
6-20
REFERENCE
DATA
FOR ENGINEERS
only in the time domain
t
2
0.
Any currents or voltages
existing at
t
=
0,
before the driving force is applied,
constitute initial conditions. Driving force is assumed to
be
0
when
t
<
0.
Example
Take the circuit of Fig.
20,
in which the switch is closed
at time
t
=
0.
Before the closing of the switch, suppose
the capacitor is charged; then at
t
=
0,
we have
v
=
Vo.
It is required to find the voltage v across capacitor
C
as a
function of time.
Since i
=
dq/dt
=
C(dv/dt), the differential equation
of the circuit in terms of voltage is:
e(t)
=
v
+
Ri
=
v
+
RC(dv/dt)
0%.
5)
where
e(t)
=
E,.
Referring to the table of transforms, the applied
voltage is
Eb
multiplied by unit step, or
EbS-,(t);
the
transform for this is
Eb/p.
The transform of
v
is
3
[VI.
That of RC(dv/dt) is
RC[p
3
[VI
-
v(O)], where v(0)
=
V,
=
value of v at
t
=
0.
Then the transform of Eq.
(5)
is:
Eb/p
=
3
[VI
+
RC[p
3
[VI
-
vo]
Rearranging and resolving into partial fractions:
RCVo
Eb
+
~
%
[VI
=
p(1
+
RCp)
1
+
RCp
Now we must determine the equation that would
transform into
Eq.
(6).
The inverse transform of
3
[VI is
v, and those of the terms on the right-hand side are
found in the table of transforms. Then, in the time
domain
t
2
0
v
=
Eb[l
-
exp(-t/RC)]
+
Vo
exp(-t/RC)
(Eq.
7)
This solution is also well known by classical meth-
ods. However, the advantages of the Laplace transform
method become more and more apparent in reducing
the
labor
of
solution
as
the equations become more
involved.
Fig.
20.
Series
R-C
circuit.
Circuit Response Related to
Unit Impulse
Unit impulse (see Laplace transforms) has the dimen-
sions of time-'. For example, suppose a capacitor of
1
microfarad is suddenly connected to a battery of
100
volts, with the circuit inductance and resistance negligi-
bly small. Then the current is coulomb multiplied
by unit impulse.
The general transformed equation of a circuit or
system may be written
3
[il
=
Jl(p)
3
[el
+
44~)
0%.
8)
Here
3
[i] is the transform of the required current (or
other quantity) and
%
[e] is the transform of the applied
voltage or driving force
e@).
The transform of the initial
conditions, at
t
=
0,
is included in
Jl(p).
First considering the case when the system is initially
at rest,
flp)
=
0.
Writing
i,
for the current in this case
Now apply unit impulse
So@)
(multiplied by
1
volt-second), and designate the circuit current in this
case by
B(t)
and its transform by
3
[B].
The Laplace
transform of
So@)
is
1,
so
3
PI
=
&PI
(Eq.
10)
Equation
(9)
becomes, for any driving force
3
[i,]
=
3
[B]
3
[e]
(Eq. 11)
Applying the convolution function (Laplace trans-
form)
i,
=
[
B(t
-
A)
e
(A)
dA
=
[
B(A)
e
(t
-
A) dA
(Es. 12)
To this there must be added the current io due to any
initial conditions that exist. From
(8)
23
Pol
=
~P)
(Eq. 13)
Then
io
is
the inverse transform of
ib(p),
Circuit Response Related to
Unit Step
Unit step is defined and designated
S-,
(t)
=
0
for
t
<
0
and equals unity for
t
>
0.
It has no dimensions. Its
Laplace transform is
Up.
Let the circuit current be
designated
A(t)
when the applied voltage is
e
=
S-,(t)
X
(1
volt). Then, the current i, for the case when the