EEE 419
Power System II
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Unsymmetrical Faults on 3-Phase System
Those faults on the power system which give rise to unsymmetrical fault currents (i.e.
unequal fault currents in the lines with unequal phase displacement) are known as
unsymmetrical faults.
(i) Single line-to-ground fault (L — G)
(ii) Line-to-line fault (L — L)
(iii) Double line-to-ground fault (L — L — G)
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Unsymmetrical Faults on 3-Phase System
The solution of unsymmetrical fault problems can be obtained by either
(a) Kirchhoff’s laws or
(b) Symmetrical components method.
The symmetrical components method is preferred because of the following reasons :
(i) It is a simple method and gives more generalization to be given to fault performance
studies.
(ii) It provides a useful tool for the protection engineers, particularly in identifying the
fault currents.
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Symmetrical Components Method
In 1918, Dr. Fortescue, an American scientist, showed that any unbalanced system of 3-
phase system can be resolved into three balanced systems of phasors. The balanced
sets of components are:
(i) Positive Sequence components consisting of three phasors equal in magnitude,
displaced from each other by 120° in phase, and having the same phase sequence as the
original phasors.
(ii) Negative Sequence components consisting of three phasors equal in magnitude,
displaced from each other by 120° in phase, and having the phase sequence opposite to
that the original phasors.
(iii) Zero Sequence components consisting of three phasors equal in magnitude and with
zero phase displacement from each other.
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Symmetrical Components Method
The subscripts 1, 2 and 0 are generally used to indicate positive, negative and zero phase
sequence components respectively. For instance,
𝑰𝑩𝟏 indicates the positive phase sequence component of current in the blue phase.
𝑰𝒀𝟐 indicates the negative phase sequence component of current in the yellow phase.
𝑰𝑹𝟎 indicates the zero phase sequence component of current in the red phase.
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Symmetrical Components Method- Illustration
Let us now apply the symmetrical components theory to an unbalanced 3-phase system.
Suppose an unsymmetrical fault occurs on a 3-phase system having phase sequence
RYB. According to symmetrical components theory, the resulting unbalanced currents 𝑰𝑹
, 𝑰𝒀 and 𝑰𝑩 can be resolved into :
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Symmetrical Components Method- Illustration
(i) A balanced system of 3-phase currents, 𝑰𝑹𝟏 , 𝑰𝒀𝟏 and 𝑰𝑩𝟏 having positive phase sequence
(i.e. RYB) as shown in Fig. (i). These are the positive phase sequence components.
(ii) A balanced system of 3-phase currents 𝑰𝑹𝟐 , 𝑰𝒀𝟐 and 𝑰𝑩𝟐 having negative phase sequence
(i.e. RBY) as shown in Fig. (ii). These are the negative phase sequence components.
(iii) A system of three currents 𝑰𝑹𝟎 , 𝑰𝒀𝟎 and 𝑰𝑩𝟎 equal in magnitude with zero phase
displacement from each other as shown in Fig. (iii). These are the zero phase sequence
components.
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Symmetrical Components Method- Illustration
The current in any phase is equal to the vector sum of positive, negative and zero phase
sequence currents in that phase.
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Operator ‘a’
As the symmetrical component theory involves the concept of 120º displacement in the positive
sequence set and negative sequence set, therefore, it is desirable to evolve some operator
which should cause 120º rotation. For this purpose, operator ‘a’ is used. It is defined as under :
The operator ‘a’ is one, when multiplied to a vector, rotates the vector through
120º in the anticlockwise direction
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Operator ‘a’
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Problem
𝒂𝟑 = 𝟏
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