Why Do the Calculated Mesh Currents Not Balance Power in Each Loop?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around mesh analysis in electrical circuits, specifically focusing on calculating mesh currents and verifying power balance in loops. The original poster attempts to find three mesh currents using Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL) but encounters discrepancies when checking power calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of KVL and its implications for power in circuits. The original poster shares their equations and calculated mesh currents, while others question the relationship between mesh currents and power balance.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the original poster's calculations and exploring the concept of power balance in the context of mesh analysis. Some guidance has been provided regarding the relationship between power supplied and consumed, but no consensus has been reached on the correctness of the calculations.

Contextual Notes

The original poster's calculations yield a power balance that does not equal zero, leading to questions about potential errors in their approach or assumptions. The discussion highlights the importance of verifying power calculations in relation to mesh currents.

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Homework Statement



Find the three mesh current.

12.jpg


Homework Equations


KVL

The Attempt at a Solution



I numbered the loop 1 with 2 and 3 ohms, loop 2 with 3, 5, and 212 V, and loop 3 with 3, 122V, and 5. All currents are clockwise.

So for Loop 1: 2i1+3(i1-i2)=0
Loop 2: 3(i2-i1)+5(i2-i3)-212=0
Loop 3: 3i3+122+5(i3-i2)=0

I solve the system and got i1=26.4878 A, i2=44.1463A, i3=12.3415 A.

But when I plug them back in for power, I do not get 0 for every loop. So I know I must doing something wrong here. So would anyone please help me to see where I am doing wrong?

Many thanks in advance!
 
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KVL says nothing about power in a loop.
 
lewando said:
KVL says nothing about power in a loop.

From my textbook, I learned that if we add the powers for all the elements in the circuit, the result should be zero because energy is neither created nor destroyed.
 
Okay, then then power supplied by the active devices should equal the power consumed by the passive devices. What are you getting?
 
lewando said:
Okay, then then power supplied by the active devices should equal the power consumed by the passive devices. What are you getting?

I get a negative number.
 
I mean, what, specifically, are you getting for each element?
 
lewando said:
I mean, what, specifically, are you getting for each element?

2 ohms: P=i1^2*R=26.49^2*2=1403.44
3 ohms: P=3(i1-i2)^2=3(26.49-44.15)^2=935.6268
5 ohms: P=5(i2-i3)^2=5(44.15-12.34)^2=5059.3805
3 ohms: P=3i3^2=3(12.34)^2=456.8268

122 V: P=IV=122*12.34=1505.48
212 V: P=IV=-212*44.15=-9359.8

I got 0.9541. Unbelievable.

I guess all the numbers are correct!
 
Good work by you!
 
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