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Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Unit 302 Handout 2

302: Principles of electrical science

Handout 2: Inductance in an ac circuit
Learning outcome
The learner will:
2. Understand how different electrical properties can affect electrical circuits, systems and
equipment.
Assessment criteria
The learner can:
2.1 explain the relationship between resistance, inductance, capacitance and impedance
currents.
2.2 determine electrical quantities in alternating current circuits
Range
Electrical quantities: resistance, inductance, inductive reactance, capacitance, capacitive
reactance, impedance.

Inductance in an ac circuit
When an alternating current flows through a pure inductor,
the value of the current is perpetually changing, so
producing a self-induced emf at every instant.
If current changes in such a coil, an emf will be induced in
the coil, to oppose the change. This self-induced emf
provides the only opposition to current flow. If the current is
increasing, the emf will oppose the supply voltage to limit
the rate of increase, and if decreasing, will try to keep the
current flowing.
The unit of self-inductance is the henry (symbol H). The
induced emf depends upon the rate of change of current.

Induced emf must be at a maximum when the rate of change of current is a maximum. Since this
maximum occurs when the current passes through zero, maximum emf must coincide with zero
current.
When the current is going positive the induced emf must therefore be negative (as it opposes
change).

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Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Unit 302 Handout 2

The current can therefore be seen to lag the voltage by 90° as shown in the phasor diagram.
We have assumed that the inductive circuit has no resistance, but since the resulting current flow
is not infinite, it must therefore be limited by some property other than resistance.
This property is called the INDUCTIVE REACTANCE of the coil whose symbol is XL, and it can be
shown that:

𝐗 𝐋 = 𝐕 ⁄𝐈
𝐗 𝐋 = 𝟐𝛑𝐟𝐋
𝐗 𝐋 = 𝛚𝐋

Where: XL = reactance of the inductor in ohms

V = voltage across the coil
I = resulting current flow
f = supply frequency in Hz
L = coil inductance in Henrys
ω = 2πf
The formula shows that the inductive reactance XL depends not only on the value of inductance,
but also on the frequency of the supply.
That is, if the frequency is increased, then XL will increase in direct proportion to it, and if it is
decreased it will decrease in direct proportion.
If we took an inductor of 0.127H and connected it across a 230 volt ac supply, and then took
readings of current against frequency, we should get the following readings:
Freq Current
Hertz Amps
25 11.54
50 5.77
75 3.85
100 2.88
125 2.31
150 1.92
175 1.65
200 1.44
If we plotted a graph of these
readings it would look like this:

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Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Unit 302 Handout 2

Using the readings obtained, it is possible to calculate the value of XL at several different points
and plot a graph of these points.
For example: 𝐗𝐋 = 𝐕 ⁄𝐈
= 𝟐𝟑𝟎⁄𝟓. 𝟕𝟕
= 𝟒𝟎𝛀 (𝐚𝐭 𝟓𝟎𝐇𝐳)
𝐗𝐋 = 𝐕 ⁄𝐈
= 𝟐𝟑𝟎⁄𝟐. 𝟖𝟖
= 𝟖𝟎𝛀 (𝐚𝐭 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝐇𝐳)

The shape of the graph will be like the one shown right:
It will also be noted that, when f = 0, the inductive
reactance will be zero. Thus, the inductance of a coil
has no effect on the steady flow of a direct current (dc)
through it; therefore, the current is only limited by the
coil resistance.
If we do the same for any inductor we will always get the
same shape graphs.

A pure inductance consumes no power at all during operation, which can be clearly seen from the
diagram below. Using the formula P = I2.R, since R = 0 then P must equal zero.
If we use the simple expression for power as we did for the resistance, (+ × - etc.) it explains why
there is a positive and a negative power wave.

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Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures) Unit 302 Handout 2

Example
A coil has a self-inductance of 0.318H and a negligible resistance. Calculate its inductive reactance
and the resulting current that will flow, if connected to:
a) 230v, 50Hz supply
b) 230v, 400Hz supply
a) 𝐗𝐋 = 𝟐𝛑𝐟𝐋
= 𝟐 × 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒 × 𝟓𝟎 × 𝟎. 𝟑𝟏𝟖
= 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝛀
𝐕
𝐈 =
𝐗𝐋
𝟐𝟑𝟎
=
𝟏𝟎𝟎
= 𝟐. 𝟑𝐀
b) 𝐗𝐋 = 𝟐𝛑𝐟𝐋
= 𝟐 × 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒 × 𝟒𝟎𝟎 × 𝟎. 𝟑𝟏𝟖
= 𝟖𝟎𝟎𝛀
𝐕
𝐈 =
𝐗𝐋
𝟐𝟑𝟎
=
𝟖𝟎𝟎
= 𝟎. 𝟐𝟗𝐀
It can be seen from the above example that as the frequency of a circuit is increased, then the
inductive reactance increases in direct proportion to the frequency and the current falls inversely
proportionally to the frequency.
It can also be seen that the ratio between 50Hz & 400Hz is 8, which is also the ratio between 100
and 800 inductances.
The current has also decreased by the same ratio, ie from 2.3A to 0.29A.
The energy stored in an inductor is calculated by using the formula:

𝟏
𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐐 = 𝟐. 𝐋. 𝐈𝟐 (𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬)

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