SINGLE-PHASE
PARALLEL AC CIRCUITS
Prepared by Engr. Arlene C. Patricio, MST
In parallel circuits, such as those shown in the RL&RC
diagrams, the voltage is common to each branch of the
network and is thus taken as the reference phasor when
drawing phasor diagrams. For any parallel A.C. circuit:
True or active power, P=VI cosØ watts (W) or
P= IR 2R watts
Apparent power, S=VI voltamperes (VA)
Reactive power, Q =VI sinØ reactive voltamperes (var)
Power factor= (P/S)=cosØ
In the two branch parallel circuit containing
resistance R and inductance L shown in Figure,
the current flowing in the resistance, IR, is in-
phase with the supply voltage V and the current
flowing in the inductance, IL, lags the supply
voltage by 90°. The supply current I is the
phasor sum of IR and IL and thus the current I
lags the applied voltage V by an angle
mywbut.com 1 lying between 0° and 90°
(depending on the values of IR and IL), shown
as angle Ø in the phasor diagram. From the
phasor diagram:
Problem 1.
A 20 ohm resistor is connected in parallel with an
inductance of 2.387 mH across a 60 V, 1 kHz supply.
Calculate:
(a) the current in each branch,
(b) the supply current,
(c) the circuit phase angle,
(d) the circuit impedance, and
(e) the power consumed.
• Parallel R-L AC Circuits
In the two branch parallel circuit containing
resistance R and capacitance C shown in
Figure, IR is in-phase with the supply voltage
V and the current flowing in the capacitor,
IC, leads V by 90°. The supply current I is the
phasor sum of IR and IC and thus the
current I leads the applied voltage V by an
angle lying between 0° and 90° (depending
on the values of IR and IC), shown as angle
a˛ in the phasor diagram. From the phasor
diagram:
Problem 2.
A 30 µF capacitor is connected in parallel with an 80
ohm resistor across a 240 V, 50 Hz supply.
Calculate:
(a) the current in each branch,
(b) the supply current,
(c) the circuit phase angle,
(d) the circuit impedance,
(e) the power dissipated, and
(f) the apparent power.
• Parallel R-C AC Circuits
Problem 3. A coil of inductance 159.2 mH and resistance
40 ohms is connected in parallel with a 30 µF capacitor
across a 240 V, 50 Hz supply. Calculate:
(a) the current in the coil and its phase angle,
(b) the current in the capacitor and its phase angle,
(c) the supply current and its phase angle,
(d) the circuit impedance,
(e) the power consumed,
(f) the apparent power, and
(g) the reactive power.
(c) The supply current I is the phasor
sum of ILR and IC This may be
obtained by drawing the phasor
diagram to scale and measuring the
current I and its phase angle relative
to V. (Current I will always be the
diagonal of the parallelogram formed
as in seen in the phasor diagram.
Alternatively the current ILR and IC
may be resolved into their horizontal
(or ‘in-phase’) and vertical (or
‘quadrant’) components. Thus, the
horizontal component of ILR is
(Practice Solving)
A coil of inductance 0.12 H and resistance 3 kΩ is connected
in parallel with a 0.02 µF capacitor and is supplied at 40 V at a
frequency of 5 kHz.
Determine:
(a) the current in the coil, and
(b) the current in the capacitor.
(c) Draw to scale the phasor diagram and measure the
supply current and its phase angle; check the answer by
calculation.
(e) 206.7mW
(d) the circuit impedance and (d) 2.068kΩ
(c) 19.34mA, 74.50°
(e) the power consumed.
(b) 25.13mA, leading V by 90°
(a) 8.30mA, 51.5° lagging
Answers:
