Basic Laws of Electric Circuits

Nodal Analysis

Lesson 6

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Nodal Analysis: The Concept. Every circuit has n nodes with one of the nodes being designated as a reference node. We designate the remaining n 1 nodes as voltage nodes and give each node a unique name, vi. At each node we write Kirchhoffs current law in terms of the node voltages.

Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: The Concept. We form n-1 linear equations at the n-1 nodes in terms of the node voltages. We solve the n-1 equations for the n-1 node voltages. From the node voltages we can calculate any branch current or any voltage across any element.
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Nodal Analysis: Concept Illustration:
v

v
2 R
2

1 R

r e f e r e n

c e

Figure 6.1: Partial circuit used to illustrate nodal analysis.

V1 V2 R2
3

V1 R1

V1 R3

V1 V3 R4

=I

Eq 6.1

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Nodal Analysis: Concept Illustration: Clearing the previous equation gives,
1 1 1 1 1 1 + V1 V2 V3 = I + + R R R R R R 2 3 4 2 4 1

Eq 6.2

We would need two additional equations, from the remaining circuit, in order to solve for V1, V2, and V3
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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.1 Given the following circuit. Set-up the equations to solve for V1 and V2. Also solve for the voltage V6.
R
2

v1

v2

I1

v6 _

Figure 6.2: Circuit for Example 6.1.

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.1, the nodal equations.
R
2

v1

v2

I1

v6 _

R1 + R2 V2 V1
6

V1

V1 V2 R3 V2 R4 +

= I1

Eq 6.3

R3

R5 + R6

V2

=0

Eq 6.4

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.1: Set up for solution.
R1 + R2 V2 V1 R3 V1 + V1 V2 R3 V2 R4 + = I1

Eq 6.3

R5 + R6

V2

=0

Eq 6.4

1 1 1 V1 V2 = I 1 R +R + R R 1 3 2 3 1 1 1 1 V1 + + + R R R R + R V2 = 0 3 3 4 5 6

Eq 6.5 Eq 6.6

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.2, using circuit values.
2 v1 1 0 5 A v2

Figure 6.3: Circuit for Example 6.2.

0 4 A

Find V1 and V2.

At v1:

V1 10

V1 V2 5
+ V2 20

=2
= 6

Eq 6.7 Eq 6.8

At v2:
8

V2 V1 5

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.2: Clearing Equations;
From Eq 6.7: V1 + 2V1 2V2 = 20 or 3V1 2V2 = 20 From Eq 6.8: 4V2 4V1 + V2 = -120 or -4V1 + 5V2 = -120 Eq 6.10 Eq 6.9

Solution: V1 = -20 V,
9

V2 = -40 V

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.3: With voltage source.
I
R
1

v1 R
3

v2

+
_

Figure 6.4: Circuit for Example 6.3.

At V1:
V1 E V1 V1 V2 + + =I R1 R2 R3

Eq 6.11

At V2:
10

V2

V2 V 1 =I + R R 4 3

Eq 6.12

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.3: Continued. Collecting terms in Equations (6.11) and (6.12) gives
1 1 1 1 E V1 V2 = I + + + R R R1 1 R2 R 3 3
Eq 6.13

1 1 1 R V1 + R + R V2 = I 4 2 3

Eq 6.14

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.4: Numerical example with voltage source.
v2 4 1
+ _

v1

Figure 6.5: Circuit for Example 6.4.

What do we do first?
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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.4: Continued
v2 4 1
+ _

v1

At v1:

V1 V1 + 10 V2 + = 5 10 4
At v2:

Eq 6.15

V2 V2 10 V1 + =0 6 4
13

Eq 6.16

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.4: Continued
Clearing Eq 6.15

4V1 + 10V1 + 100 10V2 = -200 or 14V1 10V2 = -300

Clearing Eq 6.16

Eq 6.17

4V2 + 6V2 60 6V1 = 0 or -6V1 + 10V2 = 60

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Eq 6.18

V1 = -30 V, V2 = -12 V, I1 = -2 A

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.5: Voltage super node.
Given the following circuit. Solve for the indicated nodal voltages.
2

x
2 _ 1 + 0 V

super node
v
3

5 6 A

x x

x
1 0

Figure 6.6: Circuit for Example 6.5. When a voltage source appears between two nodes, an easy way to handle this is to form a super node. The super node encircles the voltage source and the tips of the branches connected to the nodes.

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.5: Continued.
2
v1 v2 _ 1 + 0 V v3

Constraint Equation
0

5 6 A 4

V2 V3 = -10

Eq 6.19

At V1

V1 V2 V1 V3 + =6 5 2
V2 V1 V2 V3 V3 V1 + + + =0 5 4 10 2

Eq 6.20

At super node
16

Eq 6.21

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.5: Continued.
Clearing Eq 6.19, 6.20, and 6.21:

7V1 2V2 5V3 = 60 -14V1 + 9V2 + 12V3 = 0 V2 V3 = -10 Solving gives:

Eq 6.22 Eq 6.23 Eq 6.24

V1 = 30 V, V2 = 14.29 V, V3 = 24.29 V
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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.6: With Dependent Sources.
Consider the circuit below. We desire to solve for the node voltages 2 V1 and V2.
_

v1
1 1 0
+ V _

2 5 A

v2
4 5
xV

Figure 6.7: Circuit for Example 6.6.

In this case we have a dependent source, 5Vx, that must be reckoned with. Actually, there is a constraint equation of

V2 V x V1 = 0

Eq 6.25

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.6: With Dependent Sources.
2
_

v1
1 1 0
+ V _

2 5 A

v2
4 5
xV

At node V1

V1 10 V1 V1 V2 + + =2 10 5 2

At node V2

V2 V1 V2 5V x + = 2 2 4

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The constraint equation:

V x = V1 V2

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Nodal Analysis: Example 6.6: With Dependent Sources.
Clearing the previous equations and substituting the constraint VX = V1 - V2 gives,

8V1 5V2 = 30 7V1 + 8V2 = 8

which yields,

Eq 6.26

Eq 6.27

V1 = 6.9V ,
20

V2 = 5.03V

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End of Lesson 6
Nodal Analysis