Three-phase Electric Power - Out-of-balance Loads

Out-of-balance Loads

When the currents on the three live wires of a three-phase system are not of equal amplitude or do not have the correct phases, the power-loss is greater than for a perfectly balanced system. The degree of imbalance is expressed by symmetrical components. Three-phase systems are evaluated at generating stations and substations in terms of these three components, of which two are zero in a perfectly balanced system.