University of Zakho

College of engineering

Department of mechanic

1st stage 2nd semester

Electricity
Electricity sources

Prepared By: Supervised By:

Roni Ali Kaso Dr.Shivan
Contents
Objectives: .......................................................................................................... 1
Equipment: ......................................................................................................... 1
Theory: ............................................................................................................... 1
Direct Current (DC) ........................................................................................ 1
Alternating Current ......................................................................................... 2
Dynamo: .......................................................................................................... 4
Transformer: .................................................................................................... 4
Electrode batteries: .......................................................................................... 4
Solar cells: ....................................................................................................... 4
Inverter: ........................................................................................................... 4
Procedures: ......................................................................................................... 5
Discussion: ......................................................................................................... 5
References : ........................................................................................................ 5
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Objectives:
- To showcase direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) sources.
- Identifying the primary features of electrical sources.

Equipment:
A. Direct Current Sources
1. DC power sources (fixed, adjustable).
2. Charging devices.
3. Batteries (12 volts, 1.5 volts, 3.7 volts, solar cells used in laptops and cell
phones).
B. Alternating Current Sources
4. Power plants (providing household mains voltage).
5. Portable generators (used in construction sites and residences), large
generators (found in larger facilities).
6. Signal generators (AC).
7. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS).

Theory:
Direct Current (DC)
Direct Current, abbreviated as DC, denotes a type of electrical current or
voltage that travels along a circuit in a singular direction. Typically, DC
currents and voltages are generated by power sources, batteries, dynamos, and
solar cells. A DC voltage or current possesses a constant magnitude
(amplitude) and a defined direction. For instance, +12V signifies 12 volts in
the positive direction, while -5V indicates 5 volts in the negative direction.
(1 - 1) Mechanical Department Electricity Laboratory
DC maintains a consistent value throughout. Below is an illustration of a basic
DC circuit.

DC Circuit and Waveform

1
Alternating Current
An alternating function, also known as an AC waveform, is characterized
by fluctuations in both magnitude and direction over time in a relatively
uniform manner. An AC waveform can represent either a power or signal
source, typically resembling a sinusoidal shape described mathematically
as A(t) = Amax sin(2πƒt). The term AC, short for Alternating Current, is
synonymous with sinusoidal waveform, commonly referred to as sine
waves in electrical engineering.
This implies that an AC waveform is a time-varying signal, often
exhibiting periodic characteristics, which are primarily produced by
rotating electrical generators.
Characteristics of AC Waveforms
- The Period (T) represents the duration in seconds for the waveform to
complete one full cycle. For sine waves, this is also termed as the
Periodic Time, while for square waves, it is referred to as the Pulse
Width.
- The Frequency (ƒ) denotes the number of cycles the waveform
completes within one second, inversely related to the period (ƒ = 1/T),
measured in Hertz (Hz).
- The Amplitude (A) signifies the strength or intensity of the signal
waveform, measured in volts or amps.
In our experimentation with DC and AC waveforms, sinusoidal
waveforms are the most commonly encountered periodic signal
waveforms in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. However, AC
waveforms may deviate from smooth sinusoidal shapes and can also
manifest as Complex Waves, Square Waves, or Triangular Waves.

2
AC Waveform Characteristics

❖ The Period, (T) is the length of time in seconds that the

waveform takes to repeat itself from start to finish. This can
also be called the Periodic Time of the waveform for sine
waves, or the Pulse Width for square waves.

❖ The Frequency, (ƒ) is the number of times the waveform repeats

itself within a one second time period. Frequency is the reciprocal of
the time period, ( ƒ = 1/T ) with the unit of frequency being the
Hertz, (Hz).
❖ The Amplitude (A) is the magnitude or intensity of the signal
waveform measured in volts or amps.
In our experiment about DC and AC Waveforms, the most common periodic
signal waveforms that are used in Electrical and Electronic Engineering are
the Sinusoidal Waveforms. However, an alternating AC waveform may not
always take the shape of a smooth shape based around the trigonometric sine
or cosine function. AC waveforms can also take the shape of either Complex
Waves, Square Waves or Triangular Waves and these are shown below.

Types of Periodic Waveform

3
 Dynamo:
can refer to various things depending on the context. It could be a term used
in physics to describe an electric generator, or in the context of Amazon Web
Services (AWS), it's a managed NoSQL database service. Can you provide
more details so I can offer a more specific answer?
Transformer:
is a type of neural network architecture introduced in the paper "Attention is
All You Need" by Vaswani et al. It's designed for sequence-to-sequence
tasks, like language translation. Transformers use self-attention mechanisms
to weigh different parts of the input sequence, allowing them to capture
complex dependencies and relationships in data. They have become a
fundamental building block in natural language processing and have been
widely adopted in various applications due to their effectiveness in handling
sequential data.
Electrode batteries:
typically refer to electrochemical cells that use electrodes to facilitate
chemical reactions, generating electrical energy. Common examples include
lithium-ion batteries found in many electronic devices. If you have specific
questions about electrode batteries or need more details, feel free to ask!
Solar cells:
also known as photovoltaic cells, convert sunlight into electricity through the
photovoltaic effect. They are commonly used in solar panels to generate
renewable energy for various applications, including powering homes and
providing electricity to remote areas. If you have specific questions about
solar cells or want more information, feel free to ask!
Inverter:
is a device that converts direct current (DC) electricity into alternating
current (AC). It is commonly used in solar power systems, as solar panels
generate DC electricity, but many household appliances and the electrical
grid operate on AC. Inverters enable the efficient use of solar-generated
power in homes and businesses. If you have further questions or need more
details, feel free to ask.

4
Procedures:
1. Examine each available source individually within your laboratory.
2. Review the details and symbols associated with each source, including
its characteristics.
3. Categorize the available sources into DC and AC categories.
4. Plot the DC and AC signals separately on distinct axes for a specified
magnitude.

Discussion:
1. TV consumes approximately 100

watts, microwave uses around 1700

watts, refrigerator requires about 400

watts, printer uses 375 watts, and air

conditioner consumes roughly

1200watts.

2. Which consumes more energy in our

households: heating, cooling, lighting,

or operating electronic devices such as

TVs, computers, and MP3 players?

Additionally, do residences in the

United States rely more on electricity

or natural gas?

References :

5
1. https://www.matsusada.com/column/dc_and_ac.html
2. https://www.ni.com/en.html
3. https://www.monolithicpower.com/en/ac-dc-power-supply-
basics#:~:text=Direct%20current%20(DC)%20occurs%20when,current
%20periodically%20inverts%20its%20direction