Methods of Analysis

• Introduction
• Nodal analysis
• Nodal analysis with voltage source
• Mesh analysis
• Mesh analysis with current source
 Nodal Analysis
• Steps to Determine Node Voltages:
1. Select a node as the reference node. Assign
voltage v1, v2, …vn-1 to the remaining n-1 nodes.
The voltages are referenced with respect to the
reference node.
2. Apply KCL to each of the n-1 nonreference nodes.
Use Ohm’s law to express the branch currents in
terms of node voltages.
3. Solve the resulting simultaneous equations to
obtain the unknown node voltages.
 Reference node
Common symbols for indicating a reference node,
(a) common ground, (b) ground, (c) chassis.
Typical circuit for nodal analysis
 I1  I 2  i1  i2
I 2  i2  i3
vhigher  vlower
i
R

v1  0
i1  or i1  G1v1
R1
v1  v2
i2  or i2  G2 (v1  v2 )
R2
v2  0
i3  or i3  G3v2
R3
 v1 v1  v2
 I1  I 2  
R1 R2
v1  v2 v2
I2  
R2 R3
 I1  I 2  G1v1  G2 (v1  v2 )
I 2  G2 (v1  v2 )  G3v2

 G1  G2  G2   v1   I1  I 2 
 
  G2 G2  G3  v2   I 2 
 Example
• At node 1

i1  i2  i3
v1  v2 v1  0
5 
4 2
 Example (Contd.)
• At node 2

i2  i4  i1  i5
v2  v1 v2  0
5 
4 6
 Example (Contd.)

• In matrix form:
1 1 1 

2 4    v  5
4 1
 
 1   
1 1 v2  5
   
 4 6 4
Practice Problem
 Example
• Determine the voltage at the nodes in Fig.(a)
 Example
• At node 1,
3  i1  ix
v1  v3 v1  v2
3 
4 2
 Example
• At node 2
ix  i2  i3
v1  v2 v2  v3 v2  0
  
2 8 4
 Example
• At node 3

i1  i2  2ix
v1  v3 v2  v3 2(v1  v2 )
  
4 8 2
 Example
• In matrix form:
 3 1 1
 4   
2 4  v1  3
 1 7 1    
   v2   0 
 2 8 8
 3 9 3  v3  0

 4 8 8 
 Nodal Analysis with Voltage Sources

• Case 1: The voltage source is connected

between a nonreference node and the
reference node: The nonreference node
voltage is equal to the magnitude of voltage
source and the number of unknown
nonreference nodes is reduced by one.
• Case 2: The voltage source is connected
between two nonreferenced nodes: a
generalized node (supernode) is formed.
 Nodal Analysis with Voltage Sources

A circuit with a supernode.

 Nodal Analysis with Voltage Sources

• A supernode is formed by enclosing a

(dependent or independent) voltage source
connected between two nonreference nodes
and any elements connected in parallel with it.
• The required two equations for regulating the
two nonreference node voltages are obtained
by the KCL of the supernode and the
relationship of node voltages due to the
voltage source.
 Example

• For the circuit shown in Fig., find the node

voltages.
2  7  i1  i 2  0
v1 v2
27   0
2 4
v1  v2  2
i1
 Example
Find the node voltages in the circuit of Fig..
 Example
• At suopernode 1-2,

v3  v2 v1  v4 v1
 10  
6 3 2
v1  v2  20
 Example
• At supernode 3-4,

v1  v4 v3  v2 v4 v3
  
3 6 1 4
v3  v4  3(v1  v4 )
 Mesh Analysis
• Mesh analysis: another procedure for
analyzing circuits, applicable to planar circuit.
• A Mesh is a loop which does not contain any
other loops within it
 Mesh Analysis
(a) A Planar circuit with crossing branches,
(b) The same circuit redrawn with no crossing branches.
 Mesh Analysis
A nonplanar circuit.
• Steps to Determine Mesh Currents:
1. Assign mesh currents i1, i2, .., in to the n meshes.
2. Apply KVL to each of the n meshes. Use Ohm’s
law to express the voltages in terms of the mesh
currents.
3. Solve the resulting n simultaneous equations to
get the mesh currents.
A circuit with two meshes.
• Apply KVL to each mesh. For mesh 1,
 V1  R1i1  R3 (i1  i2 )  0
( R1  R3 )i1  R3i2  V1
• For mesh 2,
R2i2  V2  R3 (i2  i1 )  0
 R3i1  ( R2  R3 )i2  V2
• Solve for the mesh currents.
 R1  R3  R3   i1   V1 

  R3 R2  R3  i2   V2 

• Use i for a mesh current and I for a branch

current. It’s evident from Fig. that
I1  i1 , I 2  i2 , I 3  i1  i2
 Example
• Find the branch current I1, I2, and I3 using mesh
analysis.
 Example
• For mesh 1,
 15  5i1  10(i1  i2 )  10  0
3i1  2i2  1
• For mesh 2,
6i2  4i2  10(i2  i1 )  10  0
i1  2i2  1
• We can find i1 and i2 by substitution method or
Cramer’s rule. Then, I1  i1 , I 2  i2 , I 3  i1  i2
 Example
• Use mesh analysis to find the current I0 in the
circuit of Fig.
 Example
• Apply KVL to each mesh. For mesh 1,
 24  10(i1  i2 )  12(i1  i3 )  0
11i1  5i2  6i3  12
• For mesh 2,
24i2  4(i2  i3 )  10(i2  i1 )  0
 5i1  19i2  2i3  0
 Example
• For mesh 3, 4 I 0  12(i3  i1 )  4(i3  i2 )  0
At node A, I 0  I1  i2 ,
4(i1  i2 )  12(i3  i1 )  4(i3  i2 )  0
 i1  i2  2i3  0
• In matrix from Eqs. (3.6.1) to (3.6.3) become
 11  5  6  i1  12
 5 19  2 i2    0 
  1  1 2  i   0 
  3   
we can calculus i1, i2 and i3 by Cramer’s rule,
and find I0.
 Mesh Analysis with Current Sources

Fig. A circuit with a current source.

• Case 1
– Current source exist only in one mesh
i1   2 A

– One mesh variable is reduced

• Case 2
– Current source exists between two meshes, a
super-mesh is obtained.
• a supermesh results when two meshes have a
(dependent , independent) current source in
common.
 Properties of a Supermesh
1. The current is not completely ignored
– provides the constraint equation necessary to
solve for the mesh current.
2. A supermesh has no current of its own.
3. Several current sources in adjacency form a
bigger supermesh.
• If a supermesh consists of two meshes, two
equations are needed; one is obtained using KVL
and Ohm’s law to the supermesh and the other is 6i1  14i2  20
obtained by relation regulated due to the current
source. i1  i2  6
• Similarly, a supermesh formed from three
meshes needs three equations: one is from
the supermesh and the other two equations
are obtained from the two current sources.
 Example
• For the circuit in Fig. , find i1 to i4 using mesh
analysis.
2i1  4i3  8(i3  i4 )  6i2  0
i1  i2  5
i2  i3  3i0
8(i3  i4 )  2i4  10  0
 Example
• Write the node voltage matrix equations in
Fig..
 Example
• Write the mesh current equations in Fig.

44