Title: Analysis of RC, RL, RLC series circuits and verification of KVL in RLC series Circuit

Abstract:
The RC & RL circuit is used to determine the input and output relationship of voltage and
current for different frequencies. In RC series circuit the voltage lags the current by 90˚and in RL
series circuit the voltage leads the current by 90˚.
An RLC circuit is an electrical circuit consisting of a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor,
connected in series. The RLC part of the name is due to those letters being the usual electrical
symbols for resistance, inductance and capacitance respectively. Series RLC circuits are classed
as second-order circuits because they contain two energy storage elements, an inductance and
a capacitance.
Introduction:
The primary objectives of this lab experiment are-
• To determine the reactance of the RL and RC circuits and the impedance equation both
practically and theoretically.
• To determine phase relationship between voltage and current in an RLC circuit.
• To draw the complete vector diagram.
• Design an RLC series circuit and verify KVL.
Theory and Methodology:
RC Series Circuit:
A resistor–capacitor circuit (RC circuit), or RC network, is an electric circuit composed of
resistors and capacitor is in series driven by a voltage or current source (See the Figure-1). A first
order RC circuit is composed of one resistor and one capacitor and is the simplest type of RC
circuit.

Figure 1: RC Series Circuit

Analysis of a Series RC Circuit:
For doing a complete analysis of a series RC circuit, given the values of R, C, f, and V T.
Step 1. Calculate the value of XC:
XC = 1 / (2πfC)
Step 2. Calculate the total impedance Z:

� = √ (𝑋�2 + �2)
Step 3. Use Ohm's Law to calculate the total current IT:
I T = VT / Z
Difference between Rectangular & Polar representation of Impedance:
• In Rectangular form:
Z T = R - j XC
• In Polar form:

ZT = √�2 + (𝑋�) 2
θ = tan-1(-XC/R) = tan-1(-1/ωRC)
Impact of frequency on the value of capacitance:
Figure 1.1 will shows the impact of frequency by varying the value of Capacitance in series:

Figure 1.1
RL Series Circuit:
A resistor–inductor circuit (RL circuit), or RL network, is an electric circuit composed of resistors
and inductor is in series driven by a voltage or current source (See the Figure-2). A first order RL
circuit is composed of one resistor and one inductor and is the simplest type of RL circuit.

Figure 2: RL Series Circuit

Analysis of a Series RL Circuit:
For doing a complete analysis of a series RL circuit, given the values of R, L, f, and V T.
Step 1. Calculate the value of XL:
XL = 2πfL
Step 2. Calculate the total impedance Z:

� = √ (𝑋� 2 + �2)
Step 3. Use Ohm's Law to calculate the total current IT:
I T = VT / Z
Difference between Rectangular & Polar representation of Impedance:
• In Rectangular form:
ZT = R+ jXL
• In Polar form: 11

ZT = √�2 + (𝑋�) 2
θ = tan-1(XL /R) = tan-1(ωL/R)

Impact of frequency on the value of inductance:

Figure 2.1 will shows the impact of frequency by varying the value of Inductance in series
resonance.
 Figure 2.1
RLC Series Circuit:
Three basic passive components- R, L and C have very different phase relationships to each
other when connected to a sinusoidal AC supply. In case of a resistor the voltage waveforms are
"in-phase" with the current. In case of pure inductor, the voltage waveform "leads" the current
by 90o whereas in case of pure capacitor, the voltage waveform "lags" the current by 90 o. This
phase difference depends upon the reactive value of the components being used. Reactance is
zero if the element is resistive, positive if the element is inductive and negative if the element is
capacitive.
Instead of analyzing each passive element separately, we can combine all three together into a
series RLC circuit. The analysis of a series RLC circuit is the same as that for the dual series RL
and RC circuits we studied in the last experiment, except this time we need to take account the
magnitudes of both inductive reactance and capacitive reactance to find the overall circuit
reactance.

Figure 3: RLC Series Circuit

Relevant Equations:

Inductive reactance, XL = 2пfL

Capacitive reactance, XC = 1/ 2п𝑓�

Net reactance, X = XL - XC

Total impedance, Z = √�2 + 𝑋2

Current, I = 𝑉/ �

Resistive voltage drop, VR = I*R

Reactive voltage drops = VL – VC, where VL = I*XL and VC = I*XC

Total voltage drop = √ VR2 + (VL – VC ) 2

Vector Diagram:

Apparatus:
• Multimeter
• Function generator
• Resistor: 98.7Ω (For RC and RL)
• Inductor: 2mH (For RC and RL)
• Capacitor: 1 µF (For RC and RL)
• Resistor (98.7Ω) For RLC
• Inductor (2 mH) For RLC
• Capacitor (1 µF) For RLC
• Connecting wire
• Bread board
Precautions:
• Oscilloscopes were properly calibrated using the information provided at the calibration port
before obtaining the wave shapes using the experimental set up.
• No connections were shorted. Short connection can produce heat (due to high current flow)
which is harmful for the components.
Experimental Procedure:
For RL and RC Series Circuit:
1. The circuit was constructed as shown in the figure 2. Multimeter was connected across the
inductor and resistor to measure their voltage drop and the Multimeter was connected in series
with the inductor, resistor and function generator to measure current. The frequency of the
function generator was set to 1 kHz.
2. The resistance and reactance were calculated from the relevant data.
3. The phase relationship between the waves were calculated.
4. The wave equations for I and E were written.
5. The experiment setting was repeated using input frequency of 5 kHz, and 10 kHz.
6. The following table was completed.
Table~1 (Calculated Value)

F E I Z=E/I Z R XL VR=IR VL=IXL

(kHz) (Volts (Ampere (Polar (Rectangular Ω (2πfL)
) ) Form)Ω Form) Ω
1 7.373 0.052 141.79 98.72+12.57j 98.72 12.57 5.133 0.654
5 7.192 0.043 167.26 98.72+62.83j 98.72 62.83 4.245 2.702
10 6.893 0.030 329.77 98.72+125.66 98.72 125.66 2.962 3.770
j

Table~2 (Measured Value)

F E I Z=E/I Z R XL VR=IR VL=IXL

(kHz) (Volts (Ampere (Polar (Rectangular Ω
) ) Form)Ω Form) Ω
1 7.373 0.052 141.79 98.72+12.57j 98.72 12.57 5.171 0.667
5 7.192 0.043 167.26 98.72+62.83j 98.72 62.83 4.274 2.756
10 6.893 0.030 329.77 98.72+125.66 98.72 125.66 2.987 3.852
j
1. Then the circuit was constructed as figure 1. Multimeter was connected across the capacitor
and resistor to measure their voltage drop and the Multimeter was connected in series with the
inductor, resistor and function generator to measure current. The frequency of the function
generator was set to 1 kHz.
2. The same procedure was followed from 2-6 and the table was completed.
Table~3 (Calculated Value)

F E I Z=E/I Z R XC VR=IR VC=IXC

(kHz) (Volts (Ampere (Polar (Rectangular Ω (2πfL)
) ) Form)Ω Form) Ω
1 7.373 0.028 263.32 98.72-159.2j 98.72 159.2 2.764 4.457
5 7.192 0.049 146.78 98.72-31.83j 98.72 31.83 4.837 1.560
10 6.893 0.0488 141.25 98.72-15.92j 98.72 15.92 4.818 0.777

Table~4 (Measured Value)

F E I Z=E/I Z R XC VR=IR VC=IXC

(kHz) (Volts (Ampere (Polar (Rectangular Ω (2πfL)
) ) Form)Ω Form) Ω
1 7.373 0.028 263.32 98.72-159.2j 98.72 159.2 2.774 4.414
5 7.192 0.049 146.78 98.72-31.83j 98.72 31.83 4.846 1.542
10 6.893 0.0488 141.25 98.72-15.92j 98.72 15.92 4.813 0.766

For RLC Series Circuit:

1. The circuit was constructed as shown in the figure 3. Multimeter was connected across the
inductor, capacitor and resistor to measure their voltage drop and the Multimeter was
connected in series with the inductor, capacitor, resistor and function generator to measure
current. The frequency of the function generator was set to 1 kHz.

5. The values of VR, VL, VC and I were measured.

6. The phase relationship between the waves were calculated.

7. KVL was verified using the experimental data.
10. The following table was completed.
 Table~5 (Calculated Value)

F E Ɵ VR I XL VL XC VC V*
1 7.379 56.1o 2.941 0.0298 12.57 0.375 159.2 4.744 5.267
5 7.196 17.43o 4.837 0.049 62.83 3.079 31.83 1.560 5.070
10 6.898 48.04o 3.228 0.0327 125.66 4.109 15.92 0.521 4.826

Table~6 (Measured Value)

F E Ɵ VR I XL VL XC VC V*
1 7.379 56.1o 2.945 0.0298 12.57 0.380 159.2 4.687 5.218
5 7.196 17.43o 4.837 0.049 62.83 3.119 31.83 1.539 5.089
10 6.898 48.04o 3.232 0.0327 125.66 4.168 15.92 0.514 4.878

Simulation and Results:

Figure 4.1: RL Series Circuit using 1 kHz.

 Figure 4.11: RL Series Circuit using 5 kHz.

Figure 4.12: RL Series Circuit using 10 kHz.

Figure 4.2: RC Series Circuit using 1 kHz.

Figure 4.21: RC Series Circuit using 5 kHz.

Figure 4.22: RC Series Circuit using 10 kHz.

Figure 4.3: RLC Series Circuit using 1 kHz.

Figure 4.31: RLC Series Circuit using 5 kHz.

Figure 4.32: RLC Series Circuit using 10 kHz.

Calculations:
For RL Series circuit:
XL = 2πfL Ω
VL=IXL V

VR=IR V

Z=E/I Ω (Polar form)

Z= R + j XL Ω
For RC Series circuit:
XC =1/ 2πfC Ω
VC=IXC V

VR=IR V

Z=E/I Ω (Polar form)

Z= R - j XC Ω
For RLC Series circuit:
XL = 2πfL Ω
VL=IXL V

VR=IR V

XC =1/ 2πfC Ω
VC=IXC V

X= XL – XC

Z= √R2 + X2

Ɵ= cos-1 (R/Z)

V*= √VR2 + (VL – VC) 2

Discussion:
From the above tables it is observed that there are small differences between the calculated
values and measured values. Difference in values occurred due to internal resistance of the
Multimeter. The circuits were properly constructed and it was made sure there was no open or
short circuit.

Conclusion:
The purpose of the experiment was served as we became familiar with RL, RC and RLC circuits.
All the measurements were taken properly and KVL was verified. The values were close to the
calculated value.
Reference:
[1] Russell M. Kerchner, George F. Corcoran, ″Alternating Current Circuits″, 4th Edition, Wiley,
New York, 1960, pp. 48-50.
[2] Robert L. Boylestad, ″Introductory Circuit Analysis″, 10th Edition, Prentice Hall, New York,
2005-2006, p. 524.
[3] Er. R.K. Rajput, ″Alternating Current Machines″, 3rd Edition, Laxmi Publications, New Delhi,
2002, p. (xi).
[4] Experiment 3 Lab Manual, Electrical Circuits-2 Laboratory, Dept. of EEE, Faculty of
Engineering, American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB).