Educational approach to the wye–delta transformations using simple circuit analysis techniques

Abstract

The wye-to-delta (Y–Δ) transformation is part of every circuit analysis course. In electric circuits textbooks, the transformation is found by comparing the two networks and making sure that the resistance between each pair of nodes in one network is the same as the resistance between the same pair of nodes in the other network. The two networks are compared as open-circuit networks. This creates confusion among students because usually the network is part of a larger closed-circuit network. In this paper, an alternative method is proposed. The new method starts from one configuration and finds the corresponding equivalent configuration by deriving currents and voltages, as part of a closed circuit. This method can be adopted in circuit analysis courses to help students develop a deeper understanding of this topic.