Time Constants (Section 4.14.

1)
In a linear static circuit with no capacitance, i.e., an R-L circuit, the
transient currents decay with time according to

i (t ) = i0 e t / T

(1)

where i0 is the initial current and T is the time constant.

For an R-L circuit, we may show that

i (t ) =

1 t /( L / R )
e
R

(2)

where we see that T=L/R. How do we think of T?

Let t=T and then we get that

i (t ) = i0e T / T = i0e 1 = 0.368i0

(3)

Thus we see that the time constant is:

1. The time in which the current decreases to 36.8% of its initial
value OR
2. The time in which the current decrease equals 63.2% of its
initial value.
A third way to understand T is that it is the time in which the
current would decrease to zero if it continued to decrease at its
initial rate of decrease. Figure 1 illustrates this.
it
i0

0.632i0

0.368i0

Fig. 1
1

So the time constant is a very good measure of the speed of the

dynamics.
Low T fast dynamics.
For a salient pole machine, we have a time constant for each rotor
circuit given as the ratio of some inductance to the circuit
resistance.
We can get the time constants under one of two conditions:
1. Stator is open-circuited
2. Stator is short-circuited.
The procedure used in the text for developing these equations is as
follows (see pp 124-125):
1. Write the voltage equation for the appropriate circuit. This
equation will include a flux derivative. Use eq. (4.36) given
below
vd
r
v
0
q

vF
0

=
v D = 0
0
vQ = 0
0

vG = 0
0

r 0
0 rF

0
0

0
0

rD

0
0

0
0

0
0

rQ
0

0 id q &q

0 iq d &d
0 i F 0 &F
+

0 i D 0 &D
0 iQ 0 &Q


rG iG 0 &G

For example, the vF and vD equations is:

vF = rF iF + &F
(4.181a)
vD = 0 = rD iD + &D
(4.181b)
We assume a step change is applied to the field winding (with
the stator winding open or short-circuited, it is the only way we
can provide an external forcing function.
2. Use eqt. 4.20 (see handout titled macheqts) to replace fluxes
with currents.

0

d
q

F =
D

Q

G

L0

Ld

3
MF
2

Lq

LF

MR

MR

LD

LQ

MY

0
0

3
MF
2
3
MD
2

3
MQ
2
3
MG
2

0
3
MD
2

0 i
0

i
3
M G d

iq
2

0 i F
i
D
0 i
Q

i
M Y G

LG

0
3
MQ
2

(4.20)

For example, we see that

F =

3
M F i d + LF i F + M R i D
2

(*)

D =

3
M D id + M R i F + LD i D
2

(**)

3. Apply appropriate open circuit or short circuit conditions to

simplify the equation. For example, if we are getting the open
circuit time constants, then the stator windings are open
circuited, and id=0. This causes (*) and (**) to become
F = LF i F + M R i D
D = M R i F + LD i D

(4.182a)
(4.182b)

Notice that from (4.182b), for a step change applied to the field
voltage, CFLT indicates that D(0+)=0, which implies that
0 = M R i F + LD i D i F =

LD
iD
MR

(4.183)

4. Differentiate (4.182a) and (4.182b) and then substitute into

(4.181a) and (4.181b), respectively. This results in
vF = rF iF + LF i&F + M R i&D
(4.184a)
0 = rD iD + M R i&F + LD i&D
(4.184b)
Divide (4.184a) by LF and (4.184b) by MR to get
vF
r
M
= F iF + i&F + R i&D
(4.184c)
LF LF
LF
r
L
0 = D iD + i&F + D i&D
(4.184d)
MR
MR
Subtract (4.184c) from (4.184d) to get
3

 L
rD
r
M
vF
iD F iF + D R i&D =
MR
LF
LF
M R LF
Now replace iF with (4.183) to get
rD
L
r L
M
vF

+ F D iD + D R i&D =
LF
M R LF M R
M R LF

Now divide through by the coefficient of the derivative term:

rD
r L
vF

+ F D
LF
M R LF M R i + i& =
D
D
LD M R
LD M R

M
L
M
L
F
F
R
R
Multiply top and bottom of the first term on the left-hand-side
by MR, and multiply the right-hand-side by MR to get

r L
rD + F D
LF
M R vF / LF

&
i
+
i
=
(LD M R2 / LF ) D D (LD M R2 / LF )
5. Use approximations as necessary. The approximations
employed are:
In computing transient quantities, the damper circuits are
assumed to be infinitely fast, which makes rD= or rQ=.
In computing subtransient quantities, the field circuits are
assumed to be very slow, which makes rF=0 or rG=0.
In our example, A&F (pg. 125) make the statement that usually
in pu rD>>rF while LD and LF are of similar magnitude. This
means rD>>rFLD/LF, and so the above becomes
M R vF / LF
rD
&
+
=
i
i
(LD M R2 / LF ) D D (LD M R2 / LF )
Rearranging, we obtain
rD
M R / LF
i&D +
i
=

v
D
F
(4.186a)
(LD M R2 / LF )
(LD M R2 / LF )
Now define
4

rD
M R / LF
K
=

v
2
F
LD M R2 / LF
LD M R2 / LF
Then (4.186a) becomes
i&D + K1iD = K 2
Using LaPlace transforms, we get
sI D ( s ) + K1 I D ( s ) = K 2
K1 =

I D ( s)(s + K1 ) = K 2

K2
I D ( s) =
s + K1
Taking inverse LaPlace transform
iD (t ) = K 2 e K1t
Replacing K1 and K2, we obtain
iD (t ) = K 2 e K1t
Recall

i (t ) =

1 t /( L / R )
e
R

)
(4.186b)

(4.186c)

(4)

(2)

where T=L/R, and so we see that 1/K1 is a time constant. We

define this time constant as the open circuit subtransient time
constant, i.e.
1
LD M R2 / LF
=
d0 =
K1
rD
Its name comes from the fact that
it is computed when the stator windings are open circuit,
it characterizes the behavior of the D-winding and is
therefore a subtransient response.
Application of similar procedures results in the expressions that
Kundur calls the classical expressions given as follows:

Without G-winding (salient pole machine):

LF

'
=
d0
OC/DA/T/TC:
r

(D-axis field)

OC/DA/ST/TC:

LD ( L AD ) 2 / LF
' 'd 0 =
rD

OC/QA/ST/TC:

' 'q0 =

LQ

(D-axis damper)
(Q-axis damper)

rQ

With G-Winding (round rotor machine):

LF
rF

OC/DA/T/TC:

'd 0 =

OC/DA/ST/TC:

LD ( L AD ) 2 / LF
' 'd 0 =
rD

OC/QA/ST/TC:

' 'q0 =
'q0 =

(D-axis field)

LQ

(D-axis damper)
(Q-axis damper)

rQ
2
LQ ( L AQ ) / LG

rG

OC/QA/T/TC:
In the above
OC : Open-circuit
DA : direct-axis
QA : quadrature axis
T : transient
ST : subtransient
TC : time constant

(Q-axis field)

The short circuit time constants are as follows:

Without G-winding (salient pole machine)::
L' d
'
'

d
d0
SC/DA/T/TC:
(D-axis field)
Ld
L' '
' 'd = ' 'd 0 d
(D-axis damper)
SC/DA/ST/TC:
L' d
L' ' q
'
'
'
'

q
q0
SC/QA/ST/TC:
(Q-axis damper)
L
q

With G-Winding (round-rotor machine)::

SC/DA/T/TC:
SC/DA/ST/TC:
SC/QA/ST/TC:
SC/QA/ST/TC:

L' d
Ld
L' '
' 'd = ' 'd 0 d
L' d
L' ' q
' 'q = ' 'q0
Lq

'd = 'd 0

'q = 'q0

L' q
Lq

(D-axis field)
(D-axis damper)
(Q-axis damper)
(Q-axis damper)

Another time constant used to characterize synchronous

machines is the stator time constant, given by
( L' d + L' q ) / 2
a =
r
Note that the text uses Lq in the above equation instead of Lq
(since Lq = Lq when the G-winding is not represented).
Table 4.3, pg. 126 in your text, provides a comparison of typical
numerical range for time constants. Kundur also provides such
a table, Table 4.2, pg. 150. Note transient T >> subtransient T.
7

Another way to get the time constants is to use the equivalent

circuits.
Then derive the inductances in terms of the LaPlace variable s
according to

Ld ( s ) =
Lq ( s ) =

d ( s)
id ( s)

q (s)
iq ( s)

I will not go through the development here, but you can find it
on pp. 140-143 of Kundurs text.
The denominator of the above expressions is the characteristic
equation for the circuit. The roots of this equation are the
inverse of the time constants.
This approach makes no approximations, and therefore Kundur
refers to the resulting expressions for the parameters as the
accurate expressions.
The relationship between our nomenclature and that used by
Kundur is as follows:
Lad LAD
Lfd lF
RFD rF
R1d rD
L1dlD
Ll ld