AC Fundamentals

Generation of Alternating voltages and currents

• Alternating voltage may be generated when a coil is rotated in a
magnetic field. The magnitude of voltage generated is equal to the
no. of turns in the coil.
• In above rectangular coil maximum voltage is obtained when coil is
perpendicular to magnetic field and minimum when it is parallel.
• Flux linkage of coil= Ф= Фm cosѠt
• According to Faraday's law of EMI, the emf induced is proportional to rate of change of flux in the coil
• Therefore Alternating voltage equation is

• Alternating current equation is

• Frequency= no. of cycles per second.
• f=PN/120 p=no. of poles
N=Speed or revolutions in RPM
Example
Phase and phase difference
Average value of an alternating current
Root Mean Square Value
Calculate: 1)RMS value
2) frequency
3)Instantaneous value of voltage when t=3ms
Pure resistive circuit
• Wave form
Pure Inductive
Pure Capacitance
 RL circuit

Since current is common in series R and L

sinA*sinB=1/2(cos(a-b)-cos(a+b))
1)What is the impedance of the circuit.
2)What is the value of R and L.
3)What is the power factor of the circuit.

Solution: Vm=15v Im=5A

The potential difference measured across a coil is 4.5 V, when it carries a direct
current of 9 A. The same coil when carries an alternating current of 9 A at 25 Hz, the potential
difference is 24 V. Find the current, the power and the power factor when it is supplied by 50 V, 50
Hz supply.

Solution. Let R be the d.c. resistance and L be the inductance of the coil.
RLC Circuit
Three phase systems
Two types of 3 phase connections

1.Star connection
2. Delta connection

1.Star connection
2.Delta connection
A balanced star-connected load of (8 + j6)  per phase is connected to a balanced 3-phase 400-V supply. Find
the line current, power factor, power and total volt-amperes.
Phase voltages of a star connected alternator are ER = 231 ∠ 0° V; EY = 231
∠ –120° V ; and EB = 231 ∠ +120°V. What is the phase sequence of the system ? Compute the
line voltages ERY and EYB.

• The phase voltage EB = 231∠+120°v can be written as EB = 231∠−

240°v .
• Hence,the three voltages are: ER = 231∠− 0°v , EY = 231∠−120° v and
EB = 231∠− 240°v . It is seen that
• ER is the reference voltage, EY lags behind it by 120° whereas EB lags
behind it by 240°. Hence,
• phase sequence is RYB. Moreover, it is a symmetrical 3-phase voltage
system.
Three equal star-connected inductors take 8 kW at a power factor 0.8 when
connected across a 460 V, 3-phase, 3-wire supply. Find the circuit constants of the load per phase.