LESSON 7:

UNBALANCED THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS

1. Introduction
2. Three-phase circuits with unbalanced load (balanced generator)
1. Systems with load connected in star without neutral wire (3-wire system)
2. Systems with load connected in star with neutral wire (4-wire system)
3. Systems with load connected in delta

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Electromagnetismo y circuitos eléctricos. Fraile Mora (ETSICCP)

Teoría de Circuitos. V. Parra (UNED)
Circuitos Eléctricos. J. A. Edminister (Mc Graw Hill)
Sistemas polifásicos. Ejercicios de aplicación. Gonzalez Sanchez, Lopez Moreno (Paraninfo)
Introductory circuit analysis. Boylestad. Ed. Pearson
ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY

UNBALANCED THREE-
1. INTRODUCTION PHASE CIRCUITS

A three-phase system is balanced when it is balanced in voltages and

currents
• A three-phase generator is balanced when it generates a balanced
voltage system
• A three-phase transport wire system is balanced when the
impedances in each wire have the same value (module and angle)

OTHERWISE, THE SYSTEM IS UNBALANCED

We will consider balanced generator and unbalanced load

ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY
 2.- THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS WITH UNBALANCED LOAD
(balanced generator) (I)

2.1. SYSTEMS WITH LOADS CONNECTED IN STAR WITHOUT NEUTRAL

WIRE (3-wire system) (I)

V N 'N ≠ 0

1 1 1
V N 'N ( + + ) = V RN + V SN + V TN
Z L + Z R Z L + Z S Z L + ZT Z L + Z R Z L + Z S Z L + ZT
VRN − VN ' N V N ' N = − I T (Z L + Z T ) + VTN
V N ' N = − I R (Z L + Z R ) + VRN ⇒ I R =
ZL + ZR ⇓
VSN − VN ' N VTN − VN ' N
V N ' N = − I S (Z L + Z S ) + VSN ⇒ I S = IT =
ZL + ZS Z L + ZT
UNBALANCED THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY

2.- THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS WITH UNBALANCED LOAD

2.- SISTEMES DESEQUILIBRATS
(balanced generator)EN
(II)CÀRREGUES (II)

2.1. SYSTEMS WITH LOADS CONNECTED IN STAR WITHOUT NEUTRAL

WIRE (3-wire system) (II)

V N 'N ≠ 0

Characteristics:
- Overvoltages can appear in receptors.

VR ' N ' > VR ' N The neutral wire is connected


V N ' N ≠ 0 ⇒ VS ' N ' > VS ' N to prevent overvoltages
V > V
 T 'N ' T 'N

UNBALANCED THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY

 2.- THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS WITH UNBALANCED LOAD
(balanced generator) (III)
2.1. SYSTEMS WITH LOADS CONNECTED IN STAR WITH NEUTRAL WIRE
(4-wire
Neutralsystem) (I)
wire without impedance

V N 'N = 0

V N ' N = − I R ⋅ ( Z L + Z R ) + VRN
V RN
I R=
ZL + ZR

I N = I R + I S + IT Overvoltage does not appear VR ' N ' = VR ' N


V N ' N = 0 ⇒ VS ' N ' = VS ' N
V N ' N = − I S ⋅ ( Z L + Z S ) + VSN V = V
 T 'N ' T 'N

IS=
VS V N ' N = − I T ⋅ ( Z L + Z T ) + VTN
ZL + ZS
V TN
IT =
Z L + ZT
UNBALANCED THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY

2.- THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS WITH UNBALANCED LOAD

(balanced generator) (IV)
2.2. SYSTEMS WITH LOADS CONNECTED IN STAR WITH NEUTRAL WIRE
(4-wire system) (II)
Neutral wire with impedance
I N = I R + I S + IT

V N 'N ≠ 0

1 1 1 1
V N 'N ( + + + ) = V RN + V SN + V TN
ZL + Z R ZL + Z S ZL + Z T Z N Z L + Z R Z L + Z S Z L + ZT
V N ' N = − I R ⋅ ( Z L + Z R ) + VRN V N ' N = − I T ⋅ ( Z L + Z T ) + VTN
V RN − VN 'N V N ' N = − I S ⋅ ( Z L + Z S ) + VSN V TN − VN ' N
I R= IT=
ZL + ZR V SN − VN ' N Z L + ZT
IS=
UNBALANCED THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS ZL + ZS ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY
 2.- THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS WITH UNBALANCED LOAD
(balanced generator) (V)
2.3. SYSTEMS WITH LOAD CONNECTED IN DELTA (I)
Without line impedance: DATA : VRS , VST ,VTR

VRS VST VTR

I RS = I ST = I TR =
Z RS Z ST Z TR

I R + ITR = I RS ⇒ I R = I RS − I TR

I S + I RS = I ST ⇒ I S = I ST − I RS

I T + I ST = I TR ⇒ IT = I TR − I ST
UNBALANCED THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY

2.- THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS WITH UNBALANCED LOAD

(balanced generator) (VI)

2.3. SYSTEMS WITH LOAD CONNECTED IN DELTA (II)

With line impedance
DATA : VRS , VST ,VTR

SOLUTION: Applying ROSEN´s theorem

UNBALANCED THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY

 2.- THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS WITH UNBALANCED LOAD
(balanced generator) (VII)
2.3. SYSTEMS WITH LOAD CONNECTED IN DELTA (III)
With line impedance

ROSEN
theorem

Z 12 ⋅ Z 31 = Z RS ⋅ Z TR
ZR = Z 1=
Z 12 + Z 23 + Z 31 Z RS + Z ST + Z TR

ZS = Z 2 = Z 12 ⋅ Z 23 = Z RS ⋅ Z ST
Z 12 + Z 23 + Z 31 Z RS + Z ST + Z TR

UNBALANCED WITH STAR- ZT = Z 3 = Z 23 ⋅ Z 31 = Z ST ⋅ Z TR

CONNECTED LOAD Z 12 + Z 23 + Z 31 Z RS + Z ST + Z TR
UNBALANCED THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY

2.- THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS WITH UNBALANCED LOAD

(balanced generator) (VIII)
2.3. SYSTEMS WITH LOAD CONNECTED IN DELTA (IV)
With line impedance
DATA : VRS , VST ,VTR
As the generator is balanced:

VRS V
VRN = ∠ − 30 º ;VSN = ST ∠ − 30 º
3 3
V
VTN = TR ∠ − 30 º
3
1 1 1
V N 'N ( + + ) = V RN + V SN + V TN
Z L + Z R Z L + Z S Z L + ZT Z L + Z R Z L + Z S Z L + ZT

V N ' N = − I R ⋅ ( Z L + Z R ) + VRN V N ' N = − I T ⋅ ( Z L + Z T ) + VTN

V RN − VN 'N V N ' N = − I S ⋅ ( Z L + Z S ) + VSN I T = V TN − VN ' N
I R= Z L + ZT
ZL + ZR V SN − VN ' N
IS=
ZL + ZS
UNBALANCED THREE-PHASE CIRCUITS ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY