Unit – 1

DC Circuits

Q1) What is an ideal and practical voltage source?

A1) A voltage source is a device which provides a constant voltage to load at any instance of time and is independent of the current drawn from it. This type of source is known as an ideal voltage source. Practically, the ideal voltage source cannot be made. It has zero internal resistance. It is denoted by this symbol.

Fig:  Voltage source symbol

Ideal Voltage Source

Fig: Ideal Voltage Source

The graph represents the change in voltage of the voltage source with respect to time. It is constant at any instance of time.

Voltage sources that have some amount of internal resistance are known as a practical voltage source. Due to this internal resistance, voltage drop takes place. If the internal resistance is high, less voltage will be provided to load and if the internal resistance is less, the voltage source will be closer to an ideal voltage source. A practical voltage source is thus denoted by a resistance in series which represents the internal resistance of source.

Practical Voltage source

Fig: Practical Voltage source

The graph represents the voltage of the voltage source with respect to time. It is not constant but it keeps on decreasing as the time passes.

Q2) What is an ideal and practical current source?

A2) A current source is a device which provides the constant current to load at any time and is independent of the voltage supplied to the circuit. This type of current is known as an ideal current source; practically ideal current source is also not available. It has infinite resistance. It is denoted by this symbol.

Ideal Current source

Fig: Ideal Current source

The graph represents the change in current of the current source with respect to time. It is constant at any instance of time.

Practical Current source

Practically current sources do not have infinite resistance across there but they have a finite internal resistance. So the current delivered by the practical current source is not constant and it is also dependent somewhat on the voltage across it.

A practical current source is represented as an ideal current source connected with resistance in parallel.

Fig; Practical Current source

The graph represents the current of the current source with respect to time. It is not constant but it also keeps on decreasing as the time passes.

Q3) Why ideal Current source has infinite resistance?

A3) A current source is used to power a load, so that load will turn on. We try to supply 100% of the power to load. For that, we connect some resistance to transfer 100% of power to load because the current always takes the path of least resistance. So, in order for current to go to the path of least resistance, we must connect resistance higher than load. This is why we have the ideal current source to have infinite internal resistance. This infinite resistance will not affect voltage sources in the circuit.

Q4) Explain Kirchhoff’s current law?

A4) The algebraic sum of currents meeting at a junction or node in a electric circuit is zero or the summation of all incoming current is always equal to summation of all outgoing current in an electrical network.

Explanation

Assuming the incoming current to be positive and outgoing current negative we have

I e incoming current = ∑ outgoing current thus, the above Law can also be stated as the sum of current flowing towards any junction in an electric circuit is equal to the sum of currents flowing away from that junction.

Q5) Explain Kirchhoff’s voltage law?

A5) Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law or KVL, states that “in any closed loop network, the total voltage around the loop is equal to the sum of all the voltage drops within the same loop” which is also equal to zero. In other words, the algebraic sum of all voltages within the loop must be equal to zero. 

By convention

Apply the polarity sign which is attached to the entering point of the device.

We apply the sign of the device that the loop first touches.  

-V1 + V2 + V3 + V4 =0

V1 = V2 + V3 + V4

Q6) Using Superposition theorem determine the voltage drop and current across the resistor 3.3K as shown in figure below

A6) Step 1:

Remove 8V power supply from the original circuit such that the new circuit becomes as the following and measure the voltage across resistor.

Here 3.3 K and 2K are in parallel therefore the resultant resistance will be 1.245K

Using voltage divider rule across 1.245K will be

V1 =[1.245/(1.245+4.7)] * 5 = 1.047V

Step 2:

Remove the 5V power supply from the original circuit such that the new circuit becomes the following and then measure the voltage across resistor.

Here 3.3K and 4.7K are in parallel therefore the resultant resistance will be 1.938K. Using voltage divider rule voltage across 1.938K will be

V2 =[1.938(1.938+2)] *8 = 3.9377V

Therefore, voltage drop across 3.3K resistor is V1+V2 = 1.047 + 3.9377 = 4.9847V

Q7) Explain the Step to apply Thevenin’s theorem.

A7) Thevenin’s Theorem states that “Any linear circuit containing several voltages and resistances can be replaced by just one single voltage in series with a single resistance connected across the load”.

For the circuit as shown in figure find the current through RL = R2 = 1Ω resistor (Ia-b) branch using Thevenin’s theorem. Find the voltage across the current source.

Step 1: Disconnect the load resistance and reconnect the circuit.

Step 2: Apply any method to calculate Vth

At node C

2 + I1 + I2 =0

2 + (3 -Vc)/3 + (0-Vc/6) -- Vc = 6V

The currents I1 and I2 are computed by the following expressions:

I1 = Va -Vc/3 = 3-6/3 = -1A (I1 is flowing from c to a)

I2 = 0 – Vc/6  = -6/6 = -1A (I2 is flowing from c to a)

Step-3:

Redraw the circuit indicating the direction of currents in different branches. One can find the Thevenin’s voltage VTh using KVL around the closed path ‘gabg’

VTh = Vag − Vbg = 3 − 2 =1volt

Step 4:

Replace all sources by their internal resistances. In this problem, voltage source has an internal resistance zero (0) (ideal voltage source) and it is short-circuited with a wire.

On the other hand, the current source has an infinite internal resistance (ideal current source) and it is open-circuited (just remove the current source).

Thevenin’s resistance RTh of the fixed part of the circuit can be computed by looking at the load terminals ‘a’- ‘b’

RTh = ( R1 + R3 ) & R4 = ( 3 + 4 )&2 = 1.555Ω

Step-5: Place RTh in series with VTh to form the Thevenin’s equivalent circuit. Reconnect the original load resistance RL = R2 = 1 Ω to the Thevenin’s equivalent circuit .

Step-6: The circuit is redrawn to indicate different branch currents. Referring to one can calculate the voltage Vbg and voltage across the current source (Vcg ) using the following equations.

Vbg = Vag − Vab = 3 − 1 × 0.39 =2.61 volt.

Ibg = 2.61 2 = 1.305 A;

Icb = 1.305 − 0.39 = 0.915 A

Vcg = 4 × 0.915 + 2 ×1.305 =6.27 volt.

Q8) Find maximum power delivered is RLif its value is

Ω

A8)

Therefore,

Also, clear from circuit that Vth = 1V.

By applying KVL we get,

1-3Isc=0

Isc=A

Q9) Explain star to delta and delta to star conversion?

A9) Star to delta conversion to final equivalent resistance

We know that (from delta to star conversion)

R1 =    …….①

R2 = …..②

R1 = ……③

Multiply ① X ② L.H.S and R.H.S

R1 R2  = …….④   where  

Similarly multiply  ② X ③

R2 R3  = …….⑤

And ③  X①

R1 R3  = …….⑥

Now add equation ④, ⑤, and ⑥ L.H.S and R.H.S

……refer eq. ②

= + +

=  +

(Delta)      star             star

Similarly R23 = R2+R3 +

R23 = R1+R2 +

Delta to Star Conversion to Find  (Req.)

Delta       Star

= R12// (R23 + R13)         =R1 + R2

=       = R1 + R2

=    

Here let R = R12 + R23 + R13

=    R2 + R3

   R1 + R3

Now the 3 equations after equating L.H.S. and R.H.S

R1 + R2 = …….①

R2 + R3 = ……②

R1 + R3 = …..③

Now subtract ② and ① on L.H.S. and R.H.S

R2+ R3 – R1 – R2 =

R3 – R1 = …..④

Now add equation ④ and ③

R3 – R1 + R1 + R3 =

2R3 =

Similarly R1 =

And R2 = R23 R12/R       where R = R12 + R23 + R13

ie  star equivalent from delta network is ratio of product of adjacent branches in delta to the addition of all branches in delta.

Q10) Explain analysis of simple circuits with DC excitation?

A10) Here is a simple circuit with DC excitation:

Analysis would mean we determine the voltages at all the nodes and currents in all the branches of this circuit.

A node is defined as any point where two or more components meet.

A branch is defined as any path between two nodes.

Let’s label all the nodes in the circuit above:

We have only two nodes here, ‘1’ and ‘0’.

We call node ‘0’ the ground node. The ground node is at 0 volt.

Node ‘1’ is connected to the top of our DC voltage source. So it is at 9 volts.

Half our job is done here, because we now know the voltages at all the nodes in our circuit.

Next, let’s talk about the branches.

There are two branches in our circuit. One branch contains the 9V DC source and the other branch contains the 3k resistor.

We know find the currents through the branches.

From Ohm’s law we can calculate the current in the resistor.

I = V/R

This gives us a current of 9/3k = 3 mA.

The current in the resistor branch is 3 mA. And, because our circuit is one single closed loop, this current also flows in the other branch.

At this point, we know all the voltages at each node and the currents through each branch of our simple circuit. So, we say that the analysis of our simple DC excitation circuit is complete.