Impedance of Neutral on Unbalanced 3 phase

Utilities do not have neutrals. Neutral is established at the meter location. At least every where I have been in the US

You are incorrect. The vast majority of the distribution system in the US is multigrounded wye. There are 4 wires: three phase conductors and a neutral.

Charles Perry P.E.

So I could cut that extra wire coming down from the pole and not have any adverse effects? I don't think so. Cutting it would be an "open neutral". So it's clearly thought of as a neutral.

Now the primary wiring (which I certainly won't go around cutting) could well be neutral-free. But if that is so, then lots of single bushing transformers I see must be using an earth ground return. What kind of voltage drop will they be getting?

Dig up a power systems text book and read up on symetrical components and their use for unbalanced loads.

The text book Distribution System Modeling and Analysis by William H. Kersting discusses this in depth. He has also written several IEEE papers.

in article C8dgd.183040$a85.113329@fed1read04, SQLit at snipped-for-privacy@cox.net wrote on 10/28/04 2:03 PM:

A delta-wye transformer connection will allow an unbalanced three-phase load with a neutral and harmonics. Where the ground is connected on the secondary side is a local decision. But grounding the neutral does make sense.

Bill