Introduction

Mesh and nodal analysis are two important techniques which are useful to find solution in a network. The suitability
of either mesh or node analysis to a particular problem mainly depends on the number of voltage sources or current
sources. If a network has large number of voltage source, it is useful to use mesh analysis; if on the other hand, if the
network has more current sources, nodal analysis is the useful method.

Mesh Analysis

Mesh analysis is applied to the most of the networks. Unfortunately, it is applicable only for planner networks. For
non-planner circuit mesh analysis is not applicable. A circuit is said to be planner, if it can be drawn on a plane
surface without crossover. A non-planner circuit cannot be drawn on a plane surface without a crossover.

Fig. a. is planner circuit. Fig. b. is a non-planner circuit and fig. c. is a planner circuit which looks like a non-planner
circuit. Mesh is a defined as a loop (which is a closed path) which does not contain any other loop within it. To apply
mesh analysis

(i) To check whether the circuit is planner or not.

(ii) To select mesh currents.
(iii) Writing the KVL equation in terms of unknowns and solving them leads to final solution.
 Applying KVL in mesh abefa : 𝑉 = 𝐼 𝑅 + 𝑅 (𝐼 − 𝐼 )

Mesh bcdeb: 𝑅 (𝐼 − 𝐼 ) + 𝑅 𝐼 + 𝑅 𝐼 = 0

Rearranging the above equation:

𝐼 (𝑅 + 𝑅 ) − 𝐼 𝑅 = 𝑉

𝐼 𝑅 − 𝐼 (𝑅 + 𝑅 + 𝑅 ) = 0

Example: Find the loop currents of the network shown below.

Solution: We can write the loop equation as follows:

10𝐼 + 5(𝐼 + 𝐼 ) + 3(𝐼 − 𝐼 ) = 50

2𝐼 + 5(𝐼 + 𝐼 ) + 1(𝐼 + 𝐼 ) = 10

3(𝐼 − 𝐼 ) + 1(𝐼 + 𝐼 ) = −5
Rearranging the above equations, we get

18𝐼 + 5𝐼 − 3𝐼 = 50 (1)

5𝐼 + 8𝐼 + 𝐼 = 10 (2)

−3𝐼 + 𝐼 + 4𝐼 = −5 (3)

Writing in matrix form,

18 5 −3 𝐼 50
5 8 1 𝐼 = 10
−3 1 4 𝐼 −5

According to crammer’s rule,

50 5 −3
10 8 1
𝐼 =
−5 1 4 =
1175
= 3.3 𝐴
18 5 −3 356
5 8 1
−3 1 4
Similarly,

18 50 −3
5 10 1
𝐼 =
−3 −5 4 =−
355
= −0.997𝐴
18 5 −3 356
5 8 1
−3 1 4

18 5 50
5 8 10
𝐼 =
−3 1 −5 =
525
= 1.47𝐴
18 5 −3 356
5 8 1
−3 1 4
∴ 𝐼 = 3.3 𝐴 𝐼 = −0.997𝐴 𝐼 = 1.47 𝐴
Mesh equation by inspection method

The loop equations are

𝐼 𝑅 + 𝑅 (𝐼 − 𝐼 ) = 𝑉 (1)

𝑅 (𝐼 − 𝐼 ) + 𝐼 𝑅 = −𝑉 (2)

𝑅 𝐼 +𝑅 𝐼 =𝑉 (3)

Rearranging the above equation,

𝐼 (𝑅 + 𝑅 ) − 𝐼 𝑅 = 𝑉 (4)

−𝐼 𝑅 + 𝐼 (𝑅 + 𝑅 ) = −𝑉 (5)

𝐼 (𝑅 + 𝑅 ) = 𝑉 (6)

The general mesh equation for three mesh resistive network can be written as-

𝐼𝑅 ±𝐼 𝑅 ±𝐼 𝑅 =𝑉 (7)

±𝐼 𝑅 +𝐼 𝑅 ±𝐼 𝑅 =𝑉 (8)

±𝐼 𝑅 ±𝐼 𝑅 +𝐼 𝑅 =𝑉 (9)

By comparing the equations 4,5,6 with 7,8,9 respectively, the following observations can be taken into account.

1. The self-resistances in each mesh.

2. The mutual resistances between all pair of meshes and
3. the algebraic sum of the voltages in each mesh.
The self-resistance of loop 1, 𝑅 = 𝑅 + 𝑅 is the sum of the resistances through which 𝐼 passes.

The mutual resistance of loop 1, 𝑅 = −𝑅 is the sum of the resistances common to the loop currents𝐼 &𝐼 . If the
direction of currents passing through the common resistance is same, the mutual resistance will have +ve sign and
vice versa.

𝑉 = 𝑉 is the voltage which drives the loop 1. Here the positive sign is used. If the direction of current is same as the
direction of the source sign will be positive and vice versa.

Similarly, 𝑅 = (𝑅 + 𝑅 ) and 𝑅 = 𝑅 + 𝑅 are self-resistances of loop 2 and 3 respectively. Mutual resistances

𝑅 = 0, 𝑅 = −𝑅 , 𝑅 = 0, 𝑅 = 0, 𝑅 = 0 are the sum of the resistances common to the mesh currents
indicated in their subscripts

𝑉 = −𝑉 , 𝑉 = 𝑉 are the sum of the voltages driving their respective loops.

Nodal Analysis

A N-node circuit will require (N-1) unknowns voltages and (N-1) equations. For example, a 10 node circuit requires
9 equations. Each node in circuit can be assigned a number or a letter. The node voltage is the voltage of a given node
with respect to one particular node, called the reference node which assumed at zero potential.

In the above circuit, node-3 is assumed as the reference node. The voltages at node 1&2 (𝑉 &𝑉 ) are voltages at that
node with respect to node-3.
Applying KCL at node 1 in fig. b 𝐼 = +

Similarly at node-2 in fig. c + + =0

Rearranging the above equations,

1 1 1
𝑉 + −𝑉 =𝐼
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅

1 1 1 1
−𝑉 +𝑉 + + =0
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 +𝑅

Example: Write the node voltage equations and determine the currents in each branch for network shown below.
Solution:

Applying KCL at node-1

𝑉 𝑉 −𝑉
+ =5
10 3

1 1 𝑉
𝑉 + − =5 (1)
10 3 3

Applying KCL at node-2

𝑉 −𝑉 𝑉 𝑉 − 10
+ + =0
3 5 1

𝑉 1 1
− +𝑉 + + 1 = 10 (2)
3 3 5

Solving equation (1) & (2)

𝑉 = 19.85 𝑉; 𝑉 = 10.9 𝑉

𝑉 𝑉 −𝑉 19.85 − 10.9
∴ 𝐼 = = 1.985 𝐴 ; 𝐼 = = = 2.98 𝐴
10 3 3

𝑉 10.9 𝑉 − 10
𝐼 = = = 2.18 𝐴; 𝐼 = = 0.9 𝐴
5 5 1
Nodal Equations by Inspection Method

The equations for a general planner network can also be written by inspection, without going through detailed steps.
Consider a three node resistive network, including the reference node as shown in fig. d.

In fig.d, the points a and b are the actual nodes and c is the reference node.

In fig. e according to KCL,

𝐼 +𝐼 +𝐼 =0

𝑉 −𝑉 𝑉 𝑉 −𝑉
+ + =0 (1)
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅

In fig. e according to KCL,

𝐼 +𝐼 =𝐼
𝑉 −𝑉 𝑉 𝑉 −𝑉
+ + =0 (2)
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅
Rearranging the equations (1) & (2),
1 1 1 1 1
+ + 𝑉 − 𝑉 = 𝑉 (3)
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅
 1 1 1 1 1
− 𝑉 + + + 𝑉 = 𝑉 (4)
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅
In general, above equations can be written as

𝐺 𝑉 +𝐺 𝑉 =𝐼 (5)

𝐺 𝑉 +𝐺 𝑉 =𝐼 (6)
By comparing equations (3),(4) and (5),(6)
1 1 1
𝐺 = + + = 𝑆𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝑎
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅
1 1 1
𝐺 = + + = 𝑆𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝑏
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅
1
𝐺 =− = 𝑆𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏
𝑅
1
𝐺 =− = 𝑆𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝑏 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎
𝑅
Here all the mutual conductances have –ve sign. 𝐼 &𝐼 are the sum of the source currents at node a and node b,
respectively. The current which drives into the node has the sign and vice versa.
Example: For the circuit below, write the node equations by the inspection method.

Solution: General equations are

𝐺 𝑉 +𝐺 𝑉 =𝐼 (1)

𝐺 𝑉 +𝐺 𝑉 =𝐼 (2)
Considering equations (1) & (2)
1 1 11
𝐺 = 1 + + 𝑚ℎ𝑜 = 𝑚ℎ𝑜 = 1.83 𝑚ℎ𝑜
2 3 6
1 1 1 31
𝐺 = + + 𝑚ℎ𝑜 = 𝑚ℎ𝑜 = 1.03 𝑚ℎ𝑜
2 5 3 30
1
𝐺 =− 𝑚ℎ𝑜 = −0.33 𝑚ℎ𝑜
3
1
𝐺 =− 𝑚ℎ𝑜 = −0.33 𝑚ℎ𝑜
3
10
𝐼 = = 10 𝐴
1
2 5
𝐼 = + = 1.23 𝐴
5 6
∴ Nodal equations are

1.83𝑉 − 0.33𝑉 = 10

−0.33𝑉 + 1.03𝑉 = 1.23