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fm Page 409 Wednesday, January 19, 2005 2:51 PM

Appendix A
RMS Values of Waveforms

A.1 Definitions
The RMS (root-mean-square) values are denoted with uppercase letters with-
out index. We use currents in the examples given here.

Physical Meaning of the RMS Value

The RMS value (often called the effective value or DC-equivalent value) of a
current is an equivalent of a DC current, which has the same heat dissipation
as the real current on any resistor.

RMS Value in the Frequency Domain

When a given wave form (a current in the case) comprises components with
different frequency, i.e., different harmonics, then its RMS value is given by
the sum:

I= ∑I
k = 0...∞
2
k (A.1)

where Ik is the RMS value of the kth harmonic.

This sum can also be separated in the frequency domain into two components:

• The DC component: IDC = I0 ∞

• The AC component: IAC = ∑I

k =1
2
k

The basic (the first) harmonic is I1. The RMS value of the higher harmonics is

Ih = ∑I k=2
2
k (A.2)

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410 Inductors and Transformers for Power Electronics

Using Equation (A.2) we can write

I = I DC
2
+ I AC
2
= I DC
2
+ I 12 + I h2 (A.3)

RMS Value in the Time Domain

The RMS value of a current, defined as i(t) in the general case, is

t0 +T

∫ i(t) ⋅ dt
1
I= 2
(A.4)
T
t0

where the period of the repeating signal is T and t0 is an arbitrary time instant.

A.2 RMS Values of Some Basic Waveforms

A.2.1 Discontinuous Waveforms
The current flows during some time interval DT and it is zero for the rest
of the period T. For this case we can write

I = ID D (A.5)

where
D is the duty ratio
ID is the RMS value corresponding to the nonzero part of the waveform in
the frames of one period (see Fig. A.1)

i (t ) i (t )

t t
0 DT T 2T 0 T 2T 3T

(a) (b)

FIGURE A.1
Waveforms: (a) D < 1; (b) D = 1.

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RMS Values of Waveforms 411

i(t )
I2
I1

t
0 T 2T 3T

FIGURE A.2
Repeating line waveforms.

A.2.2 Repeating Line Waveforms

Repeating line wave forms are shown in Fig. A.2. The start value of the
current is I1, the end value is I2, the period is T. For 0 < t < T the current is

t ( I 2 − I1 )
i( t ) = I 1 + (A.6)
T
After calculating the integral corresponding to RMS value we obtain the
following result:

T
I 12 + I 22 + I 1 I 2
∫
1
I= i(t)2 dt = (A.7)
T 3
0

We can also write this result as

2 2
I +I  1I −I 
I =  1 2 +  1 2 (A.8)
 2  3 2 

Equation (A.8) describes the RMS value as a function of the average value
(I1 + I2)/2 and the deviation (I1 − I2)/2. The current waveform is divided into
DC current component (I1 + I2)/2 and AC current component (I1 − I2)/2. Then
RMS value is calculated in a similar way to the equation (A.3).

A.2.3 Waveforms Consisting of Different Repeating Line Parts

The curve is composed from the line parts A, B, and C (see Fig. A.3), for
which RMS values IA, IB, and IC are calculated by Equation (A.8). The RMS
value of that waveform is

I = I A2 DA + I B2 DB + I C2 DC (A.9)

where
DA = TA/T, IA is the RMS value of the part with duration TA
DB = TB/T, IB is the RMS value of the part with duration TB
DC = TC/T, IC is the RMS value of the part with duration TC

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412 Inductors and Transformers for Power Electronics

i (t )

TDA TDB TDC

0 t
T

FIGURE A.3
Different repeating line parts.

Note that the current may also be discontinuous.

A.3 RMS Values of Common Waveforms

A.3.1 Sawtooth Wave, Fig. A.4.

i(t )

Ipk

t
0 T 2T 3T

FIGURE A.4
Sawtooth wave.

I pk
I rms =
3

A.3.2 Clipped Sawtooth, Fig. A.5.

i(t )

Ipk

t
0 DT T 2T

FIGURE A.5
Clipped sawtooth.

D
I rms = I pk
3

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RMS Values of Waveforms 413

A.3.3 Triangular Waveform, No DC Component, Fig. A.6.

i (t )

Ipk

0 t

FIGURE A.6
Triangular waveform, no DC component.

I pk
I rms =
3

A.3.4 Triangular Waveform with DC Component, Fig. A.7.

i(t )
∆IDC
IDC

t
0

FIGURE A.7
Triangular waveform with DC component.

2
1  ∆IDC  ( ∆IDC )2
I rms = IDC 1 +   = IDC
2
+
3  IDC  3

A.3.5 Clipped Triangular Waveform, Fig. A.8.

i(t )

Ipk

t
0 DT T 2T

FIGURE A.8
Clipped triangular waveform.

D
I rms = I pk
3

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414 Inductors and Transformers for Power Electronics

A.3.6 Square Wave, Fig. A.9.

i(t )
Ipk

t
0 T 2T

FIGURE A.9
Square wave.

I rms = I pk

A.3.7 Rectangular Pulse Wave, Fig. A.10.

i(t )

Ipk

t
0 DT T 2T

FIGURE A.10
Rectangular pulse wave.

I rms = I pk D

A.3.8 Sine Wave, Fig. A.11.

i(t )

Ipk
t
0 T 2T

FIGURE A.11
Sine wave.

I pk
I rms =
2

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RMS Values of Waveforms 415

A.3.9 Clipped Sinusoid, Full Wave, Fig. A.12.

i(t )

Ipk
t
0 DT T 2T

FIGURE A.12
Clipped sinusoid, full wave.

I rms = I pk D

A.3.10 Clipped Sinusoid, Half Wave, Fig. A.13.

i (t )

Ipk
t
0 DT T 2T

FIGURE A.13
Clipped sinusoid, half wave.

D
I rms = I pk
2

A.3.11 Trapezoidal Pulse Wave, Fig. A.14.

i(t )
∆IDC
IDC

t
0 DT T 2T

FIGURE A.14
Trapezoidal pulse wave.

2
1  ∆I DC 
I rms = I DC D 1 +  I 
3  DC 

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