Mesh Analysis

Discussion D2.4
Chapter 2
Section 2-8
1

Mesh Analysis
Mesh analysis applies KVL to find unknown
currents.
It is only applicable to planar circuits (a circuit that
can be drawn on a plane with no branches crossing
each other).
A mesh is a loop that does not contain any other
loops.
The current through a mesh is known as the mesh
current.
Assume for simplicity that the circuit contains only
voltage sources.
2

Mesh Analysis Steps

1. Assign mesh currents i1, i2, i3, il, to the l
meshes,
2. Apply KVL to each of the l meshes and use
Ohms law to express the voltages in terms of
the mesh currents,
3. Solve the l resulting simultaneous equations
to find the mesh currents.
3

Example

Number of nodes, n = 7
Number of branches, b = 10

Number of loops, l = 4

l b n 1

Example

Apply KVL to each mesh

Mesh 1:

Vs2 v1 v7 v5 0

Mesh 2:

v2 v6 v7 0

Mesh 3:

v5 vs1 v3 0

Mesh 4:

v4 v8 Vs1 v6 0

Mesh 1:

Vs2 v1 v7 v5 0

Mesh 2:

v2 v6 v7 0

Mesh 3:

v5 vs1 v3 0

Mesh 4:

v4 v8 Vs1 v6 0

Express the voltage in terms of

the mesh currents:
Mesh 1: Vs2 i1 R1 (i1 i2 ) R7 (i1 i3 ) R5 0
Mesh 2:

i2 R2 (i2 i4 ) R6 (i2 i1 ) R7 0

Mesh 3:

(i3 i1 ) R5 Vs1 i3 R3 0

Mesh 4:

i4 R4 i4 R8 Vs1 (i4 i2 ) R6 0

Mesh 1: Vs2 i1 R1 (i1 i2 ) R7 (i1 i3 ) R5 0

Mesh 2:

i2 R2 (i2 i4 ) R6 (i2 i1 ) R7 0

Mesh 3:

(i3 i1 ) R5 Vs1 i3 R3 0

Mesh 4:

i4 R4 i4 R8 Vs1 (i4 i2 ) R6 0

Mesh 1:

( R1 R5 R7 )i1 R7i2 R5i3 Vs2

Mesh 2:

R7i1 ( R2 R6 R7 )i2 R6i4 0

Mesh 3:

R5i1 ( R3 R5 )i3 Vs1

Mesh 4:

R6i2 ( R4 R6 R8 )i4 Vs1

7

Mesh 1:

( R1 R5 R7 )i1 R7i2 R5i3 Vs2

Mesh 2:

R7i1 ( R2 R6 R7 )i2 R6i4 0

Mesh 3:

R5i1 ( R3 R5 )i3 Vs1

Mesh 4:

R1 R5 R7

R7

R5

R6i2 ( R4 R6 R8 )i4 Vs1

R7
R2 R6 R7
0
R6

R5
0
R3 R5
0

R6

R4 R6 R8

Vs2
i1
0

i2
i3 Vs1

Vs
i4
1
8

 R1 R5 R7

R7

R5

R7
R2 R6 R7
0
R6

R5
0
R3 R5
0

R6

R4 R6 R8

Vs2
i1
0

i2
i3 Vs1

Vs
i4
1

Ri = v
R is an l x l symmetric resistance matrix
i is a 1 x l vector of mesh currents
v is a vector of voltages representing known voltages
9

Writing the Mesh Equations by Inspection

R1 R5 R7

R7

R5

R7

R5

R2 R6 R7
0
R6

0
R3 R5
0

Vs2
i1

R6
i2 0

0
i3 Vs1

Vs
R4 R6 R8 i4
1
0

The matrix R is symmetric, rkj = rjk and all of the off-diagonal terms
are negative or zero.
The rkk terms are the sum of all resistances in mesh k.
The rkj terms are the negative sum of the resistances common to
BOTH mesh k and mesh j.
The vk (the kth component of the vector v) = the algebraic sum of the
independent voltages in mesh k, with voltage rises taken as positive.
10

MATLAB Solution of Mesh Equations

R1 R5 R7

R7

R7

R5

R2 R6 R7

R5

R3 R5

R6

Vs2
i1
0
R6
i2

Vs1
0
i3

Vs
R4 R6 R8 i4
1
0

Ri = v
1

iR v
11

Test with numbers

4
2 4 1

4
3 2 4

0
2
3 1
0

0
2 4 1
0

i1

i2
i3

i4

12

Test with numbers

4
2 4 1

4
3 2 4

0
2
3 1
0

0
2 4 1

7 4 1 0

4
9
0

1 0 4 0

2
0
7

i1

i2
i3

i4

i1

i2
i3

i4

Ri = v
13

MATLAB Run

4
1
2 4 1

4
3 2 4 0

1
0
3 1
0

2 4 1
0
2
0

i1

i2
i3

i4

14

PSpice Simulation

MATLAB:
15

What happens if we have independent

current sources in the circuit?
1. Assume the voltage across each current source is
known.
2. Write the mesh equations in the same way we
did for circuits with only independent or
dependent voltage sources.
3. Express the current of each independent current
source in terms of the mesh currents.
4. Rewrite the equations with all unknown mesh
currents on the left hand side of the equality and
all known voltages on the r.h.s. of the equality.
16

Example

i3 3

Write mesh equations by inspection.

3
1
1 3

3 3 2 4 2
1

2
2

i1

i2

i
3

10

v
a
17

 4 3 1 i1
10

3
9

2
i

1 2 3
v
3

a
4 3 0 i1

3
9
0
i

2
1 2 1 v

7

6
9

18

MATLAB Run

4 3 0

3
9
0

1 2 1

A
A
V

i1
i2
va

i1

i2

v
a

7

6
9

19

PSpice Simulation

i2

i1

MATLAB:

va

i1
i2
va

20

Nodal Analysis vs Mesh Analysis

If the circuit is nonplanar we must use nodal

analysis.
If the circuit is planar, there are two principle
considerations:

The number of equations we need to write.

The information we need in the circuit. For
example, do we want to find a current or a
voltage?
21

The Number of Mesh Equations

If the circuit has only voltage sources or current sources in
parallel with resistances (that is, current sources that can be
exchanged for voltage sources) then after we have
exchanged the current sources, we have to write l mesh
equations and the fundamental theorem of network topology
tells us that:

l b (n 1)

22

The Number of Nodal Equations

We also know that if the circuit has only current sources or
voltage sources in series with resistances (that is, sources
that can be transformed to current sources) then after we
have transformed the voltage sources, the number of nodal
equations is (n - 1).
If we are not interested in the currents through voltage
sources or voltages across current sources we may be able
to reduce the number of equations we have to write.
23

Example
Transform voltage sources into current sources

b= 7

v y V1 V4 V1 (V2 2vx )

n= 3
24

Example
v y V1 (V2 2vx )
vx V1
Write nodal equations

is 4vx
11 3 V1

12v 4v
y
x
3 7 V2

25

Example

is 4vx
11 3 V1

12v 4v
y
x
3 7 V2

vx V1

v y V1 (V2 2vx )

11 3 V1

V
3 7 2

is 4V1

12V1 12V2 24V1 4 V1

7 3 V1

13 19 V2

is

0

26

Example

7 3 V1

13 19 V2

is

0

7V1 3V2 is
13V1 19V2 0
13
V2 V1
19
3 13
7V1
V1 is
19

V1 0.1105is
V2 0.0756is
27

Example
Transform current source into a current source and write mesh equations

i2
vy
2

is i1
vx
8 8
28

Example

1 i1
is 8 3v y
1 8 11 4

2v
1
1 2 1 i2

29

 1.375 1

1 1.5

i1
is 8 3v y

i2
2vx
is i1
vx
8 8

1.375 1

1 1.5

Example
i2
vy
2

i1
is 8 1.5i2

i2
0.25is 0.25i1

is 8
1.375 0.5 i1

i 0.25i
1.25 1.5 2
s

30

 is 8
1.375 0.5 i1

i 0.25i
1.25 1.5 2
s

Example

i1 0.1163is
i2 0.0698is

31