1

Source of Electrical Energy

There are two types of sources of electrical energy-
 Ideal Voltage Source
 Ideal Current Source

Ideal Voltage Source

An ideal voltage source is a two terminal element which maintains a terminal voltage
regardless of the value of the current through its terminals. An ideal voltage source
can maintain the fixed voltage independent of the load resistance. The internal
resistance of an ideal voltage source is equal to zero.

Although ideal sources do not exist in reality so in a practical voltage source the voltage
across the terminals of the source keeps falling as the current through it increases. This
behavior can be explained by putting a resistance in series with an ideal voltage source
as shown in figure below.

Then the terminal voltage V as V = v(t) – i R Examples of voltage sources – Batteries

and Electrical Generators are normally used as voltage sources.

Ideal Current Source

An ideal current source is a two terminal element which maintains a current flowing
through its terminals regardless of the value of the terminal voltage. The internal
resistance of ideal current source is infinite.
 2

In a practical current source the current through the source decreases as the voltage
across it increases, this behavior can be explained by putting a resistance in parallel with
the terminals of the current source as shown in the figure.

Then the terminal current is given by

I=i(t)-V/R

Examples of current sources- Most of the semiconductor devices like transistor etc. are
treated as current sources.
 3

Dependent Energy Sources

The two types of sources that we have discussed up to now are called independent
sources because the value of the source quantity is not affected in any way by activities
in the remainder of the circuit. In dependent sources the source quantity is determined
by a voltage or current existing some other location.

Electrical Source Transformation

A current source is dual form of a voltage source and a voltage source is dual form of a
current source. A voltage source can be converted into equivqlent current source and a
current source can also be converted into equivalent voltage source. We can understand
the conversion process as
 4

Voltage Source to Current Source Conversion

Assume a voltage source with terminal voltage V and the internal resistance r. Now
according to the Ohm’s law current through the source can be calculated as
I=V/r

This current is supplied by the equivalent current source and same resistance r will be
connected across the source. Voltage source to current source conversion is shown in
the following figure

Current Source to Voltage Source Conversion

Similarly assume a current source with value I and internal resistance r. Now according
to the Ohm’s law the voltage across the source can be calculated as
V=Ir