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Three-Phase Systems: 120 T Cos V V T Cos V V
Three-Phase Systems: 120 T Cos V V T Cos V V
1. Introduction
Three-phase systems are commonly used in generation, transmission and distribution of
electric power. Power in a three-phase system is constant rather than pulsating and three-phase
motors start and run much better than single-phase motors. A three-phase system is a
generator-load pair in which the generator produces three sinusoidal voltages of equal
amplitude and frequency but differing in phase by 120 from each other.
The phase voltages va(t), vb(t) and vc(t) are as follows
v a Vm cos t
v b V m cos t 120
v c Vm cos t 240
(1)
Vc Vm e j240 .
(2)
Va
Ia
Za
Vb
Ib
Zb
Vc
Ic
Zc
In
Fig.1
A three-phase system is shown in Fig 1. In a special case all impedances are identical
Za
(3)
Zb
V
Ib b
Z
V
Ic c .
Z
Zc
1
Va Vb Vc
Z
(4)
where
Va Vb Vc Vm 1 e j120 e j240
1
3 1
3
0.
Vm 1 cos 120 j sin 120 cos 240 j sin 240 Vm 1 j
j
2
2
2
2
(5)
Since the current flowing though the fourth wire is zero, the wire can be removed (see
Fig.2)
Va
Ia
Vb
Ib
Vc
Ic
Fig. 2
The system of connecting the voltage sources and the load branches, as depicted in Fig. 2, is
called the Y system or the star system. Point n is called the neutral point of the generator and
point n is called the neutral point of the load.
Each branch of the generator or load is called a phase. The wires connecting the supply to
the load are called the lines. In the Y-system shown in Fig. 2 each line current is equal to the
corresponding phase current, whereas the line-to-line voltages ( or simply line voltages ) are
not equal to the phase voltages.
2 Y-connected systems
Now we consider the Y-connected generator sources ( see Fig. 3).
Va
Vb
Vc
Vab
Vca
Vbc
Fig.3
The phasors of the phase voltages can be generally written as follows
Va V Vme j
o
Vb Ve j120
Vc Ve j240
(6)
We determine the line voltages Vab, Vbc, Vca ( see Fig.3). Using KVL, we obtain
3
1
3
3
Vab Va Vb Va 1 j
Va
j
2
2
2
2
3
Va
j tan 1
3
3
Va 3e j30 .
Thus,
Vab Va 3 e j30
(7)
holds and similarly we obtain
Vbc Vb 3 e j30
(8)
Vca Vc 3 e j30
(9)
The phasor diagram showing the phase and line voltages is shown in Fig.4.
Vab
Vc
30
Va
30
Vca
30
Vb
Vbc
Fig.4
Thus, the line voltages Vab, Vbc, Vca form a symmetrical set of phasors leading by 30 the set
representing the phase voltages and they are 3 times greater.
Vab Vbc Vca
3 Va
(10)
Za=Z
Va
Vab
Vca
Zc=Z
Zb=Z
Vc
Vb
b
Vbc
c
Fig.5
Zp
Ia
Vb
Ib
Vc
Zp
Zp
Ic
Zn
Za
Zb
Zc
In
Vn
Fig.6
Using the node n as the datum, we express the currents I a, Ib, Ic and In in terms of the node
voltage Vn
Ia
Va Vn
Za Zp
(11)
Ib
Vb Vn
Zb Zp
(12)
Ic
Vc Vn
Zc Zp
(13)
In
Vn
.
Zn
(14)
0
Z n Za Z p Z b Z p Zc Z p
Za Zp Zb Zp Zc Zp
Vn
.
1
1
1
1
Zn Za Zp Zb Zp Zc Zp
(15)
The above relationships enable us to formulate a method for the analysis of three-phase
systems. The method consists of three steps as follows:
(i)
( ii )
( iii )
When the neutral wire is removed, the system contains three connecting wires and is called
a three-wire system. In such a case we set Z n into (15)
Va
Vb
Vc
Za Zp Zb Zp Zc Zp
Vn
.
1
1
1
Za Zp Zb Zp Zc Zp
(16)
The balanced system can be considered as a special case of the unbalanced system, where Z a
= Zb = Zc = Z. Using (16), we obtain
Vn
1
Va Vb Vc
Z Zp
3
Z Zp
0 .
(17)
Va
Z Zp
(18)
Ib
Vb
Z Zp
(19)
Ic
Vc
.
Z Zp
(20)
Zp
Va
Va
n
Fig.7
This means that the analysis of a balanced three-phase system can be reduced to the analysis of
one-phase system depicted in Fig.7.
Example
Let us consider three-phase system shown in Fig.8. The system is supplied with a balanced
three-phase generator, whereas the load is unbalanced.
The effective value of the generator phase voltage is 220V, the impedance of any connecting
wire is Z p 2 j2 and the phase impedances of the load are Za 2 j4 ,
Zb 4 j2 , Zc 2 j4 . We wish to determine the line currents.
Va
Zp
Vb
Zp
Vc
Ia
Vab
Ib
Vca
Zp
Za
Ic
Zb
n
Vbc
Zc
Vn
Fig.8
Since the circuit of Fig.8 is a three-wire system, we apply equation (16) to compute Vn. The
phase generator voltages are
Va 220 2 V
1
3
155.56 j269.44 V
Vb Va e j120 220 2 j
2
2
1
3
155.56 j269.44 V .
Vc Va e j240 220 2 j
2
2
4 j6
6
4 j6
Vn
97.5 j61.2 V .
1
1
1
4 j6 6 4 j6
Va Vn
220 2 97.5 j61.2
23.49 j19.94 A
Za Z p
2 j4 2 j2
Ib
Vb Vn
155.56 j269.44 97.5 j61.2
42.18 j34.70 A
Zb Zp
4 j2 2 j2
Ic
Vc Vn
155.56 j269.44 97.5 j61.2
18.68 j54.63 A .
Zc Z p
2 j4 2 j2
In the balanced systems, the average power consumed by each load branch is the same and
given by
~
Pav Veff I eff cos
(21)
where Veff is the effective value of the phase voltage, Ieff is the effective value of the phase
current and is the angle of the impedance. The total average power consumed by the load is
the sum of those consumed by each branch, hence, we have
~
Pav 3Pav 3Veff I eff cos
(22)
In the balanced Y systems, the phase current has the same amplitude as the line current
Ieff I eff L , whereas the line voltage has the effective value Veff L which is 3 times
greater than the effective value of the phase voltage, Veff L 3Veff . Hence, using (22), we
obtain
Pav 3
Veff L
3
Ieff L cos
(23)
Similarly, we derive
Px
(24)
(25)
(26)
In order to measure the average power in a three-phase Y-connected load, we use three
wattmeters connected as shown in Fig.9.
The reading of the wattmeter W1 is
PW1
1
1
Re Va I a Vm a I m a cos a Veff a I eff a cos a Pa .
2
2
a
*
Ia
Za
W1
Va
Ib
Zb
W2
Vb
*
c
*
Zc
Ic
W3
Vc
Fig. 9
Similarly, W2 and W3 measure the average power of the load branch b and c, respectively. Thus,
the sum of the three readings will give the total average power. This method of the average
power measurement is valid for both balanced and unbalanced Y-connected loads. Note that in
the case of a balanced Y-connected load all three readings are identical and therefore we use
only one wattmeter.
For measuring average power in a three-phase three-wire system, we can use a method
exploiting two wattmeters. In this method two wattmeters are connected by choosing any one
line as the common reference for the voltage coils of the wattmeters. The current coils are
connected in series with the other two lines ( see Fig.10) and the asterisk terminals of each
wattmeter are short-circuited ( see Fig.10).
*
a
*
Vac
Ia
W1
b
*
Vbc
c
Ib
Load
W2
Ic
Fig.10
The indications of the wattmeters are
PW1
1
Re Vac I a
2
(27)
PW2
1
Re Vbc I b .
2
(28)
Va
Ia
a
Vac b
Ib
Vbc
c
Ic
Za
Vb
Zb
Vc
Zc
Fig.11
Since Vac = Va - Vc and Vbc = Vb - Vc, we obtain
1
1
Re Va Vc Ia Va Ia Vc Ia ,
2
2
1
1
Re Vb Vc Ib Vb Ib Vc Ib .
2
2
PW1
PW2
1
Re Va I a Vb I b Vc I a I b .
2
(29)
or
Ia + Ib = - I c
(30)
1
Re Va I a Vb I b Vc I c Pav .
2
(31)
Equation (31) says that the sum of the two wattmeters readings in a Y-connected system
equals the total average power consumed by the load.
Let us consider a balanced Y-connected load and calculate the instantaneous power
delivered by the generator to the load
p t va t ia t v b t i b t vc t i c t
where
10
(32)
v a t Vm cos t
cos t 240
v b t Vm cos t 120o
v c t Vm
and
(33)
i a t Vm cos t
cos t 240
i b t Vm cos t 120
i c t Vm
(34)
where v a t , v b t , v c t are the voltages of the load branches, i a t , i b t , i c t are the currents
of the load branches and is the angle of the load impedance. We substitute (33)-(34) in (32)
1
cos x y cos x y ,
2
finding
p t
1
VmI m 3 cos cos 2t cos 2t 240o cos 2t 480o .
Since
we obtain
p t
3
Vm I m cos 3Veff I eff cos Pav
2
(35)
Thus, the total instantaneous power p(t) delivered by a three-phase generator to the balanced
load is constant and equals the average power consumed by the load.
11