BASIC ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

First Order Circuits

Source-Free RL & RC Circuits

 Capacitors &
Inductors

1st Order 2nd Order

Circuits Circuits RC circuit
(RL & RC) (RLC)

Energy
sources are Complete Parallel or
Source Free
Response Series RLC
suddenly
REMOVED
from the ckt
Energy sources are
suddenly APPLIED to Source Free RL circuit
or Complete
the ckt Response

Critically-
Overdamped Underdamped
damped
 The Source-Free RC Circuit

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
Voltage Response of the RC circuit:

𝝉 = time constant

Note: It is assumed that the capacitor is fully discharged (or charged) after five time constants (5𝜏 )

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
 Example 1

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
 Recall: Important Properties of a Capacitor
• A capacitor is an open circuit to dc; current is zero
• The voltage on a capacitor cannot change abruptly.

 X
@t<0: Switch is closed;
Capacitor is OPEN ckt to dc; Vc(0-)=?
@t=0: Switch is opened
@t=0+:
Vc(0+) = Vc(0-) = Vc(0)
@t>0: No active source,
hence “Source-Free RC ckt”;
Capacitor supplies energy 9
1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
 Example 1

Solution:
Switch is closed; Capacitor is OPEN ckt to dc; Vc(0-)=?

=Vc(0-)

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
 @t>0: Switch is opened; “Source-Free RC ckt”
@t=0+: Vc(0+) = Vc(0-) = Vc(0) = 15V

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
 The Source-Free RL Circuit

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
 Current Response of the RL circuit:

𝝉 = time constant

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
Example 2

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
 Recall: Important Properties of an Inductor
• An inductor are like a short circuit to dc. (zero voltage)
• The current through an inductor cannot change
instantaneously.

 X
18
1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
 Example 2

Solution:

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
 Example 2

Solution:

(E2)

Substitute (E2) to (E1):

Rearranging terms:
(E1)

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
• Practice Problems
 Practice Problem 1

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)
 Practice Problem 2

1st Order Circuits (Source-Free RC Ckt; Source-Free RL Ckt; Unit Step Function; Complete Response of RC Ckt; Complete Response of RL Ckt)