Electrical Transients

What are Transients?

An electrical transient is a temporary excess of voltage and/or current in an electrical circuit which has been disturbed. Shortduration(mS>nS). Transient voltage surges comprise the most severe and danger to sensitive electrical and electronic equipment, butareoftenaneglectedaspectofdesign. SurgeProtectionDevices(SPD)arecrucialforallfacilities withmicroprocessorbasedelectronics.

Transient Response

Changeofelectricalcharactersticsacrossanelementinthe circuit. Unlike resistors, whichrespond instantaneously to applied voltage,capacitorsandinductorsreactovertimeasthey absorbandreleaseenergy. TRANSIENTRESPONSEOFCAPACITORAND INDUCTOR

Capacitor Transient Response

Capacitorinserieswitharesistor,withaswitchanda powersupply

Capacitor Transient Response..

Capacitorsstoreenergyintheformofanelectricfield. Tend to act like small secondarycell batteries, being able tostoreandreleaseelectricalenergy. Afullydischargedcapacitormaintainszerovoltsacrossits terminals. Achargedcapacitormaintainsaconstantvoltageacrossits terminals,justlikeabattery. Whathappenswhentheswitchisclosed???

After the switch is closed !!

When the switch is first closed, the voltage across the capacitoriszerovolts,thus,itfirstbehaveslikeashort circuit. Over time, the capacitor voltage will rise to equal battery voltage, ending in a condition where the capacitor behavesasanopencircuit. Currentthroughthecircuitisdeterminedbythedifference involtagebetweenthebatteryandthecapacitor,divided bytheresistance RapidChangesInitally!!

After the switch is closed !!

As the capacitor voltage approaches the battery voltage, the current approaches zero.

Inductor Transient Response

An Inductor in series with a resistor, power source and a switch.

Inductor Transient Response...

Inductors have the exact opposite characteristics of capacitors. Whereas capacitors store energy in an electric field (producedbythevoltagebetweentwoplates),inductors storeenergyinamagneticfield(producedbythecurrent throughwire). While the stored energy in a capacitor tries to maintain a constantvoltageacrossitsterminals,thestoredenergyin an inductor tries to maintain a constant current through itswindings. Whathappenswhentheswitchisclosed??

After the switch is closed !!

When the switch is first closed, the voltage across the inductorwillimmediatelyjumptobatteryvoltage(acting as though it were an opencircuit) and decay down to zero over time (eventually acting as though it were a shortcircuit). Voltage across the inductor is determined by calculating howmuchvoltageis beingdroppedacrossR,giventhe currentthroughtheinductor,andsubtractingthatvoltage valuefromthebattery. Whentheswitchisfirstclosed,thecurrentiszero,thenit increasesovertimeuntilitisequaltothebatteryvoltage dividedbytheseriesresistanceof1.

After the switch is closed !!

This behavior is precisely opposite that of the series resistor-capacitor circuit, where current started at a maximum and capacitor voltage at zero

Voltage and Currrent Calculations

ReactiveDCCircuits STEP1:Identifythestartingandfinalvaluesforwhatever quantity the capacitor or inductor opposes.(Quantity the reactivecomponentistryingtoholdconstant). STEP 2 : When the switch in a circuit is closed (or opened),thereactivecomponentwillattempttomaintain thatquantityatthesamelevelasitwasbeforetheswitch transition, so that value is to be used for the "starting" value. STEP3:Thefinalvalueforthisquantityiswhateverthat quantitywillbeafteraninfiniteamountoftime.

Voltage and Currrent Calculations

STEP3canbedeterminedbyanalyzingacapacitivecircuit as though the capacitor was an opencircuit, and an inductive circuit as though the inductor was a short circuit. STEP4:ThenextstepistocalculatetheTimeConstant. ofthecircuit. WhatisTimeConstant????

Time Constant

TimeConstantistheamountoftimeittakesforvoltageor currentvaluestochangeapproximately63percentfrom their starting values to their final values in a transient situation. ExpressedinunitsofsecondsandsymbolizedbytheGreek letter"tau"().

Why These Constants ??

The mathematical formula for determining the precise percentageisquitesimple:

The letter e stands for Euler's constant, which is approximately2.7182818 After one time constant's worth oftime, the percentage of changefromstartingvaluetofinalvalueis:

Universal Formula

Wecanmakeamoreuniversalformulaoutofthisonefor the determination of voltage and current values in transient circuits, by multiplying this quantity by the differencebetweenthefinalandstartingcircuitvalues:

Notes !!

Resistorcapacitor circuits respond quicker with low resistance and slower with high resistance; resistor inductorcircuitsarejusttheopposite,respondingquicker withhighresistanceandslowerwithlowresistance Heat dissipated by the resistor constitutes energy leaving thecircuit. The more power dissipated by the resistor, the faster this discharging action will occur, because power is by definitiontherateofenergytransferovertime. Acircuit'stimeconstantwillbelessi.e.fasterdischarging rate, if the resistance value is such that it maximizes powerdissipation.

For inductor time constant is L/R and not LR ... WHY ?????