Maxwell’s (Mesh) Theorem

OR
MESH CURRENT METHOD
 Introduction

The Mesh Current Method is another well-organized

method for solving a circuit.

The Mesh Current Method is based on Kirchhoff's

Voltage Law(KVL).
 Loops and meshes

The Mesh Current Method uses two special

terms: loop and mesh.

A loop is any closed path around a circuit. To trace a loop, you

start at any component terminal, and trace a path through
connected elements until you get back to the starting point. A
loop is allowed to go through an element just one time. In the
circuit above, there are three loops, two solid loops, I and II,
and one dashed loop, III, all the way around the outside.
A mesh is a restricted kind of loop; a mesh is a loop
that contains no other loops. In the circuit above,
loops \text III and \text{II}III, I are meshes because
there are no smaller loops inside. The dashed loop is
not a mesh, because it contains two other loops.
 Maxwell’s Loop Current

The method involves a set of independent loop

currents assigned to as many meshes as exist in the
circuit, and these currents are employed in
connection with appropriate resistances when
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law equations are written.
When we use the term loop current we are talking
about an imagined current flowing around a loop.
 Steps in solving Mesh Current method

 Identify the meshes.

 Assign a current variable to each mesh, using a
consistent direction (clockwise or counterclockwise).
 Write Kirchhoff's Voltage Law around each mesh.
 Voltage sources go in as voltages.
 Resistor voltages go in as R X iloop
 If two loop currents flow in opposite directions in a resistor, the
voltage goes in as R X ( iloop1 - iloop2 ).
 Set the sum of voltages equal to zero.
 Solve the resulting system of equations for all loop
currents.
 Solve for any element currents and voltages you want
using Ohm's Law.
It is clear that I1 is the current flowing in source V1, and resistor R1.
Likewise I2 is the current flowing in resistor R2 and source V2. But
what is going on with the current in R3?
 The Principle of Superposition

Superposition is a fancy word for add. In the case of R3, we are using the
principle of superposition when we say the two loop currents, I1 and
I2 add up to the actual current in the resistor, IR3. The two loop
currents superimpose (add up) to form the actual element current in
R3.
NOTE: Same direction (POSITIVE sign)
Opposite direction (NEGATIVE sign)
EXAMPLES