Basic Laws of Electric Circuits

Mesh Analysis

Lesson 7

Basic Circuits
Mesh Analysis: Basic Concepts:

In formulating mesh analysis we assign a mesh

current to each mesh.

Mesh currents are sort of fictitious in that a particular

mesh current does not define the current in each branch
of the mesh to which it is assigned.

I1

I2

I3

Basic Circuits
Mesh Analysis: Basic Concepts:
+

+
_

I1

L 1

+
x

I2

Figure 7.2: A circuit for illustrating mesh analysis.

Around mesh 1:

V1 VL1 V A

where V1 I1 R1 ; VL1 I1 I 2 RX
so, ( R1 RX ) I1 RX I 2 V A

Eq 7.1

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: Basic Concepts:

+

I1

L 1

+
x

I2

Around mesh 2 we have

V L1 V2 V B
with; V L1 ( I 2 I 1 ) R X ; V2 I 2 R2

Eq 7.2
Eq 7.3

Substituti ng Eq 7.3 in 7.2 gives,

R X I 1 ( R X R2 ) I 2 V B
or

R X I 1 ( R X R2 ) I 2 V B

Eq 7.4

Basic Circuits
Mesh Analysis: Basic Concepts:
We are left with 2 equations: From (7.1) and (7.4)
we have,

( R1 RX ) I1 RX I 2 V A

Eq 7.5

RX I1 ( RX R2 ) I 2 VB

Eq 7.6

We can easily solve these equations for I1 and I2.

Basic Circuits
Mesh Analysis: Basic Concepts:
The previous equations can be written in matrix form as:

RX
( R1 RX )
R

( RX R2
X

I1
VA
I V
B
2

Eq (7.7)

or
RX
I1
( R1 RX )
I R

( RX R2
X
2

VA
V
B

Eq (7.8)

Basic Circuits
Mesh Analysis: Example 7.1.
Write the mesh equations and solve for the currents I 1, and I2.
4

10V

+
_

I1

2
7

6
2V

+
_

I2

_
+

20V

Figure 7.2: Circuit for Example 7.1.

Mesh 1
Mesh 2

4I1 + 6(I1 I2) = 10 - 2

6(I2 I1) + 2I2 + 7I2 = 2 + 20

Eq (7.9)
Eq (7.10)

Basic Circuits
Mesh Analysis: Example 7.1, continued.
Simplifying Eq (7.9) and (7.10) gives,
10I1 6I2 = 8

Eq (7.11)

-6I1 + 15I2 = 22

Eq (7.12)

% A MATLAB Solution

R = [10 -6;-6 15];

V = [8;22];

I = inv(R)*V
I=
2.2105
2.3509

I1 = 2.2105
I2 = 2.3509

Basic Circuits
Mesh Analysis: Example 7.2
Solve for the mesh currents in the circuit below.
12V

_
_ +

10

I3

6
20V

8V
+ _

11
4

+
__

I1

_
+

10V

I2

Figure 7.3: Circuit for Example 7.2.

The plan: Write KVL, clockwise, for each mesh. Look for a
pattern in the final equations.

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: Example 7.2

12V

_
_ +

10

I3

6
20V

8V
+ _

11
4

+
__

I1

_
+

10V

I2

Mesh 1:

6I1 + 10(I1 I3) + 4(I1 I2) = 20 + 10

Eq (7.13)

Mesh 2:

4(I2 I1) + 11(I2 I3) + 3I2 = - 10 - 8

Eq (7.14)

Mesh 3:

9I3 + 11(I3 I2) + 10(I3 I1) = 12 + 8

Eq (7.15)

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: Example 7.2

Clearing Equations (7.13), (7.14) and (7.15) gives,

Standard Equation form
20I1 4I2 10I3 = 30
-4I1 + 18I2 11I3 = -18
-10I1 11I2 + 30I3 = 20

In matrix form:

4 10 I 1
20
30
4 18 11 I 18

10 11 30 I 3
20

WE NOW MAKE AN IMPORTANT

OBSERVATION!!

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: Standard form for mesh equations

Consider the following:

R11
R
21
R31

R12
R22
R32

R13
R23
R33

I1
emfs (1)
I emfs ( 2)
2

I 3
emfs ( 3)

R11 = of resistance around mesh 1, common to mesh 1 current I1.

R22 = of resistance around mesh 2, common to mesh 2 current I2.
R33 = of resistance around mesh 3, common to mesh 3 current I3.

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: Standard form for mesh equations

R12 = R21 = - resistance common between mesh 1 and 2
when I1 and I2 are opposite through R1,R2.
R13 = R31 = - resistance common between mesh 1 and 3
when I1 and I3 are opposite through R1,R3.
R23 = R32 = - resistance common between mesh 2 and 3
when I2 and I3 are opposite through R2,R3.
emfs (1) = sum of emf around mesh 1 in the direction of I1.
emfs ( 2) = sum of emf around mesh 2 in the direction of I2.
emfs ( 3) = sum of emf around mesh 3 in the direction of I3.

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: Example 7.3 - Direct method.

Use the direct method to write the mesh equations for the following.
20

20V

30

I1

I2
+
_

10V

10

+
_

12

15V
10

I3

_
+

30V

Figure 7.4: Circuit diagram for Example 7.3.

0
30 10
10 50 10

10

I1
10
I 25
2

15
30 I 3

Eq (7.13)

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: With current sources in the circuit

Example 7.4: Consider the following:
20V
_ +

I3

10

10V

+
_

I1

20

I2

4A

15

Figure 7.5: Circuit diagram for Example 7.4.

Use the direct method to write the mesh equations.

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: With current sources in the circuit

This case is explained by using an example.
Example 7.4: Find the three mesh currents in the circuit below.
20V
_ +

I3

10

10V

+
_

I1

20

I2

4A

15

Figure 7.5: Circuit for Example 7.4.

When a current source is present, it will be directly related to
one or more of the mesh current. In this case I 2 = -4A.

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: With current sources in the circuit

Example 7.4: Continued. An easy way to handle this case is to
remove the current source as shown below. Next, write the mesh
equations for the remaining meshes.
20V
_ +

I3

10

10V

+
_

I1

20

I2
15

Note that I 2 is retained for writing the equations through the

5 and 20 resistors.

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: With current sources in the circuit

Example 7.4: Continued.
20V
_ +

I3

10

10V

+
_

20

Equation for mesh 1:

10I1 + (I1-I2)5 = 10

I1

I2
15

Equations for mesh 2:

2I3 + (I3-I2)20 = 20
or
- 20I2 + 22I3 = 20

or
15I1 5I2 = 10
Constraint Equation
I2 = - 4A

Basic Circuits

Mesh Analysis: With current sources in the circuit

Example 7.4: Continued. Express the previous equations in
Matrix form:

15 5 0 I1 10
0 20 22 I 20

2
0
1
0 I 3 4
I1 = -0.667 A
I2 = - 4 A
I3 = - 2.73 A

circuits

End of Lesson 7
Mesh Analysis