INDUCTANCE & STEADY STATE DC

Summary
Inductance in Series/Parallel (Recall)
Inductance and steady state DC
The voltage across an ideal inductance with constant dc
current is zero because the rate of change of current is zero.
(a).

Since the inductor has current through it but no voltage

across it, it looks like a short circuit (b).

In general, an ideal inductor looks like a short circuit in steady

state dc.

(This should not be surprising since it is just a piece of wire to

dc.)
Inductance and steady state DC
Example
In Fig. a, the coil resistance is 14.4 ohm. What is the
steady state current I
Example
The resistance of coil 1 in Fig. (a), is 30 ohm and
that of coil 2 is 15 ohm. Find the voltage across the
capacitor assuming steady state dc.
Inductive Transients
The voltages and currents during this transitional
interval are called transients.
In a dual fashion, transients occur when circuits
containing inductances are disturbed.
In this case, however, transients occur because
current in inductance cannot change instantaneously.
Transients due to inductance
Continuity of Current
As Figure 141(b) illustrates, current through an
inductance cannot change instantaneously, i.e., it
cannot jump abruptly from one value to another, but
must be continuous at all values of time.
This observation is known as the statement of
continuity of current for inductance.
You will find this statement of great value when
analyzing circuits containing inductance.
 Inductor Voltage
When the switch is open, the current in the circuit and voltage across L are both zero.
Now close the switch.
Immediately after the switch is closed, the current is still zero, (since it cannot change
instantaneously). Since vR= Ri, the voltage across R is also zero and thus the full source
voltage appears across L as shown in (b).
The inductor voltage therefore jumps from 0 V just before the switch is closed to E volts
just after. It then decays to zero, since, the voltage across inductance is zero for steady
state dc. This is indicated in (c).
 Open circuit equivalent of an Inductance

Consider again Figure (b). Note that just

after the switch is closed, the inductor has
voltage across it but no current through it. It
therefore momentarily looks like an open
circuit.
This is indicated in Figure 143. This
observation is true in general, that is, an
inductor with zero initial current looks like an
open circuit at the instant of switching. (Later,
we extend this statement to include inductors O.C -> S.C transition
with nonzero initial currents.) when the switch is
closed .
Initial Condition Circuits

Voltages and currents in circuits immediately after

switching must sometimes be calculated.
These can be determined with the aid of the open-
circuit equivalent.
By replacing inductances with open circuits, you can
see what a circuit looks like just after switching.
Such a circuit is called an initial condition circuit.
Example 1
Example 2
Current Buildup Transients
Time Constant
For an R-L circuit the time constant is defined as:
L

R
Example
Example
Effect of increasing R and L
Interrupting Current in an Inductive Circuit
Inductive Kick

If inductance is large and the current is high, a great

deal of energy is released in a very short time, creating
a huge voltage that may damage equipment and create
a shock hazard. (This induced voltage is referred to as
an inductive kick.)

For example, abruptly breaking the current through a

large inductor (such as a motor or generator field coil)
can create voltage spikes up to several thousand volts, a
value large enough to draw long arcs.

Even moderate sized inductances in electronic systems

can create enough voltage to cause damage if
protective circuitry is not used.
Key Points
There are several important points to note here:
Flashovers, as are generally undesirable. However, they can be
controlled through proper engineering design. (One way is to use a
discharge resistor, as in the next example; another way is to use a
diode, as you will see in your electronics course.)
On the other hand, the large voltages created by breaking
inductive currents have their uses. One is in the ignition system of
automobiles, where current in the primary winding of a transformer
coil is interrupted at the appropriate time by a control circuit to
create the spark needed to fire the engine.
It is not possible to rigorously analyze the circuit because the
resistance of the arc changes as the switch opens. However, the
main ideas can be established by studying circuits using fixed
resistors .
Protective Circuit to avoid Sparking
Before Switch is opened

Assume the switch is closed and the circuit is in

steady state. Since the inductance looks like a short
circuit, its current is iL= 120 V/30 = 4 A.
Just after SW is opened

R2/R1 SPIKE
Inductor Equivalent at Switching
De-energizing Transients
Complex Circuits
Thevenin's Equivalent
Quiz