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 .

Step Response of Series RL Circuit

x (t) =Vu (t)

Now by applying KVL in the loop, we obtain the following differential equation,

di (t)
Vu (t) =Ri (t) +L
dt

Taking the Laplace transform on both sides, we get,

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

Hence, the circuit current is then given by,

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

Taking the inverse Laplace transform of the above equation, we get,

V
−(R/L)t
i (t) = [1 − e ]
R

This is the step response of the series RL circuit.

Impulse Response of Series RL Circuit

x (t) =δ (t)
By applying KVL, the following differential equation of the circuit is obtained −

di (t)
δ (t) =Ri (t) +L
dt

Taking Laplace transform on both sides, we get,

di (t)
L [δ (t)] =L [Ri (t)] +L [L ]
dt

(L is the Laplace transform operator and L is the inductance of the inductor)

−
⇒ 1=RI (s) +L [sI (s) − i (0 )]

Neglecting the initial conditions i.e. i (0− ) =0 . Then,

(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

Taking the inverse Laplace transform, we have,

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

Taking inverse Laplace transform on both sides, we get,

−
X (s) =20I (s) +5 [sI (s) − i (0 )]

Neglecting the initial conditions of the circuit, we have,

X (s) =20I (s) + 5sI (s)

=5I (s) (s + 4)

X (s)
∴ I (s) =
5 (s + 4)

Refer the circuit of Figure-2, the output of the circuit is,

4
⇒ Y (s) = [ ] X (s)
(s + 4)

For unit step response

Input, x (t) =u (t)

1
∴ X (s) =
s

Therefore, the output of the circuit is,

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 ]

For Impulse Response

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)