Response of First-Order RL and RC Circuits

• Inductors and capacitors have the ability to store energy

• One can determine the currents and voltages that arise

when energy is released or acquired in response to an abrupt charge in a dc

• Circuits that consist of sources, resistors and either inductors or capacitors

called RL circuits known as 1st order circuits

• We consider analysis of RL, RC circuits in three phases :

• natural response
• step response
• natural response + step response

Natural response of an RL circuit

• Consider the circuit shown as

• Assume that the switch is closed for a long time

the currents and voltages have reached a constant value

• No current in R0 or R

all the current appears in the inductive branch

When the switch is opened;

• The current and voltage at the terminals of resistor R

called “natural response”

• Let t = 0 denote the instant when the switch is opened

the problem is to find V (t ) and i (t ) for t ≥ 0

6.1
• The circuit reduces to

• Using Kirchhoff’s voltage law yields

di
L + Ri = 0
dt

di R 1 R
⇒ = − i ⇒ di = − dt
dt L i L

i (t ) t
1 R i (t ) R
⇒ ∫
i ( t0 )
i
di = ∫
t0
−
L
⇒ ln(i )
i (t 0 )
= − (t − t 0 )
L

• Then we get

 i (t )  R
ln  = − (t − t 0 )
 i (t 0 )  L

R
− ( t −t 0 )
⇒ i (t ) = i (t 0 )e L

• Since t 0 = 0 , i (t 0 ) = i (0) = I 0 , we can write

R R
− − t
i (t ) = i ( 0 ) e L
= I 0e L
, t≥0

• Therefore the current response is given by

6.2
 • Note that i (0 − ) = i (0 + ) = I 0 as the current can not change instantaneously in an inductor.

However ;
V (0 − ) = 0

• The voltage across the resistor is

R
− t
V (t ) = I 0 Re L
, t ≥ 0+

• Then
V (0 + ) = I 0 R
a step change at an instant in time

Time constant

• Note that we have

i (t ) = I 0 e − ( R / L ) t , t ≥ 0

• The time constant is defined as

L
τ=
R

• then

i (t ) = I 0 e − t / τ , t≥0

Ex. The switch in the circuit shown has been closed for a long time before it is opened at t = 0 . Find

a. i L (t ) for t ≥ 0
b. i0 (t ) for t ≥ 0 +
c. V0 (t ) for t ≥ 0 +
d. The percentage of the total
energy stored in the 2H
inductor that is dissipated in
the 10Ω resistor.
a. e.
• We have

i L (0 − ) = i L (0 + ) = 20 A
Req = 2 + (40 // 10) = 10Ω
i L (t ) = 20e −5t A , t≥0

6.3
b.
10
• i 0 (t ) = − i L = −4e − 5 t , t ≥ 0+ ( at t = 0 − , i0 = 0)
10 + 40

c.
• V0 (t ) = 40i0 = −160e −5tV , t ≥ 0+

d. The power dissipated in the 10Ω resistor is

V02
P10Ω = = 2560e −10t W , t ≥ 0+
10
∞
W10Ω = ∫ 2560e −10t dt = 256 J
0

• The initial energy stored in 2H inductor is

1 2 1
W (0 ) = Li (0) = ⋅ 2 ⋅ 400 = 400 Joule
2 2
256
⇒ x100 = 64%
400

The natural response of an RC circuit

• Analogous to that of an RL circuit

• Consider the following circuit

• The switch is in position a for a

• At t = 0 , the switch is in position b

• Using node-voltage method gives

dV V
C + =0
dt R

• Applying the same mathematical technique as in RL circuit, we get

6.4
 • Note that the initial voltage on the capacitor equals the voltage source voltage, V g
V (0 − ) = V (0) = V (0 + ) = V g = V0

• The time constant, τ is

• Thus we can rewrite V (t ) as

• The current, i (t ) is obtained as

Ex. The switch in the circuit shown has been in position x for a long time.At t = 0 , the switch
moves instantaneously to position y. Find

a. VC (t ) , t ≥ 0
b. V0 (t ) , t ≥ 0 +
c. The total energy dissipated
Đn the 60kΩ resistor

a.
VC (0) = 100V
Req = 32 + (240 // 60) = 80kΩ
3 −6
VC (t ) = 100e −t / 80⋅10 ⋅0.5⋅10 V
= 100e −25tV , t≥0

b.
48
V0 (t ) = VC (t ) = 60e − 25tV
60
60e −25t
i0 (t ) = = e − 25t mA
60k

c.
P60 kΩ = e −50t ⋅ 10 −6 ⋅ 60 ⋅ 10 3 = 60e −50t mW

∞
W60 kΩ = ∫ 60e −50t dt = 1.2m Joule
0

6.5
The step response of RL and RC circuits

• We consider currents and voltages generated in 1st order RL, RC circuits

when either dc voltage or current sources are suddenly applied.

• The response of the circuit to the sudden application of a constant voltage or current source

referred to as the step response of the circuit.

The step response of an RL circuit

• Consider the circuit shown as

• After the switch has been closed, we have

di di 1
Vs = iR + L ⇒ = (Vs − iR )
dt dt L

R  Vs  di R
⇒ di = − i − dt ⇒ = − dt
L R  Vs L
i−
R

• Integrating both sides from t 0 = 0 to t gives

i (t ) t
di R
∫ Vs ∫0 L
= − dt
i (0) i−
R

 V   V  R
⇒ ln i (t ) − s  − ln i (0) − s  = − t
 R  R L

Vs
i (t ) −
⇒ ln R =−Rt
V L
i ( 0) − s
R

6.6
 Vs  Vs  − RL t
i (t ) = + i ( 0) −  e , t≥0
R  R

• If the initial energy in the inductor is zero, we get

Vs V s − RL t
i (t ) = − e , t≥0
R R
with

• The voltage V (t ) across the inductor is

d Vs  Vs  − t 
R
V (t ) = L  + i (0) −  e L 
dt  R  R 
R
 R  V  − t
= L −  i (0) − s  e L
 L  R
R
− t
= [Vs − R i (0)]e L
, t ≥ 0+

• If i (0) = 0 , then

R
− t
V (t ) = V s e L
, t ≥ 0+

6.7
Ex. Consider the following circuit

a. i (t ) = ? , t ≥ 0
b. V (0 + ) = ?
c. V (t1 ) = 24V , t1 = ?
d. Plot i (t ), V (t ) vs. t

a.
i ( 0 − ) = i ( 0) = i ( 0 + ) = I 0 = − 8 A
2
24  24  − t
i (t ) = +  − 8 −  e 0. 2
2  2 
= 12 − 20e −10t , t ≥ 0

b.
V (t ) = 0.2 (−20) (−10)e −10t , t ≥ 0 +
V (0 + ) = 40V

c. V (t1 ) = 40e −10t1 = 24 ⇒ t1 = 51.08ms

d.

6.8
The step response of an RC circuit

• Let us consider the following RC circuit

• After the switch is closed at t = 0 , we apply node voltage method

VC (t ) dV (t )
+C C = Is
R dt

• In a similar manner as in RL circuit

dVC (t ) VC (t ) I s
+ =
dt RC C

dVC (t ) 1
⇒ =− [VC (t ) − RI s ]
dt RC

dVC (t ) 1
⇒ =− dt
VC (t ) − RI s RC

VC ( t ) t
dVC (t ) 1
⇒ ∫
VC ( 0 )
VC (t ) − RI s
= −
RC ∫
0
dt

1
−
⇒ VC (t ) = RI s + [VC (0) − RI s ]e
t
RC

• If VC (0) = 0 , then

 −
1
t
VC (t ) = I s R 1 − e RC  , t ≥ 0
 

• The current, i (t )
1
dVC  V ( 0)  − t
i (t ) = C =  I s − C  e RC , t ≥ 0 +
dt  RC 

6.9
Ex. The switch in the circuit shown has been in position a for a long time.At t = 0 , the switch is
moved to position b.

a. VC (0) = ?
b. VC (∞) = ?
c. VC (t) = ? , t ≥ 0
d. i (t) = ? , t ≥ 0 +

a.
60
VC (0 − ) = VC (0) = VC (0 + ) = −40 ⋅ = −30V
80

b.
VC (∞ ) = 90V

c.
RC = 400 ⋅ 10 3 ⋅ 0.5 ⋅ 10 −6 = 0.2

VC (t ) = 90 + [− 30 − 90]e −5t
= 90 − 120e −5tV , t ≥ 0

d.
i (t ) = 0.5 ⋅ 10 −6 ⋅ (−120).(−5) ⋅ e −5t
= 0.3e −5t mA , t ≥ 0 +

A general solution for step and natural responses

• Let us consider the general form of differential equation.

dx (t ) 1
+ x (t ) = K
dt τ

where
K : a constant that can be zero

• Note that the final value of x(t) can be considered as constant

as in RC, RL circuits, constant sources are applied.

• Hence
x f = Kτ

6.10
 • Solving for x(t )

dx x − ( x − Kτ ) − ( x − x f )
=− +K = =
dt τ τ τ

dx 1
⇒ = − dt
x − xf τ

x (t ) t
dx 1
⇒ ∫ = ∫ − dt
x ( t0 )
x − x f t0 τ

[ ]
⇒ x(t ) = x f + x(t 0 ) − x f e −(t −t0 ) / τ , t ≥ t 0

di (t ) VC (t ) dV (t )
R i (t ) + L = Vs +C C = is
dt R dt

di (t ) R V dVC (t ) 1 i
⇒ + i (t ) = s ⇒ + VC (t ) = s
dt L L dt RC C

i (t ) → x(t ) VC (t ) → x(t )
τ → L/ R τ → RC
K → Vs / L is
K → , x f = is R
C
R
Vs Vs − L t
i (t ) = − e
R R VC (t ) = i s R − i s Re −t / RC , t ≥ 0
x f = Kτ = V s / R

6.11