Department of Mechatronics Engineering

Course no EEE 1131

Course title: Electrical Circuits

Recall of some previous things we had learnt:

Circuit: A closed conducting path through which either current flows or intended to flow.

Network: Interconnection of circuit element (may be closed or open)

Parameter: 3 parameters in Basic Electrical Engineering.

Resistance, Inductance, Capacitance (R,L,C)

Sources:

i) Voltage Source
ii) Current Source

Internal resistance of sources:

Name of the source Rint (ideal) Rint(Practical) Unit

Voltage source 0 <1 Ω
Current source infinite Mega ohm Ω

On dependency, Sources are two type

1. Independent Source
2. Dependent Source

Dependency of a source on the value of either voltage or current:

It can be voltage source and current source and the value of the voltage source or
current source may depend on voltage value of any node or across any element or
current value flowing through any element of the circuit.

So, a) Voltage dependent voltage source

b) Current dependent voltage source

c) Voltage dependent current source

d) Current dependent current source

Some Basic network terminology:

a) Branch (Any two terminal elements)

b) Node or Junction (connection point between at least two or more elements)
c) Mesh
d) Loop

This circuit has 7 branches, 7 loops, 3

meshes and 5 nodes or junction.

Junctions or nodes are two types,

reference and non-reference node

Fig. 01

Basic Laws in Electrical Engineering:

a) Ohm’s Law
b) KVL (Applicable around any closed path or circuit)
c) KCL (Applicable at any junction point or node)

Methods of Circuit analysis:

a) Branch current analysis

b) Mesh current analysis or loop current analysis (Special case, super mesh)
c) Node voltage or nodal analysis (Special case super node)

Network Theorems:

a) Superposition Theorem
b) Thevenin’s Theorem
c) Norton’s Theroem
 Thevenin’s Theorem

Fig. 02

Finding Vth and Rth( if the circuit has no dependent sources)

Fig. 03
Finding Vth and Rth (if the circuit has both dependent and independent sources)

Procedure for finding Vth is similar for the circuits with or without having dependent
sources. But process of finding Rth for the circuits with dependent sources is a little bit
different.

Fig. 04

“To find R, we need to set zero value to all the independent sources; it is achieved by
replacing sources by their internal resistances.”

But for circuits that have both dependent and independent sources, we can’t set zero
value to the dependent sources, because their values are a function of circuit
variables.

So, set Zero value to all independent sources but keep the dependent sources same
as before.

And to find Rth follow the procedure depicted in fig. 04.

 Norton’s Theorem

Finding IN

Fig. 05

Procedure of Finding RN in case of Norton’s theorem, is similar to the process of

finding Rth (RN=Rth)

Procedure to find Vth(Step by Step):

a) Disconnect the load or required branch from the circuit to make it open circuit.
b) Find the open circuit voltage (if we connect a voltmeter in this open circuit,
voltmeter value will be the value of Vth). But for theoretically we need to calculate
the voltage across the open circuit. And we need to think which voltage (across
any branch) will be the value same as the reading of the voltmeter if we connect
a voltmeter in that open circuit.
c) To find this value we need to use any of the circuit solving method.

Procedure to find Rth or RN (Step by Step):

a) Replace all the independent sources by their internal resistances then calculate
the resistance of the open terminal (input resistance seen from the open
terminal).
b) Start calculating from the left side of the circuit
Example 01: Find the Thevenin equivalent circuit w.r.t terminal a b for the circuit shown
in below (Example 4.9 of Fundamental of Electric Circuit)

It has two sources, one is independent

(5 A DC current source) and the 2nd
one is a voltage dependent voltage
source (it is a voltage source and it
voltage value is a function of another
voltage dorp in the circuit across 4 ohm
i.e. Vx)

First we will find Vth

So we practically if we place a voltmeter in between terminal a and b which voltage

drop it will show?
Will it show the voltage drop both across the 6 and 2 Ω?

Yes? or No?

?
First if we connect voltmeter in between these two terminal, then Rvoltmeterint= infinity
(ideally) that means we are connecting a infinite resistance between a and b terminal.
2 Ω resistance is in series with the infinite resistance so total resistance is infinite. So
no current will flow through 2 Ω resistor and hence no voltage drop. So that we just
need to calculate the voltage drop across the 6 Ω resistor of the circuit and this value
will be the desired Vth

For Rth, since this circuit includes a dependent source so we can’t set it to zero. But the
other independent source that is the 5A current source is replaced by open circuit. And
then a voltage source of 1 V is connected in between a and b terminal (as in fig. 04).
Calculate the total current of that circuit and find the total resistance. This value is
equal to Rth.
A voltage source of 1 volt is connected in between terminal a and b. then using mesh
analysis mesh currents i1, i2, i3 are calculated. But the current i0 is opposite to i3.
Dividing V0 by i0 we can obtain Rth.

Example 02 (Example 4.11 of Fundamental of Electric Circuits)

It is a very simple circuit that has two independent DC sources 2A current source and
12V voltage source. Finding of RN is very easy and convenient.

So we move on finding IN,

You can apply any of the circuit solving method to find the short circuit current (Fig.
05). But this particular example tells you to use superposition theorem since this circuit
has more than one source. So calculate IN1 (when 2A is present and 12 V is replaced
by zero resistance) and IN2 (12V is present and 2A is replaced by open circuit) and to
find total IN. Just add IN1 and IN2 algebraically.