Topic: DC Circuit Analysis

Subject: Elements of Electrical Engineering

Prepared by: Prof. Dipen Patel

Topics

Concept of DC circuit.
Current and voltage sources.
Kirchhoff's current law
Kirchhoff's voltage law
Mesh and nodal analysis
Superposition theorem
Thevenins Theorem

What is DC circuit?

Direct current (DC) circuits basically

consist of a loop of conducting wire (like
copper) through which an electric current
flows. An electric current consists of a flow
of electric charges, analogous to the flow
of water (water molecules) in a river. In
addition to the copper wire in a circuit
there usually are components such as
resistors which restrict the flow of electric
charge, similar to the way rocks and debris
in a river restrict the flow of the river
water.

Continue..

Fig
1

Common DC
circuit diagram
is shown in
figure containing
resistors and
battery.

Voltage source

Avoltage sourceis a two terminal device

which can maintain a fixedvoltage. An ideal
voltage source can maintain the fixed voltage
independent of theload resistanceor the output
current. However, a real-world voltage source
cannot supply unlimited current. A voltage
source is thedualof acurrent source. Real-world
sources of electrical energy, such as batteries,
generators, and power systems, can be modeled
for analysis purposes as a combination of an
ideal voltage source and additional combinations
ofimpedanceelements.

Cont..
Fig 2

A schematic diagram of a
real voltage source,V,
driving a resistor,R, and
creating a currentI

Ideal voltage source

Anideal voltage sourceis a two-terminal
device that maintains a fixed voltage drop
across its terminals. It is often used as a
mathematical abstraction that simplifies the
analysis of real electric circuits. If the voltage
across an ideal voltage source can be specified
independently of any other variable in a circuit,
it is called anindependentvoltage source.
Conversely, if the voltage across an ideal
voltage source is determined by some other
voltage or current in a circuit, it is called
adependentorcontrolled voltage source.

Cont..
A mathematical model of an amplifier
will include dependent voltage
sources whose magnitude is governed
by some fixed relation to an input
signal, for example. In the analysis
offaults on electrical power systems,
the whole network of interconnected
sources and transmission lines can be
usefully replaced by an ideal (AC)
voltage source and a single
equivalent impedance

Cont..

Batteryof
cells

Ideal Voltage
Source

Controlled Voltage
Source

Single
cell
Fig 3

Current sources
Acurrent sourceis anelectronic circuitthat
delivers or absorbs anelectric currentwhich is
independent of the voltage across it.
A current source is thedualof avoltage source. The
term constant-current 'sink' is sometimes used for
sources fed from a negative voltage supply. Figure 1
shows the schematic symbol for an ideal current
source, driving a resistor load. There are two types
an independent current source(or sink) delivers
a constant current. Adependent current
sourcedelivers a current which is proportional to
some other voltage or current in the circuit.

Cont..

Controlled Current Source

Ideal Current Source

Fig 3

Dependent and independent source

Dependent sources: In the theory ofelectrical networks, adependent

sourceis avoltage sourceor acurrent sourcewhose
value depends on a voltage or current somewhere else
in the network.
Dependent sources are useful, for example, in
modeling the behavior of amplifiers. Abipolar junction
transistorcan be modeled as a dependent current
source whose magnitude depends on the magnitude of
the current fed into its controlling base terminal.

Cont..
Anoperational amplifiercan be described
as a voltage source dependent on the
differential input voltage between its
input terminals.Practical circuit elements
have properties such as finite power
capacity, voltage, current, or frequency
limits that mean an ideal source is only an
approximate model. Accurate modelling
of practical devices requires using several
idealized elements in combination.

Classification
Dependent sources can be classified as follows:
a)Voltage-controlled voltage source: The source delivers
thevoltageas per thevoltageof the dependent
element.
b)Voltage-controlled current source: The source delivers
the current as per the voltage of the dependent
element.
c)Current-controlled current source: The source delivers
the current as per the current of the dependent element.
d)Current-controlled voltage source: The source delivers
the voltage as per the current of the dependent
element.

Circuits

Voltage-controlled voltage source Current controlled current source

Voltage controlled current source Current controlled voltage source

Fig 4

Independent sources
Anindependent voltage
sourcemaintains a voltage (fixed or
varying with time) which is not
affected by any other quantity.
Similarly anindependent current
sourcemaintains a current (fixed or
time-varying) which is unaffected by
any other quantity. The usual
symbols are shown in figure

Symbols
Symbols for dependent sources

Kirchhoff's laws
Kirchoffs current law: This law is also calledKirchhoff's first
law,Kirchhoff's point rule, orKirchhoff's
junction rule(or nodal rule).
The principle of conservation ofelectric
chargeimplies that:
At any node (junction) in anelectrical circuit, the
sum ofcurrentsflowing into that node is equal to the
sum of currents flowing out of that node, or:The
algebraic sum of currents in a network of conductors
meeting at a point is zero.Recalling that current is a
signed (positive or negative) quantity reflecting
direction towards or away from a node, this principle
can be stated as:

Cont..

nis the total number of branches with

currents flowing towards or away from the
node.
The law is based on the conservation of
charge whereby the charge (measured in
coulombs) is the product of the current (in
amperes) and the time (in seconds).

Cont..

The current entering any

junction is equal to the current
leaving that
junction.i2+i3=i1+i4
Page No: 1.16 from Elements of Electrical Engineering
( J.N.Swamy)

Kirchoffs voltage law

This law is also calledKirchhoff's second
law,Kirchhoff's loop (or mesh) rule,
andKirchhoff's second rule.
The principle of conservation of energy implies that
The directed sum of the electricalpotential
differences(voltage) around any closed network is
zero, or:More simply, the sum of theemfsin any
closed loop is equivalent to the sum of the
potential drops in that loop, or:The algebraic sum
of the products of the resistances of the
conductors and the currents in them in a closed
loop is equal to the totalemfavailable in that
loop.Similarly to KCL, it can be stated as:

Cont..

The sum of all the voltages

around the loop is equal to
zero. v1+ v2+ v3- v4= 0
Page No: 1.17 from Elements of Electrical Engineering
( J.N.Swamy)

Cont..
Here,nis the total number of voltages
measured. The voltages may also be
complex:
This law is based on the conservation
of energy whereby voltage is defined
as the energy per unit charge. The
total amount of energy gained per unit
charge must equal the amount of
energy lost per unit charge, as energy
and charge are both conserved.

Nodal Analysis
Circuit Nodes and Loops: Node:- A node is a point where two or
more circuit elements are connected.
Loop:- A loop is formed by tracing a
closed path in a circuit through
selected basic circuit elements without
passing through any intermediate
node more than once

Example: Find the Nodes

Vs

+
-

node
Page No: 2.35 self making from Circuits and Networks
(U.A.Patel)

Example: Find the loops

loop
Page No: 2.35 self making from Circuits and Networks
(U.A.Patel)

Equivalent Circuits:Source
Transformation
R
s

Vs

Is

Rs

Vs Rs I s

Is

Vs
Rs

Page No: 2.61 self making from Circuits and Networks

(U.A.Patel)

Methods of Analysis
Introduction
Nodal analysis
Nodal analysis with voltage source
Mesh analysis
Mesh analysis with current source
Nodal and mesh analyses by
inspection
Nodal versus mesh analysis

Steps of Nodal Analysis

1. Choose a reference (ground) node.
2. Assign node voltages to the other nodes.
3. Apply KCL to each node other than the
reference node; express currents in terms
of node voltages.
4. Solve the resulting system of linear
equations for the nodal voltages.

Common symbols for indicating a reference node,

(a) common ground, (b) ground, (c) chassis.

self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

1. Reference Node
500

500
+

I1

500

1k

500

The reference node is called the

ground node where V = 0
Page No: 2.53 self making from Circuits and Networks
(U.A.Patel)

I2

2. Node Voltages
V

500

11
I1

500

2 2
500

V
33

1k

500

I2

V1, V2, and V3 are unknowns for which

we solve using KCL
Page No: 2.37 self making from Circuits and Networks
(U.A.Patel)

3. 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

A Planar circuit with crossing branches,

The same circuit redrawn with no crossing branches

self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

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 Ohms law to express the voltages
in terms of the mesh currents.
3. Solve the resulting n simultaneous
equations to get the mesh currents.

Figure:
A circuit with two meshes.

Page No: 1.53 from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

 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

R3
R1 R3
R3
R2 R3

currents.
i1 V1
i2 V2

Use i for a mesh current and I for a

branch current. Its evident from Fig.
3.17 that
I1 i1 , I 2 i2 , I 3 i1 i2

 Find the branch current I1, I2, and I3

using mesh analysis.

self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

 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
I1 i1 , I 2 i2 , I 3 i1 i2
method or Cramers rule. Then,

 Use mesh analysis to find the current I0 in the

circuit.

self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

 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

 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 become

11 5 6 i1 12
5 19 2 i2 0
1 1 2 i 0

we can calculus i1, i2 and i3 by Cramers rule,

and find I0.

Mesh Analysis with Current Sources

A circuit with a current source.

Page no. 2.36 self making from Circuits and Networks

(U.A.Patel)

 Case 1
Current source exist only in one mesh

i1 2A

One mesh variable is reduced

Case 2
Current source exists between two
meshes, a super-mesh is obtained.

Superposition
R3=80

R1 R3
R3
I2
VS
E2
R1 R2 R1 R3 R2 R3
R1 R2 R2 R3 R1 R3


I 2

I 2

R1=0.5
+
VS=14V
_

I2
I

R2=0.4

E2=12V

Superposition is a direct consequence of linearity

It states that in any linear circuit containing
multiple independent sources, the current or
voltage at any point in the circuit may be
calculated as the algebraic sum of the
individual
contributions
each(U.A.Patel)
source acting
self making
from Circuits and of
Networks
alone.

Superposition
Theorem:How to Apply
Superposition?

To find the contribution due to an individual

independent source, zero out the other
independent sources in the circuit.
Voltage source short circuit.
Current source open circuit.
Solve the resulting circuit using your favorite
techniques.
Nodal analysis
Loop analysis

Superposition

For the above

case:

Zero out Vs, we

have : I2
R1

R3

V_s

R1 R3
R 21 R3

R1 R1 / / R3
I 2

R1

R2
E2

R1 / / R3

Zero out E2, we

I
have
:
I2

R1 R2 R2 R3 R1 R3
R1 R3

E2 R1 R3
R1 R2 R2 R3 R1 R3

R3

R2
E2

R2 / / R3

R1 R1 / / R3

R2 R3
R2 R3

R1 R2 R2 R3 R1 R3
R2 R3

Vs R2 R3
I
R1 R2 R2 R3 R1 R3

Vs R2 R3
R
I 2 I 3

R2 R3 R1 R2 R2 R3 R1 R3

Superposition

4mA

2k

12V
-

2mA

1k

+
2k

I0

self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

Superposition

I 0 I 2 I1
I1 2mA

2k

KVL for mesh 2:

I 2 I1 1k I 2
2mA

I1

1k
Io

I2

Mesh 2

2k

1
2
I 2 I1 mA
3
3

2k 0

2
I 0 I 2 I1 2
3
4
mA
3

self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

Superposition
P2.7

I 0 I 2
4mA

2k

I1

I 2 1k I 2 I1
0 I 2 2k
0

1k
I0

KVL for mesh 2:

I2

2k

I2 0
I o 0

Mesh 2

self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

Superposition
P2.7

I o I 2

12V
2k

KVL for mesh 2:

1k
I0

Mesh 2

I2

I 2 1k 12V I 2 2k 0
2k

I2

12
4mA
1k 2k

I o 4mA
self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

Superposition

4mA

2k

12V
-

2mA

1k

+
2k

I0

I0 = I0 +I0+ I0 = -16/3 mA

self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

Thevenin's theorem

Any circuit with sources (dependent

and/or independent) and resistors can be
replaced by an equivalent circuit containing
a single voltage source and a single resistor
Thevenins theorem implies that we can
replace arbitrarily complicated networks
with simple networks for purposes of
analysis

Thevenins theorem
Independent
Sources
RTh

Voc

+
-

Circuit with
independent sources

Thevenin
equivalent circuit

self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)

Thevenins theorem
No Independent
Sources

RTh

Circuit without independent

sources

Thevenin equivalent
circuit

self making from Circuits and Networks (U.A.Patel)