SIMULATION OF A PARALLEL RESONANT CIRCUIT

ECE562: Power Electronics I

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

Modified in Fall 2011

ECE 562 Parallel Resonant Circuit (NL5 Simulation) Page 1

PURPOSE: The purpose of this lab is to simulate the parallel resonant circuit using
MATLAB and NL5 to better familiarize the student with some of its operating
characteristics. This lab will explore some of the following aspects of the parallel
resonant circuit:
• Input impedance
• Magnitude and phase margin
• Zero frequency
• Output power
• Output current
• Plot the natural response for the output voltage
• Zero poles
• Phase of transfer function
• Input impedance for varying resistance (R)

NOTE: The simulations that follow are intended to be completed with NL5. It is
assumed that the student has a fundamental understanding of the operation of NL5.

Build the schematic shown in Figure A.

• I1 is an AC current source. Set the type to ‘Sin,’ and the magnitude to 1 mA.
• L1 is an ideal inductor. Set to 0.1 H.
• R1 is an ideal resistor. Set to 20 kΩ.
• C1 is an ideal capacitor. Set to 100 nF.

Figure A – Initial schematic.

ECE 562 Parallel Resonant Circuit (NL5 Simulation) Page 2

Under the ‘AC Settings’ tab, specify I1 as the source, a frequency range of 100 Hz to 10
MHz, 1000 points, and a logarithmic scale.

Add a trace for the input impedance by selecting AC / Data / Traces from the menu.
Click on ‘Function’ in the ‘Add new trace’ section. Add the function V(I1)/I(I1).

ECE 562 Parallel Resonant Circuit (NL5 Simulation) Page 3

Run the simulation by selecting ‘AC’ and then ‘Start’ from the drop down menus.

Referring to Figure B, what is the input impedance value of the circuit?

Figure B – Magnitude and phase of the input impedance.

Next, we want to measure the output voltage of the parallel circuit. For this example,
take the output voltage as the voltage across the capacitor. Right click on the capacitor
and select Add trace / Voltage. Run the simulation and adjust the data display to show
this voltage.

ECE 562 Parallel Resonant Circuit (NL5 Simulation) Page 4

 Figure C – Output voltage.

Next, we want to simulate the input impedance of the parallel resonant circuit with a
varying resistor. Use the same circuit as above, but change the resistor values to 5k,
10k, 20k, 40k, 200k, 400k, and 800k Ω. This type of parametric sweep is accomplished
in NL5 with a script. Go to Tools / Script and click on the Sweep tab. Select List
instead of Loop. Enter R1 as the Name, enter the parametric values in the box, and
select AC sweep. Click on the blue arrow to start the script.

ECE 562 Parallel Resonant Circuit (NL5 Simulation) Page 5

What is the input impedance value of the circuit with varying resistances?

Figure D – Input impedance as a function of resistance.

ECE 562 Parallel Resonant Circuit (NL5 Simulation) Page 6

We would also like to measure the output voltage as a function of resistance.

Figure E – Output voltage as a function of resistance.

What is the value of the output voltage? Describe the phase characteristics of the
output voltage.

For Homework:

You need to re-solve the parallel resonant circuit with inductor ESR and see its effects
on the magnitude and phase plots in some detail. For example choose the ratio of the L
ESR to the load resistance to be in the ratio range from 0.01 to 1.

ECE 562 Parallel Resonant Circuit (NL5 Simulation) Page 7

Parallel Resonant circuit using MATLAB

NOTE: The simulations that follow are intended to be completed with MATLAB.
It is assumed that the student has a fundamental understanding of the operation
of MATLAB. MATLAB provides tutorials for users that are not experienced with
its functions.
In this lab you will learn how to write a function to varying, calculating and plotting
the input impedance, current and output voltage of the series RLC resonant tank
circuit. Also plot the natural response of the parallel RLC tank circuit. You can
define your own function in MATLAB. A function must start with a line.
Function return-value = function-name (arguments)

So that MATLAB will recognize it as a function. Each function must have its own
file and the file must have the same as the function.

PROCEDURE:
Part 1: Write a function to calculate the total input impedance of parallel RLC
resonant circuit as shown in Figure 1.
Im is a variable current. Set to 0.001 amps
L is a variable inductor. Set to 0.1H.
R is a variable ideal resistor. Set to 20000Ω.
C is a variable ideal capacitor. Set to 100nF.

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Figure 1: The input impedance of parallel RLC tank circuit.

Once the above function file is captured, the simulations can be run. First, go to
your directory. Find your function file and then run your file. If there is a red

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message on your MATLAB window, then you need to correct your error.
Otherwise, you will see the solution as show in figure 2.

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Figure2: The output of input impedance of parallel RLC tank circuit.

Next, plot the output voltage of the parallel resonant RLC tank circuit. Write
another function to calculate the output voltage and plot of parallel RLC tank
circuit as shown in Figure 3. All the initial variables and values are remain the
same.

Im is a variable current. Set to 0.001 amps

L is a variable inductor. Set to 0.1H.
R is a variable ideal resistor. Set to 20000Ω.
C is a variable ideal capacitor. Set to 100nF.

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Figure 3: the function to calculate the total input current of series RLC tank circuit

Once the above function file is captured, the simulations can be run. First, go to
your directory. Find your function file and then run your file. If there is a red
message on your MATLAB window, then you need to correct your error.
Otherwise, you will see the solution as show in figure 4.

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Figure 4: the output and plot of the output voltage of parallel RLC tank circuit

Now write a function to varying R of the output voltage in parallel RLC resonant
circuit by adding an array of Resistors (R) value. Again all the initial variables
and values are remain the same.
Im is a variable current. Set to 0.001 amps
L is a variable inductor. Set to 0.1H.
R is a variable ideal resistor. Set to 20000Ω.
C is a variable ideal capacitor. Set to 100nF.

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Write a loop function to do the varying resistors value, calculate and plot the
output voltage of parallel RLC resonant circuit. When the function to varying R
of the output voltage of parallel RLC resonant circuit function file is captured, the
simulations can be run. If there is any error message on your MATLAB windows,
then correct your error and then rerun the simulation. Otherwise, you will see the
result as show below

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Figure 5: A function to calculate and plot of the output voltage in parallel RLC
resonant circuit with varying Resistor

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Figure 6: Output voltage of parallel RLC resonant circuit with varying Resistor

For Homework:

You need to re-solve the parallel resonant circuit with inductor ESR
and see its effects on the magnitude and phase plots in some detail.
For example choose the ratio of the L ESR to the load resistance to
be in the ratio range from 0.01 to 1.

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Next write m file to varying R of the natural response of current in parallel RLC
resonant circuit by adding an array of Resistors (R) value. Again all the initial
variables are remain the same but change their values.
Im is a variable current. Set to 1 volts
L is a variable inductor. Set to 39.487 H.
R is a variable ideal resistor. Set to 2000Ω.
C is a variable ideal capacitor. Set to 1µF
Io is a variable ideal of inductor current. Set to 0 amps.
Vo is a variable ideal of capacitor voltage. Set to 0 volts.

Write a loop function to do the varying resistors value, calculate and plot the
natural response of current for parallel RLC resonant circuit. When the m file to
varying R of the natural response of current in parallel RLC resonant circuit file is
captured, the simulations can be run. If there is any error message on your
MATLAB windows, then correct your error and then rerun the simulation.
Otherwise, you will see the result as show below

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Figure 11: The m file to calculate and plot the natural response of current in
parallel RLC resonant circuit with varying Resistor

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 Figure 12: This figure is shown the output of the natural responses of current in
parallel RLC resonant circuit with varying Resistor

Now write m file to varying R of the natural response of output voltage in a

parallel RLC resonant circuit by adding an array of Resistors (R) value. Again all
the initial variables are remain the same but change their values.

Im is a variable current. Set to 1 volts

L is a variable inductor. Set to 39.487 H.
R is a variable ideal resistor. Set to 2000Ω.
C is a variable ideal capacitor. Set to 1µF
Io is a variable ideal of inductor current. Set to 0 amps.
Vo is a variable ideal of capacitor voltage. Set to 0 volts.

Write a loop function to do the varying resistors value, calculate and plot the
natural response of output voltage in a parallel RLC resonant circuit. When the
m file to varying R of the natural response of parallel RLC resonant circuit file is
captured, the simulations can be run. If there is any error message on your
MATLAB windows, then correct your error and then rerun the simulation.
Otherwise, you will see the result as show below

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Figure 13: the m file to calculate and plot the natural response of current in a
parallel RLC resonant circuit with varying Resistor

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Figure 14: the output of the natural response of capacitor voltage in a parallel
RLC resonant circuit with varying Resistor

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