SRMIST, Ramapuram Campus Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

(Dr. K. Murugesan, Professor, EEE Department, SRMIST, Ramapuram)

What is about Electrical Engineering?: It is the branch of engineering that deals with the technology of
electricity. Electrical Engineers work on a wide range of components, devices and systems, from tiny microchips to
huge power station generators.
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design and application of equipment,
devices and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.

Why is electrical engineering important?: From the Global Positioning System (GPS) to electric power
generation, Electrical Engineers have contributed to the development of a wide range of technologies. They design,
develop, test, and supervise the deployment of Electrical systems and electronic devices.

Where do electrical engineers work?: Electrical Engineers typically work in laboratories and research facilities,
factories, mines, industrial and production plants, power stations, and office settings. Depending on their
location, Electrical Engineers may work in modern comfort or in hot, cramped, or dusty places.

Is Electrical Engineering a good career?: Yes. A lucrative career, electrical engineering offers high wages or
salary. Electricity and electronics are critical elements in the technologies that help maintain our daily lives, making
this career highly valuable.

Now, let us read some of the basic concepts and principles behind Electrical Engineering.
Basic Laws:
Ohm’s law: The strength of the current through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential
difference and inversely proportional to the resistance of the conductor, provided all physical
conditions and temperature remain constant. .i.e., I = V / R .
Georg Simon Ohm, a German physicist was the first to verify Ohm’s law experimentally.

Since we can’t see electrons, the water-pipe analogy

helps us understand the electric circuits better. Water
flowing through pipes is a good mechanical system
that is analogous to an electrical circuit.

Here, the voltage is analogous to water pressure, the

current is amount of water flowing through the pipe,
and the resistance is the size of the pipe. More water
will flow through the pipe (current) when more pressure
is applied (voltage) and the bigger the pipe, Ohm’s Law – Magic Triangle
lower the resistance).
 Ohm’s Law Applications
• To determine the voltage, resistance or current of an electric circuit.
• to maintain the desired voltage drop across the electronic components.
• used in dc ammeter and other dc shunts to divert the current.
 Limitations of Ohm’s Law
• Ohm’s law is not applicable for unilateral electrical elements like diodes and transistors as they allow the
current to flow through in one direction only. They are called as non-ohmic devices.
• For non-linear electrical elements with parameters like capacitance, resistance etc the voltage and current
won’t be constant with respect to time making it difficult to use Ohm’s law.
Thus, Voltage= Current× Resistance , V= I×R V= voltage, I= current and R= resistance

* The filament of a light bulb, in which the temperature rises as the current is increased. In
this case, Ohm’s law cannot be applied. The lightbulb filament violates Ohm’s Law.

SRMIST, Ramapuram, Call Toll-Free Number : 1800 102 1525

SRMIST, Ramapuram Campus Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Kirchhoff’s Laws: Kirchhoff’s circuit laws lie at the heart of circuit analysis.
Kirchhoff’s Current Law : KCL states that the total current entering a junction is equal to the total current leaving
the junction. (or) The algebraic sum of the currents at the junction (node) will be zero.
In other words, the algebraic sum of ALL the currents entering and leaving a junction
must be equal to zero as: Σ IIN = Σ IOUT.
This idea by Kirchhoff is commonly known as the Conservation of Charge.
Gustav Robert Kirchhoff was a German physicist.
Let’s look how we could apply Kirchhoff’s current law to resistors in parallel,
whether the resistances in those branches are equal or unequal.
Consider the circuit diagram shown:
In this simple parallel resistor example, there are two distinct junctions for current.
Junction one occurs at node B, and junction two occurs at node E.

All the current, IT leaves the 24 volt supply and arrives at point A and from there it
enters node B. Node B is a junction as the current can now split into two distinct directions, with some of the
current flowing downwards and through resistor R1 with the remainder continuing on through resistor R2 via node C.
Note that the currents flowing into and out of a node point are commonly called branch currents.

We can use Kirchhoff’s current law to find the currents flowing around more complex circuits.
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law : KVL states that the voltage around a loop equals to the sum of every voltage drop in the
same loop for any closed network and also equals to zero.
In other words, in a closed circuit, the algebraic sum of all the EMFs and the
algebraic sum of all the voltage drops (product of current (I) and resistance (R))
is zero. Σ E + Σ V = 0

Here, the assumed current I causes a positive voltage drop when flowing from
the positive to negative potential while negative potential drop when the
current flowing from negative to the positive potential.
Considering the other figure shown below and assuming the direction of the
current I. Therefore,

Some Basic Terminologies in Electrical Engineering

Node
A node is a point in the network or circuit where two or more circuit elements are joined. For example, in the above
circuit diagram, A and B is the node points.
Junction
A junction is a point in the network where three or more circuit elements are joined. It is a point where the current is
divided. In the above circuit, B and D are the junctions.
Branch
The part of a network, which lies between the two junction points is called a Branch. In the above circuit DAB,
BCD and BD are the branches of the circuit.
Loop
A closed path of a network is called a loop. ABDA, BCDB are loops in the above circuit diagram shown.
Mesh
The most elementary form of a loop which cannot be further divided is called a mesh.

SRMIST, Ramapuram, Call Toll-Free Number : 1800 102 1525

SRMIST, Ramapuram Campus Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Voltage Division Rule:

Two or more elements are in series if they are cascaded or connected sequentially and consequently carry the same
current. The equivalent resistances of any number of resistors connected in series is the sum of the individual
resistances.
Here the circuit consists of two resistors connected together in series: R1, and R2.
Since the two resistors are connected in series, it must therefore follow that the same value of
electric current must flow through each resistive element of the circuit.
With a supply or source voltage, VS applied across this series combination, we can apply
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law and also using Ohm’s Law to find the voltage drop across each resistor
derived in terms of the common current, I flowing through them.

Current Division Rule:

A parallel circuit acts as a current divider as the current divides in all the branches in a parallel circuit, and the
voltage remains the same across them. The current division rule determines the current across the circuit impedance.
The current I has been divided into I1 and I2 into two parallel branches with the resistance R1 and R2 and V is the
voltage drop across the resistance R1 and R2. As we know, V = IR. Then the equation of the current is written as

The total resistance of the circuit be R and is given by

Hence, the current is written as

So, we get

Interesting Facts:
1. Electricity travels at 6,696,000 miles per hour.
2. Electricity plays an important role in the way your heart functions. Muscle cells in the heart are contracted by
electricity that runs through your body.
3. The typical lightning bolt packs 100 million volts.
4. The average taser emits 50,000 volts.
5. A spark of static electricity can measure up to 3,000 volts.
6. Electric eels can produce shocks of 500 volts or more.
7. The first successful electric car was built in 1891 by American inventor William Morrison.
8. Benjamin Franklin didn’t discover electricity, but he did prove that lightning is a form of electricity.
9. If a bird sits on only one power line it is safe. If the bird touches any part of its body to another line, it creates a
circuit, causing electrocution.
10. The first power plant, opened in New York City in 1882. It was owned by Thomas Edison.

Famous Electrical Scientists in Currencies of Countries:

Name Major Contribution Country Honoured
Allesandro Volta First chemical battery Italy
Nikola Tesla Electrical technology Yugoslavia
Hans Christian Ørsted Electric current will deflect a magnetic compass needle Denmark
Benjamin Franklin Conservation of electric charge America
Michael Faraday Properties of electricity and magnetism Britain
Albert Einstein Photoelectric effect Israel

SRMIST, Ramapuram, Call Toll-Free Number : 1800 102 1525

SRMIST, Ramapuram Campus Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Major Electrical Industries in India

Companies Categorywise (Placed alphabetically)

Automation Equipment
• ABB India • Antrix Corporation
• Bosch • Astra Microwave
• Emerson Industrial Products
Automatio • Bharat Electronics
• Electric Power Generation • Electronics Corporation
Security & Surveillance
• Honeywell Automation of India
• Micro Technologies India
India • Opto Circuits (India)
• Mitsubishi Electric India • Autocop (India)
EMS
• Omron Automation • Zicom Electronic Security
• Centum Electronics
Systems
• Precision Automation & • Digital Circuits
Test & Measurement
• Robotics India • Dixon Technologies
• Agilent Technologies
• Schneider Electric (India)
India
• Infrastructure • Elin Electronics
• Rohde & Schwarz India
• Siemens • Flextronics
• Rishabh Instruments
• Yokogawa India Technologies (India)
Semiconductor
Battery • Jabil Circuit India
• Applied Materials India
• Amara Raja Batteries • Kaynes Technology
• Continental Device India
• Base Corporation India
• Freescale Semiconductor
• Eveready Industries India • PG Electroplast
India
• Exide Industries • Quad Electronics
• NXP Semiconductors
• HBL Power Systems Solutions
India
• Indo National • SFO Technologies
• Qualcomm India
• Okaya Power • SGS Tekniks Solar
• Panasonic Energy India Manufacturing
• Emmvee
Company Lighting
• Lanco Solar Energy
• Southern Batteries • Crompton Greaves
• Moser Baer India
• Tudor India • MIC Electronics
• Photon Energy Systems
Cable • NTL Electronics India
• Surana Ventures
• Aksh Optifibre • Phoenix Lamps
• Swelect Energy Systems
• Finolex Cables • Surya Roshni
• Tata Power Solar Systems
• MP Birla Group (Cables) PCB
• Waaree Energies
• Shilpi Cable Technologies • AT&S India
• Websol Energy Systems
Component • Epitome Components
Telecom Hardware
• Avnet Technology • Genus Electrotech
• Beetel Teletech
Solutions (India) • Shogini Technoarts
• Himachal Futuristic
• Elektronika Sales Power Electronics
Communications
• Epcos India • Delta India Electronics
• ITI
• JCT Electronics • EMCO
• Kavveri Telecom Products
• Ramakrishna Electro • Emerson Network
• Shyam Telecom
• Components Power
• Sterlite Technologies
• Vishay Components India • Genus Power
Infrastructures • ZT
Connector
• Amphenol Interconnect • Hind Rectifiers
India • Microtek International
• FCI OEN Connectors • Su-Kam Power Systems
• Molex (India) • Uniline Energy Systems
• Phoenix Contact India • V-Guard Industries
Prepared By : Dr. K.Murugesan, Professor; Supported By : Dr. K.N.Srinivas, Prof. & Head, EEE, SRMIST

SRMIST, Ramapuram, Call Toll-Free Number : 1800 102 1525