CIRCUIT THEOREMS - PROBLEM SOLVING

Superposition, Source
Transformation, Thevenin and
Norton Theorem, Maximum Power
Transfer
Use superposition principle to find i

Solution
2∥3 1
× 12
2∥3 +6 2
𝑖𝑖 = + ×4
2 1 1 1
+ +
6 2 3
6
5 3
𝑖𝑖 = ×6+ ×4
6 1 + 3 + 2
+6
5

𝑖𝑖 = 1 + 2 = 3 A
For the circuit in figure below, find the terminal voltage Vab using
superposition.

Solution

3𝑉𝑉1
10 × 0 + 3𝑉𝑉1 + 𝑉𝑉1 − 4 = 0

𝑉𝑉1 4𝑉𝑉1 = 4

𝑉𝑉1 = 1 V
3𝑉𝑉2
3𝑉𝑉2 + 𝑉𝑉2 = 10 × 2

𝑉𝑉2 4𝑉𝑉2 = 20

𝑉𝑉2 = 5 V

𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 𝑉𝑉1 + 𝑉𝑉2

𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 1 + 5 = 6 V
Apply source transformation to find Vx in the circuit

Solution
8Ω

40 V 200 V

12 12
𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 = 40 − 200 = −160
8 + 12 + 20 40
𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 = −48 V
Determine RTh and VTh at terminals 1-2 of the circuit

Solution

𝑅𝑅Th = 30 ∥ 60 = 20 Ω

30
𝑉𝑉Th = 30 ∥ 60 × 2 + × 30
60 + 30
1 1
𝑉𝑉Th = 20 × 2 + × 30
3
𝑉𝑉Th = 50 V
2
Determine the Norton equivalent at terminals a-b for the circuit

Solution

𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 + 10𝑖𝑖𝑜𝑜 = 4 × 2

𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 + 10 × 2 = 8
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = −12

𝑉𝑉Th = 𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = −12 V

 1 1
𝑉𝑉 + 𝑉𝑉 − 2 = 0
4 1 2 2
𝐼𝐼𝑁𝑁
𝑉𝑉1 + 2𝑉𝑉2 = 8 (1)

𝑉𝑉1 − 𝑉𝑉2 = 10𝑖𝑖𝑜𝑜

𝑉𝑉1
𝑉𝑉1 − 𝑉𝑉2 = 10
4
−6𝑉𝑉1 − 4𝑉𝑉2 = 0 (2)

From (1) and (2) : 𝑉𝑉2 = 6

𝑉𝑉2
𝐼𝐼𝑁𝑁 = =3 A
2
𝑉𝑉Th −12
𝑅𝑅𝑁𝑁 = = = −4 Ω
𝐼𝐼𝑁𝑁 3
Obtain the Thevenin equivalent seen at terminals a-b of the circuit

b
Solution
1 1
𝑉𝑉Th = 0 V 𝑣𝑣 + 𝑣𝑣 − 10𝑖𝑖𝑥𝑥 = 1
2 4
1 1 1 1
𝑣𝑣 + 𝑣𝑣 − 10 × × 𝑣𝑣 = 1
2 4 4 2
+ + 2𝑣𝑣 + 𝑣𝑣 − 5𝑣𝑣 = 4
𝑣𝑣 𝑣𝑣𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 1A 𝑣𝑣 = −2 V
− − 𝑣𝑣𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑣𝑣 + 1 × 1
𝑅𝑅Th = = = −1 Ω
1 1
Obtain the Thevenin and Norton equivalent circuits at the terminals
a-b for the circuit

Solution
1 1 1 1 1 From (1) and (2) :
− × 50 + + + 𝑉𝑉 − 𝑉𝑉 = 0
3 3 6 2 𝑥𝑥 2 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 = 100 V
6𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 − 3𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 100 (1) 500
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = V
3
1 1 1
− 𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 + + 𝑉𝑉 − 0.5𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 = 0
2 2 10 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 500
𝑉𝑉Th = 𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = V
3
−5𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 + 3𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 0 (2)
 𝐼𝐼𝑁𝑁

1 1 1 1
− × 50 + + + 𝑉𝑉 = 0
3 3 6 2 𝑥𝑥
6𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 = 100 a
50
𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 = V
3
b
1 50
𝐼𝐼𝑁𝑁 = 𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 + 0.5𝑉𝑉𝑥𝑥 = A
2 3

𝑉𝑉Th 500�3
𝑅𝑅𝑁𝑁 = 𝑅𝑅Th = = = 10 Ω
𝐼𝐼𝑁𝑁 50�
3
Compute the value of R that results in maximum power transfer to the
10-Ω resistor. Find the maximum power.

Solution
Thevenin equivalent
20𝑅𝑅
𝑅𝑅Th = 𝑅𝑅 ∥ 20 = Ω (1)
20 + 𝑅𝑅
10 Ω
Maximum power transfer
𝑅𝑅Th = 10 Ω (2)
From (1) and (2) :
20𝑅𝑅
= 10
20 + 𝑅𝑅
20𝑅𝑅 = 200 + 10𝑅𝑅

𝑅𝑅 = 20 Ω

20
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = × 12 − 8
𝑎𝑎 20 + 𝑅𝑅

𝑏𝑏 𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = −2 V

𝑉𝑉Th = 𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = −2 V

2
𝑉𝑉Th 4
𝑃𝑃𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = × 10 = × 10
10 + 10 400

𝑃𝑃𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = 0.1 W
Find RL for maximum power deliverable to RL, and determine that
maximum power.

Solution

Thevenin equivalent circuit at terminal a-b

 𝑅𝑅Th = 6 + 4 + 2 = 12 Ω
𝑉𝑉Th = 𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 20 + (2 × 4) + (6 × 2) = 40 V
For maximum power deliverable to RL

𝑅𝑅𝐿𝐿 = 𝑅𝑅Th = 12 Ω
2 2
𝑉𝑉Th 40
𝑃𝑃𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = 𝑅𝑅Th = × 12 = 33,33 W
𝑅𝑅Th + 𝑅𝑅Th 24
For the circuit in figure below, determine the value of R such that the
maximum power delivered to the load is 3 mW.
Solution
Thevenin equivalent circuit at terminal a-b

1 𝑅𝑅
𝑅𝑅Th = = Ω
1 1 1 3
+ +
𝑅𝑅 𝑅𝑅 𝑅𝑅
a
𝑅𝑅 ∥ 𝑅𝑅
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 1+2+3
𝑅𝑅 + 𝑅𝑅 ∥ 𝑅𝑅
1
𝑅𝑅 1
𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 2 6 = 6 =2V
b 1 3
𝑅𝑅 + 𝑅𝑅
2
𝑉𝑉Th = 𝑉𝑉𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 2 V

b
Maximum power deliver to RL if RL = RTh
2
𝑉𝑉Th
𝑃𝑃𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = 𝑅𝑅Th
𝑅𝑅Th + 𝑅𝑅Th

2
−3
2 𝑅𝑅
3 × 10 =
𝑅𝑅 𝑅𝑅 3
+
3 3
2
3 𝑅𝑅
3 = 1000
𝑅𝑅 3

3
3 = 1000
𝑅𝑅

𝑅𝑅 = 1000 Ω