Introduction to Inductors

BY
CHIFUNDO MLANGENI

1
Introduction

• Inductors have a number of response characteristics

similar to those of the capacitor.
• The inductor exhibits its true characteristics only when a
change in voltage or current is made in the network.
MagneticFields

• In the region surrounding a permanent magnet

there exists a magnetic field, which can be
represented by magnetic flux lines similar to
electric flux lines.
• Magnetic flux lines differ from electric flux lines in
that they don’t have an origin or termination point.
• Magnetic flux lines radiate from the north pole to
the south pole through the magnetic bar.
MagneticFields
• Continuous magnetic flux lines will strive to occupy
as small an area as possible.
• The strength of a magnetic field in a given region is
directly related to the density of flux lines in that
region.
• If unlike poles of two permanent magnets are
brought together the magnets will attract, and the
flux distribution will be as shown below.
MagneticFields

• If like poles are brought

together, the magnets will
repel, and the flux
distribution will be as shown.
• If a nonmagnetic material,
such as glass or copper, is
placed in the flux paths
surrounding a permanent
magnet, there will be an
almost unnoticeable change
in the flux distribution.
MagneticFields

• If a magnetic material, such as soft iron, is placed

in the flux path, the flux lines will pass through the
soft iron rather than the surrounding air because
the flux lines pass with greater ease through
magnetic materials than through air.
• This principle is put to use in the shielding of
sensitive electrical elements and instruments that
can be affected by stray magnetic fields.
MagneticFields
• The direction of the magnetic flux lines can be
found by placing the thumb of the right hand in
the direction of conventional current flow and
noting the direction of the fingers (commonly
called the right hand rule).
Magnetic Fields

Flux and Flux Density

• In the SI system of units, magnetic flux is measured in
webers (Wb) and is represented using the symbol 
• The number of flux lines per unit area is called flux
density (B). Flux density is measured in teslas (T).
• Its magnitude is determined by the following equation:
MagneticFields
• Permeability
• If cores of different materials with the same physical
dimensions are used in the electromagnet, the strength
of the magnet will vary in accordance with the core used.
• The variation in strength is due to the number of flux
lines passing through the core.
•Magnetic material is material in which flux lines can
readily be created and is said to have high permeability.
•Permeability () is a measure of the ease with which
magnetic flux lines can be established in the material.
Magnetic Fields
• Permeability
• Permeability of free space 0 (vacuum)is
W b
 0 = 4 10−7
A M

•Materials that have permeability slightly less than

that of free space are said to be diamagnetic and
those with permeability slightly greater than that
of free space are said to be paramagnetic.
Magnetic Fields
Permeability
• Magnetic materials, such as iron, nickel, steel and alloys
of these materials, have permeability hundreds and
even thousands of times that of free space and are
referred to as ferromagnetic.
• The ratio of the permeability of a material to that of free
space is called relative permeability.
r = 
0
Inductance

• Inductors are designed to set up a strong magnetic field

linking the unit, whereas capacitors are designed to set up a
strong electric field between the plates.
• Inductance is measure in Henries (H).
• One henry is the inductance level that will establish a voltage of 1
volt across the coil due to a chance in current of 1 A/s through the
coil.
Inductance

Inductor construction and inductance

 = permeability (Wb/Am)

 2 N = number of turns (t)

N A
L= A = area (m2 )
l = length (m)
l L = inductancein henries (H)
InducedVoltage

• If a conductor is moved through a magnetic field so that

it cuts magnetic lines of flux, a voltage will be induced
across the conductor.
InducedVoltage

Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction

• The greater the number of flux lines cut per unit time (by
increasing the speed with which the conductor passes through
the field), or the stronger the magnetic field strength (for the
same traversing speed), the greater will be the induced voltage
across the conductor.
• If the conductor is held fixed and the magnetic field is moved so
that its flux lines cut the conductor, the same effect will be
produced.
InducedVoltage

Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction

• If a coil of N turns is placed in the region of the
changing flux, as in the figure below, a voltage
will be induced across the coil as determined
by Faraday’s Law.
Induced Voltage

Lenz’s law
•An induced effect is always such as to
oppose the cause that produced it.
Induced Voltage

•The inductance of a coil is also a measure of the

change in flux linking a coil due to a change in
current through the coil
•N is the number of turns,  is the flux in webers, and
i is the current through the coil
 Induced Voltage

• The larger the inductance of a coil (with N fixed), the larger will
be the instantaneous change in flux linking the coil due to the
instantaneous change in the current through the coil.
diL
vL = L (volts, V)
dt
•The voltage across an inductor is directly related to the
inductance L and the instantaneous rate of change through the
coil. The greater the rate of change of current through the coil,
the greater the induced voltage.
 R-L Transients: The StoragePhase
• The changing voltage and current that result during the storing of
energy in the form of a magnetic field by an inductor in a dc circuit.
• The instant the switch is closed, inductance in the coil will prevent an
instantaneous change in the current through the coil.
• The potential drop across the coil VL, will equal the impressed voltage E as
determined by Kirchhoff’s voltage law.
 R-L Transients: The StoragePhase
• An ideal inductor (Rl = 0 ) assumes a short-circuit equivalent in a dc
network once steady-state conditions have been established.
• The storage phase has passed and steady-state conditions have been
established once a period of time equal to five time constants has
occurred.
• The current cannot change instantaneously in an inductive network.
• The inductor takes on the characteristics of an open circuit at the
instant the switch is closed.
• The inductor takes on the characteristics of a short circuit when steady-
state conditions have been established.
 InitialValues
• Since the current through a coil cannot change instantaneously,
the current through a coil will begin the transient phase at the
initial value established by the network before the switch was
closed
• The current will then pass through the transient phase until it
reaches the steady-state (or final) level after about 5 time
constants
• The steady-state level of the inductor current can be found by
substituting its short-circuit equivalent (or Rl for the practical
equivalent)
InitialValues

• The drawing of the

waveform for the current
iL from the initial value to
a final value.
R-L Transients: The ReleasePhase

• In R-L circuits, the energy is stored in the form of a

magnetic field established by the current through the
coil.
• An isolated inductor cannot continue to store energy
since the absence of a closed path would cause the
current to drop to zero, releasing the energy stored in
the form of a magnetic field.
R-L Transients: The ReleasePhase
• Analyzing the R-L circuit in the same
manner as the R-C circuit.
• When a switch is closed, the voltage across the
resistor R2 is E volts, and the R-L branch will
respond in the change in the current di/dt of the
equation vL = L(di/dt) would establish a high
voltage vL across the coil.
Average InducedVoltage

• For inductors, the average induced voltage is

defined by

iL
vLav =L (volts, V)
t
Inductors in Series andin Parallel
• Inductors, like resistors and capacitors, can
be placed in series
• Increasing levels of inductance can be obtained
by placing inductors in series
Inductors in Series and inParallel
• Inductors, like resistors and capacitors, can
be placed in parallel.
• Decreasing levels of inductance can be obtained
by placing inductors in parallel.
 Steady StateConditions

• An inductor can be replaced by a short circuit in a dc

circuit after a period of time greater than five time
constants have passed.
• Assuming that all of the currents and voltages have
reached their final values, the current through each
inductor can be found by replacing each inductor with a
short circuit.
 Energy Stored by anInductor

• The ideal inductor, like the ideal capacitor, does not

dissipate the electrical energy supplied to it. It stores
the energy in the form of a magnetic field.