Lesson 12

Inductors Transient Analysis

Learning Objectives
 Calculate inductor voltage and current as a function of
time.

 Explain inductor DC characteristics.

 Inductor Charging
 Inductor: Oppose Changes (Choking effects)
 Inductor is initially fully discharged
 acts like a open circuit
 When switch is closed, the changing current across the inductor
immediately induces a voltage that opposes that change, which
keeps the current near zero:

vL  E
  tR1 / L
Inductor charging iL (t )  I 0 (1  e )
E
 As current iL builds up, the voltage I0 
across the R1 resistor increases. R1
 Inductor Charging Equations
 Voltages and currents in a charging circuit change
exponentially over time
 Steady State Conditions
 Circuit is at steady state: voltage and current reach their final
values and stop changing

 There is no change in current in the circuit, so the inductor has

zero voltage induced across it. Inductor current will be steady:
E 100V
iL    100mA
R1 1000
 Inductor then looks like a short circuit
The Time Constant
 Rate at which an inductor charges depends on R and L,
which is called the TIME CONSTANT:

L
 ch arg ing 
R1

 Transients can be considered

to last for five time constants
 iL (t )  I 0 (1  e  tR1 / L )
Example Problem 1 E
I0 
R1
In the circuit below, the switch is initially open and conditions are
at steady-state.
L
 ch arg ing 
After the switch is shut, determine: R1
a.how long it will take for the inductor to reach a steady-state condition
(>99% of final current).
b. Write the equation for the VL(t) & iL(t). Sketch the transient.
c. Find the Energy stored in the Inductor.
Interrupting Current in an Inductive
Circuit

 When switch opens in an RL circuit

 Energy is released in a short time
 This may create a large voltage
 Induced voltage is called an inductive kick

 Opening of inductive circuit may cause

voltage sparks of thousands of volts
Interrupting a Circuit
 Switch flashovers are generally undesirable
 They can be controlled with proper engineering design

 These large voltages can be useful

 Such as in automotive ignition systems
Inductor Discharging
 Inductor is initially fully charged with constant 100 ma
current through it. It acts like a short circuit
 When switch is opened, the inductor will immediately
induce a voltage to keep the 100 mA current constant.
 KVL can be used to calculate this induced voltage
 Notice the polarity of the induced voltage!

vR1  I 0 R1  100mA 1000   100V

vL  vR1  vR 2  1100V
vR 2  I 0 R2  100mA 10000   1000V
Inductor Discharging i (t )  I et  R  R / L 1 2
L 0
 As stored energy is released, the
induced voltage across the inductor drops.

 This makes the voltage drop across the

resistor drop, so current in the circuit
drops
 Inductor Discharging Equations
 Voltages and currents in a discharging circuit also change
exponentially over time
The Time Constant
 Rate at which an inductor discharges depends on R and L,
which is called the TIME CONSTANT:

L
 disch arg ing 
 R1  R2 

 Transients can be considered

to last for five time constants
Example Problem 2
 The circuit shown below has been in operation with the switch shut
for a long time. The switch opens at time t = 0, determine:

a. how long it will take for the inductor to discharge.

b. Write the equation for the VL, iL,. Sketch the transient.
L
 disch arg ing 
 R1  R2 