BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Course No: EEE 412

Course Name: Power System II Laboratory

Experiment No: 01
Name of Experiment: Observation of Power Quality

Date of
Performance:17/06/2023

Date of
Submission:8/7/2023

Submitted by:
Al Amin Shawon
ID:1806098
Objective:
In this experiment, a three phase star connected load is supplied by a three phase star connected
source. Ground return path may or may not be provided to a star connected system. In this
experiment, the functions of different combination of ground connections to source side and the load
side have been observed. Thus, this experiment serves the following purposes:

1. To understand the importance of grounding.

2. To observe how grounding mitigates voltage imbalance.

Theory:
Earth represents a huge conductor almost as an equipotential plane at “zero” volts. However,
depending uponthe soil condition (electrical resistivity) the point to point earth potential difference
may exist.
Functions of earthing:
1. For safety of the users against current due to leakage or lightning and
2. For avoiding EMI (electromagnetic interference) the metallic covers of power equipment or
appliances areconnected using a conductor that goes deep inside the earth.

Apart from the above, the generator or transformer Y winding neutral points are connected to
ground eithersolidly or through an inductor. This is known as grounding.
Functions of grounding:
1. Stabilize the phase to neutral voltages and
2. Helps detect the commonly occurring earth (L-G) fault.
3. Three phase supply voltage is normally balanced so long the source neutral to ground
connection is not broken.

However, on the load or demand side if the loading is almost balanced then load side neutral to
ground connection does not become a factor as the phase currents return through each other for a
balanced load. For unbalanced loading the neutral connection from load to source is supposed to carry
the resultant of three phase currents. For this the load side neutral point must remain connected either
directly or through ground connection at the load side. Otherwise during unbalanced loading
depending upon the magnitude ofimbalance the phase currents will be compelled to return through
each other but producing severe imbalance in the phase to neutral voltages on the load side. This
might then cause too much overvoltage or under voltage leading to a damage or malfunction of the
appliances connected to different phases. Thus any undesired voltage imbalance is a power quality issue.
Experimental Arrangement:

Figure 1: Experimental arrangement of source to load connection

Data Tables:

Table 1: Observation of effect of neutral connection and grounding in Balanced Load

S1 S2 LA LB LC IA IB IC VAN VBN VC IN IE
(Watt) (Watt) (Watt) (A) (A) (A) (V) (V) N (A) (A)
(V
)
OFF OFF 100 100 100 0.40 0.39 0.40 201.5 202.9 202.2 0 0

ON OFF 100 100 100 0.41 0.38 0.40 210.4 200.6 197.9 0 0

OFF ON 100 100 100 0.40 0.38 0.41 207.4 201.5 205.7 0 0

ON ON 100 100 100 0.40 0.39 0.41 206.5 199.8 201 1.18 1.28
Table 2: Observation of effect of neutral connection and grounding in Unbalanced Road:

S1 S2 LA LB LC IA IB IC VAN VBN VCN IN IE

(Watt) (Watt) (Watt) (A) (A) (A) (V) (V) (V) (A) (A)
OFF OFF 100 100 160 0.43 0.42 0.56 233. 154.7 0 0
3 230.4
ON OFF 100 100 160 0.40 0.35 0.65 206.5 199.7 200.7 0.22 0
OFF ON 100 100 160 0.40 0.39 0.65 204 204.3 0 1.24
210
ON ON 100 100 160 0.41 0.38 0.65 209 203.6 204 1.42
1.65

Answers to the questions of lab sheet:

1. Why two light bulbs are used instead of one light bulb in the lamp board for this experiment?
Ans:
If one light bulb is used, there should be no current in one phase and thus large unbalanced
voltage would be appear to that phase. Thus, two light bulbs are used.

2. Draw conclusion based on your measurements in step 2.

Ans:
When two switches S1 and S2 are closed, an earth current flows. It’s because, the source neutral
point and the load neutral point are not in the same physical location, but there is a distance
between the two points. Thus, there is s ground potential difference between the source neutral
and the load neutral and a current flow is thus observed.
V1-V2=1.13 V
I=1.5 A
Ground resistance=(V1-V2)/I=1.13/1.5= 753.33 mΩ

3. Draw conclusion based on data entered in Table 1.

Ans:
In balanced condition,
i) There is no voltage imbalance observed in the phases. The phase voltage phasors sum up to
0.
ii) There is no current imbalance observed in the lines. The line current phasors sum up to 0.

iii) When both the S1 and S2 are on, the ground current flows due to the ground potential
difference and this is not due to the load.
iv) The ground current does not affect the phase current.
v) There is no effect of S1 and S2 on the phase voltages and current.
4. Draw conclusion based on data entered in Table 2.
Ans:
i) There is severe voltage imbalance observed in the phases when S1 and S2 are both off.
But when S1 and S2 are both on or one of them are kept on, the phase voltage
imbalance disappears andthe phase voltage phasors sum up close to 0.
ii) There is current imbalance observed in the lines. The line current phasors do not sum up
to 0. When S1 or S2 is on, the neutral current gets its return path and balances the phase
voltages.

iii) When both the S1 and S2 are on the ground current flows due to the ground potential
difference and also the neutral current can flow.
iv) The ground current does not affect the phase current.
v) S1 and S2 have effect on the phase voltages and current.

5. Explain how grounding mitigates voltage imbalance.

Ans: Grounding the neutral gives a path to the neutral current to flow through the return circuit
rather to flow through the phases. It prevents the additional voltage drop to occur in the phases
in case if neutral current would flow through the phases.

6. Why is IN higher in the fourth row of Table 2 compared to those in rows 2 or 3 of the same
Table?
Ans: In the case of rows 2 and 3, only ground current flows through that line. But in the case of
fourth row,
where both the switches are on, there is a ground return current in addition to the imbalance
current of neutral to ground. Combination fo these two components increase in case of 4

7. a) For the data in 2nd or 3rd rows of Table 2 (when either S1 and S2 are open i.e. neutral or earth
current exists) calculate the phasor sum of three line currents assuming abc phase sequence
and 120° phase shift and compare this with IN or IE.

b) Also verify if one third of IN or IE is equal to the zero sequence current which you may
obtain from application of symmetrical component to the line currents.

Answer:

a.
For row 2, S1=OFF and S2=ON.

Here, IA= 0.4∠0° A, IB= 0.39∠-120° A, and IC= 0.65 ∠120° A.So,

IN= IA + IB + IC = 0.255∠118.05° A.

From experiment, |IN|= 0.11 A

Thus the experimental value was 15.9% lower than the theoretical value.
 For row 3, S1=ON and S2= OFF.

Here, IA= 0.4∠0° A, IB= 0.39∠-120° A, and IC= 0.65 ∠120° A.

So, IN= IA + IB + IC = 0.255∠118.13° A.

From table 2, |IE|= 0.26 A.

The experimental value was 6.25%ower than the theoretical value.

b. Zero sequence current, Ia(O)=Ib(0)=Ic(0)=(Ia+Ib+Ic)/3

For row 2, |Ia(0)|= 0.2663/3 =0.085 A.

From table 21, IN/3= 0.0733 A. So they are slightly

different.For row 3, |Ia(0)|= 0.255/3 =0.085 A.

From table 2 , IN/3= 0.08 A which is also slightly different.

Discussion:
The experiment aimed to investigate the importance of grounding in the context of an
imbalanced load scenario. In situations where the loads are balanced, grounding is typically
not necessary. However, when there is an imbalance in the phase voltages, grounding
becomes crucial.
One significant aspect examined in the experiment was the ground return current. The circuit
under investigation had separate neutral and earthing points. Connecting both grounds
created a potential difference between these points, which consequently caused a weak
current flow through the neutral-to-neutral wire. This observation provided valuable
practical insights into the experiment's understanding.
Grounding plays a vital role in electrical systems as it provides a path for fault currents to
flow safely to the ground. It helps protect both equipment and individuals from electrical
hazards. In the case of an imbalanced load, where phase voltages differ, grounding becomes
even more important to ensure the stability and safety of the system.
By conducting this experiment and analyzing the behavior of the ground return current,
researchers can gain a better understanding of how grounding functions in situations with
imbalanced loads. The results of the experiment can contribute to improving the design and
operation of electrical systems, ensuring their reliability and minimizing potential risks.