EEE141/ETE141 Lab-5

Electrical Circuits-I

Experiment Name: Branch-Current Analysis and Mesh Analysis of

Combinational networks

Introduction
The objective of this experiment is to design combinational networks with multiple
voltage source and determine the current in each loop of the network. Then, the measures
values are verified using Branch-current analysis and Mesh analysis. The designed
circuits will also be simulated using a software tool (such as NI Multisim).

Branch-Current Analysis
This network analysis is based on the following steps:

i. Assign a distinct current of arbitrary direction to each branch of the network.

ii. Indicate the polarities for each resistor as determined by the assumed current
direction.
iii. Apply Kirchhoff’s voltage law around each closed, independent loop of the
network.
iv. Apply Kirchhoff’s current law at the minimum number of nodes that will include
all the branch currents of the network.
v. Solve the resulting simultaneous linear equations for assumed branch currents.

An example is shown below:

North South University Dept. of ECE 1

EEE141/ETE141 Lab-5

Electrical Circuits-I

• There are three distinct branches (cda, cba and ca); hence, three currents of I1, I2,
I3 are chosen. The current directions for I1 and I2 were chosen to match the
“pressure” applied by sources E1 and E2, respectively.
• Since both I1 and I2 are entering node a, I3 must be leaving loop of the network (to
conserve the principle of KCL).
• Polarities for each resistor are drawn to agree with assumed current directions:

• KVL is applied around each closed loop (i.e., loops 1 and 2) in the clockwise
direction:

• Applying Kirchhoff’s current law at node ‘a’ (in a two-node network, the law
is applied at only one node, which is not the grounded node):

• There are now three equations and three unknown currents:

North South University Dept. of ECE 2

EEE141/ETE141 Lab-5

Electrical Circuits-I

• Finally, using third-order determinants, the unknown branch currents are

determined. A negative sign in front of any branch current indicates only that
the actual current is in the direction opposite to that assumed.

Mesh Analysis:
Mesh analysis is an extension of the branch-current analysis approach with the
requirement of defining one less current than in the branch-current analysis. Instead, we
define the currents with respect to the number of loops and they are known as either mesh
or loop currents. The steps are as follows:

i. Assign a distinct current in the clockwise direction to each independent, closed

loop of the network. It is not necessary to choose the clockwise direction for each
loop current, but choosing the clockwise direction is a standard.
ii. Indicate the polarities within each loop for each resistor as determined by the
assumed direction of loop current for that loop. The obtained polarities must be
placed within each loop. Thus, a particular resistor may have two sets of polarities
across it:

North South University Dept. of ECE 3

EEE141/ETE141 Lab-5

Electrical Circuits-I

iii. Apply KVL around each closed loop in the clockwise direction. If a resistor has
two or more assumed currents through it, the total current through the resistor is
the assumed current of the loop in which KVL is being applied, plus the assumed
currents of the other loops passing through the resistor in the same direction, minus
the assumed currents through the resistor in the opposite direction. The polarity of
a voltage source is unaffected by the direction of the assigned loop currents.
iv. Solve the resulting simultaneous linear equations for the assumed loop currents:

v. The equations are then re-written, and determinants applied to obtain the final
result:

Hence,

Again, any minus sign indicates that the currents have a direction opposite to that
indicated by the assumed loop current.

North South University Dept. of ECE 4

EEE141/ETE141 Lab-5

Electrical Circuits-I

Apparatus:
1. DC Power Supply (at least two)
2. Digital Multimeter (DMM)
3. Prototype Board (Bread Board)
4. Assorted Resistors

Circuit:
We will use a single circuit arrangement for experimental set-up and both branch-current
and mesh analyses to ensure the methods can be verified with respect to each other.

Fig.1: Multiple source combinational circuit

Procedure-1:
Set-up the circuit in Fig.1 and:
(1) using Multimeter, measure the voltages across, R1, R2, R3 and R4.
(2) using Ohm’s law and your values from step (1), determine the current through
R1, R2 and R3. Label these currents as I1, I2 and I3, respectively.
Procedure-2:
(1) Use the circuit in Fig.1 to perform Branch-current analysis.
(2) Verify that your calculated branch currents are equal to the currents obtained in
Procedure-1.
Procedure-3:
(1) Use the circuit in Fig.1 to perform Mesh analysis.

North South University Dept. of ECE 5

EEE141/ETE141 Lab-5

Electrical Circuits-I

(2) Verify that your calculated loop currents are equal to the currents I1 and I3
obtained in Procedure-1.
Procedure-3:
(1) Design the circuit in Fig.1 in Multisim.
(2) Use Ammeters in each branch and verify they are almost equal to currents I1, I2
and I3 from Procedure-1.

Reference(s):

[1] Introductory Circuit Analysis, 11th Edition, Robert L. Boylestad.

North South University Dept. of ECE 6