SCHOOL NAME
AC POWER CONTROL
EXPERIMENT NO. 1
(MEMBER’S NAME)
(MEMBER’S NAME)
(MEMBER’S NAME)
ELECTRONICS 3: ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS AND DESIGN
COURSE/SECTION
DATE
INSTRUCTOR NAME
INTRODUCTION:
Silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs) are widely used in power electronic circuits for the
control of AC power. These devices are commonly used in applications such as motor
control, power supplies, and lighting control, where the ability to control AC power is
critical.
The purpose of this laboratory experiment is to observe and analyze the operation of an
SCR-controlled AC power circuit. The experiment will be performed using a laboratory
power supply, oscilloscope, and multimeter. The SCR will be used to control the AC
power to a resistive load, and the waveforms of the input and output voltages and
currents will be measured and recorded.
OBJECTIVE:
To understand the basic operation of an SCR-controlled AC power circuit and
how it is used to control AC power.
To observe and analyze the input AC voltage and current waveforms, and
compare these to the theoretical sinusoidal waveform.
To observe and analyze the output AC voltage and current waveforms, and
compare these to the expected waveform for a resistive load.
To measure and record the peak-to-peak voltage and current values of the input
and output signals.
To observe and analyze the effect of changing the trigger angle on the output AC
voltage and current waveforms.
PROCEDURE:
DATA RESULTS:
COMPUTATION:
DISCUSSION:
Power Control Using SCR (Thyristor)
The device used widely for both AC and DC power control is the silicon-controlled
rectifier (SCR). It has many industrial-electronic applications, such as reversing and
speed control for DC motors.
In addition to its anode and cathode, the SCR has a gate. By controlling the phase of
the gate signal with respect to the phase of the supply voltage, the firing (delay) angle of
the gate can be held to any point in the cycle up to approximately 180°. Through control
of the firing angle, the average power delivered to the load can thus be controlled.
With an AC voltage source, the SCR acts as a controlled half-wave rectifier, since it will
block both the positive and the negative half-cycles until a positive control signal is
applied to the gate. As long as the control signal is present, the SCR will then conduct
during the positive half-cycle and block during the negative half-cycle. When the control
signal is removed, the SCR will block both half-cycles again, since it automatically turns
off at the end of each positive half-cycle. By proper timing of the applied control signal,
the SCR can be made to conduct for all or part of the positive half-cycle. Thus,
proportioning control of the output, as well as on-off switching, is possible.
DC Power Switch
The input characteristics of the SCR, gate-to-cathode, are similar to the base-emitter
input of the NPN silicon transistor. Firing occurs at specific values of input current and
voltage. Thus, the device can be used as a static switch with either an AC or DC source.
Circuit below has a DC source, and the SCR acts as a latching switch. Once turned on
by a control signal, it will remain on. To turn it off, the anode current must be reduced
below the dropout level. Resistor R1 provides a negative-gate bias current and insures a
stable "off" condition.
Simple latching switch.
The SCR will latch on at any load current above the dropout level. It will work as well
with small loads (e.g. 10 mA) as it does at higher load currents. The circuit can be used
as a single-contact latching switch for direct control of a given load, and is useful for
driving relay coils or similar electromagnetic loads. With the SCR, an ordinary DC relay
can be converted to a high-sensitivity latching relay. For inductive loads a shunt diode
may be required, to eliminate a voltage surge when the power is removed.
For the simple latching circuit, turn-off can be accomplished by removing the source
voltage. The SCR can also be turned off through use of a capacitive shunt, as in circuit
below. The SCR is off until an input control signal turns it on. When on, the voltage at
the anode is about one volt. C1 charges through R3 to about the value of the supply
voltage. Closing the switch causes the charge across the capacitor to drive the SCR
anode negative with respect to ground. Load current is no longer supplied by the SCR,
but from the discharging capacitor. This method of achieving SCR cutoff is known as
shunt-capacitor turn-off. The capacitor must be sufficiently large to hold the SCR anode
negative long enough to insure turn-off.
Shunt capacitor turn off.
Large amounts of power may also be switched on and off using only small mechanical
switches. The ratio of control power to controlled power is so high that a small, light-duty
switch (S1, in the figure below) may be used in a circuit which might switch several
kilowatts.
In the figure below the SCR is in series with the DC input (supply) and load ( RL).
Normally it is cut off, so that the load is not energized. When S1 is closed, however, a
small current from the positive input terminal, limited by a high resistance R1, flows into
the gate and switches the SCR on, energizing the load. Once this action has been
initiated, S1, may be opened, but conduction will continue.
DC power switch using contacts.
Opening S1, allows capacitor C1 to charge to the DC input voltage, through resistor R1,
with its right side positive. When the power is to be switched off, switch S2, is closed
momentarily. This connects the positive terminal of the charged capacitor to the
negative terminal of the DC input (ground), and a negative voltage is applied to the
anode of the rectifier for a brief interval. This cuts the SCR off.
AC Power Switch
SCRs are often used where a large amount of power is to be switched, but the contact
current and voltage must be kept low for simple and reliable operation. The SCR
provide a solution to this common control problem. The sensitive actuating contacts
need supply only the gate firing power, which can be as low as 50 microwatts (1 V, 50
µA). The SCR will directly provide up to 100 watts or more for the output load.
The SCR reverse characteristic is similar to that of a normal silicon rectifier diode, in
that both represent essentially open circuits with a negative anode-to-cathode voltage.
The forward characteristic is such that it will block the positive anode-to-cathode voltage
below a critical breakover voltage if no signal is applied to the gate terminal. However,
by exceeding the forward breakover voltage or applying an appropriate gate signal, the
device will rapidly switch to a conducting state and present the characteristically low
forward voltage drop of a single-junction rectifier.
Series switch.
The figure above shows a simple series switch S, which applies an AC signal to the
gate. R1 limits this gate current to a safe value, and the diode D prevents the application
of inverse voltage between the gate and cathode during the nonconducting cycle.
Load RL can be of any value within the limits of the SCR.
AC switch waveforms.
As long as S is open, the SCR will not fire when AC is applied. Closing S allows the
positive alternation to cause conduction, since the gate fires the SCR and its anode is
positive. As shown in the figure above, the SCR fires for less than 180° and will not fire
on the negative alternation. Thus, closing S will control the firing point for each positive
alternation, and DC current will flow through the load. The load current can be
interrupted by opening S or by the negative anode voltage.
Shunt switch.
It is possible to use DC on the gate to control the firing point. Or, as in the figure above,
the circuit can be fired by opening S where the switch is from the gate to the cathode.
The load current can be interrupted by closing S or by the negative anode voltage.
Load current with switch closed.
Two other simple arrangements for switching power to loads are shown. The circuit in
the figure above will provide load power when the actuating contact is closed, but not
when it is open. The circuit in the figure below provides the reverse of this action; power
is supplied to the load only when the contact is open. If desired, both circuits can be
made to "latch" by operating with DC instead of the AC supply indicated. In the figure
above, voltage divider R2, R3 provides the AC gate signal. In the figure below, a closed
switch causes the gate and cathode to have the same potential; hence, the SCR will not
fire.
Load current with switch open.
AC power may be switched with the circuit shown in the figure below, by means of two
SCRs connected back-to-back to handle both half-cycles of the AC voltage.
AC switch with two SCRs.
Control current is supplied to the gates through the resistor R3, when the control
terminals are short-circuited by an external switch (mechanical or electronic).
The switch which permits each gate to fire may be controlled by an electronic amplifier
actuated by light, heat, pressure, etc. When the control switch closes, the SCRs fire
once for each alternation. When the switch is open, neither SCR fires. In this way, AC
power to the load is controlled.
CONCLUSION:
REFERENCES:
