ESc201 : Introduction to Electronics

Transient Analysis of Capacitive and Inductive

Circuits

Amit Verma
Dept. of Electrical Engineering
IIT Kanpur

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Capacitance

• Two sheets of conductors separated by a layer of insulating

material
• Insulating material is called dielectric - could be air, polyester, …

metal

dielectric

metal
2
3
 i
q C v
+
Coulombs Volt
Farad
v(t) q(t) C
dq dv
i i C
- dt dt
t
1 1
v(t )    wc (t )  C  vc (t )
2
idt v (t o ) 2
C to
For dc or steady state when the voltage does not vary with time
A capacitor under dc or steady state acts like an
open circuit i 0 4
 Ceq  C1  C2  C3

dv
i C
dt

1 1 1 1
  
Ceq C1 C2 C3 5
Inductance

  Li
A time varying flux causes voltage to appear across the device
terminals
d di
v  L
dt dt 6
 di
v  L
dt

Henry

For dc or steady state when the current does not vary with time
v 0
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An inductor under dc or steady state acts like a short circuit
Typical Inductors

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 Leq  L1  L2  L3

1
wL (t )  L  i 2 (t )
2

1 1 1 1
  
Leq L1 L2 L3
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Two important concepts
Voltage across a capacitor cannot change instantaneously
dvc
ic  C
dt
Instantaneous change in voltage
implies infinite current!

Current through an inductor cannot change instantaneously

di
vL
dt
Instantaneous change in current
implies infinite voltage!
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 t= xx
R=5 L=1H

10V C=10F R=5

What is current through the inductor or voltage across the

capacitor ?
We can’t give an answer unless we have some knowledge of
the past state of the circuit
Suppose we are told that circuit has been in this state for a very very long time
t= xx
R=5 i=1A ic  C
dvc
dt
10V R=5 di
vL
dt
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Or suppose we are told that circuit was switched at t= xx
i=0 t= xx
t=xx R=5 L=1H
R=5 L=1H

10V C=10F R=5 10V C=10F R=5

Circuit before switching

i=0
R=5 L=1H

10V C=10F R=5

Circuits containing inductors or capacitors have a memory

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Example

Find voltage and current immediately after closing the switch

and in steady state

t = 0+ 0
0

Current through an inductor Voltage across a capacitor

cannot change instantaneously cannot change instantaneously
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t 
An inductor under dc or steady state acts like a short circuit
A capacitor under dc or steady state acts like an open circuit

iL  t     1 A
vc  t     5 V14
Determine the current IX immediately after switch is opened.
Circuit for t>0


First find voltage VC (0-)  v (0 )
iX (0 )  C
 1mA
Circuit for t<0 4K
vC (0 )  vC (0  )

 2
vC (0 )   6  415V
3
Discharge of a capacitor through a Resistor

How long will it take for capacitor voltage to fall to half its
initial value?
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iC iR

dvc
ic  C
dt

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First Order Differential Equation
dy
 a y
dt

 at
Solution: y(t )  K e

Constant K is often found from the initial condition

K  y(0)
 at
y(t )  y(0) e
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 t

vC (t )  vC (0) e RC

t


vC (t )  vC (0 ) e RC

dy
 a y
dt We know: vC (0  )  Vi
 at
y(t )  y(0) e
Voltage across a capacitor cannot change instantaneously

vC (0  )  vC (0  )  Vi 
t
vC (t )  Vi e RC
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Time  2 3 4 5

V(t)/Vi 0.368 0.135 .05 0.018 0.0067

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Charging a capacitor

dvc
ic  C
dt

Application of KCL at the indicated node gives

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dx
  a1 x  a2 Solution: x (t )  K1  K 2 e  a1t
dt

x()  K1
 a1t
x (t )  x ( )  K 2 e
Use initial condition: x(0)  x()  K2

 a1t
x(t )  x()  {x(0)  x()} e
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dx
  a1 x  a2
dt
 a1t
x(t )  x()  {x(0)  x()} e

1
a1 
RC

t


vC (t )  vC ()  {vC (0 )  vC ()} e RC

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 t

t=0
R vC (t )  vC ()  {vC (0 )  vC ()} e RC

+
VS C vC
-

What is vC () ? A capacitor under dc or steady

state acts like an open circuit
vC ()  VS
What is vC (0  ) ?
R

+
VS C
+
vC(0 )
-
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 t

t=0 vC (t )  vC ()  {vC (0 )  vC ()} e RC
R

+
 
VS C vC vC (0 )  vC (0 )
-

We use the fact that voltage across a capacitor cannot change

instantly
If the capacitor does not have any initial charge, then
 
vC (0 )  vC (0 )  0
vC ()  VS


t   RC
vC (t )  VS (1  e RC
)
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Time  2 3 4 5

V(t)/Vi 0.632 0.865 .95 0.982 0.993

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 di
vL
dx dt
  a1 x  a2
dt  a1t
x(t )  x()  {x(0)  x()} e
t
R
 t 
i (t )  i ()  {i (0)  i ()} e 
L
e
L
Time Constant :   27
R
What is i() ?
Inductor in steady state is like a short circuit
t=0 R
R

+
VS L vL VS i
-

VS
i ( ) 
R
R
VS VS  t
i (t )   {i (0)  }e L
R R
We also note that inductor current cannot change instantly
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Current through an inductor cannot change instantaneously

i(0 )  i(0 )
t=0
R
If i(0 )  i(0 )  0
+
t
VS L vL VS 
- i (t )   (1  e  )
R

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What about voltage across the Inductor?

t
VS 
i (t )   (1  e  )
R
𝑡
−
𝑣 𝑡 = 𝑉𝑠 𝑒 𝜏

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