1

2.10: Diode Circuit with RC Load

• Figure shows diode circuit with the RC load. For the sake
of simplicity the diodes considered to be ideal meaning
that the reverse recovery time and forward voltage drop
are negligible.
• When the switch S1 is closed at t=0, the charging current i
that flows through the capacitor can be found from:

Figure 2.12: Diode circuit with an RC load.

2
 3

2.10: Diode Circuit with RC Load t

1
• With initial condition, Vs  vR  vc  vR   i dt  vc ( t 0 )
vc=(t=0)=0, and using C t0
Laplace’s transform we
solve for the capacitor
Vs 1
voltage and the current
in the circuit:  RI ( s )  I (s)
s Cs
• Where RC is the time
 I ( s )s  1 RC 
constant of an RC load. Vs R
s s
Vs Vs
I (s)   , where,   1 / RC
R ( s  1 RC ) R ( s   )
V V
 i (t )  s e  t  s e  t /
R R
t
1
 vc (t )   i dt
C0
t t
 
vc (t )  Vs (1  e RC
)  Vs (1  e  )
 4

2.10: Diode Circuit with RC Load

• With the initial t
1
condition Vs  v R  v c Vs  v R 
Ct 
i dt  vc ( t  0 )
0
t
1 Vs 1 V
Vs  Ri 
Ct 
i dt  V1
0
s
 RI ( s ) 
Cs
I ( s)  1
s
Vs  V1
 I ( s )s  1 RC 
Vs V1 R
 I ( s) 
s s s R ( s  1 RC )
V  V1
I ( s)  s where,   1 / RC
R( s   )
V  V1  t Vs  V1  t / 
 i (t )  s e i (t )  e
R R
1 Vs  V1  t / 
t t
1
 vc (t ) 
C 0 i dt  V1 vc (t )  
C 0 R
e  V1
t

(Vs  V1 ) e  t /

vc (t )   V1 vc (t )  (Vs  V1 )(  e  t /   e 0 )  V1
RC 1
 0
t t t
  
v (t )  (V  V )(1  e RC
) V  (V )(1  e )  V e 
 5

2.10: Diode Circuit with RC Load

Vs  t Vs  t /
• In steady state at t=∞
i (t )  e  e
R R
• Is=0 & 
t

t

• Vc=Vs vc (t )  Vs (1  e RC
)  Vs (1  e  )
• The rate of change of dvc Vs  RC
t

capacitor voltage and the  e (1)

dt RC
initial rate of change of
capacitor voltage (at t=0) can dvc Vs
 (2)
be given by Eq. (1) and (2). dt t 0 RC
 6

Class Activity
• Example 2.4: A diode circuit shown in the figure with R=44 Ω,
and C=0.1 μF. The capacitor has an initial voltage
Vco=Vc(t=0)=220V. If the switch S1 is closed at t=0, determine:
a)The peak diode current.

b)The energy dissipated in the resistor, R.

c)The capacitor voltage at t=2us.

 7

Solution of Example 2.4

• Ip=Vco/R = 220/44 = 5A

• W=.5*C*Vco2=.5*.1*10-6*2202=2.42mJ

• For RC=44*.1µ=4.4µsec and t=t1=2µs, the capacitor

voltage is vc(t=2µs) =Vco e-(t/RC) = 139.64V
 8

2.10: Diode Circuit with RL Load

• A circuit with the RL load is shown in the Figure.
• When the switch S1 is closed at t=0, the current i
through the inductor increases and expressed as;
di
Vs  vL  vR  L  Ri
dt

Figure 2.13: Diode circuit with an RL load.

 9

2.10: Diode Circuit with RL Load

di
Vs  v L  v R  L  Ri i ( t  0)  I 1
dt
I ( s )Ls  R  
Vs Vs
 LsI ( s )  LI 1  RI ( s )  LI 1
s s
  V
I ( s ) L s  R  L s  I 1 
L  Ls


 
V
I ( s) s  R   s  I1 
L  Ls


Vs I1 V 1 I1
I ( s) 

Ls s  R
L
 

sR
L
 I ( s)  s 
L s s    s   

1  As     B( s )
1 A B
 
s s    s s   
let s  0 A 1
β
s   B 1

Vs  1 1  I1 Vs  1 1  I1
I ( s)      I ( s)     
L   ( s )  s     s    L( R )  ( s ) s     s   
L
i (t )  s 1  e  t   I 1e  t
V
  RL
R
i (t )  s 1  e  t 
V
if I 1  0
R
 10

2.10: Diode Circuit with RL Load

• With initial condition: i(t=0) Vs
=0, the current is given by (1) i (t )  (1  e  tR / L ) (1)
R
• The rate of change of current di Vs  tR / L
is:  e
dt L
• The voltage vL across the di Vs
inductor is; 
dt t 0 L
• Where L/R= is the time di V
constant of RL load. The initial v L (t )  L  L( s e  tR / L )
dt L
rate of change of current (at 
t

t

t=0) is;  Vs e L/R

 Vs e (2)


• The voltage vL across the

inductor is given by (2);
• From Eq. 1 and 2 we can see
that in the steady state the
inductor current will be Vs/R
and voltage will become zero.
 11

2.10: Diode Circuit with RL Load

• If t >>L/R, the voltage across the inductor tends to be zero and
its current reaches a steady state value of Is=Vs/R. If an
attempt is then made to open the switch S1, the energy stored
in the inductor (=1/2Li2) will be transformed into a high reverse
voltage across the switch and diode. This energy dissipates in
the form of sparks across the switch; and the diode D1 is likely
to be damaged in this process. To overcome such a situation, a
diode commonly known as free wheeling diode is connected
across an inductive load.
• The current of an RC or RL circuit that rises or falls
exponentially with a circuit time constant does not change its
polarity.
• The initial dv/dt of a charging capacitor in an RC circuit is
Vs/RC, and initial di/dt in a RL circuit is Vs/L.
 15

2.12: Freewheeling Diode

If the switch S1 is closed for a
time t1, a current is established
through the load; and then if the
switch is opened, a path must be
provided for the current in the
inductive load. Otherwise, the
inductive energy induces a very
high voltage and this energy is
dissipated as heat across the
switch and cause sparks. This is
normally overcome by connecting Figure 2.21: Circuit with free wheeling
a diode Dm and this diode is diode.
called a freewheeling diode.
 16

2.12: Freewheeling Diode

Mode 1 Operation:
Vs
i1 (t )  (1  e tR / L )
R
V
I1  i1 (t  t1 )  s (1  e t R / L )
1

If the switch is opened after a

sufficiently long time t1, the current in
the circuit practically reaches a steady-
state value of Is=Vs/R.

Mode 2 Operation:
di2
And at t=t2 this current decays 0L  Ri 2 , where i2(t 0)  I1
exponentially to practically zero dt
provided that t2>>L/R. i2 (t )  I1e tR / L
 17

2.12: Freewheeling Diode

• If the load is inductive, an anti-parallel diode known as
freewheeling diode must be connected across the load to
provide a path for the inductive current to flow. Otherwise,
energy may be trapped into an inductive load.
 18

Class Activity
• Example 2.7: In the figure, the resistance is negligible
(R=0), the source voltage is Vs=220 V(constant time), and
load inductance is L=220uH.
a) Draw the waveform for the load current if the switch is
closed for a time t1=100 μs and is then opened.
b) Determine the final energy stored in the load inductor.
 19

ClassdiActivity
Vs  L
dt
Vs
 LsI ( s)  LI1 (Intial curret is I 1 0)
s
Vs
I ( s)  2
s L
Vs
i (t )  t
L
When the switch S1 is opened at time t=t1,
the load current starts to flow through the
freewheeling diode Dm. Because there is
no dissipative (resistive) element in the
circuit, the load current remains at I0=100
and the energy stored in the inductor is 0.5
LIo2=1.1 J.