1

Electrical Engineering &

Telecommunications
Lecturer:
Ted Spooner
Lecture -
Intro to Circuit Basics
Elec1111 Elec1111
Rm124A EE email: e.spooner@unsw.edu.au
How is the Electrical system of
an Aircraft Powered?
One of 4 variable
frequency 150kVA
generators on the new
A380 Airbus
RamAir Turbine
Auxiliary
Power Unit
(APU)
How do we connect it all?
How do we go about designing and
evaluating the design?
Have to analyse circuits
How do we do that?
Possible Circuit solutions to a simplified
aircraft electrical system.
Generator
1 Generator
2
LOAD 1 LOAD 2
LOAD 3
LOAD 4
LOAD 5
Possible Circuit solutions to a simplified
aircraft electrical system.
Generator
1
Generator
2
LOAD 1
LOAD 2
LOAD 5
LOAD 4
LOAD 3
How do we analyze a circuit like
this?
Audio Power Amplifier
2
Electric Circuit Variables
Charge
Current
Voltage
Power
Energy
Need to Understand Concepts
How do we calculate current in
each element of this circuit?
10V
1000 10
87 20 3V
current
constant: direct current (dc)
time-varying: many forms
e.g. sinusoidal, also called
alternating current (ac)
t (s)
i
(A)
0
sinusoid (ac)
ramp
exponential
Time-varying current
t (s)
i
(A)
0
Direct current (dc)
t (s)
i
(A)
0
sinusoid (ac)
ramp
exponential
Time-varying current
t (s)
i
(A)
0
Direct current (dc)
VOLTAGE
When charge flows through an element
then energy is transferred either to or from
the element
a b
i
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Voltage (potential difference) =measure
of the amount of energy transferred per
unit of charge.
Unit: volt, V
Notation: V, v(t) or v
energy
charge
dq
dw
v =
Voltage
As charge flows through an element then
energy is transferred either to or from the
element
a b
v
i
+
_
Must have a sense of direction.
If i and v are positive then: energy is being transferred to the element.
Voltage
Element absorbing energy
a b
i
+
_
i
v
a b
i
+
_
Element delivering energy
i
v
If i and v are positive.
Voltage is analogous to
pressure
PUMP
Resistance
to flow
Voltage is like pressure HV transmission lines: up to 500kV
Household supply: 230V
Car battery: 12V 13V
Flashlight battery: 1.5V
Electroencephalography (EEG):10V
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Voltage Sign conventions
Voltage is a measure of potential
difference between two points.
ie Vab is the difference in potential
between nodes a and b.
Vab is the voltage of node a with respect
to node b.
a
b
+
_
ab
v
When we say voltage of node When we say voltage of node a a
relative to node relative to node b b we write it like: we write it like:
Voltage Sign
conventions
Voltage is a measure of
potential difference between two points.
Reference
Ground
v
a
+
_
v
b
+
_
v
ab
=v
a
- v
b
a
b
+
_
ba
v
When we say voltage of node When we say voltage of node b b
relative to node relative to node a a we write it like: we write it like:
Now voltage of b with respect
to a
Reference
Ground
v
b
+
_
v
a
+
_
v
ba
=v
b
- v
a
a b
+
_
ba
v
ab
v
+
_
a b
Then : Then :
If If 5
ab
v V =
5
ba
v V =
a b
+
_
ab
v
5
ab
v V =
COM V
+5V Reading
Measuring
V
ab
Sources =devices that supply energy to circuit
Voltage Voltage
sources sources
Current Current
sources sources
Sources Sources
2 types
Sources can be independent independent or dependent dependent.
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Independent Voltage
source
DC
voltage
source
V
AC
voltage
source
v(t)
Ideal
voltage
source
v(t)
Battery
V
positive
terminal
Independent current source Independent current source
i(t)