Presentation on

Significance of Maximum
Power Transfer Theorem in
Engineering Fields

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 Outline

Introduction
MPTT Statement
Proof of MPTT
Example of Maximum Power Transfer
Efficiency of Maximum Power Transfer
Applications of MPTT

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 Introduction
o In any electric circuit, the electrical energy from the
supply is delivered to the load where it is converted into
a useful work.
o Practically, the entire supplied power will not present at
load due to the heating effect and other constraints in the
network.
o Therefore, there exist a certain difference between
drawing and delivering powers.
o The load size always affects the amount of power
transferred from the supply source, i.e., any change in
the load resistance results to change in power transfer to
the load. Thus, the maximum power transfer theorem
ensures the condition to transfer the maximum power to
the load.

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 MPTT Statement
In DC circuits, we can represent the load with a resistor
having resistance of RL ohms. Similarly, in AC circuits,
we can represent it with a complex load having an
impedance of ZL ohms.

Maximum power transfer theorem states that the DC

voltage source will deliver maximum power to the
variable load resistor only when the load resistance is
equal to the source resistance.
Similarly, Maximum power transfer theorem states that
the AC voltage source will deliver maximum power to the
variable complex load only when the load impedance is
equal to the complex conjugate of source impedance.

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 Proof of MPTT
The maximum power transfer theorem ensures the value of the load resistance, at which
the maximum power is transferred to the load. Consider the below DC two terminal
network (left side circuit), to which the condition for maximum power is determined, by
obtaining the expression of power absorbed by load with use of mesh or nodal current
methods and then derivating the resulting expression with respect to load resistance RL.
But this is quite a complex procedure. But, the complex part of the network can be
replaced with its Thevenin equivalent as shown below.

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 Proof of MPTT (cont.)
The original two terminal circuit is replaced with
a Thevenin's equivalent circuit across the variable
load resistance. The current through the load for
any value of load resistance is,

Form the above expression the power delivered

depends on the values of RTH and RL.

Therefore, this is the condition of matching the

load where the maximum power transfer occurs
when the load resistance is equal to the
Thevenin's resistance of the circuit.

By substituting the Rth = RL, we get the

maximum power delivered to the load is,

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 Example
Find the maximum power that can be delivered to
the load resistor RL of the circuit shown in the
following figure.

Step 1 − Covert to Thevenin equivalent.

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 Example (cont.)
Step 2 − Replace the part of the circuit, which is left side of terminals A & B of the given circuit with the above
Thevenin’s equivalent circuit. The resultant circuit diagram is shown in the following figure.

Step 3 − We can find the maximum power that will be delivered to the load resistor, RL by using the following
formula.

Therefore, the maximum power that will be delivered to the load resistor RL of the given circuit is 250/3 W.

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 Efficiency of Maximum Power Transfer
Total power transferred from source is:
PT = IL2 * (RTH + RL)
PT = 2 * IL2 RL
Therefore, the efficiency under the condition of maximum power transfer is:
Efficiency = (Output / Input)
= IL2 RL / 2 IL2 RL
= 50 %

The power delivered is zero when the load resistance is zero as there is no voltage drop across the load during
this condition. Also, the power will be maximum, when the load resistance is equal to the internal resistance of
the circuit (or Thevenin’s equivalent resistance). Again, the power is zero as the load resistance reaches to
infinity as there is no current flow through the load.
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 Applications of MPTT

 It’s used in solar cell applications, adjusting the electrical load on the cell to obtain
maximum output power.
 In radio communication, to transmit energy from transmitter into the antenna
efficiently.
 In car engines, the power delivered to the starter motor of the car will depend upon the
effective resistance of the motor and the internal resistance of the battery. If the two
resistances are equal, maximum power will be transferred to the motor to turn to the
engine.
 It also helps in making a circuit having maximum power dissipation correctly at the
load resistance.

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 Applications of MPTT (cont.)
Consider the practical example of a speaker with an impedance of 8 ohms is driven by
audio amplifier with its internal impedance of 500 ohms. Thevenin's equivalent circuit is
also shown in figure.

According to the maximum power transfer theorem, the power is maximized at the load
if the load impedance is 500 ohms (same as internal impedance). Or else internal
resistance has to be changed to 8 ohms to achieve the condition however it is not
possible. So it is an impedance mismatch condition and it can be overcome by using an
impedance matching transformer with its impedance transformation ratio of 500:8.
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Thank You

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