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I have the following problem:

Consider the graph below

enter image description here

What is the power dissipation in a 75 \$\Omega\$, when the voltage across it is the plotted voltage above?

Okay, so my idea was to split the power dissipation into three parts.

From [0-5]us, from [5-7]us and from [7-13]us.

The power dissipated from 5-7us must be: \$P=\frac{U^2}{R}=\frac{2^2 V^2}{75\Omega}=0.0533 W\$

The power dissipated from 7-13us must be: \$P=\frac{U^2}{R}=\frac{(-4)^2 V^2}{75\Omega}=0.2133 W\$

But how do I calculate the power dissipated from 0-5us? Do I have to find an average voltage or?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ You need to find the RMS voltage of the sloped part of the waveform and then use that in your formula above. There should be plenty of examples on this site and the wide web. \$\endgroup\$
    – Transistor
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 13:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ I feel like your answer should probably also be in the form of a plot for a question like this. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hearth
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 13:55
  • \$\begingroup\$ If I found the AVG voltage and used that instead, would it give me a wrong answer? \$\endgroup\$
    – Carl
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 13:56
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    \$\begingroup\$ Yes. Wrong answer. Consider what would happen if the voltage ramped from -2 V to +2 V. Average = 0. If you used that average what power would that give you? Would it be correct? \$\endgroup\$
    – Transistor
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 14:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ No, it would most certainly not. Thank you for the tip, I think I got the problem settled. \$\endgroup\$
    – Carl
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 14:08

1 Answer 1

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I'll provide a different approach than Jan did (he shouldn't have computed "RMS" for power), which may be a little more directly understandable. I get Jan's average power value, though. (I see he just deleted his posted answer.)

Assume \$t_1=5\:\mu\text{s}\$, \$t_2=7\:\mu\text{s}\$, and \$t_3=13\:\mu\text{s}\$ (\$t_0=0\:\text{s}\$). We also know these details:

$$\begin{align*} V_t\:\,\bigg|_{t_0}^{t_1}&=\left(6 \,\frac{t}{t_1}-4\right)\:\text{V}\\\\ V_t\:\,\bigg|_{t_1}^{t_2}&=2\:\text{V}\\\\ V_t\:\,\bigg|_{t_2}^{t_3}&=-4\:\text{V}\\\\ \end{align*}$$

The average power is integrated energy over the time period, divided by the time period itself. (Average power, as opposed to instantaneous power, is the finite work done, divided by the finite time over which that work was performed.) So each of the following individual integrals yield energy during their period of time. Dividing that total energy by the time period will provide the power over that time period:

$$\begin{align*} \overline{P}\:\,\bigg|_{t_0}^{t_3}&=\frac{1}{t_3-t_0}\left[\int_{t_0}^{t_1}\frac{V_t^2}{R}\:\text{d}t+\int_{t_1}^{t_2}\frac{V_t^2}{R}\:\text{d}t+\int_{t_2}^{t_3}\frac{V_t^2}{R}\:\text{d}t\right]\\\\ &=\frac{1}{t_3-t_0}\frac1{R}\left[\int_{t_0}^{t_1}V_t^2\:\text{d}t+\int_{t_1}^{t_2}V_t^2\:\text{d}t+\int_{t_2}^{t_3}V_t^2\:\text{d}t\right]\\\\ &\text{ignoring units for now and substituting in }t_0=0\:\text{s},\\\\ &=\frac{1}{R\,t_3}\left[\int_{0}^{t_1}\left(6 \cdot \frac{t}{t_1}-4\right)^2\:\text{d}t+\int_{t_1}^{t_2}\left(2\right)^2\:\text{d}t+\int_{t_2}^{t_3}\left(-4\right)^2\:\text{d}t\right]\\\\ &=\frac{1}{R\,t_3}\left[\int_{0}^{t_1}\left(6 \cdot \frac{t}{t_1}-4\right)^2\:\text{d}t+4\,\left(t_2-t_1\right)+16\,\left(t_3-t_2\right)\right]\\\\ &=\frac{1}{R\,t_3}\left\{\left[\left(12\, \frac{t^2}{t_1^2}-24\, \frac{t}{t_1}+16\right)\cdot t\right]\bigg|_{0}^{t_1}+4\,\left(t_2-t_1\right)+16\,\left(t_3-t_2\right)\right\}\\\\ &=\frac{1}{R\,t_3}\bigg\{4\, t_1+4\,\left(t_2-t_1\right)+16\,\left(t_3-t_2\right)\bigg\}\\\\ &=\frac{1}{R\,t_3}\bigg\{16\,t_3-12\,t_2\bigg\}\\\\ &\text{putting units back in,}\\\\ &=\frac{16\:\text{V}^2\cdot 13\:\mu\text{s}-12\:\text{V}^2\cdot 7\:\mu\text{s}}{75\:\Omega\cdot 13\:\mu\text{s}}\approx 127.18\:\text{mW} \end{align*}$$

Note that this disagrees with the answer you provide. So perhaps you may wish to reconsider it. (Or someone will point out my error, perhaps?)


I decided to do an LTspice run, just to be sure of the above results. (It never hurts.) Here is the result:

enter image description here

It appears that LTspice arrives at the same value. I think that's a good thing.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Wow, thank you. Yeah, you are obviously right. I don't know what I was thinking. You can't just add up all the invidual powers and then arrive at an average power dissipation :D. \$\endgroup\$
    – Carl
    Commented Feb 22, 2020 at 21:07
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Carl It makes me happy that what I wrote made sense to you. I know it will stick, now. Best wishes going forward! \$\endgroup\$
    – jonk
    Commented Feb 23, 2020 at 3:32

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