Instantaneous Power and Average Power
Instantaneous Power and Average Power
EXERCISE OBJECTIVE When you have completed this exercise, you will know the difference between
instantaneous power and average power, and how to calculate them. You will be
able to explain and demonstrate the concept of instantaneous power in ac
circuits. You will also be able to determine the average power dissipated in a
resistor when it is connected to an ac power source. You will be able to
demonstrate the relationship between rms values and average power in resistive
ac circuits.
DISCUSSION OUTLINE The Discussion of this exercise covers the following points:
Instantaneous power
Average power
Rationale behind rms values
In dc circuits, power ܲ is the product of the voltage ܧand the current ܫ. The same
is true for ac circuits. However, in the case of ac circuits, it is important to know
the difference between instantaneous power and average power. From what
has been seen so far, it should be clear that the power supplied to a load
connected to an ac source varies with time, since the circuit voltage and current
are sine waves. Instantaneous power ܲ is equal to the ܧൈ ܫproduct calculated at
each instant of the sine wave cycle. Figure 1-17 shows an example of a power
waveform in relation to the voltage and current sine waves. As you can see, in
the first half of their cycle, both the voltage and current sine waves have positive
values, while in the second half, they both have negative values. Thus, the ܧൈ ܫ
product (i.e., the power waveform) is always positive, whether or not the voltage
and current sine waves are in the positive or negative half of the cycle. As a
result, the net power delivered to the load is equal to the power delivered during
the positive half-wave plus the power delivered during the negative half-wave.
Instantaneous
power
Instantaneous power (W)
Current (A)
Voltage (V)
Current ݐ
Voltage
Figure 1-17. Voltage, current, and instantaneous power waveforms for a resistor.
As you can see from the power waveform in Figure 1-17, the frequency of the
instantaneous power waveform is twice that of the source. This is due to the fact
that when the voltage and current waveforms begin the negative half of their
cycles, the power waveform begins another cycle that is identical to the previous
one.
Average power
While the instantaneous power varies with time, the average power ܲ௩Ǥ
dissipated in the resistor (or average value of the power waveform) remains
constant through time and corresponds to the product of the rms voltage ܧோெௌ
and the rms current ܫோெௌ , as shown in the equation below:
Figure 1-18 shows the comparison between the instantaneous power waveform
and the average power graphical representation. Note that this relationship is
only valid for purely resistive ac circuits.
Instantaneous
power
Average
power
Power (W)
ݐ
In Exercise 1-1, the concept of rms values was first introduced without a full
explanation of the rationale behind it. Using the concept of average power, we
can now better understand the relationship between the rms voltage measured in
an ac circuit and the voltage measured in a dc circuit.
Consider the ac circuit shown in Figure 1-19a. In this circuit, the ac power source
delivers a given amount of average power ܲ௩Ǥ to a resistor. Now, to deliver that
same amount of power ܲ to the same resistor in the dc circuit shown in
Figure 1-19b, the dc power source needs to be set to a particular voltage ܧ .
This voltage ܧ is equal to the rms voltage ܧோெௌ of the ac power source. In other
words, when the power delivered to a resistive load by an ac power source is
equal to the power delivered to an equivalent resistive load by a dc power source
(ܲ௩Ǥ ൌ ܲ ), the rms voltage of the ac power source is equal to the voltage of
the dc power source (ܧோெௌ ൌ ܧ ). Note that, for reasons that will be seen later,
this relationship is only true in the case of resistive loads and is not valid when
other components (e.g., inductors and capacitors) are introduced in a circuit.
Figure 1-19. Equivalent ac and dc circuits supplying the same voltage and delivering the same
power.
The above rationale also applies to the rms values of current in an ac circuit.
Thus, when the current ܫ of a dc power source is equal to the rms value of the
current ܫோெௌ in an ac circuit, then the power ܲ dissipated in the resistor in the
dc circuit is equal to the average power ܲ௩Ǥ dissipated in the same resistor in
the ac circuit.
PROCEDURE
High voltages are present in this laboratory exercise. Do not make or modify any
banana jack connections with the power on unless otherwise specified.
In this section, you will connect an ac circuit containing a resistor and set up the
equipment to measure the source voltage ܧௌ , source current ܫௌ , and power ܲௌ
delivered to the resistor by the source.
2. Make sure that the main power switch on the Four-Quadrant Dynamometer/
Power Supply is set to the O (off) position, then connect its Power Input to an
ac power outlet.
Connect the Power Input of the Data Acquisition and Control Interface to
a 24 V ac power supply. Turn the 24 V ac power supply on.
3. Connect the USB port of the Data Acquisition and Control Interface to a
USB port of the host computer.
5. Turn the host computer on, then start the LVDAC-EMS software.
In the LVDAC-EMS Start-Up window, make sure that the Data Acquisition
and Control Interface and the Four-Quadrant Dynamometer/Power Supply
are detected. Make sure that the Computer-Based Instrumentation function
for the Data Acquisition and Control Interface is available. Select the network
voltage and frequency that correspond to the voltage and frequency of your
local ac power network, then click the OK button to close the LVDAC-EMS
Start-Up window.
ܫௌ
ܧௌ ܴ
100 V 171
Figure 1-20. AC circuit containing a resistor, as well as a voltmeter and an ammeter for
voltage, current, and power measurements.
Make the necessary switch settings on the Resistive Load in order to obtain
the resistance value required.
Make sure that the Voltage Control parameter is set to Knob. This
allows the ac power source to be controlled manually.
In this section, you will observe the waveforms of the source voltage ܧௌ , source
current ܫௌ , and power ܲௌ which the ac power source delivers to the resistor in the
ac power circuit you set-up in the previous section. You will measure the average
source power ܲௌǡ௩Ǥ , as well as the rms values of the source voltage ܧௌ and
source current ܫௌ . You will then calculate the source power ܲௌ from the measured
rms values of the source voltage ܧௌ and current ܫௌ and compare the result with
the measured source power ܲௌ .
9. In LVDAC-EMS, open the Oscilloscope and set the parameters to display the
source voltage ܧௌ , source current ܫௌ , and power ܲௌ which the ac power
source delivers to the resistor on channels 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Ensure
that the time base is adjusted to show at least two complete cycles of the
waveforms and select convenient vertical scales.
10. On the Oscilloscope, determine the period ߒ of the waveforms of the source
voltage ܧௌ and source current ܫௌ , then calculate the source frequency ݂ from
the measured period ܶ.
ଵ
Period ߒ ൌ ms Frequency ݂ ൌ ൌ Hz
்
14. On the Oscilloscope, record the average value ܲௌǡ௩Ǥ of the waveform of the
source power ܲௌ .
15. Record below the rms values of the source voltage ܧௌ and source current ܫௌ ,
indicated by meters E1 and I1 in the Metering window, respectively.
16. Calculate the power ܲௌ which the source delivers to the load resistor using
the rms values of ܧௌ and ܫௌ measured in the previous step.
17. Compare the power ܲௌ calculated in the previous step with the average
power ܲௌǡ௩Ǥ recorded in step 14. Are the values close to each other?
Yes No
18. Does this confirm that the average power dissipated in a resistor connected
to an ac power source is equal to the product of the rms values of the resistor
voltage and current?
Yes No
ܫௌ
ܧௌ ܴ
171
Figure 1-21. DC circuit containing a resistor, as well as a voltmeter and an ammeter for
voltage, current, and power measurements.
21. Compare the measured dc source voltage ܧ to the rms voltage ܧௌ of the
ac power source used in the previous section (recorded in step 15). Are the
values close to each other?
Yes No
22. What can you conclude about the rms value of the voltage (or current) in
ac circuits containing a resistive load?
24. Close LVDAC-EMS, then turn off all the equipment. Disconnect all leads and
return them to their storage location.
CONCLUSION In this exercise, you were introduced to the notion of instantaneous power and
average power and saw how to differentiate between them. You saw how to
calculate the instantaneous power in an ac circuit as well as how to represent
instantaneous power graphically. You learned how to determine the average
power dissipated in an ac circuit. You also learned the relationship between rms
voltage values and dc voltage values in circuits containing resistive loads.
REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What is the difference between the average power and the instantaneous
power in an ac circuit?