Altenating Current Circuits

RL Series Circuits

For the circuit shown above the current I is in phase

with the voltage across the resistor and lags the
voltage across the inductor by 900. This gives rise to
the phasor Diagram shown below;

VL = I*XL
By Pythagoras' Theorem

V2 = VR2 + VL2

V =  VR2 + VL2
V

 VR = I*R

I
Thus

V =  (IR)2 + (IXL)2 this implies that V =  I2 (R2 + XL2)

Or
V = I * R2 + XL2 Hence

V/I = Z =  R + XL
2 2

Where Z is the impedance of the circuit and may be defined as the opposition of current flow or
the ratio of the steady state voltage to the steady state current.

[Z = V / I]

The phase angle phi (), which is the angle between the applied voltage and the circuit current is
given by
Tan  = VL/VR
Thus
 = Tan-1 (XL/R) since VL = I*XL and VR = I*R

Within the Argand diagram

Z = R + jXL = R + jL where  = 2f

Hence

Z = R + j(2fL)
 RC Series Circuits

For the circuit shown above the current I is in phase

with the voltage across the resistor and leads the
voltage across the capacitor by 900. This gives rise
to the phasor Diagram shown below;

I
VR = I*R
 By Pythagoras' Theorem

V2 = VR2 + VC2

V =  VR2 + VC2
V

VC = I*XC
Thus

V =  (IR)2 + (IXC)2 this implies that V =  I2 (R2 + XC2)

Or
V = I * R2 + XC2 Hence

V/I = Z =  R + XC
2 2

Where Z is the impedance of the circuit and may be defined as the opposition of current flow or
the ratio of the steady state voltage to the steady state current.

[Z = V / I]

The phase angle phi (), which is the angle between the applied voltage and the circuit current, is
given by

Tan  = VC/VR
Thus
 = Tan-1 (XC/R) since VC = I*XC and VR = I*R

Within the Argand diagram

Z = R - jXC = R + 1/ jC where  = 2f

[1/jC = (j/j)(1/jC) = - j/C]

Hence

Z = R – j/(2fC)

Reactance Versus Frequency

The inductive reactance XL is directly proportional to the supply frequency and is represented
graphically by a straight line passing through the origin.

The capacitive reactance XC is inversely proportional to the supply frequency and is represented
by a curve, asymptotic to the reactance and frequency axes.
 RLC Series Circuit
VL

VL - VC V

 VR

VC
Assuming VL> VC Then by Pythagoras' Theorem

V2 = V2 + (V – V)2

Hence

Z =  R2+ (XL – XC)2 The Phase angle phi () = Tan-1[(XL – XC)/R]

Question #1

For the circuit shown below determine

i) The resistance and inductance of the coil
ii) The voltage drop across
a. The coil
b. The capacitor

R L

I = 1.3 -300 50F

 230 V
50 Hz

600 A
Given that the supply frequency of the circuit
shown is 4 kHz. Determine the supply voltage V
and the voltages V1 and V2. Also draw the phasor
diagram.

5
V1

0.477 mH

8
V2

2.653 F
A capacitor 'C' is connected in series with a coil of resistance R and inductance 30 mH. The
current flowing in the circuit is 2.5 -40 A when the supply voltage is 200 V at 400 Hz.
Determine the value of
i) The resistance R
ii) The capacitance C
iii) The potential difference across the capacitor
iv) The potential difference across the coil

Solution
i) 61.28 
ii) 16.59 F
iii) 59.95  -1300 V
iv) 242.9  10.90 V

Parallel AC Circuits

Admittance
The admittance Y of a circuit is given by

Y = I/V = 1/Z (unit siemens "S")

For the impedance Z = R + jX where R is the resistance (real) and X is the reactance
(imaginary).
However for the admittance Y

Y = G + jB where G is the conductance (real) and B the susceptance (imaginary)

For Z= R  Y = 1/R = G

For Z = jXL  Y = 1/jXL = -jBL

For Z = -jXC  Y = 1/-jXC = jBC

For an RL series circuit the admittance is given by

For an RC series circuit the admittance is given by

For impedances in parallel the total admittance is given by