Three Phase

Circuits

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 1
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Introduction:
The generator , motor , transformer or rectifier have only
one winding is called a single phase system
If the current or voltage follows a phase difference 900 in a
two windings , called two phase systems
If the phase difference is 1200 between voltages or currents
in a three winding , called as Three phase systems
In poly-phase systems , there are more than three windings
Advantages of three phase system:
More efficient than single phase system
Cost is less
Size is small . Compared to single phase system

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 2
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Adavantages of Three Phase Circuits
The amount of conductor material is required less for
transmitting same power, over the same distance , under
same power loss
Three phase motors produce uniform torque , where as
torque produced by single motor is pulsating
Three phase generators not produce the harmonics when they
are connected in parallel
Three phase motors are self starting whereas single phase
motors are not self starting

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 3
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 Generation of Three Phase Voltages

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 4
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 Vectorially r.m.s values of voltages
induced in three windings are represented
in the diagram
ER = E 0o v,
EY = E -120o v
EB=
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E +120 o
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 5
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Balanced three phase supply:
A three phase supply is said to be balanced, when all the three
voltages have the same magnitude but differ in phase by 120 with
respect to one another.
The three phase supply is said to be unbalanced, even if one of the
above conditions is not satisfied.

Balanced Load:
A three phase load is said to be balanced, when the impedances of all
thewww.bookspar.com
three phases are for
| Website exactly the same. Even if one of them is different
from the
Students
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| other,
VTU NOTESthen the
| QUESTION three phase load is said to be unbalanced 6
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 7
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 In a three phase balanced load, whether star connected or
delta connected, the magnitudes of the phase currents are the
same but differ in phase by 120o with respected to one
another
But in an unbalanced load, when a three phase balanced
supply is given, the magnitudes and phases of all the three
phase currents will be different.
Three phase connections:
There are two types of three phase connections
Star connection (Y)
Delta connection ()
Star connection (Y):
In this method of inter-connection, the similar ends, say, start
ends of three coils (it could be finishing ends also) are joined
together at point N
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 8
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 The point N is known as star point or
neutral point
If this three-phase voltage is applied across
a balanced symmetrical load, the neutral wire
will be carrying three currents which are exactly
equal in magnitude but are 120o out of phase
with each other. Hence, their vector sum is zero
IR + IY + IB = 0
Voltages and Currents in Y-Connection:
The voltage induced in each winding is called the
phase voltage and current in each winding is
known as phase current.

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 9
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 The vector diagram for phase voltages and currents in a star
connection shows that
ER = EY = EB = Eph (phase e.m.f)
Line voltage VRY between line 1 and line 2 is the vector difference
of ER and EY.
Line voltage VYB between line 2 and line 3 is the vector difference
of EY and EB.
Line voltage VBR between line 3 and line 1 is the vector difference
of EB and ER.

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 10
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 The p.d. between lines 1 and 2 is
VRY = ER - EY (Vector difference)
VRY is found by compounding ER and EY C

reversed and its value is given by the

diagonal of the paral1elogram in figure. O

The angle between ER and EY reversed is 60.

If ER = EY = EB = Eph the Phase e.m.f then,
V RY
cos 30 o 2
E ph
V RY 2 E ph cos 30 o

3
2 E ph 3E ph
2
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 11
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 similarly
VYB EY E B (Vector Difference )
3E ph
V RY VYB V BR
line voltage, V L

and V BR E B E R (Vector Difference )

3E ph
Hence, in star connection

VL 3E ph
It will be noted from figure that
(a) Line voltages are 120 apart.
(b) Line voltages are 30 ahead of their respective phase
voltages.
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The angle| Websitebetweenfor the line currents and the
Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 12
corresponding
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Line Currents and Phase Currents:
Current in line 1 = IR
Current in line 2 = IY
Current in line 3 = IB
Since IR = IY = IB = say,
Iph - the phase current
Line current IL = Iph
Power:
The total power in the circuit is the sum of the three phase
powers. Hence
Total Power =3 x phase power=

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 13
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 Delta () or Mesh Connection:
Phase sequence is R, Y, B
R leads Y by 120 and Y leads B by 120.
The voltage between lines 1 and 2 as VRY
The voltage between lines 2 and 3 as VYB
VRY leads VYB by 120
VYB leads VBR by 120.

VRY =VYB = VBR = line voltage VL

Then, it VL = Eph

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 14
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 15
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Line Currents and Phase Currents:
Current in line 1 is I1 = IR IB
Current in line 2 is I2 = IY IR
Current in line 3 is I3 = IB - IY
Current in line 1 is found by
compounding IR with IB reversed
and its value is given by the diagonal
of the parallelogram
The angle between IR and IB reversed (-IB) is 60.
If IB = IR = IY = Iph phase current, then current in line 1 is

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 16
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 Contd..

Since all line currents are equal in magnitude i.e., I 1= I2 = I3 = IL

From Vector diagram, it should be noted that

(a) Line currents are 120o apart.
(b) Line currents are 30o behind the respective phase currents.
(c) The angle between the line current and the corresponding
line voltage is
(30 + )
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 17
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Power:

P 3 E ph I ph cos
but E ph V L
IL
I ph
3
IL
P 3 VL cos
3
P 3 V L I L cos

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 18
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Measure of power in Three Phase Circuits:
Wattmeter is the instrument which
is used to measure power in an electrical circuit.
It consists of (i) a current coil ML
through which the line current flows
(ii) a potential coil PV, which is connected
across the circuit.
The full voltage is applied across the potential coil and it
carries a very small current proportional to the applied
voltage.
Three single phase watt-meters may be connected in each
phase
The algebraic sum of their readings gives the total power
consumed by the three phase circuit.
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can be proved that only two watt-meters are sufficient to19
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION
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Two Wattmeter Method:
1. Balanced or Unbalanced Load:
The current coils of the two watt meters are inserted in any
two lines
The potential coils joined to the third line.
Sum of the instantaneous powers indicated by
W1 and W2 gives the instantaneous power
absorbed by the three loads L1, L2 and L3.

Instantaneous current through W1 = IR

Instantaneous P.D. Across W1 = VRB = ER - EB
Power read
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for
Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 1 = IR (ER EB) 20
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 Contd..
Instantaneous current through W2 = IY
Instantaneous P.D. across W2 = VYB = EY - EB
Power read by W2 = IY (EY EB)
Therefore, W1 + W2= IR (ER EB) + IY (EY EB)
= IR ER + IY EY EB (IR + IY)
I R + I Y + IB = 0
IR + IY = -IB
= IR ER + IY EY EB (-IB)
= IR ER + IY EY + EB IB
= P1 + P2 + P3
Where P1 is the power absorbed by load L1, P2 that absorbed
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L2 and P3 |that Websiteabsorbed
for by L3.
Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 21
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Balanced Load:
The load is said to be balanced, when the impedances of the
three phases are equal
The supply is said to be balanced,
if the three voltages are equal and
are displaced by 120o with respect
to one another.
When a balance supply is given to
a balanced load, the currents flowing
through the three phases will be equal
in magnitude and are displaced by 120o
with respect to each other.
Two wattmeter connections to measure power in a three
phase balanced circuit
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asStudents
shown | VTUabove figure
NOTES | QUESTION 22
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 Let ER, EY and EB be the r.m.s. values of the three-phase
voltages and IR, IY and IB be the r.m.s. values of the currents
The currents lagging behind their phase voltages by .
Current through wattmeter W1 = IR
P.D. across voltage coil of W1 = VRB = ER EB
-EB
Now reading W1 = VRB IR cos (30 - )
Current through wattmeter W2 = IY
P.D. across voltage coil of W2 = VYB = EY EB
W2 = VYB IY cos (30 + )
Since the load is balanced, VRB = VYB = line voltage, VL
IR = IY = line current, IL
W1 = VL IL cos (30 - ) --------(1)
W = V I cos (30 + )-------(2)
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L forL
Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 23
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 Contd..
W1 + W2 = VL IL cos (30 - ) + VL IL cos (30 + )
= VL IL [cos 30 cos + sin 30 sin + cos 30 cos
- sin 30 sin ]
= VL IL (2 cos 30 cos )
W1 W2 P 3 VL I L cos

Expression for Power Factor (p.f):

W1 - W2 = VL IL cos (30 - ) - VL IL cos (30 + )
= VL IL [cos 30 cos + sin 30 sin - cos 30 cos
+ sin 30 sin ]
= VL IL (2 sin 30 sin )
= VL IL sin
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 24
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 Contd
..

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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 25
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 Effect of p.f. on W1 and W2:
W1= VL IL cos (30 - ) = VL IL cos 30 ( = 0)
= (3/2) VL IL
W2 = VL IL cos (30 + ) = VL IL cos 30 ( = 0)
= (3/2) VL IL
The two wattmeter readings are positive and equal.

W1 = VL IL cos (30 - 60o) = VL IL cos (-30) ( = 60o)

= (3/2) VL IL
W2 = VL IL cos (30 + 60o) = VL IL cos 90 ( = 60o)
=0
One of the watt meters reads zero.

W1 = VL IL cos (30 - 90o) = VL IL cos (-60) ( = 90o)

= (1/2) VL IL
W2 = VL IL cos (30 + 90o) = VL IL cos (120) ( = 90o)
= - (1/2) VL IL
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of the watt-meters,
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 26
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Observations:
One of the watt-meters reads -ve. The pointer of this watt-
meter kicks back and hence the reading can not be taken.
Then, either the current coil connections or potential coil
connections are interchanged, pointer moves in the forward
direction and the reading can be taken.
But this reading has to be considered as -ve.
Conclusion:
For p.f. lying between 0 to 0.5, one of the watt-meters, reads
negative (-ve).
When p.f. = 0.5, one wattmeter reads zero (0).
When p.f. lies between 0.5 to 1.0, both watt-meter readings
are positive (+).
When p.f. = 1, the readings of both watt-meters are equal.
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION 27
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