Transient Analysis

Quick Review

First-Order Transient Analysis

How do recognize it?

A transient problem is one that asks you to find voltage (or current) vs. time. It also
includes some instant event: a switch opens or closes, the power supply turns on, a
part is suddenly pulled out the circuit, a fuse blows. Your answer can either be a
formula for v(t) or i(t) or it might be a graph of v or i on the vertical axis and time
on the horizontal axis.

First-order problems have only one energy storage element (either a capacitor or
inductor, but not both). Note that two capacitors in parallel or series only count as
one capacitor because you can find the equivalent capacitance (same with
inductors).

How do you do it?

1. Find the inital condition (t=0+)

a. Find the current for each inductor just before the switch is flipped
(t=0-). Current through an inductor will remain the same for the
instant just after the switch is flipped.
b. Find the voltage over each capacitor just before the switch is flipped
(t=0-). Voltage over a capacitor will remain the same the instant just
after the switch is flipped.
c. In order to find the currents and voltages suggested above, first
determine if you are given the values in the problem or you have a
formula for the current/voltage from a previous step. If you are not
given any other method for finding the current/voltage, then you can
usually assume that steady-state conditions exist up to the time the
switch is flipped. This will simply the circuit considerably, since
inductors look like shorts and capacitors look like opens in steady-
state.
d. Once you have the currents through each inductor and the voltage
over any capacitors for the time just before the switch is flipped, then
draw the circuit for just after the switch is flipped (t=0+). Each
inductor will look like a current source (at its initial current), and each
capacitor will look like a voltage source (at its initial current). Note
that if the initial current on an inductor is 0 amps, then it will look
 like an open for that instant, and if the initial voltage on a capacitor is
0 volts, then it will look like a short for that instant. If your variable
of interest is not the cap voltage or the inductor current, then use your
normal circuit analysis techniques to find the variable of interest at
the initial instant after the switch is flipped.
2. Find the final condition (t=infinity)
a. A long time after the switch is flipped, the inductors will look like
shorts and the capacitors will look like opens. Find the variable of
interest (voltage/current) for that simplified circuit.
3. Find the time constant for the time between initial and final conditions ( 0
<= t <= infinity)
a. The time constant for a circuit with a single capacitor is RC, where R
is the Thevenin Resistance seen by the capacitor after the switch has
flipped. The time constant for a circuit with a single inductor is L/R
where R is the Thevenin Resistance seen by the inductor after the
switch has flipped.
b. For a circuit with more than one (equivalent) capacitor and/or
inductor does not have a simple exponential response, but the time
constant is still part of the generalized second order response. For a
circuit with energy storage elements in series, the time constant is
L/R, and for a parallel combination the time constant is RC. In both
cases, R is the Thevenin Resistance seen by the energy storage
elements.
4. Write down the final answer.
a. For a circuit with a single energy storage element (first order
transient), the formula is:

where the "unknown" is the desired voltage or current (as a function

of time), "final" is the final value of the unknown, "initial" is the
initial value of the unknown, "t" is the time variable, and tau is the
time constant. Note that for t=0, unknown = intial and for t=infinity,
unknown = final.

What are some difficulties I might run into?

1. If the desired value is not the current through an inductor or the voltage over
a cap, then you can still use this procedure, but the initial and final values
must be derived based on what the inductor and capacitors do under
instantaneous change and under steady-state. That is, you must "back up" to
your desired value after seeing what the caps and inductors do in your
circuit.
 2. If there is more than one switch, treat each switch one at a time in order of
the time they change. You can probably assume steady-state conditions
before the first switch flip (unless you are told otherwise). Ignore the
following switch flips when computing the final value (since the circuit
doesn't know another switch flip is coming). For all the other switch flips,
you must use your formula to compute what the initial conditions will be.
The time constant will be different for each segment of time in between
switch flips, since the cap and/or inductor will see a different Thevenin
resistance depending on the switch positions.

Second Order Transient Analysis

How do recognize it?

A transient problem is one that asks you to find voltage (or current) vs. time. It also
includes some instant event: a switch opens or closes, the power supply turns on, a
part is suddenly pulled out the circuit, a fuse blows. Your answer can either be a
formula for v(t) or i(t) or it might be a graph of v or i on the vertical axis and time
on the horizontal axis.

Second-order problems have two independent energy storage elements (capacitors

and/or inductors). Note that two capacitors in parallel or series only count as one
capacitor because you can find the equivalent capacitance (same with inductors).

How do you do it?

1. For first-order, the only form possible was an exponential response. For
second-order there are three possible forms. You can compute which one
based on the following three constants that are coefficients of the differential
equation that describes these types of circuits:

Series Parallel
Constant
RLC RLC
a 1 1
b R/L 1/(RC)
c 1/(LC) 1/(LC)

2. Note that in each case, R is the Thevenin resistance seen by the LC pair. If
the LC pair is in parallel but the Thevenin R is in series, you may need to
convert to a Norton so that all the elements are in parallel.
3. Now compare three constants to determine which of the three response
forms you have:
o if b^2 > 4*a*c then you have overdamped.
o if b^2 = 4*a*c then you have critically damped.
 o if b^2 < 4*a*c then you have underdamped.

Here's what they look like:

Notice that underdamped looks very similar to the first-order response (it is hard to
tell the difference, but in this case, it is actually two exponentials added together).
The critically damped response looks like an exponential except it overshoots the
target and falls back. The complex response is a combination of a sine wave and an
exponential -- sometimes this is called a damped oscillation.