1

LECTURE 07-08
Chapter 11: AC Circuit Power Analysis
 2

Key Concepts
1. Calculating Instantaneous Power
2. Average Power Supplied by a Sinusoidal Source
3. Root-Mean-Square (RMS) Values
4. Reactive Power
5. Relationship Between Complex, Average and Reactive Power
6. Power Factor of a Load
 3

1. Instantaneous & Average Power

1. Power in resistive and reactive AC circuits

1. Pure Resistive Load
2. Pure Reactive Load
3. Inductive Load
4. RL Load
5. Review
 4

1.1 Instantaneous Power

• The instantaneous power delivered to any device is given by the
product of the instantaneous voltage across the device and the
instantaneous current through it

Resistor

Inductor

Capacitor
 5

1.2 RL Circuit – Unit Step Voltage Source (1/3)

Total power delivered by the source or absorbed by the passive

network is

The instantaneous power that is delivered to R is

 6

1.3 RL Circuit – Unit Step Voltage Source (2/3)

In order to determine the power absorbed by the inductor, we first
obtain the inductor voltage:
𝑑 𝑉𝑜 −𝑅𝑡
=𝐿 1 − 𝑒 𝐿 𝑈(𝑡)
𝑑𝑡 𝑅
 7

1.4 RL Circuit – Unit Step Voltage Source (3/3)

 8

1.5 Power Due to Sinusoidal Excitation

• Let us change the voltage source in the circuit to the sinusoidal
source Vmcosωt
• The familiar time-domain steady-state response is
 9

1.5 Power Due to Sinusoidal Excitation

• The last equation possesses several characteristics that are true in

general for circuits in the sinusoidal steady state
• One term, the first, is not a function of time; and a second term is
included which has a cyclic variation at twice the applied
frequency
• Since this term is a cosine wave, and since sine waves and cosine
waves have average values which are zero (when averaged over an
integral number of periods)
• This example suggests that the average power is 𝟏 𝟐 𝑽𝒎 𝑰𝒎 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝝋;
as we will see shortly, this is indeed the case
 10

1.6.1 Example 11.1

• At t = 0−, no current is flowing and so 40 V appears across the capacitor

• At t = 0+, the voltage across the capacitor-resistor series combination
jumps to 100 V
• Since vC cannot change in zero time, the resistor voltage at t = 0+ is 60 V
 11

1.6.2 Example 11.1

• The current flowing through all three elements at t = 0+ is
therefore 60/200 = 300 mA and for t > 0 is given by
𝑡
−
𝑖 𝑡 = 300𝑒 𝜏 where 𝜏 = 𝑅𝐶 = 1 ms
 12

1.6.3 Example 11.1

• Thus, the current flowing at t = 1.2 ms is 90.36 mA, and the power
being absorbed by the resistor at that instant is simply

𝑖 2 𝑡 𝑅 = 1.633 W
 13

1.6.4 Example 11.1

• The instantaneous power absorbed by the capacitor is i(t)vC(t)
• Recognizing that the total voltage across both elements for t > 0 will
always be 100 V, and that the resistor voltage is given by;
𝑡 𝑡
−𝜏 −𝜏
𝑣𝑅 𝑡 = 60𝑒 ; and 𝑣𝐶 𝑡 = 100 − 60𝑒

vC

vR
 14

1.6.5 Example 11.1

• And we find that vC (1.2 ms) = 100 − 60e−1.2 = 81.93 V
• Thus, the power being absorbed by the capacitor at t = 1.2 ms is
(90.36 mA) (81.93 V) = 7.403W
Power absorbed by the Capacitor
 15

2.1.1 Average Power

• When we speak of an average value for the instantaneous power,
the time interval over which the averaging process takes place
must be clearly defined
• Let us first select a general interval of time from t1 to t2
• We may then obtain the average value by integrating p(t) from t1
to t2 and dividing the result by the time interval t2 − t1
Thus,

• The average value is denoted by the capital letter P, since it is not

a function of time
• Although P is not a function of time, it is a function of t1 and t2,
the two instants of time which define the interval of integration
 16

2.1.2 Average Power for Periodic Waveforms

• The dependence of P on a specific time interval may be expressed
in a simpler manner if p(t) is a periodic function
• Let us assume that our forcing function and the circuit responses
are all periodic; a steady-state condition has been reached
• We may define a periodic function f (t) mathematically by
requiring that
; where T is the period
• We will now show that the average value of the instantaneous
power may be computed over an interval of one period having an
arbitrary beginning
 17

2.1.3 Average Power for Periodic Waveforms

• A general periodic waveform is shown in Fig. 11.3 and identified as p(t)
• We first compute the average power by integrating from t1 to a time t2
which is one period later, t2 = t1+ T

and then by integrating from some other time tx to tx+ T

• The equality of P1 and Px should be

evident from the graphical
interpretation of the integrals; the
periodic nature of the curve requires
the two areas to be equal
 18

2.1.4 Average Power for Periodic Waveforms

• Thus, the average power may be computed by integrating the
instantaneous power over any interval that is one period in length and
then dividing by the period:

• It is important to note that we may also integrate over any integral

number of periods, provided that we divide by the same integral number
of periods

• If we carry this concept to the extreme by

integrating over all time, another useful
result is obtained
 19

2.1.5 Average Power for Periodic Waveforms

• We first provide ourselves with symmetrical limits on the integral:

and then take the limit as n becomes infinite,

• As long as p(t) is a mathematically well-behaved function, it is apparent

that if a large integer n is replaced by a slightly larger number which is
not an integer, then the value of the integral and of P is changed by a
negligible amount; moreover, the error decreases as n increases
• Without justifying this step rigorously, we therefore replace the discrete
variable nT with the continuous variable τ:
• We will find it convenient on several
occasions to integrate periodic functions
over this “infinite period”
 20

2.1.6 Average Power – Example

For saw-tooth wave

Integrating over the range of one period from t = 0 to t = T,

we have;
 21

2.2.1 Average Power (1/2)

 22

2.2.2 Average Power (2/2)

• This important result, introduced in the previous section for a

specific circuit, is therefore quite general for the sinusoidal
steady state
• The average power is one-half the product of the crest
amplitude of the voltage, the crest amplitude of the current,
and the cosine of the phase-angle difference between the
current and the voltage; the sense of the difference is
immaterial
• Two special cases are worth isolating for consideration:
 the average power delivered to an ideal resistor and
 that to an ideal reactor (any combination of only capacitors and
inductors)
 23

2.2.3 Average Power Example (1/2)

 24

2.2.4 Average Power Example (2/2)

 25

2.2.5 Pure Resistive Load (1/2)

 26

2.2.6 Pure Resistive Load (2/2)

• The current to the load would be 2 A rms
• The power dissipated at the load would be:
P = I2R = 4 x 60 = 240 watts
• Because this load is purely resistive (no
reactance), the current is in phase with the
voltage, and calculations look similar to that 120V RMS Ac source drives a
in an equivalent DC circuit purely resistive load of 60 Ω

Current is in phase with voltage in

a resistive circuit.
Note that the waveform for power is always positive with double frequency, never
negative for resistive circuit
This means that power is always being dissipated by the resistive load
 27

2.2.7 Pure Reactive Load

 28

2.2.8 Pure Inductive Load

Let's consider a simple AC circuit with a
purely reactive load
Power is not dissipated in a purely
reactive load
Though it is alternately absorbed from 120V RMS AC circuit with a
and returned to the source purely reactive (inductive) load.

Current lags the voltage by 90o in

an inductor
Note that the power alternates equally between cycles of positive and negative
This means that power is being alternately absorbed from and returned to the
source
 29

2.5.1 RL Load
• At a frequency of 60 Hz, the 160 mH of
inductance gives us 60.319 Ω reactance
• This reactance combines with the 60 Ω of
resistance to form a total load impedance of
60 + j60.319 Ω, or 85.078 Ω ∠ 45.152o Ω
120V RMS AC circuit with both
• We calculate the magnitude of current in the reactance and resistance.
circuit by taking the magnitude of the voltage
source (120 volts) and dividing it by the
magnitude of the impedance (85.078 Ω)
• With a power supply voltage of 120 volts
RMS, our load current is 1.410 amps

A combined resistive/reactive circuit dissipates more power than it returns to the

source. The reactance dissipates no power; though, the resistor does.
 30

2.5.2 Example 11.3

 31

2.5.3 Example (1/3)

 32

2.5.4 Example (2/2)

 33

2.6.1 Maximum Power Transfer (1/3)

 34

2.6.2 Maximum Power Transfer (2/3)

 35

2.6.3 Maximum Power Transfer (3/3)

 36

2.6.4 Example 11.5

 37

2.6.5 Example 11.5

 38

2.7.1 Average Power for Nonperiodic Functions

 39

2.7.2 Average Power for Nonperiodic Functions

 40

2.7.3 Average Power for Nonperiodic Functions

 41

2.8 Average Power for Nonperiodic Functions

Example
 42

Review
• In a purely resistive circuit, all circuit power is dissipated by the
resistor(s). Voltage and current are in phase with each other
• In a purely reactive circuit, no circuit power is dissipated by the
load(s). Rather, power is alternately absorbed from and returned
to the AC source. Voltage and current are 90o out of phase with
each other
• In a circuit consisting of resistance and reactance mixed, there
will be more power dissipated by the load(s) than returned, but
some power will definitely be dissipated and some will merely
be absorbed and returned
• Voltage and current in such a circuit will be out of phase by a
value somewhere between 0o and 90o