Lesson 10: Thevenin’s Theorem

and Max Power Transfer

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 Learning Objectives
• State and explain Thèvenin's theorem.
• List the procedure for determining the Thèvenin equivalence
of an actual circuit from the standpoint of two terminals.
• Apply Thèvenin's Theorem to simplify a circuit for analysis.
• Analyze complex series-parallel circuits using Thèvenin's
theorem.
• Apply the Maximum Power Transfer theorem to solve
appropriate problems.

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 Thévenin’s Theorem

• Thévenin’s theorem greatly simplifies analysis of

complex circuits by allowing us to replace all of the
elements with a combination of just one voltage
source and one resistor.
• Thévenin’s theorem provides a simplified circuit that
provides the same response (voltage and current) at
the load terminals.
− This allows the response to be easily determined for
various load values.

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 Thévenin’s Theorem
• Any complex two-terminal circuit can be replaced by an
equivalent circuit consisting of a voltage source VTh and a
series resistor RTh.

Original Circuit Thévenin Equivalent Circuit

• The Thévenin equivalent circuit provides an equivalence at the

terminals only.
− The internal construction and characteristics of the original network
and the Thévenin equivalent are usually quite different.
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 Thévenin’s Theorem

• ETh is the open circuit voltage at the terminals.

• RTh is the input or equivalent resistance at the
terminals when the sources are turned off.

Original Circuit Thévenin Equivalent Circuit

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 Thévenin’s Theorem

5 Steps:
1. Remove the load and
2. Label the terminals a and b.
3. Solve for RTH by setting all sources to zero.
4. Solve for VTH by returning all sources to their
original position and finding the open-circuit
voltage between a and b.
5. Draw the new equivalent circuit.

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 Thévenin’s Theorem
Steps 1 & 2
Convert to a Thévenin circuit:
1. Identify and remove the load from the circuit.
2. Label the resulting open terminals.

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 Thévenin’s Theorem
Step 3
3. Solve for RTH and isolate the resistance from the
source.
Set all sources to zero:
 Replace voltage sources with shorts.
 Replace current sources with opens.

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 Zeroing Sources

3. “Zeroing” a source means setting its value equal to

zero.
• Voltage sources – 0 V is equivalent to a short-circuit.
• Current sources – 0 A is equivalent to a open-circuit.

Voltage Sources Become Current Sources Become

Short-Circuits Open-Circuits

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 Thévenin’s Theorem
Step 3
• With the load disconnected, turn off all source.
• RTh is the equivalent resistance looking into the
“dead” circuit through terminals a-b.

Rth

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 Thévenin’s Theorem
Step 3
3. Set all sources to zero, and calculate RTh .
1
 1 1 
RTH  Rab      31
 80  60 40 

Remember,
calculate RTH from
the a and b
perspective!

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 Thévenin’s Theorem
Step 4
4. Solve for VTH and then, as needed:
• Calculate the voltage (VLD) across the RLD.
• Calculate the current (ILD) through RLD.
(VDR)  ETH  VTH  Vab  V40 
R 40
VTH  E * 40  20V *  4.44V
RT 40  80  60

RLD
VLD  ETh
RTh  RLD

ETh
I LD 
RTh  RLD

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 Thévenin’s Theorem
Step 5
5. REDRAW the circuit showing the Thèvenin
equivalents (VTH and RTH) with the load installed.

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 Applying Thévenin Equivalent
• Repetitive solutions for various load resistances now
becomes easy with the transformed circuit.

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 Example Problem 1
Find the Thévenin equivalent circuit external to RLD. Determine
ILD and VLD when RLD = 2.5 Ω.
a

15Ω
9Ω

  b
 1 
RTH  Rab    15  18.6
(VDR)  ETH  Vab  V9  E *
R9
 10V *
9
 6V 1 1
  
RT 6  9 6 9

ETh
RTH = 18.6Ω I LD 
RTh  RLD RLD
= 2.5Ω VLD  ETh
6V RTh  RLD
I LD   284mA
18.16  2.5 2.5
VLD  6V  0.71V
18.6  2.5
1/2. Remove the load label the terminals a and b.
3. Solve for RTH.
OR VLD  I LD * RLD  284mA * 2.5  0.71V
4. Solve for VTH.
5. Draw the new equivalent circuit. 15
 Example Problem 2

Find the Thévenin equivalent circuit external to RLD and

determine ILD.

RTH  Rab  20k  50k  70k 

ETH  Vab  V50k  I S * R50 k  100 A * 50k   5V

ETh
RTH = 70kΩ
I LD 
RTh  RLD
ETH = 5V = 180kΩ
5V
I LD   20  A
70k  180k

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 Maximum Power Transfer

In some applications, the purpose of a circuit is to

provide maximum power to a load.
Some examples:
• Stereo amplifiers
• Radio transmitters
• Communications equipment
The question is: If you have a system, what load should
you connect to the system in order for the load to
receive the maximum power that the system can
deliver?

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 Maximizing PLD

• How might we determine RLD such that PLD is

maximized?
2
2  VTh 
PLD  I RLD
LD   RLD
 RTh  RLD 

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 Maximum Power Transfer
Theorem
• Maximum power is transferred to the load when the
load resistance equals the Thévenin resistance as seen
from the load (RLD = RTh).
− When RLD = RTh, the source and load are said to be
matched.

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 Maximizing PLD
• As RLD increases, a higher percentage of the total
power is dissipated in the load resistor.
• But since the total resistance is increasing, the total
current is dropping, and a point is reached where the
total power dissipated by the entire circuit starts
dropping. 2
2  VTh 
PLD  I RLD
LD   RLD
 RTh  RLD 

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 Maximum Power
• The max power happens when RLD = RTh , but what is the level
of power at this point?
− Showing the derivation, we get:
2 2
2  VTh   VTh 
PLD  I LD RLD   RLD    RTh
 RTh  RLD   RTh  RTh 
2
2
 V Th
Rth
 V Th
 PMAX
4R
2

Th
4 RTh

• BE CAREFUL!!! Note that this is not true if RLD  RTh.

− If RLD  RTh then use: 2
2  VTh 
PLD  I LD RLD   RLD
 RTh  RLD 
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 Maximum Power Transfer
Theorem
• The total power delivered by a supply such as ETh is
absorbed by both the Thévenin equivalent resistance
and the load resistance.
• Any power delivered by the source that does not get
to the load is lost to the Thévenin resistance.

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 Example Problem 3
a) Find the Thévenin equivalent circuit to the left of terminals a-b.
b) Calculate the maximum power transfer to the load if RLD = RTH.
c) Determine the power dissipated by RLD for load resistances of 2 and 6.
b) When R LD = R TH
2
V Th
 PMAX
4 RTh
30 2 V
PMAX   56.25W
4*4
a
c) When R LD  R TH
4Ω 1Ω 2
 VTh 
12Ω 2
PL  I L * RL OR PL    RLD
 RTh  RLD 
For the 2 load and because we already
b
calculated VTH and R TH let's use:
1 2
1 1   VTh   30V 
2

a) RTH  Rab      1  4 PL    RLD    * 2  50W

 4 12  R
 Th  RLD   4   2 
R 12 Now, for the 6 load, and just to show it works let's use:
(VDR)  ETH  Vab  V12  E * 12  40V *  30V
RT 4  12  30V 
2

PL   I L  * RLD
2
  *6  54W
23  4  6 
 Example Problem 4
A stereo is rated for max output power of 150W per channel when RLD = 8Ω
a) Sketch the Thévenin Equivalent circuit.
b) What would the output power be with two 8Ω speakers as the load and
are connected in parallel to one of the channels?
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b) We know that PMAX  V Th

RTH = 8Ω
4 RTh

= 8Ω Rearrange the above and solve for VTH :

V 2TH  PMAX * 4 RTh

VTH  PMAX * 4 RTh  150W * 4*8  69.28V

Now, to caculate output power for the two 8Ω resistors in parallel,
calculate R L (8//8 = 4),
RTH = 8Ω
and because we already know VTH and R TH let's use:
= 8Ω//8 Ω 2 2
=4Ω  VTh   69.28V 
PL    RLD    * 4  133.3W
R
 Th  RLD   8  4  
You should note, PL for this case is less than PMAX .
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 Efficiency

• When maximum power is delivered to RLD, the

efficiency is a mere 50%.
− Remember that max power occurs when RLD = RTH.
pout PL I L 2 RLD
   2 2
100%
pin PS I L RTh  I L RLD
i 2 RTh
When R L =R TH   2 2
100%  50%
i RTh  i RTh

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 Efficiency

• Communication Circuits and Amplifiers:

− Max Power Transfer Is More Desirable Than High
Efficiency.
• Power Transmission (115 VAC 60 Hz Power ):
− High Efficiency Is More Desirable Than Max Power
Transfer.
− Load Resistance Kept Much Larger Than Internal
Resistance Of Voltage Source.

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QUESTIONS?

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