Electrical and Electronic Circuits

RC and RL circuits with piecewise constant sources

13-IS-EE101

M. B. Patil
mbpatil@ee.iitb.ac.in
www.ee.iitb.ac.in/~sequel

Department of Electrical Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
RC circuits with DC sources

A R Th A
Circuit
i i

≡
(resistors,
voltage sources,
current sources, v C VT h v C
CCVS, CCCS,
VCVS, VCCS)
B B

- -
M. B. Patil, IIT Bombay
RC circuits with DC sources

A R Th A
Circuit
i i

≡
(resistors,
voltage sources,
current sources, v C VT h v C
CCVS, CCCS,
VCVS, VCCS)
B B
RC circuits with DC sources (continued)

A R Th A
Circuit
i i

≡
(resistors,
voltage sources,
current sources, v C VT h v C
CCVS, CCCS,
VCVS, VCCS)
B B

* If all sources are DC (constant), we have

v (t ) = A exp(−t/τ ) + B , τ = RTh C .

* i (t ) = C dv = C × A exp(−t/τ ) − 1 ≡ A ‘ exp(−t/τ ) .
dt τ
* As t → ∞, i → 0, i.e., the capacitor behaves like an open circuit since all derivatives vanish.
* Since the circuit in the black box is linear, any variable (current or voltage) in the circuit can be
expressed as
x (t ) = K1 exp(−t/τ ) + K2 ,
where K1 and K2 can be obtained from suitable conditions on x (t).

M. B. Patil, IIT Bombay

Plot of f (t) = e − t / τ

t/τ e−t/τ 1 − e−t/τ 1

1 − exp (−x)
0.0 1.0 0.0
1.0 0.3679 0.6321
2.0 0.1353 0.8647
3.0 4.9787×10−2 0.9502 exp (−x)

4.0 1.8315×10−2 0.9817 0

5.0 6.7379×10−3 0.9933
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
x =t/τ

* For t/τ = 5, e −t/τ  0, 1 − e −t/τ  1

* Transient lasts for about 5 time constants
M. B. Patil, IIT Bombay
Plot of f (t) = A e − t / τ + B

B A+B

A+B B
A< 0 A> 0
0 5τ t 0 5τ t

M. B. Patil, IIT Bombay

Question - 1
Question - 2

Fig 1(a)  SW closed

and 1(b)  SW open
RL circuits with DC sources

A R Th A
Circuit
i i

≡
(resistors,
* If all sources are DC (constant), V Th = constant . voltage sources,
current sources, v L VT h v L
di CCVS, CCCS,
* KVL: V Th = RTh i + L . VCVS, VCCS)
dt
B B
* Homogeneous solution:
di 1
+ i = 0 , where τ = L/RTh
dt τ
→ i = K exp(−t/τ ) .
(h)

M. B. Patil, IIT Bombay

RL circuits with DC sources

A R Th A
Circuit
i i

≡
(resistors,
voltage sources,
current sources, v L VT h v L
CCVS, CCCS,
VCVS, VCCS)
B B

* Particular solution is a specific function that satisfies the differential equation.

We know that all time derivatives will vanish as t → ∞ , making v = 0, and we
get i (p) = VTh /RTh as a particular solution (which is simply a constant).

M. B. Patil, IIT Bombay

RL circuits with DC sources (continued)

A R Th A
Circuit
i i

≡
(resistors,
voltage sources, VT h
v L v L
current sources,
CCVS, CCCS,
VCVS, VCCS)
B B

M. B. Patil, IIT Bombay

RL circuits with DC sources

A R Th A
Circuit
i i

≡
(resistors,
voltage sources,
current sources, v L VT h v L
CCVS, CCCS,
VCVS, VCCS)
B B

* Particular solution is a specific function that satisfies the differential equation. We know that
all time derivatives will vanish as t → ∞ , making v = 0, and we get i (p) = VTh /RTh
as a particular solution (which happens to be simply a constant).

* i = i (h) + i (p) = K exp(−t/τ ) + VTh/RTh

M. B. Patil, IIT Bombay