THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
ECNG1007
THREE PHASE CIRCUITS
NOTE: Ensure that the POWER SWITCH is OFF before any connections are made or broken. The
Pre-Lob Reading exercise must be completed prior to the lab session. The Entire lab script must be
read before proceeding with the Lab Exercise. All Lab Exercises must be completed and signed by
the Demonstrator before leaving the Lab.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Contents
1. General Information................................................................................................................4
2. Lab Learning Outcomes..........................................................................................................5
3. Pre-Lab....................................................................................................................................5
3.1. Required reading resources.............................................................................................5
3.2. Recommended reading resources............................................................................................ 5
3.3. Pre-Lab Questions...................................................................................................................... 5
4. In-lab......................................................................................................................................6
4.1 STAR CONNECTION…………....................................................................................6
4.2 UNBALANCED CONDITIONS....................................................................................8
4.3 POWER FACTOR DETERMINATION…....................................................................9
4.4 DELTA CONNECTION................................................................................................10
5. Post-Lab...................................................................................................................................11
5.1 Results............................................................................................................................11
5.2 Questions and Calculations.............................................................................................13
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THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Listof figures
Figure 1: Diagram showing star connected transformer secondary and load..................................6
Figure 2: Diagram showing unbalanced conditions……….............................................................8
Figure 3: Diagram showing circuit for determining power factor...................................................9
Figure 4: Circuit diagram delta connected transformer secondary and load..................................10
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THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
ECNG 1007
Electrical Engineering Technology
Semester II
1. GENERALINFORMATION
Lab#: 3
Name of the Lab:
Three Phase Circuits
Lab Weighting: 5% Estimated total 4
study hours1:
Delivery mode: √Lecture
√Online
√Lab
Other
Venue for the Lab: Energy Systems Lab
Lab Dependencies2 The theoretical background to this lab is provided in ECNG 1007
Theoretical content link: [Link]
Recommended To undertake this lab, students should be able to:
prior knowledge • Understand the operation of a transformer
and skills3: • Understand 3 phase star/delta configurations
Course Staff Position/Role E-mail Phone
Office Office
Hours
Mr. Andrew Lecturer [Link]@[Link] Ext Power Sim -
Balgobin 82676 Lab
Mr. Andrew Lab [Link]@[Link] Ext Power Sim -
Balgobin Coordinator 82676 Lab
1
Estimate includes teaching time, study time, and student preparation time for classes and labs.
2
Include any Co-requisites, Post-requisites, or Forbidden course /lab combinations with respective code (C/P/F).
3
Lecturers can state lab input requirements in terms of student behaviours.
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LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits
2. LAB LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of the lab assignment, students will be able Cognitive Level
to:
Understand the relationship between line and phase voltages and currents for 3
different three phase configurations.
Understand how a three phase circuit behaves under balanced and 3
unbalanced load conditions.
Determine the power factor of a three phase circuit with an inductive load. 3
3. PRE-LAB
Due Date: The beginning of the lab cycle (verify on Turnitin portal)
Submission Procedure: Quiz must be completed on myelearning by 8:00 AM before
In-lab is performed
Estimated time of 1 hr.
completion:
3.1. Required reading resources
• ECNG 1007 Lectures 10, 11 & 12 on Three Phase Systems
• ECNG 1007 Laboratory Equipment Lecture (slides 24-41)
• Three Phase Systems Lab Video
3.2. Pre-lab exercise
• Three Phase Systems Pre-lab - myeLearning quiz (must attempt until all questions are
correct)
• Three Phase Systems MATLAB Simulation Exercise (optional)
3.3. Recommended reading resources
• Electrical and Electronic Technology 10th edition pg. 657
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LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits
4. IN-LAB
Allotted Completion
Time: 3hrs.
Required lab All provided
Equipment:
4.1 STAR CONNECTION
Figure 1: Diagram showing star connected transformer secondary and
load
4.1.1 Connect the circuit as shown in figure 1.
NB. Use a unity power factor wattmeter. (For best accuracy, ensure that the readings from the
meters are in the middle 20-80% of the meter’s scale)
Do not energize the circuit until the demonstrator checks the circuit and permission is given
to energize.
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LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits
4.1.2 Gradually raise the auto transformer voltage so that Vm reads 132 Volts.
4.1.3 Adjust the resistive load bank to load the transformer to 25% of its rated current.
4.1.4 Utilizing the Insertion Box, measure and record the following:
a) For the red phase; the phase voltage Vrn, the phase current Ir and the phase power Wr.
b) For the yellow phase; the phase voltage Vyn, the phase current Iy and the phase power Wy.
c) For the blue phase; the phase voltage Vbn, the phase current Ib and the phase power Wb.
d) The three line voltages Vry, Vyb and Vbr.
e) The current in the neutral wire between the transformer secondary and load, In
(take note of the multiplication factor of the wattmeter).
4.1.5 De-energize the circuit.
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LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits
4.2 UNBALANCED CONDITIONS
Figure 2: Diagram showing unbalanced load conditions
4.2.1 Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 2.
Do not energize the circuit until the demonstrator checks the circuit and permission is
given to energize.
4.2.2 Gradually raise the auto transformer voltages so that Vm reads 132 Volts.
4.2.3 Adjust the resistive load bank to create an unbalanced condition such that In reads
approximately 1A.
4.2.4 Utilizing the Insertion Box, measure and record:
a) For the red phase; the phase voltage Vrn and the phase current Ir.
b) For the yellow phase; the phase voltage Vyn and the phase current Iy.
c) For the blue phase; the phase voltage Vbn and the phase current Ib.
d) The current in the neutral wire between the transformer secondary and load, In.
4.2.5 De-energize the circuit.
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LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits
4.3 POWER FACTOR DETERMINATION
Figure 3: Diagram showing circuit for determining power factor
4.3.1 Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 3.
NB. Use a low power factor wattmeter.
Do not energize the circuit until the demonstrator checks the circuit and permission is
given to energize.
4.3.2 Gradually raise the autotransformer voltage so that Vm reads 132 Volts.
4.3.3 Adjust the resistive and inductive load banks such that 25% of the transformer’s rated
current flows and the wattmeter reading is between 50% and 75% of the product VrnIr.
4.3.4 Utilizing the Insertion Box, measure and record:
a) For the red phase; the phase voltage Vrn, the phase current Ir and the phase power Wr.
b) For the yellow phase; the phase voltage Vyn, the phase current Iy and the phase power Wy.
c) For the blue phase; the phase voltage Vbn, the phase current Ib and the phase power Wb.
d) The three line voltages Vry, Vyb and Vbr.
e) The current in the neutral wire between the transformer secondary and load, In.
4.3.5 De-energize the circuit.
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LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits
4.4 DELTA CONNECTION
Figure 4: Diagram showing delta connected transformer secondary and load
4.1.1 Connect the circuit as shown in figure 4.
NB. Use a unity power factor wattmeter.
Do not energize the circuit until the demonstrator checks the circuit and permission is
given to energize.
4.1.2 Gradually raise the autotransformer voltage so that Vm reads 230 Volts.
4.1.3 Adjust the resistive load bank to load the transformer to 25% of its rated current.
4.1.4 Utilizing the Insertion Box, measure and record:
a) For the red phase; the phase voltage Vry, the line current Ir, the phase current I1 and the power
W1.
b) For the red phase; the phase voltage Vyb, the line current Iy, the phase current I2 and the
power W2.
c) For the red phase; the phase voltage Vbr, the line current Ib, the phase current I3 and the
power W3.
4.1.5 De-energize the circuit.
NB. The reference point (see Fig. 4) must be properly connected to the correct phase. For
example, to take the reading for Vry, connect the insertion pin to the ‘r’ phase and connect
reference point to the ‘y’ phase.
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LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits
5. POST-LAB
Due Date: Two (2) weeks from the In-Lab Exercise
Submission Upload to myelearning submission portal by 10:00PM
Procedure:
Deliverables: ➢ Cover page
➢ Signed Plagiarism Form
➢ Typewritten responses to the postlab questions ONLY (15 pages)
➢ Scan of signed results from lab session (in pen)
➢ Converted to PDF format
ID#:
5.1 Results
Table 5.1: Star Connection Results
Vrn Vyn Vbn
Ir Iy Ib
Wr Wy Wb
Vry Vyb Vbr
In
Table 5.2: Unbalanced Conditions Results
Vrn Vyn Vbn
Ir Iy Ib
In
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LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits
Table 5.3: Power Factor Determination Results
Vrn Vyn Vbn
Ir Iy Ib
Wr Wy Wb
Vry Vyb Vbr
In
Table 5.4: Delta Connection Results
Vry Vyb Vbr
Ir Iy Ib
W1 W2 W3
I1 I2 I3
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LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits
5.2 Questions and Calculations
Estimated time of completion: 3 hrs.
5.2.1 Using the measured values from section 4.1 of In-Lab:
a) State the relationship between the phase and line currents at the load. [1 mark]
b) State the relationship between the phase and line voltages at the load. [1 mark]
c) Using an equation for the neutral current, verify the magnitude of the current obtained.
[3 marks]
d) Draw a phasor diagram showing the phase currents, phase voltages and line voltages.
[9 marks]
e) Determine the calculated phase powers Wrc, Wyc and Wbc. Compare the measured
phase powers with those calculated giving reasons for any differences and compute the
total load power in each case. [5 marks]
5.2.2 Using the measured values from section 4.2 of In-Lab:
a) Using an equation for the neutral current, verify the magnitude of the current obtained.
[3 marks]
b) Draw a phasor diagram showing the phase voltages and phase currents. [6 marks]
c) Calculate the phase powers Wrc, Wyc and Wbc. [3 marks]
5.2.3 Using the measured values from section 4.3 of In-Lab:
a) Calculate the load power factor. [3 marks]
b) Using an equation for the neutral current, verify the magnitude of the current obtained.
[3 marks]
c) Draw a phasor diagram showing the phase voltages and phase currents. [6 marks]
d) Calculate the real and reactive power of each phase. [6 marks]
e) Draw a phasor diagram showing the phase voltage and the resistive and inductive
voltages for each phase. [3 marks]
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LAB #3: Three Phase Circuits
5.2.4 Using the measured values from section 4.4 of In-Lab:
a) State the relationship between the phase and line currents at the load. [1 marks]
b) State the relationship between the phase and line voltages at the load. [1 marks]
c) Draw a phasor diagram showing the phase voltages, phase currents and line currents.
[9 marks]
d) Calculate the phase powers Wryc, Wybc and Wbrc. Compare the measured powers with
those calculated giving reasons for any differences and compute the total load power in
each case. [7 marks]
*Phasors can be drawn by hand or using any drawing software
Total [70 marks]
End of Lab #3:
Updated by A. Balgobin 02/01/2026 Three Phase Circuits
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