Balanced Four-Wire Wye Load

Application

This circuit shows a three-phase wye source powering three equal phase-to-neutral resistive loads. The explicit neutral conductor carries the shared return and is tied to ground at one point for the simulator reference.

Schematic Organization

L1, L2, and L3 run left to right through three matching 1 kOhm resistors. The three load returns join the neutral trunk, which continues back to the source N terminal. Each phase has its own labeled voltage probe.

Expected Behavior

The L1, L2, and L3 traces have equal 120 V RMS magnitude and are separated by 120 degrees. Each 1 kOhm load draws approximately 120 mA RMS. In a perfectly balanced load, the three phase currents cancel in the neutral.

Key Values

• Phase-to-neutral voltage: 120 V RMS.
• Frequency: 60 Hz.
• Load: three matched 1 kOhm resistors.

Suggested Experiments

Change all three resistors together to vary balanced load current. Then change one resistor to create an unbalanced load and compare the three phase traces. Adjust source voltage or frequency to explore another four-wire supply condition.

Featured Component

V1 is the Three Phase Wye Source. Its L1, L2, and L3 terminals provide the balanced phase voltages, while N is the source neutral return.