Electronic – Can Z (impedance) have an φ of -105°

impedancephasorresistance

Given a simple circuit with one voltage generator and one other circuit element, if these values are given:

U = 200 ∠ -45° V
I = 5 ∠ 60° A

(both values are phasors – I just don't know how to underline the U and I characters)

Let's calculate the impendance (of that other circuit element):

Z = U / I = ( 200 ∠ -45° ) / ( 5 ∠ 60° ) = 200 / 5 ∠ ( -45° – 60° ) = 40 ∠ -105° Ω

Now, is this possible? I'm asking because I thought that the range for φ is [-90°, 90°]. With this value for Z, the resistance has a negative value:

R = Re Z = 40 * cos(-105°) = -9.64 Ω

What am I missing here?

Best Answer

If you are limited to using only resistors, capacitors, and inductors, and you build something isolated from everything except 2 wires that lead to a sine-wave AC voltage, then the current in those wires will also be a sine wave, and the effective impedance between those 2 wires will have zero or positive resistance -- i.e., the range for φ is [-90°, 90°].

However, many practical circuits do not have those limitations, and exhibit "negative resistance" or at least "differential negative resistance".

absolute negative resistance

Perhaps the conceptually simplest circuit with negative resistance is an op amp and a battery and 3 resistors wired up as a negative impedance converter.

It has 2 wires that appear to exhibit negative resistance across them -- up to some maximum voltage, the higher the AC or DC voltage you set across them, the more current flows and the more power comes out of that circuit. (That power ultimately comes from the battery connected to the op amp power pins).

differential negative resistance

Some "exotic" components exhibit "differential negative resistance".

Tunnel diodes and other "N-type negative resistance devices", in certain regions of operation, if you increase the voltage a little, the current decreases a little -- the "differential resistance" between those two operating points is negative.

Galvanized steel and other "S-type negative resistance devices", in certain regions of operation, if you increase the current a little, the voltage decreases a little -- the "differential resistance" between those two operating points is negative.

Both S-type and N-type negative differential resistance devices can be assembled into a circuit that also includes a battery to produce a compound device that approximates a negative resistance -- up to some maximum voltage, the higher the AC voltage you put in, the more AC current flows and the more AC power comes out of the circuit.

If you measure the total voltage and the total current in either kind of negative differential resistance device, you can divide to get a positive absolute resistance -- power flows into the component and is converted into heat, just like a normal resistor. (The power that comes out of the complete circuit ultimately comes from the battery).

Perhaps the most common differential negative resistance device is the switching voltage regulator: With a constant load on its output, when you reduce the voltage on its input power lines, the switching voltage regulator pulls more current and more power from the input power lines. This effect causes some switching-mode power supplies to show unexpected and unwanted behavior.

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