Power (physics) - Peak Power and Duty Cycle

Peak Power and Duty Cycle

In the case of a periodic signal of period, like a train of identical pulses, the instantaneous power is also a periodic function of period . The peak power is simply defined by:

$P_0 = \max$ .

The peak power is not always readily measurable, however, and the measurement of the average power is more commonly performed by an instrument. If one defines the energy per pulse as:

$\epsilon_\mathrm{pulse} = \int_{0}^{T}p(t) \mathrm{d}t \,$

then the average power is:

$P_\mathrm{avg} = \frac{1}{T} \int_{0}^{T}p(t) \mathrm{d}t = \frac{\epsilon_\mathrm{pulse}}{T} \,$ .

One may define the pulse length such that so that the ratios

$\frac{P_\mathrm{avg}}{P_0} = \frac{\tau}{T} \,$

are equal. These ratios are called the duty cycle of the pulse train.

Read more about this topic: Power (physics)

Famous quotes containing the words peak, power, duty and/or cycle:

“I think I’ve been good, but I want to be better. I think women reach their peak in their mid-thirties.”
—Mary Decker Slaney (b. 1958)

“The general tendency of things throughout the world is to render mediocrity the ascendant power among mankind.”
—John Stuart Mill (1806–1873)

“It is seldom very hard to do one’s duty when one knows what it is, but it is often exceedingly difficult to find this out.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)

“Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song,
A medley of extemporanea;
And love is a thing that can never go wrong;
And I am Marie of Roumania.”
—Dorothy Parker (1893–1967)