Energy sources are very much imporatant while studying Networks and most of the times we take them ideal or perfect. Let’s discuss in this blog, do ideal electrical energy sources really exist?
What are Energy Sources in Networks?
There are two types of energy sources viz. Voltage and Current.
The job of energy sources is to provide electrical energy into the network. Without energy source, current would not flow through the circuit and the components would not get energy/power. In other words the circuit would be passive.
You can watch the quick video below or read along.
Voltage Source
The job of voltage source is to provide constant Potential difference between the two points, irrespective of the current flown trough it.
Below is the V-I graph for ideal case.
If you connect voltage source between two points of the circuit, it will send the current according to the load conditions. But, as you can observe from the above graph whatever be the load conditions i.e. whatever be the current through it, it will maintan contant P.D across those two points.
But, practically this does not happen. Why? Because of unavoidable internal resistance of the source.
Current Source
The job of current source is to provide constant current through the branch, irrespective of the P.D. across it.
Below is the V-I graph for ideal case.
If you connect current source, it will maintain the constant current thorugh that branch irrespective of the load conditions i.e. P.D. across it.
But, practically this does not happen.
Ideal current source must have infinite resistance in parallel. But, with the circuitary with which we obtain the current source cannot have infinite parallel resistance. And, hence some current loss happens in that inbuilt resistance.
Do ideal electrical energy sources really exist?
There is nothing perfect in this world, so how the electrical sources could be?
Dr. Shilpa Sambhi
Yes, you read it right. In real world we cannot achieve the ideal case for the sources.
The mechanical components making the energy sources as well as conducting wires leads to the non-ideality which we cannot avoid. Simple!
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