Laplace transform in electrical engineering

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the application of the Laplace transform in electrical engineering, particularly in analyzing circuits involving capacitors. Participants explore the relationship between time-domain equations and their s-domain counterparts, emphasizing the presence of complex components in the Laplace transform. The transformation of a capacitor's equation reveals similarities to phasor techniques, while also addressing the missing imaginary part in the impedance equation. The importance of the transfer function and its poles in determining system behavior is highlighted, particularly in relation to steady-state responses to sinusoidal inputs. Overall, the conversation underscores the utility of the Laplace transform in circuit analysis and its connection to frequency domain methods.
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Hello,

We recently learned in mathematics the Laplace transform. But we didn't actually use it to solve circuits yet.

I took things at my own hand and tried to figure out what's the point of Laplace transform. I figured out all that frequency and time stuff. But here is the thing.

If you Laplace transform an equation that describes let's say capacitor(in time domain), you get

I=V*wC-I0*C right?

I see resemblance with impedance and other phasor techniques we used to solve circuits. But where is that imaginary part?

From transform up top. Xc=1/wC. But its missing that "-j" part. How did people get to the equation Xc=-j*1/wC?
 
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I don't know what system you're trying to solve but if you just look at the Laplace transform for a single capacitor

You have i(t) = C \frac{dv}{dt} <==> i(s) = C(s*V(s) - V(0)) ==> V(s) = \frac{i(s)}{sC} + \frac{V(0)}{s}

Notice that i(s) and V(s) both have an s dependence. s is defined as a+jb so there is indeed a complex component.
 
Feldoh said:
I don't know what system you're trying to solve but if you just look at the Laplace transform for a single capacitor

You have i(t) = C \frac{dv}{dt} <==> i(s) = C(s*V(s) - V(0)) ==> V(s) = \frac{i(s)}{sC} + \frac{V(0)}{s}

Notice that i(s) and V(s) both have an s dependence. s is defined as a+jb so there is indeed a complex component.

oooh i thought s was omega :D Thank you !
 
If H(s) is a transfer function of a stable system and the t-domain input is cos(\omega t + \theta), then the steady state output is \left|H(j\omega)\right|cos(\omega t + \theta + \angle H(j\omega))
This means if Z(s) = V(s)/I(s), we may just multiply the current phasor by Z(j\omega) to get the voltage phasor.

assuming zero initial capacitor voltage
\frac{V(s)}{I(s)} = \frac{1}{sC}, with i(t)<br /> = Re\left\{e^{j\omega t + \theta}<br /> <br /> \right\}
then
v(t) = Re\left\{\left(\frac{1}{j\omega C}\right)e^{j\omega<br /> t + \theta}\right\}

understanding why this is:

As H(s) is the transfer function of a stable system, the real part of all the poles of H(s) will be less than zero.

In the partial fraction expansion of the system's response to cos(\omega t), only the terms with purely imaginary poles will be relevant to the steady state, as the other terms (with poles in the left half plane) will correspond to decaying exponentials in the t-domain.

With the Laplace transform of cos(\omega t + \theta) = cos(\omega t)cos(\theta) - sin(\omega t)sin(\theta) being X(s) = cos(\theta)\frac{s}{(s + j\omega)(s - j\omega)} - sin(\theta)\frac{\omega}{(s + j\omega)(s - j\omega)}, the s-domain response of the system is

H(s)X(s) = \frac{k}{s - j\omega} + \frac{k*}{s + j\omega} + N(s)

where N(s) is the fraction expansion for all the other poles of the response. So

H(s)X(s)(s - j\omega) = k + (\frac{k*}{s + j\omega} + N(s))(s - j\omega)

(s - j\omega) in the numerator and denominator of the left hand side cancel after substituting in the expression for X(s).

H(s)\frac{cos(\theta)s - sin(\theta)\omega}{s + j\omega} = k + (\frac{k*}{s + j\omega} + N(s))(s - j\omega)

taking the limit of both sides as s goes to j\omega

\lim_{s \to j\omega}H(s)\frac{(cos(\theta)s - sin(\theta)\omega)}{(s + j\omega) } = k + (\frac{k*}{s + j\omega} + N(s))(0)

so

k = H(j\omega)\frac{(j\omega cos(\theta) - \omega sin(\theta))}{(2j\omega) } = \frac{H(j\omega)}{2}(cos(\theta) - (-jsin(\theta)) = \frac{e^{j\theta}H(j\omega)}{2}

the s-domain steady state response is

\frac{k}{s - j\omega} + \frac{k*}{s + j\omega}

Which in the t domain becomes

\left|k\right|e^{\angle k}e^{j\omega t} + \left|k\right|e^{-\angle k}e^{-j\omega t} = 2 \left|k\right|cos(\omega t + \angle k)

substituting for k:
\left|k\right| = \frac{\left|H(j\omega)\right|}{2}
\angle k = \theta + \angle H(j\omega)

2 \left|k\right|cos(\omega t + \angle k) = \left|H(j\omega)\right|cos(\omega t + \theta + \angle H(j\omega))
 
Last edited:
MisterX said:
If H(s) is a transfer function of a stable system and the t-domain input is cos(\omega t + \theta), then the steady state output is \left|H(j\omega)\right|cos(\omega t + \theta + \angle H(j\omega))
This means if Z(s) = V(s)/I(s), we may just multiply the current phasor by Z(j\omega) to get the voltage phasor.

assuming zero initial capacitor voltage
\frac{V(s)}{I(s)} = \frac{1}{sC}, with i(t)<br /> = Re\left\{e^{j\omega t + \theta}<br /> <br /> \right\}
then
v(t) = Re\left\{\left(\frac{1}{j\omega C}\right)e^{j\omega<br /> t + \theta}\right\}



understanding why this is:

As H(s) is the transfer function of a stable system, the real part of all the poles of H(s) will be less than zero.

In the partial fraction expansion of the system's response to cos(\omega t), only the terms with purely imaginary poles will be relevant to the steady state, as the other terms (with poles in the left half plane) will correspond to decaying exponentials in the t-domain.

With the Laplace transform of cos(\omega t + \theta) = cos(\omega t)cos(\theta) - sin(\omega t)sin(\theta) being X(s) = cos(\theta)\frac{s}{(s + j\omega)(s - j\omega)} - sin(\theta)\frac{\omega}{(s + j\omega)(s - j\omega)}, the s-domain response of the system is

H(s)X(s) = \frac{k}{s - j\omega} + \frac{k*}{s + j\omega} + N(s)

where N(s) is the fraction expansion for all the other poles of the response. So

H(s)X(s)(s - j\omega) = k + (\frac{k*}{s + j\omega} + N(s))(s - j\omega)

(s - j\omega) in the numerator and denominator of the left hand side cancel after substituting in the expression for X(s).

H(s)\frac{cos(\theta)s - sin(\theta)\omega}{s + j\omega} = k + (\frac{k*}{s + j\omega} + N(s))(s - j\omega)

taking the limit of both sides as s goes to j\omega

\lim_{s \to j\omega}H(s)\frac{(cos(\theta)s - sin(\theta)\omega)}{(s + j\omega) } = k + (\frac{k*}{s + j\omega} + N(s))(0)

so

k = H(j\omega)\frac{(j\omega cos(\theta) - \omega sin(\theta))}{(2j\omega) } = \frac{H(j\omega)}{2}(cos(\theta) - (-jsin(\theta)) = \frac{e^{j\theta}H(j\omega)}{2}

the s-domain steady state response is

\frac{k}{s - j\omega} + \frac{k*}{s + j\omega}

Which in the t domain becomes

\left|k\right|e^{\angle k}e^{j\omega t} + \left|k\right|e^{-\angle k}e^{-j\omega t} = 2 \left|k\right|cos(\omega t + \angle k)

substituting for k:
\left|k\right| = \frac{\left|H(j\omega)\right|}{2}
\angle k = \theta + \angle H(j\omega)

2 \left|k\right|cos(\omega t + \angle k) = \left|H(j\omega)\right|cos(\omega t + \theta + \angle H(j\omega))

Thank you I will have a look into this in more detail later.
 
correction

MisterX said:
...i(t) = Re\left\{e^{j\omega t + \theta} \right\}
then
v(t) = Re\left\{\left(\frac{1}{j\omega C}\right)e^{j\omega t + \theta}\right\}

should be
i(t)<br /> = Re\left\{e^{j(\omega t + \theta)}\right\}
then
v(t) = Re\left\{\left(\frac{1}{j\omega C}\right)e^{j(\omega t + \theta)}\right\}
 
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