z
From this, we obtain the other line currents I and I using the posi-
tive phase sequence, i.e., I I 120 , I I 120 . The phase
currents are equal to the line currents.
Another way to obtain the line currents is to replace the delta-
connected source with its equivalent wye-connected source, as shown
in Fig. 12.19. In Section 12.3, we found that the line-to-line voltages a
of a wye-connected source lead their corresponding phase voltages by
30 . Therefore, we obtain each phase voltage of the equivalent wye- + V
an
connected source by dividing the corresponding line voltage of the +
Vca + n Vab
delta-connected source by 3 and shifting its phase by 30 . Thus,
the equivalent wye-connected source has the phase voltages + Vbn +
Vcn
V c + b
V 30
3 Vbc
(12.38)
V V
V 150 , V 90 Transforming a -connected source to an
3 3 equivalent Y-connected source.
If the delta-connected source has source impedance Z per phase, the
equivalent wye-connected source will have a source impedance of Z 3
per phase, according to Eq. (9.69).
Once the source is transformed to wye, the circuit becomes a wye-
wye system. Therefore, we can use the equivalent single-phase circuit Ia
shown in Fig. 12.20, from which the line current for phase a is
Vp 30
+ ZY
V 3 30 3
I (12.39)
Z
which is the same as Eq. (12.37). The single-phase equivalent circuit.
 Alternatively, we may transform the wye-connected load to an
equivalent delta-connected load. This results in a delta-delta system,
which can be analyzed as in Section 12.5. Note that
V
V I Z 30
3 (12.40)
V V 120 , V V 120
As stated earlier, the delta-connected load is more desirable than
the wye-connected load. It is easier to alter the loads in any one phase
of the delta-connected loads, as the individual loads are connected
directly across the lines. However, the delta-connected source is hardly
used in practice, because any slight imbalance in the phase voltages
will result in unwanted circulating currents.
Table 12.1 presents a summary of the formulas for phase cur-
rents and voltages and line currents and voltages for the four con-
nections. Students are advised not to memorize the formulas but to
understand how they are derived. The formulas can always be

Connection Phase voltages/currents Line voltages/currents

Y-Y V V 0 V 3V 30
V V 120 V V 120
V V 120 V V 120
Same as line currents I V Z
I I 120
I I 120
Y- V V 0 V V 3V 30
V V 120 V V V 120
V V 120 V V V 120
I V Z I I 3 30
I V Z I I 120
I V Z I I 120
- V V 0 Same as phase voltages
V V 120
V V 120
I V Z I I 3 30
I V Z I I 120
I V Z I I 120
-Y V V 0 Same as phase voltages
V V 120
V V 120
V 30
Same as line currents I
3Z
I I 120
I I 120

Positive or abc sequence is assumed.

obtained by directly applying KCL and KVL to the appropriate three-
phase circuits.

A balanced Y-connected load with a phase impedance of 40 j25 is

supplied by a balanced, positive sequence -connected source with a line
voltage of 210 V. Calculate the phase currents. Use V as reference.

The load impedance is

Z 40 j25 47.17 32
and the source voltage is
V 210 0 V
When the -connected source is transformed to a Y-connected source,
V
V 30 121.2 30 V
3
The line currents are

V 121.2 30
I 2.57 62 A
Z 47.12 32
I I 120 2.57 178 A
I I 120 2.57 58 A
which are the same as the phase currents.

In a balanced -Y circuit, V 240 15 and Z (12 j15) .

Calculate the line currents.

7.21 66.34 A, 7.21 173.66 A, 7.21 53.66 A.

Let us now consider the power in a balanced three-phase system. We

begin by examining the instantaneous power absorbed by the load. This
requires that the analysis be done in the time domain. For a Y-connected
load, the phase voltages are
2V cos t, 2V cos( t 120 )
(12.41)
2V cos( t 120 )
where the factor 2 is necessary because V has been defined as the rms
value of the phase voltage. If Z Z , the phase currents lag behind
their corresponding phase voltages by . Thus,
i 2I cos( t ), i 2I cos( t 120 ) (12.42)
i 2I cos( t 120 )