Calculating Impedance and Effective Power in a Complex Circuit

In summary, the conversation discusses finding the value of impedance Z and effective power in a circuit. It is recommended to convert peak voltages to RMS phasors before proceeding with calculations and to use RMS values for both voltage and current in power calculations. Different methods for finding effective power are discussed and it is determined that the correct answer is 1/2 W.
  • #1
MissP.25_5
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0
Hi, can you please check my answer? I am not confident because the power consumption seems too small.
By the way, we don't use calculator at all so we don't have to calculate to the exact value. For example, if there is "pi", we can just leave it as it is, without converting it into 3.142. Also, if there is square root of 2, just leave it as square root of 2, no need to calculate it as 1.41.

Ok, here is the question:
v1(t) and v2(t) are given as written in the question.

1) Find the value of impedance Z.
2) Find the power consumption (effective power) of the entire circuit.
 

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  • #2
Check your calculation for Z2. There's a resistance and an inductor in parallel so you should end up with a complex result with both real and imaginary components. Note that you can read the angular frequency ##(\omega )## from the voltage expressions.
 
  • #3
gneill said:
Check your calculation for Z2. There's a resistance and an inductor in parallel so you should end up with a complex result with both real and imaginary components. Note that you can read the angular frequency ##(\omega )## from the voltage expressions.

Oh yes, that is a careless mistake! Here I have corrected it. Is this new answer ok? I am still not sure about the effective power, though.
 

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  • #4
The parallel impedance looks fine now.

I suggest, since you will be calculating power, that you convert the given peak voltages to RMS phasors before proceeding with further calculations. You could do the calculations with peak values, but you would have to be careful with the power calculation. Using RMS makes things straightforward throughout, even though you'll by carrying along a few √2's.

What will be your RMS value for I?
 
  • #5
gneill said:
The parallel impedance looks fine now.

I suggest, since you will be calculating power, that you convert the given peak voltages to RMS phasors before proceeding with further calculations. You could do the calculations with peak values, but you would have to be careful with the power calculation. Using RMS makes things straightforward throughout, even though you'll by carrying along a few √2's.

What will be your RMS value for I?

Uhmmm...how do I find RMS? Is this the formula : Irms = I/√2
 
  • #6
MissP.25_5 said:
Uhmmm...how do I find RMS? Is this the formula : Irms = I/√2

That would work, if I is a peak value. Or, begin with RMS values for the voltages before calculating the current. You'll be using RMS values for both voltage and current in your power calculations.
 
  • #7
gneill said:
That would work, if I is a peak value. Or, begin with RMS values for the voltages before calculating the current. You'll be using RMS values for both voltage and current in your power calculations.

I used RMS values for the voltages. Now, is this ok?
 

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  • #8
To find RMS values, divide peak by √2. It looks like you've multiplied by √2 instead.
 
  • #9
gneill said:
To find RMS values, divide peak by √2. It looks like you've multiplied by √2 instead.

Oh yes, another careless one! OK, corrected it. So now is this correct?
 

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  • #10
Your V2 phasor doesn't look right. It's peak magnitude is 1, so it's RMS magnitude should be 1/√2. The angle stays the same at 90°, so the phasor will be j/√2.

To calculate the power, note that if know both V1 and V2 you can find the voltage of the source (KVL), call it E . You already know the current phasor I. The complex power is just p = EI*, where I* is the complex conjugate of the current. The real part of the result is the real (effective) power delivered by the source and absorbed by the circuit.
 
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  • #11
gneill said:
Your V2 phasor doesn't look right. It's peak magnitude is 1, so it's RMS magnitude should be 1/√2. The angle stays the same at 90°, so the phasor will be j/√2.

To calculate the power, note that if know both V1 and V2 you can find the voltage of the source (KVL), call it E . You already know the current phasor I. The complex power is just p = EI*, where I* is the complex conjugate of the current. The real part of the result is the real (effective) power delivered by the source and absorbed by the circuit.

I tried to find the effective power in 2 different ways and I got two different answers. Can you explain to me why? I think the answer is 1/2, though.
 

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  • #12
MissP.25_5 said:
I tried to find the effective power in 2 different ways and I got two different answers. Can you explain to me why? I think the answer is 1/2, though.

The first working is fine. Yes, the answer for effective power should be 1/2 W.

The second one goes wrong when you take the magnitude of E to use in the equation p = EI*. Use the complex value of E there. After multiplying out EI*, extract the real component of the result.
 
  • #13
gneill said:
The first working is fine. Yes, the answer for effective power should be 1/2 W.

The second one goes wrong when you take the magnitude of E to use in the equation p = EI*. Use the complex value of E there. After multiplying out EI*, extract the real component of the result.

I used the complex value of E and complex value of I and the result I got is 0.
 
  • #14
MissP.25_5 said:
I used the complex value of E and complex value of I and the result I got is 0.

Your values for E and I are:
$$E = \left(\sqrt{2} + \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} j \right) V = \sqrt{2}\left(1 + \frac{1}{2} j \right) V$$
$$I = \left( \frac{1}{4\sqrt{2}} + \frac{1}{2\sqrt{2}} j \right) A = \sqrt{2}\left( \frac{1}{8} + \frac{1}{4} j \right) A$$
Thus the complex power is given by
$$p = E I^* = \sqrt{2}\left(1 + \frac{1}{2} j \right) \sqrt{2}\left( \frac{1}{8} - \frac{1}{4} j \right) W = 2 \left(1 + \frac{1}{2} j \right) \left( \frac{1}{8} - \frac{1}{4} j \right) W $$

Note the sign change of the complex component of the current in order to form I*, the complex conjugate.

Carry out the multiplication and I think you'll find that effective power (real component of the complex power) is the same as for your other method.
 
  • #15
gneill said:
Your values for E and I are:
$$E = \left(\sqrt{2} + \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} j \right) V = \sqrt{2}\left(1 + \frac{1}{2} j \right) V$$
$$I = \left( \frac{1}{4\sqrt{2}} + \frac{1}{2\sqrt{2}} j \right) A = \sqrt{2}\left( \frac{1}{8} + \frac{1}{4} j \right) A$$
Thus the complex power is given by
$$p = E I^* = \sqrt{2}\left(1 + \frac{1}{2} j \right) \sqrt{2}\left( \frac{1}{8} - \frac{1}{4} j \right) W = 2 \left(1 + \frac{1}{2} j \right) \left( \frac{1}{8} - \frac{1}{4} j \right) W $$

Note the sign change of the complex component of the current in order to form I*, the complex conjugate.

Carry out the multiplication and I think you'll find that effective power (real component of the complex power) is the same as for your other method.

Why did you change the sign in I, j/4 to -j/4? Is it ok to do that?
 
  • #16
MissP.25_5 said:
Why did you change the sign in I, j/4 to -j/4? Is it ok to do that?

Not only is it okay, but it's required :smile: The complex power (real power + reactive power) is given by P = EI*, where I* is the complex conjugate of the current I. The complex conjugate is obtained by changing the sign of the imaginary term.

By finding power in this way you can do all the work from start to finish with complex math and you don't need to worry about remembering how to deal with power factors.
 
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  • #17
gneill said:
Not only is it okay, but it's required :smile: The complex power (real power + reactive power) is given by P = EI*, where I* is the complex conjugate of the current I. The complex conjugate is obtained by changing the sign of the imaginary term.

By finding power in this way you can do all the work from start to finish with complex math and you don't need to worry about remembering how to deal with power factors.

Oh, yes! Now I remember "complex conjugate". Thanks!
 

Related to Calculating Impedance and Effective Power in a Complex Circuit

1. What is impedance and how does it differ from resistance?

Impedance refers to the overall opposition to the flow of electrical current in a circuit. It includes both resistance, which is the opposition caused by the physical properties of the circuit, and reactance, which is the opposition caused by the circuit's energy storage elements.

2. How is impedance measured?

Impedance is measured using a device called an impedance meter or impedance analyzer. This device sends a known test signal through the circuit and measures the resulting voltage and current, allowing for the calculation of impedance using Ohm's Law.

3. What is effective power and how is it related to impedance?

Effective power, also known as real power, is the actual power dissipated in a circuit and is measured in watts. It is related to impedance through the equation P=I²R, where P is power, I is current, and R is resistance. This equation shows that as impedance increases, effective power decreases.

4. How does impedance affect the efficiency of a circuit?

Impedance can significantly impact the efficiency of a circuit. Higher impedance means more energy will be lost as heat, decreasing the efficiency of the circuit. This is especially important in power transmission, where high impedance can result in significant power losses.

5. Can impedance be changed in a circuit?

Yes, impedance can be changed in a circuit by altering the components or properties of the circuit. For example, adding a resistor or capacitor can change the impedance of a circuit. Additionally, the length and thickness of wires can also affect the impedance of a circuit.

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