INTRODUCTION
Almost all basic household electronic
circuits need an unregulated AC to be converted to constant DC, in order
to operate the electronic device. All devices will have a certain power
supply limit and the electronic circuits inside these devices must be
able to supply a constant DC voltage within this limit. That is, all the
active and passive electronic devices will have a certain DC operating
point (Q-point or Quiescent point), and this point must be achieved by
the source of DC power. The DC power supply is practically converted to
each and every stage in an electronic system.
Thus a common requirement
for all this phases will be the DC power supply. All low power system
can be run with a battery. But, for long time operating devices,
batteries could prove to be costly and complicated. The best method used
is in the form of an unregulated power supply –a combination of a
transformer, rectifier and a filter. The diagram is shown below.
- Unregulated Power Supply – Diagram
As shown in the figure above, a small
step down transformer is used to reduce the voltage level to the devices
needs. In India, a 1 Ø supply is available at 230 volts. The output of
the transformer is a pulsating sinusoidal AC voltage, which is converted
to pulsating DC with the help of a rectifier. This output is given to a
filter circuit which reduces the AC ripples, and passes the DC
components. But here are certain disadvantages in using an unregulated
power supply.
2. AC Supply Main Variations – The
maximum variations in AC supply mains is give or take 6% of its rated
value . But this value may go higher in some countries (180-280 volts).
When the value is higher it’s DC voltage output will differ largely.
3. Temperature Variation – The use of semiconductor devices in electronic devices may cause variation in temperature.
These variations in dc output voltage
may cause inaccurate or erratic operation or even malfunctioning of many
electronic circuits. For instance, in oscillators the frequency will
shift, in transmitters output will get distorted, and in amplifiers the
operating point will shift causing bias instability.
All the above listed problems are overcome with the help of a voltage regulator
which is employed in conjunction with an unregulated power supply.
Thus, the ripple voltage is largely reduced. Thus, the supply becomes a
regulated power supply.
The internal circuitry of a regulated
power supply also contains certain current limiting circuits which helps
the supply circuit from getting fried from inadvertent circuits.
Nowadays, all the power supplies use IC’s
to reduce ripples, enhance voltage regulation and for widened control
options. Programmable power supplies are also available to allow remote
operation that is useful in many settings.
REGULATED POWER SUPPLY
Regulated power supply is an electronic
circuit that is designed to provide a constant dc voltage of
predetermined value across load terminals irrespective of ac mains
fluctuations or load variations.
As shown in the figure, the two main
parts of a regulated power supply are a simple power supply and a
voltage regulating device. The power supply output is given as input to
the voltage regulating device that provides the final output. The
voltage output of the power supply remains constant irrespective of
large variations in the input AC voltage or output load current.
Given below is a circuit diagram of a
regulated power supply circuit using a transistor series regulator as a
regulating device. The input AC voltage (230 Voltas Vrms), is supplied
to a transformer. The output will be a stepped down ac output
appropriate for the desired dc output. This ac voltage is then given to a
bridge rectifier to produce a full-wave rectified output. This is then
given to a pi-filter circuit to produce a dc voltage. The filter output
may have some ac voltage variations and ripples. This is further
filtered using a regulating circuit whose output will be a constant dc
voltage. This regulated dc voltage is then given to a voltage divider,
which supplies the different dc voltages that may be needed for
different electronic circuits.
The potential divider is a single tapped
resistor connected across the output terminals of the supply. The
tapped resistor may consist of two or three resistors connected in
series across the supply. A bleeder resistor may also be employed as a
potential divider.
Power Supply Characteristics
The quality of the power supply is determined by various characteristics like load
voltage, load current, voltage regulation, source regulation, output
impedance, ripple rejection, and so on. Some of the characteristics are
briefly explained below:
1. Load Regulation –
The load regulation or load effect is the change in regulated output
voltage when the load current changes from minimum to maximum value.
Load regulation = Vno-load – Vfull-load
Vno-load – Load Voltage at no load
Vfull-load – Load voltage at full load.
From the above equation we can
understand that when Vno-load occurs the load resistance is infinite,
that is, the out terminals are open circuited. Vfull-load occurs when
the load resistance is of the minimum value where voltage regulation is
lost.
% Load Regulation = [(Vno-load – Vfull-load)/Vfull-load] * 100
2. Minimum Load Resistance –
The load resistance at which a power supply delivers its full-load
rated current at rated voltage is referred to as minimum load
resistance.
Minimum Load Resistance = Vfull-load/Ifull-load
The value of Ifull-load, full load current should never increase than that mentioned in the data sheet of the power supply.
3. Source/Line Regulation –
In the block diagram, the input line voltage has a nominal value of 230
Volts but in practice, there are considerable variations in ac supply
mains voltage. Since this ac supply mains voltage is the input to the
ordinary power supply, the filtered output of the bridge rectifier is
almost directly proportional to the ac mains voltage.
The source regulation is defined as the change in regulated output voltage for a specified rage of line voltage.
4. Output Impedance – A
regulated power supply is a very stiff dc voltage source. This means
that the output resistance is very small. Even though the external load
resistance is varied, almost no change is seen in the load voltage. An
ideal voltage source has an output impedance of zero.
5. Ripple Rejection –
Voltage regulators stabilize the output voltage against variations in
input voltage. Ripple is equivalent to a periodic variation in the input
voltage. Thus, a voltage regulator attenuates the ripple that comes in
with the unregulated input voltage. Since a voltage regulator uses
negative feedback, the distortion is reduced by the same factor as the
gain.
REGULATED POWER SUPPLY
Regulated power supply is an electronic
circuit that is designed to provide a constant dc voltage of
predetermined value across load terminals irrespective of ac mains
fluctuations or load variations.
- Regulated Power Supply – Block Diagram
A regulated power supply essentially
consists of an ordinary power supply and a voltage regulating device,
as illustrated in the figure. The output from an ordinary power supply
is fed to the voltage regulating device that provides the final output.
The output voltage remains constant irrespective of variations in the ac
input voltage or variations in output (or load) current.
Figure given below shows the complete
circuit of a regulated power supply with a transistor series regulator
as a regulating device. The ac voltage, typically 230 Vrms is
connected to a transformer which transforms that ac voltage to the
level for the desired dc output.
A bridge rectifier then provides a
full-wave rectified voltage that is initially filtered by a ∏ (or C-L-C)
filter to produce a dc voltage. The resulting dc voltage usually has
some ripple or ac voltage variation. A regulating circuit use this dc
input to provide a dc voltage that not only has much less ripple voltage
but also remains constant even if the input dc voltage varies somewhat
or the load connected to the output dc voltage changes. The regulated dc
supply is available across a voltage divider.
- Regulated Power Supply – Diagram
Often more than one dc voltage is
required for the operation of electronic circuits. A single power supply
can provide as many as voltages as are required by using a voltage (or
potential) divider, as illustrated in the figure. As illustrated in the
figure, a potential divider is a single tapped resistor connected across
the output terminals of the supply. The tapped resistor may consist of
two or three resistors connected in series across the supply. In fact,
bleeder resistor may also be employed as a potential divider.
Power Supply Characteristics
There are various factors that
determine the quality of the power supply like the load voltage, load
current, voltage regulation, source regulation, output impedance, ripple
rejection, and so on. Some of the characteristics are briefly explained
below:
1. Load Regulation –
The load regulation or load effect is the change in regulated output
voltage when the load current changes from minimum to maximum value.
Load regulation = Vno-load – Vfull-load
Vno-load – Load Voltage at no load
Vfull-load – Load voltage at full load.
From the above equation we can
understand that when Vno-load occurs the load resistance is infinite,
that is, the out terminals are open circuited. Vfull-load occurs when
the load resistance is of the minimum value where voltage regulation is
lost.
% Load Regulation = [(Vno-load – Vfull-load)/Vfull-load] * 100
2. Minimum Load Resistance
– The load resistance at which a power supply delivers its full-load
rated current at rated voltage is referred to as minimum load
resistance.
Minimum Load Resistance = Vfull-load/Ifull-load
The value of Ifull-load, full load current should never increase than that mentioned in the data sheet of the power supply.
3. Source/Line Regulation
– In the block diagram, the input line voltage has a nominal value of
230 Volts but in practice, here are considerable variations in ac supply
mains voltage. Since this ac supply mains voltage is the input to the
ordinary power supply, the filtered output of the bridge rectifier is
almost directly proportional to the ac mains voltage.
The source regulation is defined as the change in regulated output voltage for a specified rage of lie voltage.
4. Output Impedance – A
regulated power supply is a very stiff dc voltage source. This means
that the output resistance is very small. Even though the external load
resistance is varied, almost no change is seen in the load voltage. An
ideal voltage source has an output impedance of zero.
5. Ripple Rejection
– Voltage regulators stabilize the output voltage against variations in
input voltage. Ripple is equivalent to a periodic variation in the
input voltage. Thus,a voltage regulator attenuates the ripple that comes
in with the unregulated input voltage. Since a voltage regulator uses
negative feedback, the distortion is reduced by the same factor as the
gain.
No comments:
Post a Comment