MEMS 0031 Electric Circuits

Chapter 7: Lecture 7-3

Energy Storage Elements-
Switches and Transients-RC, RCL
Circuits
 Lesson Objectives
• Energy Storage : Capacitors
• Transients-RC, RCL Circuits
• Energy Storage: Inductors-RCL circuits
Transient circuits have the following characteristics:

• Independent voltage source voltages and independent

current source currents are constant function of time

• The circuit includes one or more switches that open or

close at time t0
– Time immediately before the switch opens or closes =
t0_
– Time immediately after the switch opens or closes= t0+

• The circuit includes at least one capacitor or inductor.

• Assume that the switches in a circuit have been in position for a
long time at t = t0 called the switching time:
– For such “long-time”, circuit is at steady state immediately
before the time of switching.
• A circuit that contains only constant sources and is at
steady state is called a dc circuit.
– The inductor current in the dc circuit, will be a constant
function of time.
• The inductor voltage is vL = L(di/dt)=0.
• Hence, an inductor in a dc circuit behaves as a short
circuit.
– Capacitor voltage in DC circuit will be a constant function of
time.
• The capacitor current is proportional to the derivative of
the capacitor voltage, iC = C (dv / dt)=0
• Hence, the capacitor in a dc circuit acts like a open circuit.
 0+
+ 1
=
vc (0 ) ∫ i (τ ) dτ + vc (0 − )
C 0

= 0 + vc (0 − )
⇒ vc (0 + ) =
vc (0 − )
 Plan to analyze switched circuits
• Analyze the dc circuit that exists before time t0 to
determine the capacitor voltages and inductor
currents. Note:
– Capacitors behave as open circuits and inductors
behave as short circuits when they are in dc circuits.
• Recognize that capacitor voltages and inductor
currents cannot change instantaneously,
– Capacitor voltages and inductor currents at time t0+
have the same values that they had at time t0_
0
Calculation Procedure: RCL Circuit
P7.8-2
RCL Circuit
P 7-8.3
• Find the history at t=0-

• Find the history at t=0+

Find the history at t=∞
Example
to a