Chapter 11

AC Power Analysis


Effective or RMS Value

Average Power

Instantaneous Power

Lecture Outline

A resistor absorbs power supplied to it and turns them into

heat.
Inductors and capacitors absorb, store and release power.
A circuit consisting of resistors, inductors and capacitors
generally absorbs power and turns it into heat.
Low power consumption is generally desired in circuit
design.

transferred through a system.

The energy might be in the form of kinetic, potential,
thermal, light, chemical or electrical.

Electrical power is a product of current and voltage

Electrical power:

The rate of energy being absorbed, released by or

Power

p (t ) = Vm cos t I m cos(t )

i (t ) = I m cos( t )

If the current lags the voltage by a phase

v ( t ) = V m cos t

Units: Watt = Volt x Ampere

p(t ) = v(t ) i (t )

Power at any instant of time

Instantaneous Power

Time-constant,
depends on phase
difference between
voltage and current

Time-variable,
sinusoidal with
frequency twice the
voltage and current

p (t ) = 12 Vm I m [cos + cos(2t )]

Applying 2 cos A cos B = cos (A-B) + cos (A+B)

p(t ) = Vm cos t I m cos(t )

Components of Instantaneous
Power

time
constant

cos

p (t ) = 12 Vm I m [cos + cos(2t )]

time
function

Components of Instantaneous
Power (cont.)

-1.6

-1.600

-1.2

-1.200

-0.8

-0.800

-0.4

0 0
-0.400

0.0

0.000

0.400
0.4

0.8
0.800

1.2
1.200

1.600

1.6

100100

200
200

voltage

Time

Time

400
400

current

300
300

500
500

power
600
600

700
700

Note that
Instantaneous
Power frequency
is twice those of
current and
voltage.

Graphical Representation of
Instantaneous Power

p(t ) = v(t ) i (t ) = 80 15 cos(10t + 20) cos(10t 30)

= 600[cos(50) + cos(20t 10)]
= 385.7 + 600 cos(20t 10) W

i (t ) = 15 sin(10 t + 60 )
= 15 cos(10 t 30 )

v ( t ) = 80 cos( 10 t + 20 )

Calculate the instantaneous power if:

Instantaneous Power: Example

-1.6

-1.2

-0.8

-0.4

0.0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

100

200

300

Time

400

500

600

700

A way to overcome this is to deal with

Average Power instead.

Instantaneous
Power
changes in
time, so it is
difficult to
measure.

Problem with Instantaneous Power

p ( t ) dt

1
0 2

1
2

Integral of a sinusoid
over its period is zero.

V m I m [cos + cos( 2 t )] dt

P = V m I m cos

1
P=
T

p (t ) = 12 Vm I m [cos + cos(2t )]

1
P=
T

Average of the instantaneous power over

one period.

Average Power

 = v i

If =90o, the current in a circuit is out-ofphase by 900 with the voltage, the circuit
has a pure reactive load.
load The circuit
absorbs no average power. It absorbs and
release equal amount of power within its
period.

If =0,
=0 the current in a circuit is in phase
V m I m with the voltage, the circuit has a pure
resistive load.
load The circuit absorbs power at
all times.

P=0

P=
1
2

P = 12 V m I m cos

Resistive & Reactive Loads

P = 12 V m I m cos
= 12 80 15 cos( 20 ( 30 ))
= 385.7 W

v ( t ) = 80 cos( 10 t + 20 )

Note that the average

power is the constant
component of the
instantaneous power.

Calculating average
power is much
i (t ) = 15 sin( 10 t + 60 )
simpler than
= 15 cos(10 t 30 )
calculating
p(t ) = 385.7 + 600 cos(20t 10) W instantaneous power

Calculate the average power if:

Average Power: Example 1

Determine the power generated by each

source and the average power absorbed by
each passive element in the circuit.

Average Power: Example 2

 I 2 = 10.5879.1 A

Power is supplied by the current source.

P < 0, power is
being supplied

P1 = 12 184.98 4 cos(6.21 0) = 367.8 W

Power flow across the current source;

V1 = 20 ( 4) + j10 ( 4 10 .5879 .1) = 184 .986.2 V

I1 = 4 A
j10 (I 2 4) j 5I 2 + 60 30 = 0

Must evaluate the

current flow in each
mesh and the voltage
across the current
source. Can use
mesh analysis.

Average Power: Example 2 (cont.)

Power flow across the inductor

P3 = 12 105 .8 10 .58 cos(11 .9 ( 79.1)) = 0 W

VL = j10 (10.58 79.1) = 105.811.9 V

I 1 - I 2 = 4 10.5879.1 = 10.58 - 79.1A

Power absorbed by
the resistor;

I1 = 4 A
V2 = 4( 20 ) = 80 V
P2 = 12 80 4 = 160 W

Average Power: Example 2 (cont.)

Power flow across the capacitor;

P4 = 12 52.9 10.58 cos(11.9 79.1)) = 0 W

I 2 = 10 . 58 79 . 1 A
VC = j5 10.5879.1 = 52.9 11.9 V

Average Power: Example 2 (cont.)

Power is absorbed by the voltage source.

P > 0, power is
being absorbed

P5 = 12 60 10.58 cos(30 79.1) = 207.8 W

I 2 = 10 . 58 79 . 1 A

Power flow across the voltage source;

Average Power: Example 2 (cont.)

Power
supplied

P1 = 367.8 W

Power
absorbed
& released

P4 = 0 W
P5 = 207.8 W
Power
absorbed

P3 = 0 W

P2 = 160 W

Average Power: Example 2(cont.)

P = VM IM cos(v- i)
2
P = VM IM = IM R
P=0

V or I source
Resistor

Capacitor or
Inductor

Does the expression for the resistor power look

identical to that for DC circuits?

Average Power

Circuit Element

Average Power Summary

This value of the current is

called the effective value of the
current. This value is highly
useful in analysing the power
flow in a circuit. Voltmeters and
ammeters are designed to read
directly the effective values of
voltage and current.

A sinusoidal current is flowing

through a resistor. A certain
amount of power is absorbed by
the resistor.
For the same amount of average
power absorbed by the resistor,
what would be the current value
if it is a dc current?

Effective Value

1
T
t0

i 2 (t ) dt
and

1
T

t0

v 2 (t ) dt

Vrms = Vm/2

Vrms =

t 0 +T

For example, AC household outlets are around

120 Volts-rms

For a sinusoid: Irms = IM/2;

I rms =

t 0 +T

name: rms)

Root-mean-square value (formula reads like the

Effective or RMS Values

1
Psource = VM I M cos(v i ) = Vrms I rms cos(v i )
2
2
Vrms
1
2
Presistor = VM I M = Vrms I rms =
= I rms R
2
R

The average power (P) is:

(in terms of rms values)

Average Power

faceplate specifications provide the rms voltage

and current values

For example, what is the rms current for a 1200
Watt hairdryer (although there is a small fan in a
hairdryer, most of the power goes to a resistive
heating element)?

What happens when two hairdryers are turned
on at the same time in the bathroom?

How can I determine which uses more
electricity---a plasma or an LCD HDTV?

When we buy consumer electronics, the

RMS in Everyday Life