ABE 47 Electrical System Design for Biosystems
Structures
AC
AC CIRCUIT CALCULATION
rms
AC
AC CIRCUIT CALCULATION
In AC, just like in DC, series resistances still add,
parallel resistances still diminish,
and the Laws of Kirchhoff and Ohm still hold
With purely resistive circuits, we can treat the
numbers as though we were dealing with simple DC
quantities.
With the presence of capacitance and inductance in
the circuit, AC circuit measurements and calculations
can get very complicated due to the complex nature
of alternating current.
AC
AC PHASE
Things start to get complicated when we need to
relate two or more AC voltages or currents
that are out of step with each other.
Phase shift is where two or more waveforms are out
of step with each other.
Asst. Prof. Mark Keylord S. Onal
11/27/2013
AC
AC PHASE
The amount of phase shift between two waves
can be expressed in terms of degrees, as defined
by the degree units on the horizontal axis of the
waveform graph used in plotting the
trigonometric sine function.
AC
AC PHASE
A leading waveform is defined as one waveform
that is ahead of another in its evolution.
A lagging waveform is one that is behind another.
If phase shift = 45 degrees
A leads B by 45° and B lags A by 45°
AC
AC PHASE
Calculations for AC circuit analysis must take into
consideration both amplitude and phase shift of
voltage and current waveforms to be completely
accurate.
This requires the use of a mathematical system
called complex numbers.
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ABE 47 Electrical System Design for Biosystems 11/27/2013
Structures

AC AC
AC CIRCUIT CALCULATION AC CIRCUIT CALCULATION
In DC, the voltage produced by a battery, the When used to describe an AC quantity,
resistance of a piece of wire (ohms), or the current the length of a vector represents the amplitude
through it(amps) are all scalar quantities. of the wave while the angle of a vector represents
the phase angle of the wave relative to some other
However, when we begin to analyze alternating
(reference) waveform.
current circuits, we find that quantities of
voltage, current, and even resistance
(called impedance in AC) are not the familiar one
dimensional quantities we’re used to
measuring in DC circuits.

AC AC
AC CIRCUIT CALCULATION Vectors and AC waveforms
Rather, these quantities, because they’re dynamic
(alternating in direction and amplitude), possess
other dimensions that be taken into account.
Frequency and phase shift are two of these
dimensions that come into play.
Even with relatively simple AC circuits, where we’re
only dealing with a single frequency, we still have
the dimension of phase shift to contend with in
addition to the amplitude.

AC AC
AC CIRCUIT CALCULATION Polar and rectangular notation

A complex number is a mathematical quantity

representing two dimensions of magnitude
and direction.
A vector is a graphical representation of a
complex number.

Sometimes the word phasor is used in electrical

applications where the angle of the vector
represents phase shift between waveforms.

Asst. Prof. Mark Keylord S. Onal 2

ABE 47 Electrical System Design for Biosystems 11/27/2013
Structures

AC AC

Current lags voltage

by 90° in a
pure inductive
circuit.
Note: All voltages are in RMS

AC AC
Problem
Solve for the total voltage
Inductive reactance is the opposition that an
Note: All voltages are in RMS
inductor offers to alternating current due to its
phase-shifted storage and release of energy in its
magnetic field.
Inductive reactance is symbolized by the capital letter
“XL” and is measured in ohms just like resistance (R).

AC AC
Impedance

Impedance is the total measure of opposition to

electric current and is the complex (vector) sum of
(“real”) resistance and (“imaginary”) reactance.
It is symbolized by the letter “Z” and measured in
ohms, just like resistance (R) and reactance (X).
Z= R + X j
Voltage and current Impedances (Z) are managed just like resistances (R)
are “in phase” in series circuit analysis.
for pure
resistive circuit. Zseries= Z1 + Z2 + … + Zn

Asst. Prof. Mark Keylord S. Onal 3

ABE 47 Electrical System Design for Biosystems 11/27/2013
Structures

AC AC
Impedance Series resistor-inductor circuits
Example
Impedances (Z) are managed just like resistances (R)
in parallel circuit analysis.

rms

Impedances (Z) are just like resistances (R)

Just be sure to perform
all calculations in
complex form!
NOT scalar form

AC AC
Ohm’s Law in AC Series resistor-inductor circuits
Example

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All quantities expressed in

complex, not scalar, form Notice that the
phase angle of ER
is equal to the
phase angle
of the current

AC AC
Series resistor-inductor circuits Series resistor-inductor circuits
Example
Notice that the
phase angle of
EL is exactly
rms 90o more than
the phase angle
of the current

Z= R + X j
or
Zseries= Z1 + Z2

Asst. Prof. Mark Keylord S. Onal 4

ABE 47 Electrical System Design for Biosystems 11/27/2013
Structures

AC AC
Series resistor-inductor circuits Parallel resistor-inductor circuits

rms
rms

Current lags voltage

by 37degrees

AC
Series resistor-inductor circuits
When resistors and inductors are mixed together in
series circuits, the total impedance will have a phase
angle somewhere between 0 and +90 degrees.
The circuit current will have a phase angle
somewhere between 0 and -90 degrees.
AC
Parallel resistor-inductor circuits
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 0 and +90 degrees.
The circuit current will have a phase angle
somewhere between 0 and -90 degrees.

AC AC
Parallel resistor-inductor circuits AC capacitor circuits

Voltage lags current

by 90° in a
pure capacitive
circuit.

Asst. Prof. Mark Keylord S. Onal 5

ABE 47 Electrical System Design for Biosystems 11/27/2013
Structures

AC AC
AC capacitor circuits Series resistor-capacitor circuits
Capacitive reactance is the opposition that a capacitor
offers to alternating current due to its phase-shifted
storage and release of energy in its electric field. rms

Reactance is symbolized by the capital letter “Xc”

and is measured in ohms just like resistance (R).

XC = 1/(2πfC)

AC
AC capacitor circuits
Capacitive reactance is the opposition that a capacitor
offers to alternating current due to its phase-shifted
storage and release of energy in its electric field.
Reactance is symbolized by the capital letter “Xc”
and is measured in ohms just like resistance (R).
AC
Series resistor-capacitor circuits
When resistors and capacitors are mixed together in
series circuits, the total impedance will have a phase
angle somewhere between 0 and -90 degrees.
The circuit current will have a phase angle
somewhere between 0 and +90 degrees.

AC AC
Series resistor-capacitor circuits Series RLC circuits

rms
rms

Asst. Prof. Mark Keylord S. Onal 6

ABE 47 Electrical System Design for Biosystems 11/27/2013
Structures

AC
Parallel resistor-capacitor circuits

rms

AC
Parallel RLC circuits

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Asst. Prof. Mark Keylord S. Onal 7