Why Use ac?

We need three reasons relating to: The size of the electrical generator - get rid of the commutator - rotate the magnet voila ac The size of wire required lots of volts = less amps for same power therefore wire is smaller transmit at high voltage use at low voltage (safety) - need transformers The size of the switch required switch needs to dissipate stored energy in ac system stored energy goes through zero twice a cycle.

What does ac power look like?

Consider a resistor supplied by an ac voltage

v = iR

v = Vmax sin( t ) i= v Vmax = sin( t ) = I max sin( t ) R R Power = P = vi = Vmax I max sin 2 (t ) v 2 Vmax 2 P= = sin 2 (t ) R R
draw it:-

P = i 2 R = I max 2 sin 2 (t ) . R

volts

1 -1

current
power

1 -1
1 0
1 1 (1 cos( t ) ) ) = 2 2

Average power:-

average (sin 2 (t ) ) = average ( Paverage =

2 Vmax I max Vmax I max Vrms = = Vrms I rms = I 2 R = rms R 2 2 2

Now we see why we are interested in the root of the means square i.e. rms since it this which gives us the average power in a system in which the current or voltage varies.

In a single phase ac system the power is transmitted in pulses at twice the supply frequency. The power is transmitted when the current and voltage are both large together plus voltage and plus current gives positive power flow and so does minus current and minus voltage give positive power flow. Now consider an inductor supplied with ac:-

d d di = ( Li) = L dt dt dt ( ) i = I max sin t v= v = LI max cos( t ) I Vmax = max L Power = P = vi = Vmax I max sin( t ) cos(t ) P = LI max 2 sin(t ) cos(t ) P= Vmax 2 sin( t ) cos( t ) L

draw it:-

volts current

1 0 -1 1 0 -1

power

0.5 0 -0.5

Clearly the average value of the power is zero. The power is now oscillating first being drawn from the supply and now returning to the supply. The inductor store energy when the current is high = 0.5Li2 but when the current is zero it stores no energy at all. Energy is stored no matter which direction the current is travelling. You could say energy is stored in the magnetic field of the inductor or you could say that energy is stored in the movement of the electrons which constitute the current it is a magnetic form of momentum once the electrons get going they dont want to stop to make them stop you have to suck energy out of them to make them move you have got to put energy in. The whole of the time the electrons are accelerating i.e. the current is rising in size energy is going in the whole of the time the electrons are decelerating energy is being given back.