Mesh Analysis
(Maxwells Loop Current Technique)
Steps to solve mesh analysis
Mesh analysis is a circuit simplification technique
Identify the meshes in the circuit(mesh is the
smallest possible closed path in a circuit)
Assign mesh current in each mesh and assume that
each mesh current flows in clockwise direction.
Then apply KVL in each mesh and solve the
equations.
Number of equations is equal to the number of
meshes.
Basic Concepts
In formulating mesh analysis we assign a mesh
current to each mesh.
Mesh currents are sort of fictitious in that a particular
mesh current does not define the current in each branch
of the mesh to which it is assigned.
I
1
I
2
I
3
R
1
R
x
R
2
+
_
I
1
I
2
+
_
V
A
V
B
+ +
+
_
_
_
V
1
V
L1
V
2
A circuit for illustrating mesh analysis.
( )
A X X
X L
X
A
A L
V I R I R R so
R I I V R I V where
R I I R I V
V V V
= +
= =
=
= +
2 1 1
2 1 1 1 1 1
2 1 1 1
1 1
) ( ,
;
0 ) (
Eq 1
Around mesh 1 (12561) :
1
2
3
4 5 6
I
1
-
I
2
B X X
B X X
V I R R I R or
V I R R I R
gives in Eq ng Substituti
Rx I I Vb R I
have we mesh Around
= + +
= +
= +
2 2 1
2 2 1
) (
) (
, 2 3
0 ) 2 1 ( 2 2
) 23452 ( 2
Eq 2
Eq 3
Eq 4
R
1
R
x
R
2
+
_
I
1
I
2
+
_
V
A
V
B
+ +
+
_
_
_
V
1
V
L1
V
2
2 3
4
5
1
6
I
1
-
I
2
We are left with 2 equations: From (1) and (4)
we have,
A X X
V I R I R R = +
2 1 1
) (
B X X
V I R R I R = + +
2 2 1
) (
Eq 5
Eq 6
We can easily solve these equations for I
1
and I
2.
The previous equations can be written in matrix form as:
(
+
+
=
(
=
(
+
+
B
A
X X
X X
B
A
X X
X X
V
V
R R R
R R R
I
I
or
V
V
I
I
R R R
R R R
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
(
) (
(
) (
Eq (7)
Eq (8)
Mesh Analysis: Example 1
Write the mesh equations and solve for the currents I
1
, and I
2
.
+
_
10V
4 O 2 O
6 O
7 O
2V
20V
I
1
I
2
+
+
_
_
Circuit for Example 1
Mesh 1
10 - 4I
1
- 6(I
1
I
2
) - 2 =0
Mesh 2
6(I
1
I
2
) - 2I
2
- 7I
2
+ 20 + 2=0
Eq (1)
Eq (2)
Mesh Analysis: Example 1, continued.
Simplifying Eq (1) and (2) gives,
10I
1
6I
2
= 8
-6I
1
+ 15I
2
= 22
Eq (3)
Eq (4)
I
1
= 2.2105
I
2
= 2.3509
Mesh Analysis: Example 2
Solve for the mesh currents in the circuit below.
+
_
6 O
10 O
9 O
11 O
3 O
4 O
20V 10V
8V
12V
I
1
I
2
I
3
+
+
_
_
_
_
+
+
_
Circuit for Example 2.
The plan:
Write KVL, clockwise, for each mesh. Look for a
pattern in the final equations.
Mesh Analysis: Example 2
+
_
6 O
10 O
9 O
11 O
3 O
4 O
20V 10V
8V
12V
I
1
I
2
I
3
+
+
_
_
_
_
+
+
_
Mesh 1: 20 - 6I
1
- 10(I
1
I
3
) - 4(I
1
I
2
) +10 =0
Mesh 2: -10 +4(I
1
I
2
) - 11(I
2
I
3
) - 3I
2
= 0
Mesh 3: -9I
3
+ 12 +8+11(I
2
I
3
) + 10(I
1
I
3
) =0
Eq (1)
Eq (2)
Eq (3)
I1-I3
I
1
-
I
2
I2-I3
Mesh Analysis: Example 2
Clearing Equations (1), (2) and (3) gives,
20I
1
4I
2
10I
3
= 30
-4I
1
+ 18I
2
11I
3
= -18
-10I
1
11I
2
+ 30I
3
= 20
In matrix form:
(
(
(
=
(
(
(
(
(
(
20
18
30
3
2
1
30 11 10
11 18 4
10 4 20
I
I
I
Standard Equation form
Mesh Analysis: Standard form for mesh equations
Consider the following:
R
11
=
of resistance around mesh 1, common to mesh 1 current I
1
.
R
22
=
of resistance around mesh 2, common to mesh 2 current I
2
.
R
33
=
of resistance around mesh 3, common to mesh 3 current I
3
.
(
(
(
=
(
(
(
(
(
(
) 3 (
) 2 (
) 1 (
3
2
1
33 32 31
23 22 21
13 12 11
emfs
emfs
emfs
I
I
I
R R R
R R R
R R R
Mesh Analysis: Standard form for mesh equations
R
12
= R
21
= - resistance common between mesh 1 and 2
when I
1
and I
2
are opposite through R
1
,R
2
.
R
13
= R
31
= - resistance common between mesh 1 and 3
when I
1
and I
3
are opposite through R
1
,R
3
.
R
23
= R
32
= - resistance common between mesh 2 and 3
when I
2
and I
3
are opposite through R
2
,R
3
.
) 1 ( emfs = sum of emf around mesh 1 in the direction of I
1
.
) 2 ( emfs = sum of emf around mesh 2 in the direction of I
2
.
) 3 ( emfs = sum of emf around mesh 3 in the direction of I
3
.
Mesh Analysis: Example 3 - Direct method.
20V
10V
15V
30V
20 O
10 O
30 O
10 O
12 O
8 O
+
_
I
1
I
2
I
3
+
+
+
_
_
_
Use the direct method to write the mesh equations for the following.
Circuit diagram for Example 3.
(
(
(
=
(
(
(
(
(
(
15
25
10
3
2
1
30 10 0
10 50 10
0 10 30
I
I
I
Eq (13)
Mesh Analysis: With current sources in the circuit
Example 4: Consider the following:
10V
20V
4A
10 O
5 O
20 O
2 O
+
_
15 O
+
_
I
1
I
2
I
3
Circuit diagram for Example 4.
Use the direct method to write the mesh equations.
10V
20V
4A
10 O
5 O
20 O
2 O
+
_
15 O
+
_
I
1
I
2
I
3
Mesh Analysis: With current sources in the circuit
This case is explained by using an example.
Example 4: Find the three mesh currents in the circuit below.
Circuit for Example 4.
When a current source is present, it will be directly related to
one or more of the mesh current. In this case I
2
= -4A.
Mesh Analysis: With current sources in the circuit
Example 4: Continued. An easy way to handle this case is to
remove the current source as shown below. Next, write the mesh
equations for the remaining meshes.
Note that I
2
is retained for writing the equations through the
5 O and 20 O resistors.
10V
20V
10 O
5 O
20 O
2 O
+
_
15 O
+
_
I
1
I
2
I
3
Mesh Analysis: With current sources in the circuit
Example 4: Continued.
10V
20V
10 O
5 O
20 O
2 O
+
_
15 O
+
_
I
1
I
2
I
3
Equation for mesh 1:
10I
1
+ (I
1
-I
2
)5 = 10
or
15I
1
5I
2
= 10
Equations for mesh 2:
2I
3
+ (I
3
-I
2
)20 = 20
or
- 20I
2
+ 22I
3
= 20
Constraint Equation
I
2
= - 4A
Mesh Analysis: With current sources in the circuit
Example 4: Continued. Express the previous equations in
Matrix form:
1
2
3
15 5 0 10
0 20 22 20
0 1 0 4
I
I
I
( ( (
( ( (
=
( ( (
( ( (
I
1
= -0.667 A
I
2
= - 4 A
I
3
= - 2.73 A
