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Fabrication of a MOSFET-based low-cost inverter for domestic purposes

Article · January 2018

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 Bulletin of Physics Projects, 3, 11-13, 2018 ISSN: 2455-9407

Fabrication of a MOSFET-based low-cost inverter for domestic

purposes
Madhubala Baruah, Kishore Dutta#
Department of Physics, Handique Girls’ Guwahati, Assam, India
#
Corresponding author’s e-mail address: kdkishore77@gmail.com

Abstract

We design a low-cost inverter circuit using transistor and MOSFETs motivated by the growing demand due to frequent
power shortages. As an undergraduate laboratory experiment, the circuit constructed from transistors, capacitors,
resistors, and n-channel enhancement MOSFETs works in three stages: astable multivibrator, oscillatory circuit, and step-
up of the voltage. It produces a 50 Hz AC signal which is then fed into a step- up transformer. We find that the circuit
transforms a 12 Volt DC input to a 160 Volt AC output. Higher voltage rating can be achieved by enhancing the stage of
oscillation.

1. Introduction: made in this project to design a low cost inverter circuit

which can generate a sufficient amount of AC voltage for
In today’s technological world, the demand in energy domestic purpose. The branded inverters available in the
consumption, energy saving, explorations of alternative market comprises of ICs, Op-Amps, and 555 timer,
energy sources are growing day by day. Search for making it very expensive. However, without using ICs, a
alternating energy source now-a-days is an open low-cost DC to AC inverter can be designed as done in
challenging problem. Apart from this, due to lack of this project. It comprises only low-cost transistors, n-
sufficient electric power generation, inverter has become a channel enhancement MOSFETs, and a step-up
highly demanding equipment used in every residential and transformer [3, 4].
commercial places [1, 2]. An inverter drives the power from 2. Experimental Details:
DC power banks, like lead acid battery pack. The most The basic idea behind a working inverter circuit is to
common type of inverter we see in everyday life is convert a DC signal to a constant oscillation and apply
uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that are used to keep these oscillatory signals across the primary of a suitable
personal computers running in the event of power cuts. step-up transformer to obtain the desired AC voltage. The
Designing a low cost inverter is therefore a highly circuit that is designed for this purpose thus works in three
demanding challenge which can mitigate the needs of successive steps: (a) astable multivibrator (b) MOSFET-
power for economically weak people during the time of based oscillator circuit and (c) Stepped up the voltage
load shedding. Keeping this in mind, an attempt has been using transformer. The circuit designed in this project work
 Bulletin of Physics Projects, 3, 11-13, 2018 ISSN: 2455-9407

is shown schematically in Fig. 1, showing clearly the triggering. The time period of each states are determined by
various components used in the circuit. It requires (a) a the values of the resistors and capacitors used in the circuit.
As shown in Fig. 2, the two transistors are working
together as a switch. When one of the transistors is ON, its
collector and emitter act as a short circuit while in the OFF
mode, they act as an open circuit. In the OFF state, the
collector of the transistor possesses a voltage Vc while in
the ON state, the collector turns out to have zero voltage
(grounded). When the circuit is switched ON, one of the
transistors will be conducting more than the other due to
imbalance in the circuit or difference in the parameters of
the transistor. Finally, depending on the time constant, it
will be driven to saturation (ON) and the less conducting
transistor will be driven to cutoff (OFF). Lets assume that
the transistor Q1 is in ON state and Q2 is in OFF state.
During this time capacitor C2 is charging to Vc through
resistor R. During this time, Q2 remains OFF due to the
negative voltage from the discharging capacitor C1 which is
charged during the previous cycle. Thus, the OFF time of
Q2 is determined by time constant T1 = R1C1. After this
time period, the capacitor C1 discharges completely and
Figure 1: Schematic circuit diagram of the inverter starts charging in reverse direction through R1. The
negative voltage from the capacitor C2 turns OFF the
12V DC Battery (b) a center-tapped 2 Amp step-up transistor Q1 and the capacitor C1 starts charging from Vc
transformer (c) two IRF 630 n-MOSFET (d) two 2N2222 through resistor R and base emitter of transistor Q2 .
transistors (e) two 2.2 µF Capacitors (f) two 680 Ω Thus the transistor Q2 remains in ON state. As in the
resistors and (g) two 12 KΩ resistors. previous state, when the capacitor C2 discharges
2.1. Working Principle behind the circuit completely, it starts charging towards opposite direction
through R2. When the voltage across the capacitor C2 is
sufficient to turn ON transistor Q1, it will turn ON and the
capacitor C1 starts discharging. This process continues and
produces rectangular waves at the collector of each
transistor.

Figure 2: Circuit diagram of astable multivibrator

In the first step of the functioning, there is an astable

Figure 3: Circuit diagram of MOSFET based oscillatory circuit
multivibrator, also known as a free running multivibrator
that possesses no stable states. This is constructed using
In the second step, the signal from the astable
the transistors, capacitors, and resistors, as shown
multivibrator needs to be fed into a circuit that can
separately in Fig. 2. Its output oscillates continuously
generates a constant desired oscillation. We use MOSFET-
between its two unstable states without the aid of external
 Bulletin of Physics Projects, 3, 11-13, 2018 ISSN: 2455-9407

based oscillator circuit, as shown in Fig. 3. It comprises amount of AC voltage for emergency. Although in our
two IRF 630 n-MOS. Each n-MOS has three terminals: experiment we obtain a 50Hz, 160 Volt AC output, the
Gate, Drain, and Source. The Gate terminals of the circuit can easily be reconfigured by using more numbers
MOSFETs are connected to a 12 KΩ resistors through a
of MOSFETs and a step-up transformer having high turn’s
2.2 µF capacitor as shown in the diagram. It is also fed by
the collector of each transistors used in the astable ratio so that desired output can be achieved. Since 160
multivibrator circuit. The Source terminals of each Volt is sufficient to glow a number of 20-30 Watt Compact
MOSFET are connected to the Emitter of the transistors to fluorescent lamp (CFL), it can be used effectively in
enhance the frequency produced by the astable domestic purpose in emergency.
multivibrator. Finally, the oscillatory signal generated by 5. Acknowledgement:
the n- MOS is used as an input to the step-up transformer
The authors would like to acknowledge the
by connecting the Drain terminals of each MOSFETs to
the primary coil of a step-up transformer. The center- Department of Physics, Handique Girls’ College for
tapped step-up transformer has a three terminal input with providing scopes for smooth performance of the entire
two extreme terminals connected to the Drains and the project work within stipulated time.
center one is connected to the positive terminal of the
supply voltage (12 Volt DC battery). In fact, it is also 6. References
connected to the collector terminals of the transistors. This
[1] Louis Nashelsky and Robert Boylestad, Electronic devices
way the n-MOS based oscillatory circuit is able to generate
and circuit theory, Pearson, Eleventh Edition (2015)
a high AC voltage having frequency ~50Hz.
[2] Thomas L. Floyd, Digital Fundamentals, Prantice Hall,
3. Results and Discussions:
Ninth Edition (2006)
As shown in Fig. 1, the circuit for the inverter is assembled [3] Electronics Magazine, Electronics Weekly, Circulation-40,
by connecting the circuits for astable multivibrator, n-MOS
918 (2007)
oscillator circuit and the step-up transformer as discussed
[4] Electronics Today International, 20, No. 4 (1990)
above. With this circuitry, the output terminal of the step-
up transformer with its center- tap connected to 12V DC,
is connected to a 220 Volt 60 Watt bulb. When the circuit
is switched on, the bulb glows and we measure the output
AC voltage by using an AC voltmeter and its frequency by
a digital multimeter. We find that the frequency of the AC
signal is f ≈ 50Hz and the output AC voltage is 160 Volt.
The frequency of the oscillator circuit can further be
enhanced by using a series of MOSFETs in succession.
Further, the output AC voltage can be increased by using a
step-up transformer with more turn’s ratio.

Figure 4: The working circuit configuration in the laboratory

4. Conclusions
The circuit designed here is an initial attempt to develop a
low-cost domestic purpose inverter that generates a desired

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