Step Response and Impulse Response of Series RL Circuit Using Laplace Transform
Step Response and Impulse Response of Series RL Circuit Using Laplace Transform
Step Response and Impulse Response of Series RL Circuit Using Laplace Transform
An electric circuit consisting of a resistance (R) and an inductor (L), connected in series, is shown
in Figure-1. Consider the switch (S) is closed at time t = 0 .
Now by applying KVL in the loop, we obtain the following differential equation,
di (t)
Vu (t) =Ri (t) +L
dt
V
−
=RI (s) +L [sI (s) − i (0 )]
s
The current in an inductor cannot change abruptly. Therefore, the current in the circuit before t=0
is zero, i.e., initial current in the inductor is i (0− ) =0 . Thus,
V
=RI (s) +sLI (s)
s
V
⇒ = (R+sL) I (s)
s
V
⇒ I (s) =
s (R+sL)
V 1 V
⇒ I (s) = [ ]=
R
L s (s+ ) L
L
L 1 1
⋅ [ − ]
R
R s (s+ )
L
V 1 1
⇒ I (s) = [ − ]
R
R s (s+ )
L
V
−(R/L)t
i (t) = [1 − e ]
R
x (t) =δ (t)
By applying KVL, the following differential equation of the circuit is obtained −
di (t)
δ (t) =Ri (t) +L
dt
di (t)
L [δ (t)] =L [Ri (t)] +L [L ]
dt
−
⇒ 1=RI (s) +L [sI (s) − i (0 )]
(R+sL) I (s) =1
Therefore, for the impulse input, the current in the RL series circuit is,
1 1
I (s) = =
R
(R+sL) L (s+ )
L
1
−1 −1
L [I (s)] =L [ ]
R
L (s+ )
L
1
−(R/L)t
∴ i (t) = e u (t)
L
This is the impulse response of the series RL circuit.
Numerical Example
Find the step response and impulse response of the series RL circuit shown in Figure-2.
Solution
The differential equation describing the series RL circuit of Figure-2 is,
di (t)
x (t) =20i (t) +5
dt
−
X (s) =20I (s) +5 [sI (s) − i (0 )]
=5I (s) (s + 4)
X (s)
∴ I (s) =
5 (s + 4)
4
⇒ Y (s) = [ ] X (s)
(s + 4)
1
∴ X (s) =
s
4 1 4
Y (s) = [ ]( )=
(s + 4) s s (s + 4)
1 1
⇒ Y (s) = −
s (s + 4)
Taking the inverse Laplace transform, the step response of the circuit is given by,
1
−1 −1
L [Y (s)] =L [ ]
s
1
−1
− L [ ]
(s + 4)
−4t
⇒ y (t) =u (t) − e u (t)
−4t
∴ y (t) =u (t) [1 − e ]
x (t) =δ (t)
∴ X (s) =1
Output,
4 4
Y (s) = [ ] (1) =
(s + 4) (s + 4)
Taking inverse Laplace transform, the impulse response of the circuit is given by,
−4t
y (t) =4e u (t)