FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRIC CIRCUITS

Part 2: AC CIRCUITS

Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

I. Introduction.
II. Sinusoids
III. Phasors.
IV. Phasors relationships for circuit elements.
V. Impedance and admittance.
VI. Kirchhoff’s laws in the frequency domain.

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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

I. Introduction

 Historically, DC sources were the main means of providing electric power up

until the late 1800s.

 At the end of that century, the battle of direct current versus alternating current
began:

 Both had their advocates among the electrical engineers of the time

 AC is more efficient and economical to transmit over long distances

 AC systems ended up the winner.

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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

I. Introduction

 We begin the analysis of circuits in which the source voltage or current is time
varying: sinusoidally time varying excitation (sinusoid).

 A sinusoid is a signal that has the form of the sine or cosine funcion

 A sinusoidal current is usually referred to as alternating current (ac)

 Circuits driven by sinusoidal current or voltage sources are called ac circuits.

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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

II. Sinusoids

 Consider the sinusoidal voltage:  Period of the sinusoid:

2
v(t )  Vm sin( t   ) T
where: 
v( t  T )  v ( t )
Vm: the amplitude of the sinusoid [V]

ω: the angular frequency [radians/s]

 Cyclic frequency f:
ωt + φ: the argument of the sinusoid 1
f  [ Hz ]    2 f
φ: the phase of the sinusoid T

 A periodic function is one that satisfies f(t) = f(t + nT), for all t and all integers n.

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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

III. Phasors
 Sinusoids are easily expressed in terms of phasors, which are more
convenient to work with than sine and cosine functions.

 A phasor is a complex number that represents the amplitude and phase of a

sinusoid.

 A. complex number z can be written in rectangular form as

Z  x  jy rectangular form y
.
r  x 2  y 2 ,   artg
x
Z  r  polar form
. x  r cos  , y  r sin 
j
Z  re exponential form
where: j = sqrt(-1)

x: the real part of z

.
y: the imaginary part of z Z  x  jy  r  r (cos   j sin  )
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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

III. Phasors .
Z 1  x1  jy1  r11
. (*)
 Mathematical functions with complex numbers:
Z 2  x2  jy2  r2 2
. .
 Addition, subtraction: Z 1  Z 2  ( x1  x2 )  j ( y1  y2 )
. .
 Multiplication: Z 1 . Z 2  r1r2 (1  2 )
.
Z1 r1 Reciprocal 1 1 1
 Division: .
 (1  2 )  (1 )    j
Z2 r2 z1 r1 j

. 1
 Square root: Z 1  r1 ( )
2
. *
 Complex conjugate:Z 1  x1  jy1  r1  1  r1e 1
 j

(*): See more in the appendix 9.1

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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

III. Phasors
 j cos   Re(e j )  v(t )  Vm cos( t   )  Re  Vm e j (t  ) 
e  cos   j sin   j
 sin   Im(e )
v(t )  Re  Vm e j e jt   Re  Ve jt 
V is the phasor representation
of the sinusoid v(t)

Time domain representation Phasor domain representation

.
v(t )  Vm cos  t    V  Vm 
.
dv(t )
j V
dt .
V
 v(t )dt j
 Note: Phasor analysis applies in manipulating 2 or more sinusoidal signals
only if they are of the same frequency.
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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

IV. Phasors relationships for circuit elements

 Resistor R:
iR (t )  Im cos  t     vR (t )  RIm cos  t   
. . .
V  RIm   V  R I
 Inductor L:
iL (t )  Im cos  t   
di

vL (t )  L   LIm cos  t    900
dt

. . .
j (  90)
V   LIm e  V  j L I

 Capacitor C:
vC (t )  Vm cos  t   
dv
iC (t )  C
dt .

  CIm cos  t    900 
. . .
I
I  j C V  V 
j C 8
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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

V. Impedance and admirtance

 The impedance Z of a circuit is the ratio of the phasor voltage V to the phasor
current I, measured in Ohms (Ω)
. .
. . . .
V 1 I
Z .
or V ZI Y  . or I YV
I Z V

Impedances & admittances of passive elements

Element Impedance Z [Ω] Admittance Y [S]  R  Re Z : resistance
Z  R  jX 
1  X  Im Z : reactance
R Z=R Y
R
1
L Z = jωL Y  G  Re Y : conductance
j L Y  G  jB 
1  B  Im Y : susceptance
C Z Y = jωC
j C
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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

VI. Kirchhoff’s laws in the frequency domain

 Both KVL and KCL hold in the frequency domain.

. . . n . . . . n .
V1  V 2  ...  V n  0   V k  0 I 1  I 2  ...  I n  0   I k  0
k 0 k 0

 It is easy to do many thing such as impedance combination, nodal and mesh

analyses, superposition ans source transformation.
 N series connected impedances: Z1 Z2

. . . . . Zn
V  V1  V 2  ...  V n  I (Z1  Z2  ...  ZN )
V

Zeq  Z1  Z2  ...  Zn
Z1
 Voltage division:
. Z1 . . Z2 . Z2
V1  V ; V2  V V
Z1  Z2 Z1  Z2
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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

VI. Kirchhoff’s laws in the frequency domain

 N parallel connected impedances:
. . . . .  1 1 1  . 1
I  I 1  I 2  ...  I n  V    ...  V
 Z1 Z2 ZN  Zeq
Z1 Z2 Zn

Yeq  Y1  Y2  ...  Yn

 Current division:

. Z2 . . Z1 . Z1 Z2
I1  I ; I2  I
Z1  Z2 Z1  Z2

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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

VI. Kirchhoff’s laws in the frequency domain

 Y-∆ conversion  ∆-Y conversion

Z12 Z12
Z1 Z13 Z1 Z13

Z 2 Z3 Z 2 Z3
Z 23 Z 23
Z .Z Z12 .Z13 Z12 .Z 23
Z .Z Z1  Z2 
Z12  Z1  Z 2  1 2 Z13  Z1  Z 3  1 3 Z12  Z13  Z 23 Z12  Z13  Z 23
Z3 Z2
Z .Z Z13 .Z 23
Z 23  Z 2  Z 3  2 3 Z3 
Z1 Z12  Z13  Z 23

A delta or wye circuit is said to be balanced if it has

equal impedances in all three branches.
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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

R
VI. Kirchhoff’s laws in the frequency domain
60Ω
Ex 9.1: Determine v0(t) in the circuit if v(t) = 20cos(4t - 150). L +
5H v
0
 First, transform the time-domain circuit to the v(t) C 10mF
-
phasor domain equivalent
.
vS (t )  20 cos(4t  15 )  V S  20  15V
0

1 Z Z
ZC    j 25 , Z L  j L  j 20  Z LC  C L  j100
j C ZC  Z L

 Applying the voltage division law gives:

. Z LC . j100
V0  VS  20  150  17,1515,960 V
Z R  Z LC 60  j100

 Convert this to the time domain:

v0 (t )  17,15cos(4t  15,960 ) V

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 Chapter 9: Sinusoids and phasors

VI. Kirchhoff’s laws in the frequency domain R2 2Ω -j4Ω C1

Ex 9.2: Find the current i(t) in the circuit i(t)

R1 L1 R3 8Ω
 Convert the delta network to Y network. 12Ω j4Ω
L2
500 V 0
C2
Z L1.( R2  ZC1 ) v(t) -j3Ω
j6Ω
Z1   1,6  j 0,8
Z L1  R2  ZC1  R3 R4 8Ω

R3 . Z L1 R3 .( ZC1  R2 )
Z2   j 3,2 Z3   1,6  j 3,2
Z L1  R2  ZC1  R3 Z L1  R2  ZC1  R3
R1 Z1 Z3
 Total impedance of circuit is:
Z  R1  Z1  ( Z2  ZC 2 ) / /( Z3  Z L 3  R4 ) Z2
L2
Z  13,6  j  13,64 4,2  0

C2
R4
 The desired current is:
.
.
V 5000
I   3,66   4,2 0
A  i ( t )  3,66 cos( t  4,2 0
)A
Z 13,64 4,2 0

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 Appendix 9.1: Complex number with calculator

 We always need to transform complex numbers:

 A to (a + jb): For addition, subtraction, …

 (a + jb) to A : For multiplication, division, …

 Some scientific calculators support us to do it automatically.

Type a  jb  A A  a  jb

4 shift + 3 = →A=5 5 shift - 36.87 = →a=4
Fx500A
shift [(--- → φ = 36.870 shift [(--- →b=3

Select complex mode

shift Abs ( 4 + 3 i ) = 5 shift (-) 36.87 =
Fx570
→A=5 →a=4
Move the cursor to the Arg position shift Re - Im
shift Arg → φ = 36.870 →b=3

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 Appendix 9.1: Complex number with calculator

Type a  jb  A A  a  jb

Pol ( 4 , 3 = →A=5 shift Pol ( 5 , 36.87 = →a=4
Fx500MS
RCL tan = → φ = 36.870 RCL tan = →b=3

Select complex mode

4 + 3 shift i shift + = 5 shift ∟ 36.87 = →a=4
Fx570MS
→A=5
shift = →b=3
shift =
→ φ = 36.870

Select complex mode

Fx570ES 4 + 3 shift ENG shift 2 3 5 shift (-) 36.87 =

 A  a  jb

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