Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Response of First-Order
RL and RC Circuits
1
7.3 The Step Response of RL and RC Circuits
2
After the switch has been closed, Kirchhoffs voltage
law requires that
di
VS = Ri + L (7.29)
dt
di Ri + VS R VS
= = i (7.30)
dt L L R
R VS
di = i dt (7.31)
L R
di R
= dt (7.32)
i (VS / R) L
and then integrate both sides. Using x and y as
variables for the integration, we obtain
3
i (t ) dx R t
I 0 x (VS / R)
=
L 0
dy (7.33)
i (t ) (VS / R ) R
ln = t (7.34)
I 0 (VS / R ) L
from which
i (t ) (VS / R)
= e ( R / L )t
I 0 (VS / R)
or
VS VS ( R / L )t
i (t ) = + I 0 e (7.35)
R R
4
VS VS ( R / L ) t
i (t ) = e (7.36)
R R
VS VS 1 VS
i ( ) = e 0.6321 (7.37)
R R R
di VS
(0) = (7.39)
dt L
5
If the current were to continue to increase at this rate,
the expression for i would be
VS
i= t (7.40)
L
from which, at t = ,
VS L VS
i= = (7.41)
L R R
R VS ( R / L )t
v = L I
0 e = (VS I 0 R )e ( R / L )t (7.42)
L R
v = VS e ( R / L ) t (7.43)
7
Fig. 7.18 shows the plot of Eq. (7.43) and the
relationship between the time constant and the initial
rate at which the inductor voltage is decreasing.
Example 7.5
The switch shown in Fig. 7.19 has been in position a
long time. At t = 0 , the switch moves from a to b. The
switch is a make-before-break type; so, there is no
interruption of current through the inductor.
a) Find the expression i (t ) for t 0
b) What is the initial voltage across the inductor just
after the switch has been moved to position b?
c) Does the initial voltage make sense in terms of
circuit behavior?
d) How many milliseconds after the switch has been
moved does the inductor voltage equal 24 V?
e) Plot both i (t ) and v(t ) versus t .
8
We can also describe the voltage v(t ) across the
inductor directly, not just in terms of the circuit
current.
We begin by noting that the voltage across the resistor is
the difference between the source voltage and the
inductor voltage. We write
VS v(t )
i (t ) = (7.44)
R R
di 1 dv
= (7.45)
dt R dt
L dv
v= (7.46)
R dt
9
dv R
+ v=0 (7.47)
dt L
R VS ( R / L )t
v = L I
0 e = (VS I 0 R )e ( R / L )t (7.42)
L R
di R VS
+ i= (7.48)
dt L L
Observe that Eqs. (7.47) and (7.48) have the same form.
Specifically, each equates the sum of the first
derivative of the variable and a constant times the
variable to a constant value.
10
In (7.47), the constant on the right-hand side is zero;
hence this equation takes on the same form as the
natural response equations.
11
The Step Response of an RC Circuit
dvC vC
C + = IS (7.49)
dt R
Division by C gives
12
dvC vC I S
+ = (7.50)
dt RC C
di R VS
+ i= (7.48)
dt L L
We get
vC = I S R + (V0 I S R )e t / RC , t 0 (7.51)
13
A similar derivation for the current in the capacitor
yields the differential equation
di 1
+ i=0 (7.52)
dt RC
dv R
+ v=0 (7.47)
dt L
hence the solution for i is obtained by using the same
translations used for the solution of Eq. (7.50). Thus
V
i = I S 0 e t / RC , t 0 + (7.53)
R
14
From Eq. (7.51), note that the initial voltage across the
capacitor is V0 , the final voltage across the capacitor is
I S R , and the time constant of the circuit is RC .
15
7.4 A General Solution for Step and Natural
Response
dx x
+ =K (7.54)
xt
16
Because the sources in the circuit are constant voltages
and/or currents, the final value of x will be constant;
that is, the final value must satisfy (7.54), and, when x
reaches its final value, the derivative dx dt must be
zero.
Hence
x f = K (7.55)
dx x ( x K ) (x x f )
= +K = = (7.56)
dt
17
Time t 0 corresponds to the time of the switching or
other change. Previously we assumed that t 0 = 0 , but
this change allows the switching to take place at any
time. Using u and v as symbols of integration, we get
x (t ) du 1 t
x (t0 ) u x = t0 dv (7.58)
f
18
x(t ) = x f + [x(t 0 ) X f ]e ( t t0 ) / (7.59)
the unknown
the final
variable as a =
value of the variable
function of time
19
When computing the step and natural response of
circuits, follow these steps: