Circuits (MTE 120) (Spring 2010) Akrem El-ghazal

http://pami.uwaterloo.ca/~akrem/
University of Waterloo,
Electrical and Computer Engineering Dep.

Mesh Analysis
Objective:
To analyze circuits using a systematic technique: the mesh analysis.

Mesh Analysis
The mesh analysis is a systematic way of applying KVL around each mesh of a circuit and
describes the branch voltages in terms of the mesh currents. This will give us a set of equations
that we solve together to find the mesh currents. Once we find the mesh currents we can use
them to calculate any other currents or voltages of interest.

Case #1: Circuits with Independent voltage Sources.

Example #1:
For following circuit find the mesh currents and use the mesh currents to find
 .

Solution
Step #1
Identify all of the meshes.

Step #2
Assign currents to all of the meshes
Circuits (MTE 120) (Spring 2010) Akrem El-ghazal

Step #3
Apply the KVL around each mesh.In this step for each mesh we describe the branch voltages in
term of mesh currents.

Apply KVL around mesh # 1

7  1
  2

 
   6  0

3
  2
  1
1

Apply KVL around mesh # 2

3
  4
  9  6  2

 
   0

2
  9
  3
2

Step #4
Solving question 1 and 2 for the unknown mesh currents (i1 and i2):

 0.13 

  0.304 

 
 
  0.434 

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Circuits (MTE 120) (Spring 2010) Akrem El-ghazal

Example #2:
Write the mesh (loop) equations for the following circuit and then find
 ,
 and 

6V
6 iy
- +
ix
+
v 3 12
9
-

Solution:
4

1
6V
6 y
- +
x
+
3 12
9 2 3
-

Apply KVL around mesh # 1

6  4
  6

 
   0

10
  6
  6
1

Apply KVL around mesh # 2

9
  6  3

 
   0

12
  3
  6 . .
2

3
Circuits (MTE 120) (Spring 2010) Akrem El-ghazal

Apply KVL at mesh # 3

3

 
   6

 
   12
  0

6
  3
  21
  0
3
Solve the three equations

  0.6757  ,
  0.4685  ,
  0.1261 

 
 
  1.1442 

 
 
  0.5946 

  9
  4.2165 

Case #2: Circuits with Independent Current Sources

Example #3:
Find VO by using the mesh analysis

Solution

4
Circuits (MTE 120) (Spring 2010) Akrem El-ghazal

It is clear that:

  4 

  2 
Apply KVL around mesh # 3

3  4

 
   2

 
   6
  0
1

  
4
To find  :

3  6

     0
3
 
2

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Circuits (MTE 120) (Spring 2010) Akrem El-ghazal

Case #3: Circuits with a current source common to two meshes

Example #4:

Solution

6
Circuits (MTE 120) (Spring 2010) Akrem El-ghazal

Apply KVL around the mesh #1

2
  3

 
   1

 
   0

6
  !
 !  3!
 !  0 .
1

Supermesh:

When a current source is common to two meshes we use the concept of supermesh. A
supermesh is created from two meshes that have a current source in common as shown in the
above figure.

Apply KVL around the supermesh

7  1

 
   3

 
   1
  0

4
 
  4
  7 .
2

We have two equations with three unknown variables!!!. The third equation can be obtained by
using the relation between the
 and
 as follows:

 
  7
3
Solve the three equations

  1.5  ,
  3  ,
  4 

Case #4: Circuits with dependent sources

For circuits that include dependent sources, first we ignore the fact that the dependent
source is a dependent source and we write the mesh-current equations as we would for a
circuit with independent sources. The mesh-current equations will have extra unknown
variables for the dependent sources beside to the normal unknown mesh currents. All the extra
unknown variable of the dependent sources must be described in term of the mesh currents.
There MUST be a relation between the unknown variable of the dependent and the mesh
currents, because mesh currents can be used to describe any current or voltage of any branch
in the circuit. The following examples will show you how to apply the mesh analysis for circuits
with dependent sources.

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Circuits (MTE 120) (Spring 2010) Akrem El-ghazal

Example #5:
Find Vo by using mesh analysis.

Solution

"#
From mesh #1
  .
1


From mesh #2
  2
2

Apply KVL around mesh #3

5 

 
   2  6
  0 .
3

8
Circuits (MTE 120) (Spring 2010) Akrem El-ghazal

Equation (1) has an extra unknown variable

v% . We should relate the extra unknown
variable of the dependent source to the mesh currents. From the above figure it is clear
that:
&  4

 
 

In Eq.(1)
4

 
 

 
2
!
  2
  0! . .
4

From Eq.(2) and Eq.(4)

!
  4 !

From Eq.(3)
11

  
8
33
 
 x6 
4

Example #6:
For the following circuit find the mesh currents.

Solution

9
Circuits (MTE 120) (Spring 2010) Akrem El-ghazal

Apply KVL around the supermesh:

20  4
  6
  2
  0
4
  8
  20
1

We have one equation with two unknown variables!!!. The second equation can be obtained by
using the relation between the
 and
 as follows:


 
 
2
4
Equation (2) has an extra unknown variable
v% . We should relate the extra unknown
variable
  of the dependent source to the mesh currents. From the above figure it is
clear

  2


In Eq.(2)
2


 
 
4
2
 
  0 .
3

Solving Eq.(1) and Eq.(3)

  1,
  2

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