BMM 2433

Electric & Electronics Technology

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

 Topic 7:
Node Analysis
Prepared by:
Dr.MAM

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 lesson outcomes
At the end of this section, you should be able
to:
1. use node analysis to find unknown quantities in a
circuit
2. select the nodes at which the voltage is unknown and
assign currents
3. Apply Kirchhoff's current law at each node
4. Develop and solve the node equations

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 The general step for the node voltage method
of circuit analysis are as follows:
Step 1: determine the number of nodes.
Step 2: select one node as a reference. All voltages will be relative to
the reference
node.Assign voltage designations to each node where the voltage is
unknown.
Step 3: Assign currents at each node where the voltage is unknown,
except at the reference node. The directions are arbitrary

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 Step 4: Apply Kirchhoff's current law to each node where
currents are assigned.

Step 5: Express the current equations in terms of voltages,

and solve the equations for unkown node voltages using
Ohm's law.

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 Previous circuit cant be solved by combining
resistance in series and parallel or by voltage-
division and current-division.

Must use node-voltage analysis

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 Selecting the reference node
node:
point at which two or more circuit elements are
joined together.

any node can be picked to be reference node

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 Example

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 STEP 1, establish the nodes. (four nodes)
STEP 2: use node B as the reference. Think of it as
the circuit's reference ground.
voltages C and D are already known to be the source
voltages.
the voltage at node A only unknown; it is designated
as VA.
STEP 3: arbitrarily assign the branch currents at A as
indicated in the figure.

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 STEP 4:, Apply the Kirchhoff current equation at node A
I1 I2 + I3 = 0
STEP 5: express the currents in terms of circuit voltages using
Ohm's law.
I1 = ?
I2 = ?
I3 = ?
Substituting these terms into the current equation yields
VS1 VA VA VS 2 VA
0
R1 R2 R3

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Assign node voltage

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 label the voltages at each of the other nodes
example, voltages at 3 nodes are labeled v1,v2 &
v3
v1: voltage between node 1 and reference node
(polarity:positive at node 1,negative at ref.node)
v2 :voltage between node 2 and reference node
(polarity:positive at node 2,negative at ref.node)
v3:voltage between node 3 and reference node
(polarity:positive at node 3,negative at ref.node)
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Finding element voltages in terms of node
voltages

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 v2,vx & v3 are the voltages encountered in
travelling around the closed path through
R4,R3 and R5.
Using KVL, travelling around the loop
clockwise and summing voltages,
- v2 + vx + v3 = 0
therefore,
vx=v2-v3

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 Writing KCL equations in terms of node voltages.

in first figure,
v1=vs

Therefore,we need to determine v2 & v3.

- -> write 2 independent equations

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 Node 2,
- current leaving R4 is v2/R4.
- current leaving R3 is vx/R3

since vx = v2-v3,
current leaving R3 is;
(v2-v3)/R3

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 therefore,

To find the current flowing out of node n

through a resistance toward node k, we
subtract the voltage at node k from the
voltage at node n and divide the difference by
the resistance.

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 Thus, if vn and vk are the node voltages and R
is resistance connected between the nodes,
the current flowing from node n to node k is:

(vn-vk) / R

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 Exercise 1
write equations for v1,v2 and v3

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 Exercise 2
Find the node voltage VA in Figure 9-17 and
determine the branch currents.

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Voltage Method for a Wheatstone Bridge

The node voltage method can be applied to a

Wheatstone bridge.
The Wheatstone bridge is shown with nodes
identified in below Figure with currents
shown.

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 Node D is usually selected as the reference node, and
node A has the same potential as the source voltage.
When setting up the equations for the two unknown
node voltages (B and C), it is necessary to specify a
current direction as described in the general steps.
The direction of current in RL is dependent on the
bridge resistances; if the assigned direction is
incorrect, it will show up as a negative current in the
solution.

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 Kirchhoff's current law is then written for each
of the unknown nodes. then expressed in
terms of node voltages using Ohm's law as
follows:
NodeB:
I1 + IL = I2
VA VB VC VB VB

R1 RL R2
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 Node C:
I3 = IL + I4
VA VC VC VB VC

R3 RL R4

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 EXAMPLE

For the Wheatstone bridge circuit in previous

figure, find the node voltages at node C. Node
D is the reference, and node A has the same
voltage as the source.
Given that Vs = 12 V, R1= 330 , R2= 330 ,
R3= , R4= and RL = 1 K.

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 Node Voltage Method for the Bridged-T
Circuit

Applying the node voltage method to the

bridged- T circuit also results in two equations
with two unknowns.

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 Example

Solve for the voltage across RL using node analysis

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 Solution
Apply KCL at nodes B and C in terms of node
voltage
node B:
i2 i3 i4
va vb vb vc vb

R2 R3 R4

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 node C:

i1 i3 iL
va vc vb vc vc

R1 R3 RL

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 From the equations,
406.9vb -180.4vc = 738
150vb-337.5vc=-900

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 Exercise

Find the effect on the load voltage when the

load resistor RL is changed to 15 K

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 Supernode
drawing a dashed line around several
nodes,including the elements connected
between them.

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 Example

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 The net current flowing through any closed
surface must equal zero,
therefore, for the supernode enclosing 10 v
source,
v1 v1 (15) v 2 v 2 (15)
0
R2 R1 R4 R3

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 Circuit with Controlled source
write an independent set of equations for
node voltage

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 write KCL at each node,
v1 v 2
is 2ix
R1
v 2 v1 v 2 v 2 v 3
0
R1 R2 R3

v3 v2 v3
2ix 0
R3 R4

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 ix is the curent flowing away from node 3
through R3, therefore;
v3 v2
ix
R3

Substitute
ix into previous equations, we can
get the required equation set.

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