Funny 3 phase Amp thing

[clevertrevor00]

So... This thing is happening.
I know it's happening but I'm hoping someone will help me understand it a bit clearer.
Let me explain.
I have a splitter with two loads coming out. Lets use some number close to the real ones. 600v 125 amps total.
When I use a clamp on meter on a singe phase conductor coming into the splitter. I get 125 Amps.
On the same phase... it splits to two different loads.
When I measure the amps on each wire of the same phase going to the load. They add up to 125 amps. (115 and 10.)
But..
When I use a clamp on meter on the same phase around 2 wires on the load side of the splitter. I get less. something like 112.

Of the 3 phases, only one reads the same when I read the single wire line and then around both the load wires.

So... I'm not really experienced with 3phase. But I know when put 2 single phase wires in the clamp on meter they add together if they are on the same phase/leg. And cancel each other out if on opposite legs. I assume it's something to do with the single phase being 180 degrees out of phase and the 3phase being only 60 degrees.? Or something like that. But... if on the same phase wouldn't they still add up? I'm confused.

Hope someone can open my eyes.

 

[GoldDigger]

So... This thing is happening.
I know it's happening but I'm hoping someone will help me understand it a bit clearer.
Let me explain.
I have a splitter with two loads coming out. Lets use some number close to the real ones. 600v 125 amps total.
When I use a clamp on meter on a singe phase conductor coming into the splitter. I get 125 Amps.
On the same phase... it splits to two different loads.
When I measure the amps on each wire of the same phase going to the load. They add up to 125 amps. (115 and 10.)
But..
When I use a clamp on meter on the same phase around 2 wires on the load side of the splitter. I get less. something like 112.

Of the 3 phases, only one reads the same when I read the single wire line and then around both the load wires.

So... I'm not really experienced with 3phase. But I know when put 2 single phase wires in the clamp on meter they add together if they are on the same phase/leg. And cancel each other out if on opposite legs. I assume it's something to do with the single phase being 180 degrees out of phase and the 3phase being only 60 degrees.? Or something like that. But... if on the same phase wouldn't they still add up? I'm confused.

Hope someone can open my eyes.

If the other side of the two loads were connected to two different phase wires, then the currents after the splitter could be out of phase and could therefore add up to a net current which is smaller than the sum of the two amplitudes after the splitter. The problem is that there is no single "opposite" wire in a three phase system, so the currents add, but not completely.
It can also be complicated by any reactive current which is not at the same phase angle for both loads even if they are connected between the same phase wires.
Whenever you are adding currents from two different loads, it is always possible to get a result like the one you see when either multiple phases or reactive loads are in play.

 

[kwired]

So... This thing is happening.
I know it's happening but I'm hoping someone will help me understand it a bit clearer.
Let me explain.
I have a splitter with two loads coming out. Lets use some number close to the real ones. 600v 125 amps total.
When I use a clamp on meter on a singe phase conductor coming into the splitter. I get 125 Amps.
On the same phase... it splits to two different loads.
When I measure the amps on each wire of the same phase going to the load. They add up to 125 amps. (115 and 10.)
But..
When I use a clamp on meter on the same phase around 2 wires on the load side of the splitter. I get less. something like 112.

Of the 3 phases, only one reads the same when I read the single wire line and then around both the load wires.

So... I'm not really experienced with 3phase. But I know when put 2 single phase wires in the clamp on meter they add together if they are on the same phase/leg. And cancel each other out if on opposite legs. I assume it's something to do with the single phase being 180 degrees out of phase and the 3phase being only 60 degrees.? Or something like that. But... if on the same phase wouldn't they still add up? I'm confused.

Hope someone can open my eyes.

You are on the right track with what I bolded.

If both your loads you mentioned were only connected A-B, you would only have one phase angle to deal with -180 degrees. All the current is the same except in each individual load portion of the circuit. You have current from A-B of 115 amps plus another current from A-B of 10 amps - they are at the same angle so they simply add together.

But when you connect one load A-B and the other load B-C you have current flowing between three points instead of two. A is going to see 115 and C is going to see 10, but B is going to be somewhere between as it will involve current from A-B as well as current from B-C, at different phase angles result on B is a combination of the current to each load and the phase angle associated with it. They are 120 degrees instead of 180 degrees(which is a straight line).