Three Phase Power Basics

1
Section
z Terminology
z Basic Electrical Circuits
z Basic Power Calculations

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Why This Electricity Stuff?

z Fundamental language with

customers, consultants, and
contractors in this industry

z Improved technical skills help

you to meet and exceed the
expectations of your customers

3
What You Will Take Home
z Understand basic terminology in electrical
circuits and power systems
z Able to perform basic power calculations

4
Current
z The movement of electrons in a circuit. It is the
flow of electricity.
z Unit of measure is the ampere abbreviated
AMP or A.
z Represented in equations by the letter I.

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Voltage
g
z Is the electrical potential or force that causes
current to flow in a circuit.
z Unit measure is the volt, abbreviated V.

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Impedance
z Impedance is the total opposition a circuit offers to the
flow of electric current
DC circuit impedance include resistance only
AC circuit impedance includes resistance and reactance
Reactance comes from inductors and capacitors
z Measured in ohms (:)
z Represented in equations by the letter Z

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Electric Circuit
z Route in which current flows from a power
source to a load and back to the power source.

Switch

AC Power Source V Z Load

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Ohms Law
Ohms Law - The current in an electric circuit is directly
proportional to the applied voltage and inversely
proportional to the circuit impedance.
I = Current (Amps)
I = V
Z V = Voltage (Volts)

Z = Impedance (Ohms)

V = IZ
Solving for Voltage or
or
Impedance
V
Z=
I
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Applying Ohms Law

I=?

V = 120VAC Z=10:

Example: AC circuit with resistive electric heater load of 10 ohms.

I = V/Z
I = 120/10
I = 12A

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Harmonics
z Used as Building Blocks to Define a non
Sinusoidal Waveform.
Periodic Sinusoidal Components
Multiples of Fundamental
3rd Harmonic of 60Hz Sinewave is 180Hz
z Harmonic Distortion - A current or voltage
waveform includes includes non 60Hz
components. Therefore, it is a distorted
sinewave. Most real world 3 phase loads include
harmonic distortion.

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Power
Rate of Doing Work

P=V * I

P = Power (Volt Amperes or Watts)

V = Voltage (Volts)
I = Current (Amperes)
Z = Impedance (Ohms)

Since, V = I * Z , Power can also be expressed as follows:

P = V2/Z and P = I2Z

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AC Power
z Apparent Power
Total power measured in Volt-Amperes or VA.
Obtained from the measured current and voltage.

KVA (Single Phase) = (V * A) / 1000

KVA (Three Phase) = (VLN * A * 3) / 1000 or
KVA (Three Phase) = (VLL * A * 3) / 1000
Where 3 = 1.732

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AC Power
z Real Power
Power which is actually available to do work.
Total power (KVA) includes reactive components due to
inductance and capacitance. Power useful for work is
resistive component only.
Measured in KW (kilowatts)
Must be obtained by measurement with a Wattmeter or
calculated.

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Power Factor
z Ratio of Real Power to Apparent Power
PF = KW / KVA
Power Factor is described as leading or lagging
based on whether the current leads or lags the
voltage
For a sinusoidal current and voltage the power factor
equals the cosine of the phase angle between the
current and voltage

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Capacitor
z Electrical device that stores electrical energy.
z Does not allow instantaneous voltage change
z Capacitance - storage capability of capacitor
Measured in farads

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Inductor
z Device which stores electrical energy.
z Impedes instantaneous change in current.
z Inductance - measure of the amount of
interaction between alternating current and
resultant changing electromagnetic fields in a
device.
z Unit of measure is henry

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Efficiency
Ratio of useful output energy to total useful input energy

Power out Kw out

Efficiency = =
Power in Kw in
110 kVA 100 kva load

Input and output PF must be known as efficiency is a ratio of Kws

EX: PF in = PF out (this case only) = 0.8

Find efficiency.
100 (.8)
Efficiency = 110 (.8) = .91(100) = 91%

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System Efficiencies

Overall system efficiency is obtained by multiplying

efficiencies of series components

Sample System
Building Stepdown
UPS Load PS
Xformer Xformer
90% 80%
99% 98%

Overall Efficiency = (.99 * .98 * .9 * .8) = 70%

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Single Phase Systems

220/230/240V - 50 Hz
110/115/120V - 60 Hz
load voltages may be obtained from these systems

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Three Phase Systems
z Worldwide Voltages available
60Hz
600/346V (Canada)
480/277V
208/120V
220/127V (Mexico)
50Hz
380/220V
400/230V
415/240V

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 POWER
CALCULATIONS

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Determining kVA of Power Feeder
Service (Single Phase))
KVA = V x A
1000

Assume a single phase 120 entrance service

specified at 20 A.
120 x 20
KVA = = 2.4
1000

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Determining kVA of Power Feeder
Service (Three Phase))
KVA = V x A 3
1000
EXAMPLE 2: Assume a 3 phase 208/120
entrance service specified at 200A.
208 x 200 x 1.732
KVA = = 72
1000
75kVA UPS should be selected.

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Determining kVA From Power Profile
of Equipment
Simple Addition of KVA Values
VOLTAGE /
EQUIPMENT PHASE LOAD
1 CPU 208 / 3 Phase .11 KVA
1 Controller 208 / 3 Phase 12 Amps
4 Disc 208 / 1 Phase 6 Amps Each
1 Printer 208 / 1 Phase 5 Amps
6 Terminal 120 / 1 Phase 4 Amps Each

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Determining kVA From Power Profile
of Equipment
EXAMPLE (cont)
EQUIPMENT CALCULATION INDIVIDUAL
CPU None Required KVA = .11
V x A x 3
Controller KVA = KVA = 4.3
1000
VxA
Disc KVA = KVA = 1.25
1000
VxA
Printer KVA = KVA = 1.0
1000

Terminal KVA = V x A KVA = 0.48

1000
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Determining kVA From Power Profile
of Equipment
EXAMPLE (cont)
TOTAL
EQUIPMENT KVA EACH KVA LOAD
1 CPU @ .11 0.11
1 Controller @ 4.3 4.3
4 Disc @ 1.25 5.0
1 Printer @ 1.0 1.0
6 Terminal @ 0.48 2.9
Total KVA 24.20
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Determining kVA from Power
Profile of Equipment
z A 30kVA UPS could be selected as a minimum

z To allow for growth a larger unit should be

selected. This should be discussed with your
customer to determine what size is needed.
Rule of thumb is 20% - 30%

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Determining kVA from Power
Profile of Equipment
Load Calculations by Phase
Equipment Voltage Load Phase A Phase B Phase C

CPU 208v / 3 Phase 30.5 30.5 30.5 30.5

Controller 208v / 3 Phase 12.0A 12.0 12.0 12.0

Disc #1 208v / 1 Phase 6.0A 6.0 6.0

Disc#2 208v / 1 Phase 6.0A 6.0 6.0

Disc #3 208v / 1 Phase 6.0A 6.0 6.0

Disc #4 208v / 1 Phase 6.0A 6.0 6.0

Printer 208v / 1 Phase 5.0A 5.0 5.0

Terminal #1 120v / 1 Phase 4.0A 4.0

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Determining kVA from Power
Profile of Equipment
Load Calculations by Phase (continue)

E quipm ent V oltage Load P hase A P hase B P hase C

Term inal #2 120v / 1 P hase 4.0A 4.0

Term inal #3 120v / 1 P hase 4.0A 4.0

Term inal #4 120v / 1 P hase 4.0A 4.0

Term inal #5 120v / 1 P hase 4.0A 4.0

Term inal #6 120v / 1 P hase 4.0A 4.0

Total P hase Load 68.5 69.5 71.5

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Determining kVA from Power
Profile of Equipment
Load Calculations by Phase (continued)

Calculating the kVA from the most

heavily-loaded phase (phase C):

208V x 71.5A x 3 kVA = 25.8

kVA =
1000

A 30kVA UPS could be selected as a minimum

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 Something to take home

z Single phase capacity

V x A = VA
120 x 100 = 12 Kva

z Three phase capacity

V x A x 1.73 = VA
208 x 100 x 1.73 = 36 Kva

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 Something more to take home

z Power factor = Kw / Kva

Kva = Kw / Pf

z Must know kVA and kW to properly select UPS size

kW can be determined from PF and kVA

z Maximum UPS output at rated power factor

100Kva/80kW unit can be fully loaded at 80Kva if load PF is 1.0

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The End

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