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AC Circuits
AC Circuits
AC CIRCUITS
I. BASIC AC THEORY
1. ALTERNATING CURRENT
Advantages of AC:
2. AC WAVEFORMS
1 v
f= λ=
T f
a(t) =Amsin(ωt + ø )
Measurements of AC Magnitude
"RMS" stands for Root Mean Square (effective value) - a way of expressing
an AC quantity of voltage or current in terms functionally equivalent to DC.
Crest factor of an AC waveform - the ratio of its peak (crest) to its RMS value.
Form factor of an AC waveform - the ratio of its peak (crest) value to its
average value.
3. AC QUANTITIES
a. Resistance(R)
b. Reactance(X)
XL = 2πfL
1 1
BL= BL =
XL 2fL
Capacitive Reactance (Xc)
the property of a capacitor to oppose alternating current
1
Xc =
2fC
1
BC = BC = 2 fC
XC
c. Impedance (Z)
Z = R + jXeq Z = IZI ø
X eq
Where: IZI = R 2 X eq2 ø = Arctan
R
V Vm
Z= = = Z
I I m
X
Zcos + jZsin = R + jX = R 2 X 2 tan
1
R
Vm
Where: Z= = R 2 X 2 = magnitude of the impedance
Im
= tan-1
X
= phase angle of the impedance
R
d. Admittance (Y)
Im
Y= = Y y = Ycos y + jYsin y = G + jB
Vm
B
G2 B2 tan -1
Y= G
Im 1
Where: Y= = G2 B2 = =magnitude of the admittance
Vm Z
B
y
= =tan G = phase angle of the admittance
-1
II. AC CIRCUITS
1. AC Resistor Circuit
Impedance(Z) = R
With an AC circuit like this which is purely resistive, the relationship of the voltage
and current is as shown:
2. AC Inductor Circuit
Impedance(Z) = jXL
Because the current and voltage waves are 90 o out of phase, there are times
when one is positive while the other is negative, resulting in equally frequent
occurrences of negative instantaneous power.
Negative power means that the inductor is releasing power back to the
circuit, while a positive power means that it is absorbing power from the
circuit
The inductor releases just as much power back to the circuit as it absorbs
over the span of a complete cycle.
Review Question: Determine the opposition (Z) of the inductor in the circuit below
with respect to the phase angles of voltage and current:
Solution:
E 10
I= = = 2.6526
XL 3.7699
Voltage 10 90 .
Opposition = = = 3.7699 90 .
Current 2.6526 0 .
REVIEW:
3. AC Capacitor Circuit
Impedance(Z) = -jXC
discharge to the same voltage peaks in less time), and less current for
slower-changing voltages.
the phase angle of a capacitor's opposition to current is -90 o, meaning that a
capacitor's opposition to current is a negative imaginary quantity
REVIEW:
Impedance(Z) = R+jXL
1 R jX L
Admittance(Y) = =
R jX L R 2 XL 2
XL e
Phase shift( ) = Arctan ( ) I Z I = R 2 XL 2 =
R i
REVIEW:
When resistors and inductors are mixed together in circuits, the total
impedance will have a phase angle somewhere between 0 o and +90o. The
circuit current will have a phase angle somewhere between 0 o and -90o.
Series AC circuits exhibit the same fundamental properties as series DC
circuits: current is uniform throughout
1 R jXc
Admittance (Y) = = 2
R jX C R Xc 2
For a series resistor – capacitor circuit, the voltage and current relation is
determined by the phase shift. Thus the current leads the voltage by an
angle less than 90 degrees but greater than 0 degrees
Xc e
Phase shift ( ) = Arctan ( ) I Z I = R 2 Xc2 =
R i
1
Z parallel =
Admit tan ce(Y )
E
Z= , by Ohm’s Law
I
REVIEW
When resistors and inductors are mixed together in parallel circuits (just as in
series circuits), the total impedance will have a phase angle somewhere
between 0o and +90o. The circuit current will have a phase angle somewhere
between 0o and -90o.
Parallel AC circuits exhibit the same fundamental properties as parallel DC
circuits: voltage is uniform throughout the circuit, branch currents add to form
the total current, and impedances diminish (through the reciprocal formula) to
form the total impedance
c = susceptance = 1/XC
REVIEW
When resistors and capacitors are mixed together in circuits, the total
impedance will have a phase angle somewhere between 0 o and -90o.
Review Question
1. Compute for the total impedance of the following SERIES RLC circuit?
Solution:
Convert individual components to their equivalent impedances:
Since this is a series RLC, the total impedance (Ztotal) is the sum of individual
impedances
Z total= ZR + ZL + ZC
Analysis:
1. APPARENT POWER(S)
Represents the rate at which the total energy is supplied to the system
Measured in volt-amperes (VA)
S = VrmsIrms = Irms2 I Z I
It has two components, the Real Power and the Capacitive or Inductive
Reactive Power
Power Triangle
Complex Power
S = P ± jQ
Power Factor
Pf = cos
P
Ratio of the Real Power to the Apparent Power( )
S
When:
Pf =1.0 I is in phase with V; resistive system
Pf=lagging I lags V by θ; inductive system
Pf = leading I leads V by θ; capacitive system
Pf=0.0 lag I lags V by 90°; purely inductive
Pf =0.0 lead I leads V by 90°; purely capacitive
The angle between the apparent power and the real power in the power
triangle
1 1
P(t) = VmImcos( v - i ) + VmImcos(2ωt + v + i )
2 2
1
Pave = VmImcos( v - i ) = VrmsIrmscos
2
where: = phase shift between v(t) and i(t) or the phase angle of the
equivalent impedance
3. REACTIVE POWER (QL or QC)
Q = VrmsIrmssin
Reactive factor
Rf = sin
1. CLASSIFICATION:
2. BALANCED Y-system
3. BALANCED ∆ system
IA + IB + IC =0
S = 3VPIP = 3 VLIL va
TEST YOURSELF 3
Review Questions
1.The description of two sine waves that are in step with each other going through their maximum
and minimum points at the same time and in the same direction (November, 1999)
a. Sine waves in phase
b. Stepped sine waves
c. Phased sine waves
d. Sine waves in coordination
2. Term used for the out of phase, non-productive power associated with inductors and capacitors
(November, 1996)
a. Effective power
b. True power
c. Reactive power
d. Peak envelope power
4. Term used for an out-of-phase, non-productive power associated with inductors and capacitors.
a. effective power
b. reactive power
c. peak envelope power
d. true power
6. The distance covered or traveled by a waveform during the time interval of one complete cycle
(April, 2005)
a. Frequency
b. Wavelength
c. Time slot
d. Wave time
Answer b. Wavelength
8. It is the number of complete cycles of alternating voltage or current completed each second
(November, 2003)
a. Period
b. Frequency
c. Amplitude
d. Phase
Answer b. Frequency
9. How many degrees are there in one complete cycle? (November, 2000)
a. 720°
b. 360°
c. 180°
d. 90°
Answer b. 360°
10. The impedance in the study of electronics is represented by resistance and ________ (April,
1998)
a. Reactance
b. Inductance and capacitance
c. Inductance
d. Capacitance
Answer a. Reactance
12. It is a rotating sector that represents either current or voltage in an AC circuit (November, 2003)
a. Resistance
b. Phasor
c. Solar diagram
d. Velocity
Answer b. Phasor
13. The relation of the voltage across an inductor to its current is described as
a. leading the current by 90 degrees
b. lagging the current by 90 degrees
c. leading the current by 180 degrees
d. in phase with the current
14. Find the phase angle between the voltage across through the circuit when X C is 25 ohms, R is
100 ohms and XL is 50 ohms. (April, 2005)
a. 76 degrees with voltage leading the current
b. 14 degrees with the voltage lagging the current
c. 14 degrees with the voltage leading the current
d. 76 degrees with the voltage lagging the current
Answer c. 16.67 ms
Solution
1 1
Period = 16.67 x10 3 s
f 60
Answer d. b or c
17. The maximum instantaneous value of a varying current, voltage or power equal to 1.414 times
the effective value of a sine wave. (November, 2000)
a. RMS value
b. Peak value
c. EFFECTIVE VALUE
d. Peak to Peak value
18. If an AC signal has a peak voltage of 55 V, what is the average value? (April, 2000)
a. 34.98 V
b. 61.05 V
c. 86.34 V
d. 38.89 V
Answer a. 34.98 V
Solution
2Vpk 2(55 )
Ave = 35.01
19. If an AC signal has an average voltage of 18 V, what is the rms voltage? (April, 2000)
a. 12.726 V
b. 19.980 V
c. 25.380 V
d. 16.213 V
Answer b. 19.980 V
Solution
RMS = 1.11Vave(AC signal) = 1.11(18) = 19.98 V
20. A 220-volt, 60Hz is driving a series RL circuit. Determine the current if R = 100 ohms and 20
mH inductance
a. 2.2A(lagging)
b. 2.0 A(lagging)
c. 2.2 A(leading)
d. 2.0 A(leading)
21. Ignoring any inductive effects, what is the impedance of RC series capacitor made up of a 56
Kilo ohm resistor and a 0.33 µF capacitor at a signal frequency of 4650 Hz (November, 1999)
a. 66730 ohms
b. 57019 ohms
c. 45270 ohms
d. 10730 ohms
22. What is the time constant of a 500mH coil and a 3300 ohm resistor in series? (April, 2000)
a. 0.00015 sec
b. 6.6 sec
c. 0.0015 sec
d. 0.000015 sec
23. What is the relationship between frequency and the value of Xc? (November, 2001)
a. Frequency has no effect
b. XC varies inversely with frequency
c. XC varies indirectly with frequency
d. XC varies directly with frequency