AC Fundamentals

Unit - 1

Difference between Direct Current and Alternating Current

Direct Current Circuit

Alternating Current Circuit

Terminologies
Frequency The number of cycles that occur in one second. Is commonly measured in cycles per second (cycles/sec) and, in normal usage, is expressed in units of Hertz (Hz). Time Period The time taken in seconds to complete one cycle of an alternating quantity. It is represented by T. The inverse of Frequency and usually expressed in milliseconds

Terminologies
Amplitude The amplitude of a sine wave is the value of that sine wave at its peak. The effective voltage of the AC power system is 0.707 times the peak voltage Instantaneous Value The value of an alternating quantity at any instant Phase -is the fractional part of time period or cycle through which the quantity has advanced from the selected zero position of reference

Problems

Values of Alternating Voltage and Current

Peak Value

-is the maximum value attained by an alternating quantity.

Average value: It is the average of the instantaneous value for a particular time period.

0.636 Vm , 0.636 Im

Values of Alternating Voltage and Current

Root Mean Square (RMS) or Effective Value is that steady current (dc) which when flowing through a given resistance for a given time produces the same amount of heat as produced by the alternating current through the same resistance for the same time

I I rms m 0.707 I m 2

Vrms

Vm 0.707Vm 2

AC Circuit Containing Pure Inductance Only

VL

900
v = Vm sint I

vL

di dt

di i

Vm sin t dt L

Vm sin t dt L V V i m ( cos t ) m sin( t ) L L 2

i is maximum when sin( t ) is unity,

2

Hence:
10

Im

Vm L

Therefore:

i I m sin( t ) 2

Phase Angle for Inductive Circuit: In a pure inductance, current lags the voltage by 900

v = Vm sint
v i

i I m sin( t ) 2

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AC Circuit Containing Pure Capacitance C I

900

v = Vm sint

VC

q Cv CVm sin t
i

i CVm cos t

d (q) d (CVm sin t ) dt dt

i CVm sin( t ) 2
i is maximum when
Hence:

I m CVm

sin( t is unity, ) 2

Therefore:

i I m sin( t ) 2

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Phase Angle for Capacitive Circuit: In a pure capacitance, current leads the voltage by 900

v = Vm sint
v i

i I m sin( t ) 2

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Practice problems:

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Practice problems:
3. An alternating current of frequency 60 Hz has a maximum value of 120 A. a) Write down the equation for its instantaneous value. b) Find the instantaneous value after 1/360 second and

c) Find the time taken to reach 96 A for the first time.

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