Average Current Calculator
Enter the value of peak current, Ip(A) to determine the value of Average current, Iave(A).
Average Current Formula:
Average current is the mean value of the current over a complete cycle of the waveform. For an AC waveform, particularly a sinusoidal one, the average current over a full cycle is zero because the positive and negative halves cancel each other out.
However, in practical applications, we often consider the average of the absolute value of the waveform over a half-cycle (positive half-cycle), since this is more meaningful for understanding the energy transferred in circuits like rectifiers.
In power supplies, the average current is crucial for determining the DC output from an AC input, especially in half-wave rectifiers where only the positive half of the AC waveform is used.
In a full-wave rectified circuit, both halves of the AC waveform are utilized, resulting in a higher average current.
However, for a full-wave rectified signal, this average is distributed over a continuous flow of both halves of the waveform.
The average current is particularly important in rectified AC circuits where it determines the DC equivalent of the AC signal.
Average current, Iave(A) in amperes is calculated by the product of peak current, Ip(A) in amperes and 0.636.
Average current, Iave(A) = Ip(A) * 0.636
Iave(A) = average current in amperes, A.
Ip(A) = peak current in amperes, A.
Average Current Calculation:
1. Calculate the average current for a circuit with a peak current of 5 amperes:
Given: Ip(A) = 5A.
Average current, Iave(A) = Ip(A) * 0.636
Iave(A) = 5 * 0.636
Iave(A) = 3.18A.
2. If the average current in a circuit is 1.272 amperes, calculate the peak current:
Given: Iave(A) = 1.272A.
Average current, Iave(A) = Ip(A) * 0.636
Ip(A) = Iave(A) / 0.636
Ip(A) = 1.272 / 0.636
Ip(A) = 2A.