Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

Introduction To Fourier Analysis

Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

Contents

Introduction
Objective
The Fourier Series
Fourier Transforms
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

INTRODUCTION

Signals are functions of time. There are two ways by which we can
represent the signal.

Time Domain Frequency Domain

Signal
Representation Representation

Why Use Frequency Representations When We Can Represent

Any Signal With Time Functions?
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

Advantages of Frequency response methods

Gives a different kind of insight into a system.

It focuses on how signals of different frequencies are represented

in a signal. We think in terms of the spectrum of the signal

Most of us would rather do algebra than solve differential equations

Gives more insight into how to process a signal to remove noise

Easier to characterize the frequency content of a noise signal than

it is to give a time description of the noise.

Different treatment of different parts of the

electromagnetic spectrum means that you
can separate out different signals.
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

“So, give it a shot and try learning about frequency response

methods. They can save you time and money in the long run”

Objective
Be able to compute the frequency components
of the signal.

Be able to predict how the signal will interact

with linear systems and circuits using frequency
response methods.
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

The Fourier Series

Fourier, doing heat transfer work,

demonstrated that any periodic
signal can be viewed as a linear
composition of sine waves

“A periodic signal can always be represented as a sum of sinusoids,

This representation is now called a Fourier Series ”
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

How a signal can be built from a sum of sinusoids?

Example:-
Here is a single sine signal
The expression for this signal is
Sig(t) = 1 * sin(2пt/T)

+ (1/3)sin(6пt/T) + (1/5)sin(10пt/T)

79th 49th
Multiple
Multiple
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

In fact, the way we are building this signal we are using Fourier's results.

We know the formula for the series that converges to a square wave.
Here's the formula. For a perfectly accurate representation, let N go to infinity.
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

Calculating The Fourier Series Coefficients

At this point there are a few questions that we need to address.

What kind of functions can be represented using these types of series?

Actually, most periodic signals can be represented with a series composed of sines and
cosines. Even discontinuities (like in the square wave function or the saw tooth function in the
simulations).
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

Are there any practical implications to all of this?

Since functions can be thought of as being composed of sines at cosines at different frequencies,
and since various linear systems process sinusoidal signals in a way that is frequency dependent,
these two facts mean that the response of a system with a periodic input can be predicted using
frequency response methods.

Many signals are now analyzed using frequency component concepts.  Special computational
techniques (particularly the FFT, or Fast Fourier Transform) have been developed to calculate
frequency components quickly for various signals.  Signals that have been analyzed include sound
signals in earthquakes, bridge vibrations under dynamic load (as well as stress vibrations in many
different structures from tall buildings to aircraft vibrations) and communication signals (including
the signals themselves as well as the noise that interferes with the signals).

Sound signals in Stress vibrations in

earthquakes Bridge vibrations
buildings and aircraft
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

How do you figure out what the series is for any given function?

Periodic signal can be represented as a sum of both sines

and cosines

Also, since sines and cosines have no average term, periodic

signals that have a non-zero average can have a constant
component

This series can be used to represent many periodic functions

The coefficients, an and bn, are what you need to know to generate the signal
Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

Formulas to find all the coefficients in a Fourier Series expansion:-

Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

Fourier Transforms

The Fourier transform (FT) is a generalization of the Fourier series.

Instead of sines and cosines, as in a Fourier series, the Fourier transform

uses exponentials and complex numbers.

For a signal or function f(t), the Fourier transform is defined as

Inverse Fourier transform is defined as

Introduction To Fourier Analysis PBL-ABE425

Summary

In general Fourier Analysis can be used to convert the signal

domain from time to frequency

This will help us to interpret the result more quickly and

accurately, also changes the system representation to laplace
domain.