An electrolytic tank for the measurement of steady-state response, transient response, and allied properties of networks

An analogy relating the impedance functions of linear networks of lumped elements to the potential distribution and current flow in a uniform sheet of conducting material, set up by point electrodes, has been described by Daniell. Electrolytic tank computors, based on this analogy, have been used hitherto purely for the measurement of the steady-state response characteristics of such networks, from a knowledge of the poles and zeroes of their steady-state impedance functions. A simple form of electrolytic tank and its application to this and allied measurements, including that of transient response, are described. An overall accuracy to within 1% has been obtained by the elimination of the tank boundary errors and of electrode polarization troubles. The application of the electrolytic tank has been extended to the practical determination of the residues at the poles of the impedance function, and a known practical method is referred to, whereby the zeroes of the polynomials forming the impedance function may be determined by measurement. A rapid automatic means of measuring the steady-state characteristics corresponding to a given pole and zero distribution is described.