A Seminar Report On

DC Network Theorems

By : Lalit Joshi
ECE(III Sem)
 Superposition Theorem
• The Superposition theorem states that if
a linear system is driven by more than
one independent power source, the total
response is the sum of the individual
responses. The following example will
show the step of finding branches current
using superpostion theorem
 Determination of the branches current using
superposition theorem.
6 2

i1 i3
120 V i2 3 i4 4 12 A

Figure 1

• Solution
• The application of the superposition theorem is shown in Figure
1, where it is used to calculate the branch current. We begin
by calculating the branch current caused by the voltage source
of 120 V. By substituting the ideal current with open circuit,
we deactivate the current source, as shown in Figure 2.
 6 v1 2

i'1 i'3
120 V i'2 i'4 4
3

Figure 2

• To calculate the branch current, the node voltage across the

3Ω resistor must be known. Therefore

v 1  120 v 1 v1
  =0
6 3 24
where v1 = 30 V
The equations for the current in each branch,
 6 2

i1" i3 "
i 2" 3 i4 " 4 12 A

120  30
• i'1 = 6
= 15 A
Figure 3

30
i'2 = = 10 A
3
i'3 = i'4 =
30
=5A
6
In order to calculate the current cause by
the current source, we deactivate the
ideal voltage source with a short circuit,
as shown
• To determine the branch current, solve the node
voltages across the 3Ω and 4Ω resistors as shown in
Figure 4
6 2
+ +

v3 3 v4 4 12 A

- -

Figure 4

v3 v3 v3  v4
  =0
3 6 2
v4  v3 v4
  12 = 0
2 4
• The two node voltages are
• By solving these equations, we obtain
• v3 = -12 V
• v4 = -24 V

Now we can find the branches current,

 To find the actual current of the
circuit, add the currents due to both
the current and voltage source,
 Thevenin’s Theorem
• The Thevenin equivalent circuit contains
an independent voltage source which is in
series to the Thevenin equivalent
resistance. The Thevenin Voltage is the
open circuit voltage at the terminal being
studied, and Thevenin resistance being
the internal resistance of ckt as seen
from the open ckt load terminals.
• Refer to the Figure & find the Thevenin equivalent circuit.

5 4
a
+ +

•Solution25 V 20  3A v1 vab

- -
• In order to find the Thevenin equivalent circuitb for the
circuit shown in Figure 6, calculate the open circuit voltage,
vab. Note that when the a, b terminals are open, there is no
current flow to 4Ω resistor. Therefore, the voltage vab is the
same as the voltage across the 3A current source, labeled v1.
• To find the voltage v1, solve the equations for the singular
node voltage. By choosing the bottom right node as the
reference node,
 v 1  25 v 1
 3  0
5 20
• By solving the equation, v1 = 32 V. Therefore, the
Thevenin voltage Vth for the circuit is 32 V.
• The next step is to find the thevenin equivalant
resistance across the open load terminals, which we get
by short circuiting the voltage source & open ckting the
current source.

Figure 7
 Rth = (5||20) + 4
Rth = 4 + 4 = 8Ω
The Thevenin resistance RTh is 8Ω

The below mentioned figure shows the Thevenin equivalent circuit for the
problem.
 Norton’s Theorem
• The Norton equivalent circuit contains
an independent current source which is
parallel to the Norton equivalent
resistance. It can be derived from the
Thevenin equivalent circuit by using
source transformation. Therefore, the
Norton current is equivalent to the short
circuit current at the terminal being
studied, and Norton resistance is
equivalent to Thevenin resistance.
Derive the Norton equivalent circuit :

5 4
a

25 V 3A
20 

Solution
• Step 1: Source transformation (The 25V voltage
source is converted to a 5 A current source.)
4
a

5A 5 20  3A

b
Step 2: Combination of parallel source and parallel resistance
4
a

8A 4

Step 3: Short ckting the load terminals, We have 4||4, so current in each
branch = 4A. Thus, Short ckt current is 4A and thevenin equivalent
resistance as seen from open ckt load terminal is 8Ω.
• Step 4: Thus, Norton Equivalent Ckt becomes

8
4A

Norton equivalent circuit

 Maximum Power Transfer
Maximum Power Transfer theorem states that :
A load will receive maximum power from a
network when its total resistive value is
exactly equal to the Thevenin resistance of
the network applied to the load. That is,
RL = RTh
Resistance network
which contains
dependent and
independent
sources
• Maximum power transfer happens when
the load resistance RL is equal to the
Thevenin equivalent resistance, RTh. To
find the maximum power delivered to RL,

2
2
VTh R L VTh
pmax = =
 2R L  2
4R L
•Thank You