The RC-circuit

v.7 by Hob Nilre 2014-01-09 at https://sites.google.com/site/nilrehob/home/documents

This document is totally copyleft. It is also a document in flux that is not finished by any means.
If You find anything that You think needs to be changed, removed or added, send me an email: hob.nilre@gmail.com

Summary
This notebookcalculates what is happening in a RC-circuit connected to an AC source with zero impedance.
The momentary VA (apparent power), Pr (real power), VAR (reactive power) and power-factor is calculated.
I have not yet seen a textbook where not just RMS-based values but also the momentary values are calculated.
The results show that close to where V=0 all things imaginary can happen.

The constants
Assuming an arbitrary AC-source with 230 V at 50 Hz.
In[1]:=

f = 50; w = 2 Pi f;

In[2]:=

V = 230 Sqrt@2D; Vs = V Cos@w tD

Out[2]=

230

Cos@100 tD

The values for the resistor and the capacitor is chosen to give nice plots below.
In[3]:=

R = 0.5; Xc = 0.001;

The j way
This is the standard RMS-based way of dealing with a RC-circuit.
In[4]:=
Out[4]=

Vrms = V Sqrt@2D
230

Impedance.
In[5]:=
Out[5]=

Z = R - I H w Xc L

0.5 - 3.1831

Current RMS.
In[6]:=
Out[6]=

Arms = Abs@Vrms ZD

71.3814

Apparent power.
In[7]:=
Out[7]=

stdVA = Vrms Arms

16 417.7

Real power.
In[8]:=
Out[8]=

stdPr = Arms ^ 2 R
2547.65

Reactive power.
In[9]:=
Out[9]=

stdVAR = Arms ^ 2 H w Xc L

16 218.8

rc-circuit.nb

Power-factor.
In[10]:=
Out[10]=

stdPF = stdPr stdVA

0.155177

The angle between current and voltage.

In[11]:=
Out[11]=

stdAngRad = ArcCos@stdPFD
1.41499

The angle in degrees.

In[12]:=
Out[12]=

staAngDeg = 180 stdAngRad Pi

81.0729

The current is therefore.

In[13]:=
Out[13]=

As = V Cos@w t + stdAngRad D Abs@ZD

100.948 Cos@1.41499 + 100 tD

We can now plot the voltage and the current.

In[14]:=

Plot@8Vs, As<, 8t, 0, 1 f<D

300

200

100
Out[14]=

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

- 100

- 200

- 300

Calculate the apparent power.

In[15]:=
Out[15]=

VAs = Vs As
32 835.4 Cos@100 tD Cos@1.41499 + 100 tD

Calculate the real power.

In[16]:=
Out[16]=

Prs = As ^ 2 R
5095.3 Cos@1.41499 + 100 tD 2

Plot the two powers. Notice that we momentarily have VA<Pr.

rc-circuit.nb

In[17]:=

Plot@8Prs, VAs<, 8t, 0, 1 f<D

15 000
10 000
5000

Out[17]=

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

- 5000
- 10 000

Calculate the power-factor.

In[18]:=
Out[18]=

PFs = Prs VAs

0.155177 Cos@1.41499 + 100 tD Sec@100 tD

This is what the by the system introduced Sec functionis:.

In[19]:=
Out[19]=

Sec @x D == 1 Cos@x D
True

Plot the power-factor. Notice that we momentarily have 1<PF.

In[20]:=

Plot@PFs, 8t, 0, 1 f<, PlotRange 10D

10

Out[20]=

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

-5

- 10

What does the momentary PF really mean? Maybe the std PF is the mean value of the momentary PF? Lets find the
roots for PFs in the plot above and do an integration.
In[21]:=
Out[21]=
In[22]:=
Out[22]=
In[23]:=
Out[23]=
In[24]:=
Out[24]=

t0 = t . FindRoot@Vs 0, 8t, 0.005<D

0.005

t1 = t . FindRoot@As 0, 8t, 0.01<D

0.0104959

t2 = t . FindRoot@Vs 0, 8t, 0.015<D

0.015

Abs@Integrate @PFs, 8t, t0, t2<D Ht2 - t0LD

0.122175

rc-circuit.nb

Close but no cigar, but we know its a measure of how much the current is ahead of the voltage.
In[25]:=
Out[25]=

Pi Ht2 - t1L Ht2 - t0L

1.41499

How boring.
Energy consumed by the resistor for one period by multiplying with the period (or dividing by frequency).
In[26]:=
Out[26]=

stdE = stdPr f
50.953

The exponential way

Lets switch to e-notation and so avoiding the differential equation a bit longer.
The voltage in this notation:
In[27]:=

Out[27]=

Ve = V Exp@I w tD
230

2 100

The current.
In[28]:=
Out[28]=

Ae = Ve H R - I H w Xc LL

H15.6649 + 99.7257 L 100

Plot the voltage and the current.

In[29]:=

Plot@8Re @Ve D, Re @Ae D<, 8t, 0, 1 f<D

300

200

100
Out[29]=

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

- 100

- 200

- 300

Calculate the apparent power.

In[30]:=

Out[30]=

VAe = Re @Ve D Re @Ae D

230

ReA 100

E ReAH15.6649 + 99.7257 L 100

Calculate the real power.

In[31]:=

Out[31]=

Pre = Re @Ae D ^ 2 R

0.5 ReAH15.6649 + 99.7257 L 100

Plot the two powers. Notice that we momentarily have VA<Pr.

rc-circuit.nb

In[32]:=

Plot@8Pre , VAe <, 8t, 0, 1 f<D

15 000
10 000
5000

Out[32]=

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

- 5000
- 10 000

Calculate the power-factor.

In[33]:=

PFe = Pre VAe

0.00153719 ReAH15.6649 + 99.7257 L 100

Out[33]=

ReA 100

tE

tE

Plot this power-factor. Notice that we momentarily have 1<PF.

In[34]:=

Plot@PFe , 8t, 0, 1 f<, PlotRange 10D

10

Out[34]=

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

-5

- 10

If we keep the imaginary parts when we calculate PF we get the same result as in the j way:
In[35]:=
Out[35]=

Abs@Ae ^ 2 R H Ve Ae LD

0.155177

Compare it:
In[36]:=
Out[36]=

stdPF
0.155177

Calculate the reactive power.

In[37]:=

Out[37]=

VARe = Sqrt@VAe ^ 2 - Pre ^ 2D

- J105 800 ReA 100

E ReAH15.6649 + 99.7257 L 100

2

0.25 ReAH15.6649 + 99.7257 L 100

Plot the reactive power.

E N
4

E 2

rc-circuit.nb

In[38]:=

Plot@VARe , 8t, 0, 1 f<D

15 000

10 000
Out[38]=

5000

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

What is happening close to where V=0?

The differential equation way

This is the differential equation to solve to get the functionfor the current.
In[39]:=

Out[39]=

Eq = R y @tD + 1 Xc Integrate @y @tD, tD Vs

1000. y @tD t + 0.5 y @tD 230

Cos@100 tD

To give the system some help I derived the equation.

In[40]:=

Out[40]=

DEq = D@Eq , tD
1000. y @tD + 0.5 y @tD - 23 000

Sin @100 tD

An close approximation to the initial current.

In[41]:=
Out[41]=

Az = Re @Ae . t 0D

15.6649

Let the system solve the equation.

In[42]:=
Out[42]=

A = y @tD . DSolve @8DEq , y @0D Az<, y @tD, tD@@1DD

- 2000.

II- 3.55271 10 - 15 + 1.50457 10 - 16 M + I15.6649 - 1.50457 10 - 16 M 2000.

I99.7257 - 3.61097 10

- 16

Plot the voltage and the current.

2000. t

Sin @314.159 tDM

Cos@314.159 tD -

rc-circuit.nb

In[43]:=

Plot@8Vs, A <, 8t, 0, 1 f<D

300

200

100
Out[43]=

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

- 100

- 200

- 300

Calculate the apparent power.

In[44]:=

Out[44]=

VA = Vs A
2 - 2000.

230

Cos@100 tD

II- 3.55271 10 - 15 + 1.50457 10 - 16 M + I15.6649 - 1.50457 10 - 16 M 2000.

I99.7257 - 3.61097 10

- 16

2000. t

Calculate the real power.

In[45]:=
Out[45]=

Sin @314.159 tDM

Cos@314.159 tD -

Pr = A ^ 2 R
0.5 - 4000.

II- 3.55271 10 - 15 + 1.50457 10 - 16 M + I15.6649 - 1.50457 10 - 16 M 2000.

I99.7257 - 3.61097 10

- 16

2000. t

Sin @314.159 tDM

Cos@314.159 tD -

Plot the two powers. Notice that we momentarily have VA<Pr.

In[46]:=

Plot@8Pr , VA <, 8t, 0, 1 f<D

15 000
10 000
5000

Out[46]=

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

- 5000
- 10 000

Calculate the power-factor.

In[47]:=
Out[47]=

PF = Pr VA

0.00153719 - 2000.

Sec@100 tD

II- 3.55271 10 - 15 + 1.50457 10 - 16 M + I15.6649 - 1.50457 10 - 16 M 2000.

I99.7257 - 3.61097 10

- 16

2000. t

Sin @314.159 tDM

Plot the power-factor. Notice that we momentarily have 1<PF.

Cos@314.159 tD -

rc-circuit.nb

In[48]:=

Plot@PF, 8t, 0, 1 f<, PlotRange 10D

10

Out[48]=

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

-5

- 10

Calculate the reactive power.

In[49]:=

Out[49]=

VAR = Sqrt@VA ^ 2 - Pr ^ 2D
- J105 800 - 4000.

Cos@100 tD 2

II- 3.55271 10 - 15 + 1.50457 10 - 16 M + I15.6649 - 1.50457 10 - 16 M 2000.

I99.7257 - 3.61097 10

0.25

- 8000. t

2000.

- 16

II- 3.55271 10

- 15

2000. t

Sin @314.159 tDM -

+ 1.50457 10 - 16 M + I15.6649 - 1.50457 10 - 16 M

Cos@314.159 tD - I99.7257 - 3.61097 10 - 16 M 2000.

Plot@VAR , 8t, 0, 1 f<D

15 000

10 000
Out[50]=

5000

0.005

0.010

0.015

What is happening close to where V=0?

The energy
Lets calculate the energy by integrating VA over one period.
In[51]:=
Out[51]=

Cos@314.159 tD -

Plot the reactive power.

In[50]:=

EVA = Re @Integrate @VA , 8t, 0, 1 f<DD

50.953

Calculate the energy by integrating Pr over one period.

0.020

Sin @314.159 tDM N

4

rc-circuit.nb

In[52]:=
Out[52]=

EPr = Re @Integrate @Pr , 8t, 0, 1 f<DD

50.953

They are a match, as they should be.

And lets recall the standard value for comparison.
In[53]:=
Out[53]=

stdE
50.953

Exactly the same. Now lets calculate the average power by dividing the energy with the period (same as multiplying
with frequency).
In[54]:=
Out[54]=

EPr f
2547.65

And lets recall the standard value for comparison.

In[55]:=
Out[55]=

stdPr
2547.65

Exactly the same as well. It seems my calculations are right at least from this perspective.

Some of the remaining questions

What is happening close to where V=0?
Usually we explain the relationship between VA, Pr and VAR as a right-angle triangle with VA as the hypotenuse. This
means we aways must have PrbVA. So how can VA<Pr in my calculations?
Another way of asking the same question is how can 1<PF?