Lecture 15

RLC Circuits
Source Free &
Transient Response
Oct. 31 & Nov. 7, 2011
Material from Textbook by Alexander & Sadiku and Electrical Engineering:
Principles & Applications, A. R. Hambley is used in lecture slides.
2
Second-Order RLC Circuits
Chapter 8 in Your Textbook
Examples of 2nd order RCL circuit
The source-free series RLC circuit
The source-free parallel RLC circuit
Step response of a series RLC circuit
Step response of a parallel RLC circuit
3
Examples of Second
Order RLC circuits
What is a 2nd order circuit?
A second-order circuit is characterized by a second-order
differential equation. It consists of resistors and the
equivalent of two energy storage elements (either or both)
RLC
Series
RLC
Parallel
RL
T-config
RC
Pi-config
4
Source-Free Series
RLC Circuits
The solution of the source-free series
RLC circuit is called as the natural
response of the circuit.
The circuit is excited by the energy
initially stored in the capacitor and
inductor.
The 2nd order DE
turns out to be
How to arrive at this DE and solve it now read on?
Finding Initial & Final Values
Need to find initial &
final values
v across caps
i through inductors
dv/dt
di/dt
Continuity Eqs
Across cap
v(0+) = v(0-)
Through inductor
i(0+) = i(0-)
Take care with
signs:
Define currents
Currents flow from +
to through C & L
Example Initial & Final Values
Need to find initial
& final values
v across caps
i through inductors
dv/dt
di/dt
Specifically find
i(0+) & v(0+)
di(0+)/dt, dv(0+)/dt
i(final), v(final)
Use
Continuity
C & L, v & i
relationships
Circuit laws
Second Order Circuits
Differentiating with respect to time:
KVL:
Second Order Circuits
Dampening
coefficient
Undamped
resonant
frequency
Define:
Forcing function
Solution of the 2nd-Order Equation
!
Particular solution
d
2
i t ( )
dt
2
+2"
di t ( )
dt
+#
0
2
i t ( ) = f t ( )
Complementary solution
(no forcing, f (t) = 0)
d
2
i t ( )
dt
2
+2"
di t ( )
dt
+#
0
2
i t ( ) = 0
Solution of the Complementary
Equation
!
Try i
C
(t) = Ke
st
:
s
2
Ke
st
+2"sKe
st
+#
0
2
Ke
st
= 0
Factoring :
(s
2
+2"s +#
0
2
)Ke
st
= 0
Characteristic equation :
s
2
+2"s +#
0
2
= 0
Exponential is the
indestructible
function by
differentiation or
integration
Solution of the Complementary
Equation
Solution of the Complementary
Equation
Dampening ratio
Roots of the characteristic
equation:
13
Source-Free Series
RLC Circuits
There are three possible solutions for the following 2nd
order differential equation:
The types of solutions for i(t) depend on the
relative values of ! and "
#
or $ = !/"
#

=>
General 2nd order
form
where
Resonant
frequency
14
There are three possible solutions for the
following 2nd order differential equation
(the complementary equation):
1. If ! > "
o
, over-damped case ($ > 1)

where
2. If ! = "
o
, critical damped case ($ = 1)

where
3. If ! < "
o
, under-damped case ($ < 1)

where
15
Source-Free Series
RLC Circuits
Example
If R = 10 !, L = 5 H, and
C = 2 mF,
find ", #
o
, s
1
and s
2
.
What type of natural response
will the circuit have?
Answer: underdamped since ! < 1
16
Source-Free Series
RLC Circuits
Example
The circuit shown below has
reached steady state at t = 0-.
If the make-before-break
switch moves to position b at t
= 0, calculate i(t) for t > 0.
Answer: i(t) = e
2.5t
[5cos1.6583t 7.538sin1.6583t] A
17
Source-Free Parallel
RLC Circuits
The 2nd order
of expression
Let
v(0) = V
0

Apply KCL to the
top node:
Taking the derivative with
respect to t and dividing
by C
18
There are three possible solutions for the following 2nd
order differential equation (the complementary equation):
1. If ! > "
o
, over-damped case ($ > 1)

where
2. If ! = "
o
, critical damped case ($ = 1)

where
3. If ! < "
o
, under-damped case($ < 1)

where
Source-Free Parallel
RLC Circuits
19
Source-Free Parallel
RLC Circuits
Example
Refer to the circuit shown below. Find v(t) for t > 0.
Answer: v(t) = 66.67(e
10t
e
2.5t
) V
20
Step-Response Series
RLC Circuits
The step response is
obtained by the sudden
application of a DC
source.
The 2nd order
of expression
The above equation has the same form as the
equation for source-free series RLC circuit.
The same coefficients (important in determining the
frequency parameters).
Different circuit variable in the equation.
21
Step-Response Series
RLC Circuits
The solution of the equation should have two components:
the transient response v
t
(t), which is the solution to the complementary
equation, & the steady-state response v
ss
(t):
The transient response v
t
is the same as that for source-free case
The steady-state response is the final value of v(t).
! v
ss
(t) = v($)
The values of A
1
and A
2
are obtained from the initial conditions:
! v(0) and dv(0)/dt.

(over-damped)
(critically damped)
(under-damped)
22
Step-Response Series
RLC Circuits
Example
Having been in position for a long time, the switch in the
circuit below is moved to position b at t = 0. Find v(t) and
v
R
(t) for t > 0.
Answer: v(t) = {10 + [(2cos3.464t 1.1547sin3.464t) e
2t
]} V
v
R
(t)= [2.31sin3.464t]e
2t
V
Solution Method
Find initial & final
currents & voltages
& their derivatives as
needed
Apply KVL to get DE
Find constants ! &
"
o
and $<1
v(t) = v
ss
+ v
t
Solve for roots s
1
, s
2
!
v(0) =12(
2
2 +1
) = 8V,
dv
dt t =0
= 0, [v across cap can' t change abruptly]
After switch is thrown KVL is applied :
to find " =
R
2L
=
10
2*2.5
= 2, #
o
=
1
LC
=
1
2.5*(1/ 40)
= 16 = 4
Answer: v(t) = {10 + [(2cos3.464t 1.1547sin3.464t) e
2t
]} V
v
R
(t)= [2.31sin3.464t]e
2t
V
Use v(0) = 8 V and dv/dt
at t=0 to get A
1
& A
2
v
ss
= v(&) = 10 V
24
Step-Response Parallel
RLC Circuits
The step response is
obtained by the sudden
application of a dc
source.
The 2nd order
of expression
It has the same form as the equation for source-free
parallel RLC circuit.
The same coefficients (important in determining
the frequency parameters).
Different circuit variable in the equation.
25
Step-Response Parallel RLC Circuits
The solution of the equation should have two components:
the transient response v
t
(t), which is the solution to the
complementary equation, & the steady-state response v
ss
(t):
The transient response i
t
is the same as that for source-free case
The steady-state response is the final value of i(t).
! i
ss
(t) = i($) = I
s

The values of A
1
and A
2
are obtained from the initial conditions:
! i(0) and di(0)/dt.

(over-damped)
(critical damped)
(under-damped)
26
Step-Response Parallel RLC Circuits
Example
Find i(t) and v(t) for t > 0 in the circuit shown in circuit
shown below:
i(t) = 20(1-cost) A
Answer: v(t) = L di/dt = 5x20sint = 100sint V