AC Circuit Analysis Handout

Example (Series Circuit): Consider the circuit shown below. The value of eS  t  is
es(t)=170 sin (1000t + 0) V

(a) Determine ZTOT

(b) Determine total current ITOT
(c) Determine voltages VR, VC and VL
(d) Verify KVL
(e) Graph E, VL, VC, VR in the time domain

Solution:

Step 1: Express sources as phasors

170 o
ES  0
2

Step 2: Determine values of impedance for each circuit element

  1000

Z R  R 0o

j 1
ZC     90o
C C
Z C   j 20

Z L  j L   L  90o
Z L  j 70

Step 3: Apply Circuit Analysis Techniques

Series Circuit: Apply KVL

ES  VR  VC  VL
ES  I  Z R  ZC  Z L 

ZTOT   Zi  50  j 70  j 20
ZTOT  50  j50  50 245o

Step 4: Determine ITOT

ES
ITOT   1.7  45o
ZTOT

Step 5: Apply Ohm’s Law or VDR to determine voltage drops across each
component

Es
VR  ITOT Z R  Z R  85  45o  60.1  j 60.1
ZTOT

Es
VC  ITOT Z C  Z C  34  135o  24  j 24
ZTOT

Es
VL  ITOT Z L  Z L  11945o  84.1  j84.1
ZTOT

KVL: ES  VR  VC  VL

ES  (60.1  84.1  24)  j (60.1  84.1  24)

ES  120.10o

Which is within rounding error.

Step 5:

Convert back to time domain:

vR (t )  Vr sin t   R   120sin 1000t  45o  V

vC (t )  VC sin(t  C )  48.1sin(1000t  135o ) V

vL (t )  VL sin(t   L )  168.3sin(1000t  45o ) V

Example (Parallel Circuit):

(a) Find the total impedance ZT.

(b) Determine the supply current (IT,) using

the current divider rule

(c) Calculate IC and IR.

(d) Verify KCL.

Solution:

+
E
-

Step 1: Determine ZTOT

1 1
 1  j 1 j 
ZTOT          10 2  45o
 Zi   10 20 20 
Step 2: Find ITOT

a) Method 1 – Use CDR

ZTOT
I L  ITOT
ZL
ZL 2090o
ITOT  IL  430 o
 5.66165o A
ZTOT 10 2  45o

b) Method 2

Determine E -

E  VL  I L Z L  80120o

E 80120o
ITOT      5.47  j1.46
o
5.66 165
ZTOT 10 2  45o

Step 3: Find I C and I R using Ohm’s Law

E 80120o
IC    8  150o A  4 3  j 4 A
ZC 10  90

E 80120
IR    4120o A  2  j 2 3 A
ZR 20
Step 4: Verify KCL

ITOT  I R  I C  I L  2  j 2 3  4 3  j 4  2 3  j 2
ITOT  5.46  j1.46

Which is within rounding error.

Example (Series/Parallel Circuits):

Determine the voltage drop across the capacitor, VC , and I 3

a) Method 1:

Step 1: Reduce Ladder network and determine the total impedance

 
ZTOT   Z R 2 || Z L 2   Z C  || Z R1  Z L1

 j 20  20  40090o
 Z R 2 || Z L 2    10  j10
20  j 20 20 245o

 Z R 2 || Z L 2   Z C   10  j10  j10  10

10  40 
 Z R2 
|| Z L 2   Z C  || Z R1 
10  40
 8

ZTOT  8  j12  14.4256.3o 

Step 2: Determine ITOT

E 1200o
ITOT    8.32  56.3o A
ZTOT 14.4256.3o

Step 3: Determine I A  I 2  I3 using CDR

I A  ITOT
 Z R2   8.32  56.3
|| Z L 2   ZC  || Z R1 o 8
 6.66  56.3o A
 Z R 2 || Z L 2   ZC  10

Step 4: Determine VC using Ohm’s Law

VC  I AZC  6.66  56.3o 10  90o   66.6  145.6oV

Step 5: Determine I 3 using the CDR

I3  I A
 Z R 2 || Z L 2   6.66  56.3o  10 245o 
 4.71  101.3o A
 o 
ZL2  2090 
Method 2: Apply Nodal Analysis

VA
VB

Step 1: Identify Ground

Step 2: Identify Known and Unknown nodal voltages

Step 3: Apply KCL at each node and solve for unknown voltages

Node A:

IT  I1  I A
1200o  VA VA V  VB
  A
1290 o
400 10  90o
o

j 1 j  j
VA      VB     j10
 12 40 10   10 

 3  j2  j
VA    VB     j10
 120   10 
Node B:

I A  I 2  I3

VA  VB VB VB
 
10  90 o
200 o
2090o

 j   j 1 j 
VA     VB    0
 10   10 20 20 

 j   1 j 
VA     VB     0
 10   20 20 

Step 4: Solve system of linear equations for the unknown voltages

 3  j2  j
(Node A) VA    VB     j10
 120   10 

 j   1 j 
(Node B) VA     VB     0
 10   20 20 

Solve using matrix algebra or you can use substitution method

Rearranging the nodal equation for Node B and simplifying we obtain

VB  1  j VA

Then substituting into Node A equation and solving for VA

  3  j2  j
VA    VA 1  j      j10
 120   10 

 3  j2 1  j 
VA      j10
 120 10 

 3  j 2  12  j12 
VA     j10
 120 

 15  j10 
VA     j10
 120 

 120  1200  90o

VA    j10     66.56  56.3o
 15  j10  18.03  33.7
o

VA  66.56  56.3o  36.9  j 55.4

VB  94.13  11.30  92.3  j18.5

Step 5:

VC  VA  VB

VC  66.56  146.3o
VB 94.13  11.30
I3    4.71  101.3o
2090 o
2090 o

Note that the same solutions are obtained. Any difference in the phase angle for
the voltage across the capacitor can be attributed to rounding errors.