CHAPTER 2

Nodal Analysis and Mesh

Analysis
 METHODS OF ANALYSIS
• Introduction
• Nodal analysis
• Nodal analysis with voltage source
• Mesh analysis
• Mesh analysis with current source
• Nodal and mesh analyses by inspection
• Nodal versus mesh analysis

2
 STEPS OF NODAL ANALYSIS
1. Choose a reference (ground) node.
2. Assign node voltages to the other nodes.
3. Apply KCL to each node other than the reference
node; express currents in terms of node voltages.
4. Solve the resulting system of linear equations for the
nodal voltages.

3
 1.CHOOSE A REFERENCE (GROUND) NODE.

Common symbols for indicating a reference node,

(a) common ground, (b) ground, (c) chassis.

4
 1. REFERENCE NODE

500W 500W

I1 V 1kW 500W I2
500W
–

The reference node is called the ground node where V =

0

5
2. NODE VOLTAGES

500W 500W
V1 V2 V3
1 2 3
I1 1kW 500W I2
500W

V1, V2, and V3 are unknowns for which we solve using

KCL

6
CURRENTS AND NODE
VOLTAGES

V1 500W V2 V1
V1
500
500W
V1  V2
500

7
 3. KCL AT NODE 1

V1 500W V2

I1 V1  V2 V1
500W I1  
500 500

8
3. KCL AT NODE 2

V1 500W V2 500W V3

1kW

V2  V1 V2 V2  V3
  0
500 1k 500

9
3. KCL AT NODE 3

V2 500W V3

V3  V2 V3
500W I2   I2
500 500

10
4. SUMMING CIRCUIT SOLUTION

500W 500W

I1 V 1kW 500W I2
500W
–

Solution: V = 167I1 + 167I2

11
TYPICAL CIRCUIT FOR NODAL ANALYSIS

12
 NODAL ANALYSIS
I1  I 2  i1  i2
I 2  i2  i3
vhigher  vlower
i
R
v1  0
i1  or i1  G1v1
R1
v1  v2
i2  or i2  G2 (v1  v2 )
R2
v2  0
i3  or i3  G3v2
R3
13
NODAL ANALYSIS
v1 v1  v2
 I1  I 2  
R1 R2
v1  v2 v2
I2  
R2 R3
 I1  I 2  G1v1  G2 (v1  v2 )
I 2  G2 (v1  v2 )  G3v2

 G1  G2  G2   v1   I1  I 2 
 
  G2 G2  G3  v2   I 2 

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 EXAMPLE

• Calculate the node voltage in the circuit shown in

Fig.

15
SOLUTION

• At node 1

i1  i2  i3
v1  v2 v1  0
5 
4 2

16
SOLUTION

• At node 2

i2  i4  i1  i5
v2  v1 v2  0
5 
4 6

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SOLUTION

• In matrix form:

1 1 1 

2 4    v  5
4 1
 
 1   
1 1 v2  5
   
 4 6 4

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 EXAMPLE
• Determine the voltage at the nodes in Fig. below

19
SOLUTION
• At node 1,

3  i1  ix
v1  v3 v1  v2
3 
4 2

20
 SOLUTION
• At node 2

ix  i2  i3
v1  v2 v2  v3 v2  0
  
2 8 4

21
 SOLUTION
• At node 3

i1  i2  2ix
v1  v3 v2  v3 2(v1  v2 )
  
4 8 2

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SOLUTION
• In matrix form:

 3 1 1
 4   
2 4  v1  3
 1 7 1    
   v2   0 
 2 8 8
 3 9 3  v3  0

 4 8 8 

23
 NODAL ANALYSIS WITH VOLTAGE SOURCES

• Case 1: The voltage source is connected between a

nonreference node and the reference node: The
nonreference node voltage is equal to the magnitude
of voltage source and the number of unknown
nonreference nodes is reduced by one.
• Case 2: The voltage source is connected between
two nonreferenced nodes: a generalized node
(supernode) is formed.

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 3.3 NODAL ANALYSIS WITH VOLTAGE SOURCES

A circuit with a supernode.

i1  i4  i2  i3 
v1  v2 v1  v3 v2  0 v3  0
  
2 4 8 6
 v2  v3  5

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SUPERMODE
• A supernode is formed by enclosing a (dependent or
independent) voltage source connected between two
nonreference nodes and any elements connected in
parallel with it.
• The required two equations for regulating the two
nonreference node voltages are obtained by the
KCL of the supernode and the relationship of node
voltages due to the voltage source.

26
 EXAMPLE
• For the circuit shown in Fig., find the node
voltages.

2  7  i1  i 2  0
v1 v2
27   0
2 4
v1  v2  2

i1 i2

27 /
EXAMPLE
Find the node voltages in the circuit below.

28
 SOLUTION
• At suopernode 1-2,

v3  v2 v1  v4 v1
 10  
6 3 2
v1  v2  20

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 SOLUTION
• At supernode 3-4,

v1  v4 v3  v2 v4 v3
  
3 6 1 4
v3  v4  3(v1  v4 )

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MESH ANALYSIS
• Mesh analysis: another procedure for analyzing
circuits, applicable to planar circuit.
• A Mesh is a loop which does not contain any other
loops within it

31
MESH ANALYSIS

(a) A Planar circuit with crossing branches,

(b) The same circuit redrawn with no crossing branches.

32
MESH ANALYSIS
A nonplanar circuit.

33
MESH ANALYSIS
• Steps to Determine Mesh Currents:
1. Assign mesh currents i1, i2, .., in to the n
meshes.
2. Apply KVL to each of the n meshes. Use
Ohm’s law to express the voltages in terms of
the mesh currents.
3. Solve the resulting n simultaneous equations to
get the mesh currents.

34
MESH ANALYSIS
A circuit with two meshes.

35
MESH ANALYSIS
• Apply KVL to each mesh. For mesh 1,
 V1  R1i1  R3 (i1  i2 )  0
( R1  R3 )i1  R3i2  V1
• For mesh 2,

R2i2  V2  R3 (i2  i1 )  0
 R3i1  ( R2  R3 )i2  V2

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MESH ANALYSIS
• Solve for the mesh currents.

 R1  R3  R3   i1   V1 

  R3 R2  R3  i2   V2 

• Use i for a mesh current and I for a branch current.

It’s evident from Fig. 3.17 that

I1  i1 , I 2  i2 , I 3  i1  i2

37
EXAMPLE
• Find the branch current I1, I2, and I3 using mesh
analysis.

38
SOLUTION
• For mesh 1,

 15  5i1  10(i1  i2 )  10  0
3i1  2i2  1
• For mesh 2,
6i2  4i2  10(i2  i1 )  10  0
i1  2i2  1
• We can find i1 and i2 by substitution method or
Cramer’s rule. Then,I  i , I  i , I  i  i
1 1 2 2 3 1 2

39
EXAMPLE
• Use mesh analysis to find the current I0 in the circuit.

40
SOLUTION
• Apply KVL to each mesh. For mesh 1,
 24  10(i1  i2 )  12(i1  i3 )  0
11i1  5i2  6i3  12
• For mesh 2,

24i2  4(i2  i3 )  10(i2  i1 )  0

 5i1  19i2  2i3  0

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 SOLUTION
• For mesh 3, 4 I 0  12(i3  i1 )  4(i3  i2 )  0
At node A, I 0  I1  i2 ,
4(i1  i2 )  12(i3  i1 )  4(i3  i2 )  0
 i1  i2  2i3  0
• In matrix from become
 11  5  6  i1  12
 5 19  2 i2    0 
  1  1 2  i   0 
  3   
we can calculus i1, i2 and i3 by Cramer’s rule, and find
I0.

42
MESH ANALYSIS WITH
CURRENT SOURCES
A circuit with a current source.

43
MESH ANALYSIS WITH
CURRENT SOURCES
• Case 1
– Current source exist only in one mesh

i1   2 A

– One mesh variable is reduced

• Case 2
– Current source exists between two meshes, a super-mesh
is obtained.

44
MESH ANALYSIS WITH
CURRENT SOURCES
• a supermesh results when two meshes have a
(dependent , independent) current source in
common.

45
 NODAL AND MESH ANALYSIS BY
INSPECTION
The analysis equations can be
obtained by direct inspection

(a)For circuits with only resistors

and independent current sources
(b)For planar circuits with only
resistors and independent voltage
sources

46
 NODAL AND MESH ANALYSIS BY
INSPECTION
• the circuit has two nonreference nodes and the node
equations

I1  I 2  G1v1  G2 (v1  v2 ) (3.7)

I 2  G2 (v1  v2 )  G3v2 (3.8)
 MATRIX
G1  G2  G2   v1   I1  I 2 

  G2 G2  G3  v2   I 2 

47
NODAL AND MESH ANALYSIS
BY INSPECTION
• In general, the node voltage equations in terms of
the conductances is

or simply
G11 G12  G1N  v1  i1 
G G  G  v  i 
Gv = i  21 22 2N
 2    2 
         
G G  G  v  i 
 N1 N 2 NN   N   N
where G : the conductance matrix,
v : the output vector, i : the input vector
48
NODAL AND MESH ANALYSIS
BY INSPECTION
• The circuit has two nonreference nodes and the
node equations were derived as

 R1  R3  R3   i1   v1 

  R3 R2  R3  i2   v2 

49
NODAL AND MESH ANALYSIS
BY INSPECTION
• In general, if the circuit has N meshes, the mesh-
current equations as the resistances term is

 R11 R12  R1N  i1  v1 

or simply  R R  R  i  v 
 21 22 2N
 2    2 
Rv = i           
 R R  R  i  v 
 N1 N 2 NN   N   N
where R : the resistance matrix,
i : the output vector, v : the input vector
50
EXAMPLE
• Write the node voltage matrix equations

51
SOLUTION
• The circuit has 4 nonreference nodes, so
1 1 1 1 1
G11    0.3, G22     1.325
5 10 5 8 1
1 1 1 1 1 1
G33     0.5, G44     1.625
8 8 4 8 2 1
• The off-diagonal terms are
1
G12    0.2, G13  G14  0
5
1 1
G21  0.2, G23    0.125, G24    1
8 1
G31  0, G32  0.125, G34  0.125
G41  0, G42  1, G43  0.125
52
SOLUTION
• The input current vector i in amperes
i1  3, i2  1  2  3, i3  0, i4  2  4  6
• The node-voltage equations are

 0.3  0.2 0 0  v1   3 

 0.2 1.325  0.125  1  v    3 
  2    
 0  0.125 0.5  0.125  v3   0
 0 1  0.125 1 .625   v   6
  4   

53
EXAMPLE
• Write the mesh current equations

54
SOLUTION
• The input voltage vector v in volts
v1  4, v2  10  4  6,
v3  12  6  6, v4  0, v5  6
• The mesh-current equations are
 9  2  2 0 0  i1 
 2     4 
10  4  1  1 i2
    6 
 2  4 9 0 0  i3    6
 0     
1 0 8  3 i4  0
    6
 0 1 0  3 4  i5   
55
NODAL VERSUS MESH ANALYSIS
• Both nodal and mesh analyses provide a systematic
way of analyzing a complex network.
• The choice of the better method dictated by two
factors.
– First factor : nature of the particular network. The key is
to select the method that results in the smaller number of
equations.
– Second factor : information required.

56
SUMMERY
1. Nodal analysis: the application of KCL at the
nonreference nodes
– A circuit has fewer node equations
2. A supernode: two nonreference nodes
3. Mesh analysis: the application of KVL
– A circuit has fewer mesh equations
4. A supermesh: two meshes

57