ENG 237 Basic Elasticity and Electronics

Subject lecturer: Dr. Zhao XU

Department of Electrical Engineering
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Email: eezhaoxu@polyu.edu.hk
Room: CF632
Tel: 27666160

ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Time-Domain Analysis
Overview

Transient responses of RC and RL circuits

with DC sources
1st order systems only
Solutions by Differential Equations
Time constant
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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Steady State and Transient

For circuits that contain sources, switches, resistances,
inductances, and capacitance, i.e. dynamic systems,
the circuit is said to be stable (in steady state) if all voltages
and currents in the circuit converge into a set of unique fixed
values regardless of what values they assume initially.
the time-varying currents and voltages resulting from the
sudden application of sources, usually due to switching, are
called transients.
In transient analysis, we are requires to solve differential
equations or apply Laplace transformation to obtain solutions.
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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

First-order Circuits

They are circuits with a single storage element

( a capacitor or an inductor).
The differential equations describing them are
first-order.

ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

First-order RC Circuit (1)

At Node 1:

0
v1 (t) =
Vo

t < 0

t 0

vR
dvC
i(t) =
=C
R
dt
By KVL:

dvC
CR
+ vC = v1 (t)
dt
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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

First-order RC Circuit (2)

Assume the capacitor is initially uncharged, i.e. vC (0+) = 0,
dvC
CR
+ vC = v1 (t)
dt
dv
v (t) vC
C = 1
dt
CR
dvC
dt
t

=
ln (vC Vo ) =
+K
vC Vo
CR
CR
vC Vo = e
vC (t) = Ae

CR

t
CR

e K (put e K = A)

+ Vo for t 0
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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

First-order RC Circuit (3)

A is determined from the initial condition as:
vC (t) = Ae

t
CR

+ Vo

0 = A + Vo

(since

vc (0 + ) = 0

A = Vo

Hence, for t >= 0, we obtain:

vC (t) = Vo (1 e
and

t
CR

dvC Vo CRt
i(t) = C
= e
dt
R
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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Time Constant

Time taken for the capacitor voltage

reaches 63% of the final steady value.
Time taken for the current i(t) falls to 37% of its initial
value.

ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

First-order RL Circuit (1)

For t 0,
diL
vL = L
dt
vR (t) = [I o iL (t)]R

ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

First-order RL Circuit (2)

Since vR = vL, we have:

diL
[I o iL (t)]R = L dt
diL
R
R

= dt ln [iL (t) I o ]= t + K
L
[iL (t) I o ] L
iL (t) I o = e

R
t + K
L

iL (t) = Ae

R
t
L

+ I o where A = e K

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

First-order RL Circuit (3)

If the inductor current is initially zero, then A is determined
from the initial condition as:
+

iL (0 ) = 0 = A + I o
A = I o
For t >= 0,

iL (t) = I o (1 e
and

vL (t) = RI o e

Rt
L

Rt
L

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Time Constant

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Universal Waveforms of First-Order Transients

Case A

Case A: x(t) = x(t o ) + x 1 e

Case B
t t o

Case B: x(t) = x() + x e

t t o

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Expressions for First-Order Transients by

Inspection
Procedure:
1. Find the time constant.
2. Find the initial and final values.
3. Determine whether it is Case A or Case B.

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Determination of Time Constant (1)

For any given RC circuit:

For any given RL circuit:

= Ceq Req
=

Leq
Req

where Ceq , Leq , and Req are equivalent capacitance, inductance,

and resistance of the circuit.

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Determination of Time Constant (2)

Procedure for determining Ceq, Leq, and Req :
1. Short-circuit all voltage sources and open-circuit all
current sources.
2. Place switches into their final positions.
3. Reduce resistances to one equivalent resistance.
4. Reduce capacitances to one equivalent capacitance.
5. Reduce inductances to one equivalent inductance.
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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Example 1

Find vc(t), vR(t), and i(t) for t 0.

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

The initial and final values of the capacitor voltages are:

vc (0 _ ) = 50 V

and

vc () = 20 V

It starts from 50 V and decays down to 20 V exponentially. This

corresponds to Case B.

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

The equivalent RC circuit for the reduction procedure.

= RC
Using the Case B expression, we have
vc (t) = 20 + 70e

t CR

and
vR (t) = 20 vc (t) = 70e

t CR

vR (t) 70 t CR
i(t) =
=
e
A
R
R
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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Example 2

Find vc(t) for t 0.

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

The switch has been closed for a long time, the capacitor is an open circuit to dc.
Thus, the initial value of the capacitor voltage is:
9
20 = 15 V
vc (0 _ ) =
9+3
The final value is vc () = 0 V.
It starts from 15 V and decays down to 0 V exponentially. This corresponds to Case B.

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

= (9 + 1) 20 10 3 = 0.2 s
Using the Case B expression, we have
vc (t) = 15e

t 0.2

= 15e5t V

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Example 3

Find iL(t) and vR(t) for t 0.

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

The switch has been opened for a long time, the inductor is a short circuit to dc.
Thus, the initial value of the inductor current is:
1
3= 1 A
iL (0 _ ) =
1+ 2
The final value is iL () = 3 A.
It starts from 1 A and increases to 3 A exponentially. This corresponds to Case A.
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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Leq
R eq

0.1
=
= 0.1 s
1

Using the Case A expression, we have

iL (t) = 1 + 2 1 e

= 3 2e10t A

and
vR (t) = (iL (t) 3) 1 = 2e10t V
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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Example 4

Find iL(t) and io(t) for t 0.

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

The switch has been opened for a long time, the inductor is a short circuit to dc.
Thus, the initial value of the inductor current is:
10
iL (0 _ ) = = 2 A
5
The final value is iL () = 0 A.
It starts from 2 A and decays to 0 A exponentially. This corresponds to Case B.
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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Leq

2
=
= =1s
Req 2
Using the Case B expression, we have

( )

iL (t) = 2 e

= 2et A

and
diL (t)
= 2 2et = 4et A
dt
v (t)
2
io (t) = L = et A
3
6
vL (t) = L

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ENG237 Basic Electricity & Electronics I

Summary of Objectives
After completing this section, you should be able to:
1. Determine the transient responses of first-order
circuits.
2. Understand the universal waveforms of first-order
transients.
3. Derive expression of transient response for firstorder systems.
4. Determine time constant.
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