SYMMETRICAL COMPONETS

EE 433
Winter Quarter 2012
California State University Los Angeles
Symmetrical components is a tool to analyze unbalanced faults or unbalanced systems of
voltages and currents. It states that any unbalanced set of phasors (voltages or currents)
can be represented by a balanced set of phasors know as positive, negative and zero
sequence
The magnitude among the positive sequence phasors are the same but there is a
120 degree shift between each phase and these rotate in the counterclockwise
direction with phase a first followed by phase b and last phase c.
The magnitude among the negative sequence phasors are the same but there is
a 120 degree shift between each phase and these rotate in the counterclockwise
direction with phase a first followed by phase c and last phase b (different from
the positive sequence where phase b follows phase a).
The magnitude among the zero sequence phasors is the same as well as the angle
with no phase shift among the three.
Symmetrical Components
I
a1
I
b1
I
c1
I
a2
I
c2
I
b2
I
a0
= I
b0
= I
c0
120

120

120

120

120

120

Each phase is the addition of its positive, negative and zero sequence components. In the
case of balance faults (balanced system) the negative and zero sequence components are
zero and only the positive sequence exist (the current and voltages use the same formulas).
I
a
= I
a0
+ I
a1
+ I
a2
I
a1
I
a0
I
a2
a
I
b
I
I
b1
I
c1
c
I
I
c2
I
b2
I
b0
I
c0
I
b
= I
b0
+ I
b1
+ I
b2
I
c
= I
c0
+ I
c1
+ I
c2
V
a
=V
a0
+V
a1
+V
a2
V
b
=V
b0
+V
b1
+V
b2
V
c
=V
c0
+V
c1
+V
c2
a
I
b
I
c
I
Symmetrical Components
So the following equations represent the phase current (same for voltages) for all thee phases
represented by the addition of its symmetrical components
Lets introduce the a operator
Z = 120 0 . 1 a
Z = 240 0 . 1
2
a
0 1
2
= + + a a
So if we add all three a phasors we
get a zero resultant
Z0 1
I
a
= I
a0
+ I
a1
+ I
a2
I
b
= I
b0
+ I
b1
+ I
b2
I
c
= I
c0
+ I
c1
+ I
c2
V
a
=V
a0
+V
a1
+V
a2
V
b
=V
b0
+V
b1
+V
b2
V
c
=V
c0
+V
c1
+V
c2
Symmetrical Components and the a Operator
Using the a operator we could write all the nine sequence components in terms of only one
phase as follow:
I
a
= I
a0
+ I
a1
+ I
a2
I
b
= I
a0
+a
2
I
a1
+aI
a2
I
c
= I
a0
+a I
a1
+a
2
I
a2
I
a
I
b
I
c

(
(
(
(
=
1 1 1
1 a
2
a
1 a a
2

(
(
(
I
a0
I
a1
I
a2

(
(
(
(
I
a1
= I
a1
Z0
I
b1
= a
2
I
a1
Z0
I
c1
= a I
a1
Z0
I
a2
= I
a2
Z0
I
b2
= aI
a2
Z0
I
c2
= a
2
I
a2
Z0
I
a0
= I
b0
= I
c0
POSITIVE SEQUENCE NEGATIVE SEQUENCE ZERO SEQUENCE
We can the re-write the phase current equations in terms of its sequence components using
phase a components only
If we multiply any phasor by the a operators we will shift the angle by the a operator angle but
its magnitude will remain the same for example:
Z = 0 0 . 2
b
I and we multiply it by
Z = 120 0 . 1 a
120 2 ) 120 0 . 1 ( 0 0 . 2 ) ( Z = Z Z =
b
I a which is what the a operators allow us to achieve
I
abc
= AI
a012
We call the a operator matrix the A matrix which is used to find all three phase current if we
are given on of the phases symmetrical componts.
(
(
(

=
2
2
1
1
1 1 1
a a
a a A
(
(
(

a a
a a A
2
2 1
1
1
1 1 1
3
1
We If we are rather given the phases current and would like to find its symetrical components
we solve the following equation:
I
abc
= AI
a012
I
a012
= A
1
I
abc
I
a0
I
a1
I
a2

(
(
(
(
=
1
3
1 1 1
1 a a
2
1 a
2
a

(
(
(
I
a
I
b
I
c

(
(
(
(
Where the A inverse is equal to:
The sequence current can be solved by:
If you know the unbalanced phase voltages or current the following equations could be used to find its
symmetrical components
In summary:
I
a012
= A
1
I
abc
I
a0
I
a1
I
a2

(
(
(
(
=
1
3
1 1 1
1 a a
2
1 a
2
a

(
(
(
I
a
I
b
I
c

(
(
(
(
I
a
I
b
I
c

(
(
(
(
=
1 1 1
1 a
2
a
1 a a
2

(
(
(
I
a0
I
a1
I
a2

(
(
(
(
I
abc
= AI
a012
If you know on of the phases symmetrical components you could find all three phase currents using the
following equations:
Example: Given the phase the following phase currents find its symmetrical components
Z = 25 6 . 1
a
I
Z = 180 0 . 1
b
I
Z = 132 9 . 0
c
I
Z = 25 6 . 1
a
I
Z = 180 0 . 1
b
I
Z = 132 9 . 0
c
I
Step 1: using the matrix equation below we can write the phase a positive, negative and zero sequence
I
a0
=
1
3
I
a
+ I
b
+I
c
( )
The zero sequence component of Ia
I
a0
=
1
3
[(1.6Z25)+(1.0Z180)+(0.9Z132)]
I
a0
=
1
3
(1.35Z96.45)
I
a0
= (0.4512Z96.45)
I
a0
I
a1
I
a2

(
(
(
(
=
1
3
1 1 1
1 a a
2
1 a
2
a

(
(
(
I
a
I
b
I
c

(
(
(
(
I
a1
=
1
3
I
a
+a I
b
+a
2
I
c
( )
The positive sequence component of Ia
I
a1
=
1
3
[(1.6Z25)+(1.0Z120)(1.0Z180)+(1.0Z240)(0.9Z132)]
I
a1
=
1
3
(2.83Z0.055)
I
a1
= (0.9435Z0.055)
I
a1
=
1
3
[(1.6Z25)+(1.0Z60)+(1.0Z12)]
I
a2
=
1
3
I
a
+a
2
I
b
+a I
c
( )
The negative sequence component of Ia
I
a2
=
1
3
[(1.6Z25)+(1.0Z240)(1.0Z180)+(1.0Z120)(0.9Z132)]
I
a2
=
1
3
[(1.6Z25)+(1.0Z60)+(1Z108)]
I
a2
=
1
3
(1.81Z22.31)
I
a2
= (0.6024Z22.31)
continue
I
b0
= I
a0
= (0.4512Z96.45)
I
b1
= a
2
I
a1
I
b1
= (1.0Z240) (0.9435Z0.055)
I
b1
= (0.9435Z120.055)
I
b2
= a I
a2
I
b2
= (1.0Z120) (0.6024Z22.31)
I
b2
= (0.6024Z142.31)
Step 2: using Ia components find the Ib components
Step 3: using Ia components find the Ic components
I
c0
= I
a0
= (0.4512Z96.45)
I
c1
= a I
a1
I
c1
= (1.0Z120) (0.9435Z0.055)
I
c1
= (0.9435Z119.94)
I
c2
= a
2
I
a2
I
c2
= (1.0Z240) (0.6024Z22.31)
I
c2
= (0.6024Z97,69)
The six symmetrical components can be added to get the original Ia, Ib and Ic phasors
I
a1
= (0.9435Z0.055)
I
a0
= (0.4512Z96.45)
I
a2
= (0.6024Z22.31)
I
c0
= (0.4512Z96.45)
I
c1
= (0.9435Z119.94)
I
c2
= (0.6024Z97.69)
I
a1
I
a0
I
a2
Z = 25 6 . 1
a
I
I
b0
I
b1
I
b2
Z = 180 0 . 1
b
I
I
c1
I
c0
I
c2
Z = 132 9 . 0
c
I
I
b0
= (0.4512Z96.45)
I
b1
= (0.9435Z120.055)
I
b2
= (0.6024Z142.31)