NETWORK THEOREMS (Statements)

1. SUPERPOSITION THEOREM
Statement
Superposition theorem states that In any network consisting of generators and linear
impedances, the current flowing at any point is the sum of the currents which would flow if
each generator were considered separately, all other generators being replaced at the time by
impedances equal to their internal impedances.
It can be simplified as: In any network containing more than one source of e.m.f., the resultant
current in any branch is the algebraic sum of the currents that would be produced by each e.m.f.
acting alone, all the other sources of e.m.f. being replaced meanwhile by their respective
resistances.

2. THEVENINS THEOREM (Also called Helmholtz or Pollards Theorem)

The theorem was developed by Commandant Leon-Charles Thvenin in 1883.

Statement
Thevenins theorem states that In a network of linear impedances if the voltage across any
two points is known, the current which will flow into an impedance ZL subsequently connected
across these points will be equal to the (open-circuit) voltage before the connection is made,
divided by the sum of connected impedances and the impedance ZTh looking back into the
terminals before connection of the new impedance is made.
It can be simplified as: Any two-terminal dc network can
be replaced by an equivalent circuit consisting solely of a
voltage source and a series resistor as shown in the figure.
Mathematically, it can be written as,

Where, ETh = Thevenins equivalent voltage;

RTh = Thevenins equivalent resistance (as seen from
terminals a-b looking back towards the source before
connection of RL);
RL = Load resistance;
IL = Load current.

Prepared By: Shouvik Chaudhuri (SRF-ME, JU)

3. NORTONS THEOREM
The theorem was developed by Edward L. Norton in 1926 at Bell Laboratories. This
theorem is the dual of Thevenins theorem dealing with voltage sources.

Statement
Nortons theorem states that The current in any impedance ZR, connected to two terminals
of a network, is the same as if ZR were connected to a constant-current generator whose
generated current is equal to the current which flows through the two terminals when these
terminals are short-circuited, the constant-current generator being in parallel with an
impedance, equal to the impedance of the network looking back from the terminals in
question.
It can be simplified as: Any two-terminal linear bilateral dc network can be replaced by an
equivalent circuit consisting of a current source and a parallel resistor as shown in the
figure.

Mathematically, it can be written as, =

4. MAXIMUM POWER TRANSFER THEOREM

Statement

Maximum Power Transfer theorem states that the power transferred from a generator to
its load is a maximum when the source and load impedance are conjugates (i.e. having
equal resistive components and reactive components equal in magnitude but opposite in
sign).

It can be simplified as: A load will receive maximum power from a network when its
resistance is exactly equal to the Thvenin resistance of the network applied to the load,
i.e. RL = RTh .

Prepared By: Shouvik Chaudhuri (SRF-ME, JU)

From the figure and considering RL = RTh, we can determine the maximum power delivered
to the load by first finding the current:

Then we substitute into the power equation:

The dc operating efficiency is defined as the ratio of the power delivered to the load (PL)
to the power delivered by the source (PS). That is,

For the situation where RL = RTh,

Hence, efficiency wise, we are working at only a 50% level, but we are content because
we are getting maximum power out of our system.

Prepared By: Shouvik Chaudhuri (SRF-ME, JU)

5. MILLMANS THEOREM (Also called Parallel Generator Theorem)

The theorem was proposed by Prof. Jacob Millman and is basically a combination of
Thevenins and Nortons theorems.

Statement

Millmans theorem states that When a number of voltage sources (V1, V2, V3 Vn)
are in parallel having internal resistance (R1, R2, R3.Rn) respectively, the
arrangement can replace by a single equivalent voltage source V in series with an
equivalent series resistance R.

Mathematically, it can be shown that,

Dual of Millmans Theorem

The dual of Millmans theorem appears in figure below. It can be shown that Ieq and Req,
as in the figure, are given by

and

Prepared By: Shouvik Chaudhuri (SRF-ME, JU)

6. RECIPROCITY THEOREM

Statement

Reciprocity Theorem states that If a source of e.m.f. at a given point in a circuit produces
a current of I amperes at a given point, it will, on transference to the second point, produce
the same current I at the first point.

Alternatively,

The current I in any branch of a network due to a single voltage source E anywhere else
in the network will equal the current through the branch in which the source was originally
located if the source is placed in the branch in which the current I was originally measured.

In other words, the location of the voltage source and the resulting current may be
interchanged without a change in current as shown in the figure below. The theorem
requires that the polarity of the voltage source have the same correspondence with the
direction of the branch current in each position.

From the figure above, we can say that Icd = Iab based on the reciprocity theorem.
The reciprocity theorem is applicable only to single-source networks. It is, therefore,
not a theorem used in the analysis of multisource networks.

Prepared By: Shouvik Chaudhuri (SRF-ME, JU)

7. COMPENSATION THEOREM

Statement

Compensation theorem states that When a circuit is changed in Impedance by an amount

(Z), this is equivalent to introducing a new (compensating) e.m.f. of value I1Z, where
I1 is the original current at the point when the impedance change is made. This new e.m.f.
will act through the modified circuit impedance (Z+Z) to produce a current change of
(I). This current may now be added to the original current I1 to give the resultant value I2
at the point where the impedance change is made. If (Z) represents an increase in
impedance, the product I1Z must take a negative sign and vice-versa.

Alternatively,

If an impedance (Z) is inserted in a branch of a network, the resulting current increment

produced at any point in the network is equal to the current that would be produced at that
point by a compensating voltage acting in series with the modified branch, whose value is
I*(Z), where I is the original current that flowed where the impedance was inserted,
before the insertion was made.
The compensation theorem is useful when one component in a circuit is changed by a
small amount to find the changes without recalculating the full network as shown in
the figure.

8. SUBSTITUION THEOREM

Statement
Substitution theorem states that If the voltage across and the current through any branch
of a dc bilateral network are known, this branch can be replaced by any combination of
elements that will maintain the same voltage across and current through the chosen
branch..
In simple words the theorem states that for branch equivalence, the terminal voltage and
current must be the same. Consider the circuit in the figure below, in which the voltage
across and current through the branch a-b are determined. Through the use of the
substitution theorem, a number of equivalent a-b branches are shown on the next page.

Prepared By: Shouvik Chaudhuri (SRF-ME, JU)

9. TELLEGENS THEOREM

This theorem was introduced in the year 1952 by Dutch Electrical Engineer Bernard D.H.
Tellegen.

Statement
Tellegens theorem states that In an arbitrary lumped network, if the branch voltages v1,
v2, ,vb satisfy all the conditions imposed by KVL and if the branch currents i1, i2, , ib
satisfy all the constraints imposed by KCL, then the summation of instantaneous powers
for the b number of branches in that electrical network is zero.

Mathematically, =1 . = 0

Prepared By: Shouvik Chaudhuri (SRF-ME, JU)