In an RL series circuit, the resistor (R) and inductor (L) are connected in series with a voltage source. The key parameters of the circuit are the resistance \( R \), the inductance \( L \), and the voltage source \( V(t) \).
### **1. ** **General Expression:**
The differential equation governing the RL circuit can be derived from Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL). According to KVL, the sum of the voltage drops across the resistor and the inductor equals the applied voltage. Mathematically:
\[ V(t) = V_R(t) + V_L(t) \]
where:
- \( V(t) \) is the applied voltage across the series combination of R and L.
- \( V_R(t) = i(t) \cdot R \) is the voltage drop across the resistor.
- \( V_L(t) = L \frac{di(t)}{dt} \) is the voltage drop across the inductor.
So the equation becomes:
\[ V(t) = i(t) \cdot R + L \frac{di(t)}{dt} \]
Rearranging this equation gives:
\[ L \frac{di(t)}{dt} + i(t) \cdot R = V(t) \]
### **2. ** **For Different Types of Sources:**
#### **a. ** **DC Voltage Source:**
For a constant DC voltage \( V_0 \) applied at \( t = 0 \), the differential equation is:
\[ L \frac{di(t)}{dt} + R i(t) = V_0 \]
**Solving for \( i(t) \):**
1. **Initial Condition:** At \( t = 0 \), the current is \( i(0) \). Typically, if the circuit has been at rest before \( t = 0 \), \( i(0) = 0 \).
2. **Homogeneous Solution:**
Solve the homogeneous equation \( L \frac{di(t)}{dt} + R i(t) = 0 \):
\[ i_h(t) = A e^{-\frac{R}{L}t} \]
3. **Particular Solution:**
For a constant voltage \( V_0 \), the particular solution is:
\[ i_p(t) = \frac{V_0}{R} \]
4. **General Solution:**
Combine the homogeneous and particular solutions:
\[ i(t) = \frac{V_0}{R} + \left(i(0) - \frac{V_0}{R}\right) e^{-\frac{R}{L}t} \]
If \( i(0) = 0 \), then:
\[ i(t) = \frac{V_0}{R} \left(1 - e^{-\frac{R}{L}t}\right) \]
#### **b. ** **AC Voltage Source:**
For an AC source \( V(t) = V_0 \sin(\omega t) \), where \( \omega \) is the angular frequency:
1. **The Differential Equation:**
\[ L \frac{di(t)}{dt} + R i(t) = V_0 \sin(\omega t) \]
2. **Solving:**
For AC analysis, it's often useful to use phasor analysis. Represent the voltage and current as phasors:
\[ V(t) = V_0 \sin(\omega t) \]
Convert to the phasor domain:
\[ \tilde{V} = V_0 \angle 0^\circ \]
\[ \tilde{I} = \frac{\tilde{V}}{R + j \omega L} \]
The impedance \( Z \) of the RL circuit is:
\[ Z = R + j \omega L \]
So the phasor current is:
\[ \tilde{I} = \frac{V_0}{R + j \omega L} \]
Converting back to the time domain:
\[ i(t) = \frac{V_0}{\sqrt{R^2 + (\omega L)^2}} \sin\left(\omega t - \phi\right) \]
where \( \phi \) is the phase angle:
\[ \tan(\phi) = \frac{\omega L}{R} \]
### **Summary:**
- For a DC source, the current \( i(t) \) rises from zero to a steady-state value \( \frac{V_0}{R} \) with a time constant \( \tau = \frac{L}{R} \).
- For an AC source, the current is a sinusoidal function with the same frequency as the voltage but with a phase shift \( \phi \) and amplitude depending on the impedance of the RL circuit.
These expressions cover the behavior of an RL circuit for both DC and AC sources.