Alternating Current Circuits

CIRCUIT WITH RESISTANCE ONLY

The voltage at any instant is equal to the current at
that instant times a constant so that voltage wave must
be in phase with current wave. Let it be required to find
or determine the impressed EMF having an
instantaneous wave e and an RMS value E.
Note:
With resistance only, the alternating current
circuit follows the same laws as the direct
current circuit in regard to the relation
existing among voltage, current, resistance
and power.
 Circuit With inductance Only
Inductance always opposes any change in the current
Inductance – opposition to the building up of magnetic flux
when the current starts to increase in a circuit, with inductance, the EMF of self induction e, opposes the increase, and
when the current starts to decrease, it tends to prevent this decrease.

- with steady direct current, the inductance has no effect.

The current lags the voltage by 90o
purely inductive coil -one that has no
ohmic resistance and hence no I2R loss.
Whenever an alternating current voltage is applied to a purely inductive coil, a back EMF is produced due to the self
inductance of the coil. The back EMF at every step opposes the rise or fall of current through the coil. As there is no
ohmic voltage drop, the applied voltage has to overcome this self induced EMF only.
 CIRCUITS WITH CAPACITANCE ONLY

When a direct current voltage is impressed across the plates of a

perfect capacitor, there is an initial rush of current that charges the
capacitor to the impressed voltage. After this there is no further
current if the impressed voltage remains constant. If the capacitor
plates now are short circuited, making the capacitor voltage zero current
flows from the positive plate of the capacitor.
Phasor Diagram with Capacitance only
Power
Example 1
A 60 Hz voltage of 115 volt 100 ohm resistance: a.) Write the time equations for the voltage and the resulting current.
Let the zero point of the voltage wave be at t=0 b.) Show the voltage and current on a time diagram. c.) Show the
voltage and current on a phasor diagram
A 60 Hz voltage of 230v effective value is impressed on an inductor of 0.265H. a.) Write the time equation for the voltage
and the resulting current. Let the zero axis of the voltage wave be at t=0 b.) Show the voltage and current on a phasor
diagram. c.) Find the maximum energy stored in the inductance.
 For the 5th Harmonic

Hence the current would be given by the equation

Complex Voltage applied to pure inductance

If the applied voltage has complex form and is given by

Then the reactances offered to the fundamental voltage wave and The Harmonics in the current wave are much
the Harmonics would be different. smaller than in the voltage wave. For example
the 5th Harmonic of the current wave is only
For the Fundamental wave 1/5th of the Harmonic in the voltage wave

For the 3rd Harmonic

Example 2
A 50 Hz voltage of 230 volts effective value is impressed on a capacitance of 26.5
a) Write the time equation for the voltage and the resulting current. Let the zero axis of the voltage wave be t=0.
b) Show the voltage and current on a time diagram.
c)Show the voltage and current on a phasor diagram
b) e and i in a time diagram
Resistance and Inductance in Series
(R-L in Series)
 Example 1
A circuit with 0.1 H Inductance and 20 ohms Resistance in
series is connected across a 100 volts, 25 cycles mains.
An Inductive power factor has Determine a)the Impedance b) The Current c) Voltage across
always a leading power factor the Resistance d) Voltage across the Inductance and
e) Angle by which the voltage leads the current
Example 2: A 6 ohms resistor and an 8 ohm inductive reactance where connected in series across a 60 cycles supply take
12 A. Determine the a) Impedance of the circuit, b)Voltage across Resistor, c) Voltage across Reactance,
d) Circuit voltage e) Power, f) Angle between current and voltage g) power factor, h) Inductance, i) Draw the
vectordiagram.
Assignment: Solve the following problems below
1) A 0.0159 HInductance coil and a 40 ohm resistor are
connected in series across 240 volts, 60 cycle mains.
Determine a) Reactance b) Impedance c) Total Current
d) Power, e) Phase angle f) power factor, g) Voltage across
resistor and voltage across inductance coil.

2) When a 12 ohm Resistor and an unknown coil of negligible

resistance are connected in series across a 120 volt, 50
cycle supply, the current is 8A- Determine a) Reactance
b) Inductance c) phase angle, d) power e) power factor
f) Voltage across Resistor and Inductor coil g) Draw the
vector diagram.
 Resistance and Capacitance in Series
(R-C in Series)
Conditions in R-C Circuits
1. The current I is the same in
both R and XC.
2.The current I is used as the
ER reference Vector
R 3. The current I is leading with
ER respect to the Voltage.
4. The Voltage ER is in phase with
E the current.
5. The Voltage EC lags the current
by
EC
C
EC
E
Derivation:
 Example 1
A Tungsten Filament bulb rated at 500 W, 100 V is to be connected in
series with a Capacitance across 220 V, 50 Hz supply. Calculate a) The
value of the Capacitor such that the voltage and power consumed by the
bulb are according to the rating of the bulb, b) The power Factor of the
current drawn from the supply. c) Draw the phasor diagram of the ciruit.

Note: A Capacitive circuit has always a leading power factor

Example 2:
A pure Resistance of 50 ohms is in series with a pure Capacitance of 100 micro-Farad. The series combination is connected
across 100 V, 50 Hz supply. Find a) The Impedance b) The current c) Power Factor
Example 3:
A 240 V, 50 Hz series RC circuit takes an RMS current of 20 A. The maximum value of the current occurs 1/900 secs before the
maximum value of the voltage. Calculate a) Power Factor, b)Average Power c)The Parameters of the circuit.
 Resistance, Inductance and Capacitance in Series
Conditions in RLC circuit
1. The current is the same in all parts of the circuit.
2. The current vector is used as reference vector.
3.The voltage across the inductance and that of the capacitance are in opposition.
4. The Line voltage must be the vector sumof the Three (3) voltages.
5. If XL>XC the tangent is positive and 0 is positive-this shows that the current lags.
If XC>XL the Tangent is negative and the angle is
negative. The current is Leading.
Example 1:
A voltage of 220 volts at 60 cycles is impressed on a circuit having a 50 ohms Resistor, a 25 micro-Farad capacitor and a 0.2
Henry Inductor in series. Determine a) Impedance b) Total current c) Voltage across Resistor, Inductor and Capacitor, d) Total
Power, e) Power factor and power factor angle, f) Draw vector diagram
Example 2:
A 50 ohm resistor, a 0.25 Henry Inductor, and a100 microFarad capacitor are connected in series across a 200 volts, 25 cycle
mains. Determine a) Current b) Power c) Voltage across resistor, inductor and capacitor, d) Circuit power factor and power factor
angle. Draw vector Diagram.
Resonance in series Circuit

Resonance- a circuit wherein the voltage across the Inductance is

equal to the voltage across the capacitance as these
two voltages are in phase opposition they balanced
each other. The current in this kind of circuit is maximum.
A circuit is in Resonance Example 1:
a) When XL=XC reactive component of the impedance is equal to zero. A series circuit with a 12 ohms resistor and a 32 ohms
b) When the circuit votage is in phase with the current inductive reactance is connected across a 240 volts 60
c)When power factor is unity. cycle mains. Determine a) the capacitive reactance that
will make the circuit resonant. b) current c) Resonant
Current d) Circuit power d) Values of capacitance and
Inductance.
Example 2:
A 220 volts circuit having a resitor of 50 ohms, a 25 microFarad capacitor and a 0.2 Henry Inductor ha a 60 cyles frequency and
a current of 3.749 A. For resonance determine
a) Value of the Capacitance C with resistance R, Inductance L and frequency f as given
b) Value of Inductanc L with C and f as given.
c)Value of f with L and C as given
d) Voltage across inductor and capacitor in a, b and c
e) Current and Power in a, b, c