What is the magnitude of the line current for a delta connection?

In a delta connection, the relationship between the line current and the phase current is defined by the geometry of the connection. In a typical three-phase delta configuration, each load phase is connected between two of the three phases of the supply.

The line current (the current flowing in the supply lines) can be derived from the phase current (the current flowing through each load in the delta). In a delta configuration, each line current is related to the phase current by a factor of √3. This is because, in this configuration, the current flows through two phases simultaneously, creating a situation where the phase currents combine vectorially.

Mathematically, the relationship can be expressed as: I_line = √3 * I_phase.

Therefore, when considering a balanced three-phase system, the magnitude of the line current in a delta connection is indeed √3 times the magnitude of the phase current. This derivation and understanding of the relationship between line current and phase current are key for analyzing circuits involving delta connections in three-phase systems.