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LECTURE 13
Chapter 12: Polyphase Circuits
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Outline
• Delta Connection
• Δ Phasor Diagram
• Current Voltage Relationships
• Δ & Y load relationships for Y Source
• Δ Source
• Y to Δ Load Conversion
• Summary
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1.1 Delta Connection

• A balanced Delta connected load is
present on a three-wire three-phase
system. The source happens to be Y-
connected

.
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1.2 Delta Connection

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1.3 Δ Phasor Diagram

• A phasor diagram that could apply to
the given circuit of if ZP were an
inductive impedance
• Let us disregard the source for the
moment and consider only the
balanced load
• If the load is Δ-connected, then the
phase voltage and the line voltage
are indistinguishable, but the line
current is larger than the phase
current by a factor of √3
• With a Y-connected load, however,
the phase current and the line
current refer to the same current,
and the line voltage is greater than
the phase voltage by a factor of √3
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Y-Δ Example
Determine the amplitude of the line current in a three-phase system
with a line voltage of 300 V that supplies 1200 W to a Δ–connected
load at a lagging PF of 0.8; then find the phase impedance.

We have,
VL = 300 V
PL = 1200 W; therefore, PP = 400 W
PF = 0.8
Hence, phase angle of the load is θ = cos-1(0.8) = 36.86o
Average power per phase in a delta connected load is:
Pp= VL x Ip x cos θ,
Hence, 400 = 300 x Ip x 0.8 or Ip = 1.667 A,
Since Line current is 𝐼𝐿 = 3𝐼𝑃 therefore, IL = 2.89 A
Load Impedance in each phase shall be:
𝑉𝐿 300
𝑍𝑃 = ∠θ𝑜 = ∠36.86𝑜 = 180 ∠36.86𝑜 = 144 + j108 Ω
𝐼𝑃 1.667
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Practice Problem 12.7

Each phase of a balanced three-phase Δ -connected load consists of a
200 mH inductor in series with the parallel combination of a 5 μF
capacitor and a 200 resistance. Assume zero line resistance and a
phase voltage of 200 V at ω = 400 rad/s. Find (a) the phase current; (b)
the line current; (c) the total power absorbed by the load.
Solution: First calculate 𝑍𝑃
𝐿 = 200𝑚𝐻 𝑎𝑡 400 𝑟𝑎𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑐 ⟹ 𝑋𝐿 = 𝑗80Ω
𝐶 = 5𝜇𝐹 𝑎𝑡 400 𝑟𝑎𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑐 ⟹ 𝑋𝐶 = −𝑗500Ω
𝑍𝑃 = 𝑗80 + (200 ∥ −𝑗500) = 172.77∠3.66𝑜 Ω
200∠0𝑜
𝐈𝐏 = = 1.158∠ −3.66𝑜 𝐴𝑚𝑝
172.77∠3.66𝑜
𝐈𝐋 = 𝟑 × 𝐈𝐏 = 3 × 1.158 = 2.01 𝐴𝑚𝑝
𝐏𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 = 200 × 1.158 cos −3.66𝑜 = 231.05 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠
For all three phases 𝐏𝐓 = 693 Watts
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2.1 Relationship between Line/Phase

Quantities and Power Drawn by the Load
• The √3 factor not only relates phase and line quantities but also
appears in a useful expression for the total power drawn by any
balanced three phase load
• If we assume a Y-connected load with a power-factor angle θ, the
power taken by any phase is:

and the total power is:

• In a similar way, the power delivered to each phase of a Δ -connected

load is:

giving a total power

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2.2 Relationship between Line/Phase

Quantities and Power Drawn by the Load
• This equation enables us to calculate the total power delivered to a
balanced load from a knowledge of the magnitude of the line
voltage, of the line current, and of the phase angle of the load
impedance (or admittance), regardless of whether the load is Y-
connected or Δ-connected
• The line current in Examples 12.5 and 12.6 can now be obtained in
two simple steps:

• Therefore,

• A brief comparison of phase and line voltages as well as phase and

line currents is presented in Table 12.1 for both Y- and Δ -connected
loads powered by a Y-connected three-phase source
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Δ & Y load relationships for Y Source

-150
-270
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Practice Problem 12.8

A balanced three-phase three-wire system is terminated with two Δ-
connected loads in parallel. Load 1 draws 40 kVA at a lagging PF of 0.8,
while load 2 absorbs 24 kW at a leading PF of 0.9. Assume no line
resistance, and let Vab = 440/30◦V. Find (a) the total power drawn by the
loads; (b) the phase current IAB1 for the lagging load; (c) IAB2; (d) IaA.
Solution:
𝐒𝟏 = 32 + 𝑗24 kVA, 𝐒𝟐 = 24 − 𝑗11.624 kVA
(a) 𝐏 = 32 + 24 = 56 kW

S1 /3 ∗ 32+j24 ×1000/3 ∗
(b) 𝐈𝐀𝐁𝟏 = = = 𝟑𝟎. 𝟑∠ −𝟔. 𝟖𝟕𝒐 𝑨𝒎𝒑
VAB 440∠30o

S2 /3 ∗ 24−j11.624 ×1000/3 ∗
(c) 𝐈𝐀𝐁𝟐 = = = 𝟐𝟎. 𝟐∠𝟓𝟓. 𝟖𝟒𝒐 𝑨𝒎𝒑
VAB 440∠30o

(d) 𝐈𝐚𝐀 = 𝟑 ∠𝟑𝟎𝐨 𝐈𝐀𝐁𝟏 + 𝐈𝐀𝐁𝟐

= 𝟑 ∠𝟑𝟎𝐨 𝟑𝟎. 𝟑∠ −𝟔. 𝟖𝟕𝒐 +𝟐𝟎. 𝟐∠𝟓𝟓. 𝟖𝟒𝒐

= 𝟕𝟓. 𝟐𝟓. 𝟐∠ −𝟏𝟐. 𝟒𝟔𝒐 𝑨𝒎𝒑
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3 Δ Connected Source
• The source may also be connected in a Delta configuration
• This is not typical, however, for a slight unbalance in the source phases
can lead to large currents circulating in the Delta loop
• For example, let us call the three single phase sources Vab, Vbc, and Vcd
• Before closing the Delta by connecting d to a, let us determine the
unbalance by measuring the sum Vab + Vbc + Vca
• Suppose that the amplitude of the result is only 1 percent of the line
voltage
• The circulating current is thus approximately 1/3 percent of the line
voltage divided by the internal impedance of any source
• How large is this impedance apt to be? It must depend on the current that
the source is expected to deliver with a negligible drop in terminal
voltage
• If we assume that this maximum current causes a 1 percent drop in the
terminal voltage, then the circulating current is one-third of the maximum
current!
• This reduces the useful current capacity of the source and also increases
the losses in the system
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4.1 Unbalanced Δ-Connected Loads

• If an unbalanced Δ-connected load is present in an otherwise
balanced three-phase system, the circuit may still be analyzed
on a per-phase basis
• Un-balanced system means unbalanced load or unbalanced
source
• For the purpose of this course we shall consider only the un-
balanced loads
• Un-balanced load implies dissimilar impedances in the three
phases of the load
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4.2 Unbalanced Δ-Connected Loads

• For Y-Δ connection the Phase Currents are:
𝑽𝑨𝑩 𝑽𝑩𝑪 𝑽𝑪𝑨
𝑰𝑨𝑩 = ; 𝑰𝑩𝑪 = ; 𝑰𝑪𝑨 =
𝒁𝑨𝑩 𝒁𝑩𝑪 𝒁𝑪𝑨

and Line Currents are:

𝑰𝒂𝑨 = 𝑰𝑨𝑩 − 𝑰𝑪𝑨 ; 𝑰𝒃𝑩 = 𝑰𝑩𝑪 − 𝑰𝑨𝑩 ; 𝑰𝒄𝑪 = 𝑰𝑪𝑨 − 𝑰𝑩𝑪
• Balanced source also implies;
𝐈𝐚𝐀 + 𝐈𝐛𝐁 + 𝐈𝐜𝐂 = 𝟎

ZAB

ZCA ZBC
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Example Unbalanced Δ-Connected Load

• The unbalanced Δ – load is supplied by balanced line-to-line voltages
of 240 V rms (+ Seq). Find the line currents assuming phase angle of
𝑽𝑨𝑩 is 0o:
𝑽𝑨𝑩 240∠0𝑜
𝑰𝑨𝑩 = = = 21.466∠26.56𝑜 A;
𝒁𝑨𝑩 10−𝑗5
𝑽𝑩𝑪 240∠−120𝑜
𝑰𝑩𝑪 = = = 15∠ − 120𝑜 A;
𝒁𝑩𝑪 16
𝑽𝑪𝑨 240∠120𝑜
𝑰𝑪𝑨 = = = 24∠83.13𝑜 A
𝒁𝑪𝑨 8+𝑗6

and Line Currents are:

𝑰𝒂𝑨 = 𝑰𝑨𝑩 − 𝑰𝑪𝑨 = 21.466∠26.56𝑜 - 24∠83.13𝑜 = 21.66∠ − 41.066𝑜 A;
𝑰𝒃𝑩 = 𝑰𝑩𝑪 − 𝑰𝑨𝑩 = 15∠ − 120𝑜 -21.466∠26.56𝑜 = 34.97∠ − 139.77𝑜 A;
𝑰𝒄𝑪 = 𝑰𝑪𝑨 − 𝑰𝑩𝑪 = 24∠83.13𝑜 − 15∠ − 120𝑜 = 38.25∠74.27𝑜 A
• Balanced source also implies; 𝐈𝐚𝐀 + 𝐈𝐛𝐁 + 𝐈𝐜𝐂 = 𝟎
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Y to Δ Load Conversion (1/2)

• We should also note that balanced three-phase sources may be
transformed from Y to Δ , or vice versa, without affecting the load
currents or voltages
• The necessary relationships between the line and phase voltages are
shown in Fig. 12.13 for the case where Van has a reference phase angle
of 0o
• This transformation enables us to use whichever source connection we
prefer, and all the load relationships will be correct
• Of course, we cannot specify any currents or voltages within the source
until we know how it is actually connected
• Balanced three-phase loads may also be transformed between Y- and Δ-
connected configurations using the relation
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Y to Δ Load Conversion (2/2)

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Summary (1/3)
• The majority of electricity production is in the form of three-phase
power
• Most residential electricity in North America is in the form of single
phase alternating current at a frequency of 60 Hz and rms voltage of
115 V
• Elsewhere, 50 Hz at 230/240 V rms is most common
• Double-subscript notation is commonly employed in power systems
for both voltages and currents
• Three-phase sources can be either Y- or Δ- connected
• Both types of sources have three terminals, one for each phase; Y-
connected sources have a neutral connection as well
• In a balanced three-phase system, each phase voltage has the same
magnitude, but is 120o out of phase with the other two
• Loads in a three-phase system may be either Y- or Δ-connected
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Summary (2/3)
• In a balanced Y-connected source with positive (“abc’’) phase
sequence, the line voltages are:

• In a system with a Y-connected load, the line currents are equal to the
phase currents
• In a Δ-connected load, the line voltages are equal to the phase
voltages
• In a balanced system with positive phase sequence and a balanced Δ-
connected load, the line currents are
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Summary (3/3)
• Most power calculations are performed on a per-phase basis,
assuming a balanced system; otherwise, nodal/mesh analysis is
always a valid approach
• The instantaneous power in any balanced three-phase system is
constant