UNIT-2

POWER SUPPLIY

NEED FOR DC POWER SPPLY TO ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS:

The electronic circuits like amplifiers, oscillators, require a source of DC power. An electronic gadgets
like radio, tape recorders, T.V etc..are combination of several amplifiers and oscillators. The digital circuits
like computers, digital meters, etc.., are also requires a DC power to drive them. The sources of DC power are
batteries and DC generators. Batteries are used for power supply in portable equipment. But batteries are rarely
used for this purpose as they are costly and require frequency replacement. The rechargeable batteries of
course also require DC source to charge it. The AC signal is readily available from the generating stations and
are also very cheap. DC power for electronic circuits is almost conveniently obtained from commercial AC
lines by using rectifier-filter-regulator called a power supply.
REGULATED POWER SUPPLY:
A DC power supply which maintains the output voltage constant irrespective of AC mains flows
fluctuations or load variations is known as regulated power supply.
The block diagram of regulated power supply is shown in figure:

A power supply consists of transformer, rectifier, filter and regulator.

Transformer: The AC voltage is applied to the input of the transformer. The use of transformer is, it allows
step up or step down the AC input voltage, and it isolates the rectifier circuit from power line thus reduces the
risk of electric shock.
Rectifier: It is used to convert an AC signal into pulsating DC signal.
Filter: It is used to remove the alternating component (ripple) of the rectified output, to producing DC signal.
Regulator: It used to obtain constant output voltage irrespective of the load variations and supply variations.
RECTIFIER:
A rectifier is an electronic device, used for converting AC voltage or current into unidirectional DC
voltage or current.
Rectifiers are basically of two types depending on the AC voltage they take as input. They are:
1. Single phase rectifiers 2. Poly phase rectifiers
Rectifiers are of types, classified based on the period of conduction, they are:
1. Half-wave rectifiers 2. Full-wave rectifiers
Full-wave rectifiers are further classified into two categories depends on the nature of circuit connection:
1. Center-tapped full wave rectifier
2. Bridge rectifier
2.1;2.2 DRAW &WORKING OF HWR, FWR&BRIDGE RECTIFIERS WITH WAVE FORMS:
1. HALF-WAVE RECTIFIER:
This circuit consists of an AC supply source, step down transformer, a single PN junction diode and
load. This circuit converts an AC signal into pulsating DC signal using only one half-cycle of the applied AC
voltage. The circuit diagram of a half wave rectifier is shown in fig:
Positive half-cycle:
During the positive half-cycle of the input AC voltage. The diode is forward biased(ON) and conducts.
While conducting, the diode acts as a short circuit. So that circuit current flows and hence, positive half-cycle
of the input AC voltage is dropped across the RL. During this conduction the output voltage is same as that of
the signal across secondary winding of transformer during positive half-cycle.
Vo=Vi
Negative half-cycle:
During negative half-cycle of input AC signal. The diode is reverse biased(OFF) and diode does not
conduct& the diode acts as a open circuit. Hence there is no current flow, the voltage drop across R L is zero.
So the output voltage is zero.
Vo=0
Disadvantages:
The main disadvantages of half-wave rectifier are
1. The pulsating current in the load contains alternating component whose basic frequency is equal to the
supply frequency. Therefore filtering is required to produce steady direct current.
2. The AC supply delivers power only half the time. Therefore, the output is low.
The input & output wave forms of the half-wave rectifier are shown in figure:

2. CENTER TAPPED FULL WAVE RECTIFIER:

In this, current flows through the load in the same direction, for both half-cycles of input AC voltage.
This can be achieved with two diodes working alternatively. For the positive half-cycle of input voltage,
one diode supplies current to the load and for the negative half-cycle, the other diode does so, current being
always in the same direction through the load. Therefore, a full-wave rectifier utilizes both half cycles of
input AC voltage to produce the pulsating DC output. The circuit diagram of the centre tapped full wave
rectifier is shown in figure:
 Positive half-cycle: During the positive half-cycle of input, the extremes of secondary winding of centre
tapped transformer. AB becomes positive& negative respectively. The centre point C is at zero potential.
The positive voltage at a makes the diode D1 to conduct as it is forward biased. At the same time the
negative voltage at point B makes the other diode D2 to remain off as it is reverse biased. So, during positive
half-cycle of input, diode D1, conducts and diode D2 doesn’t conduct. The current flows through the D1,
load resistor RL and the upper half of the winding as shown in figure. Hence the voltage drop across R L
will be equal to the input voltage.
Negative half-cycle: During the negative half-cycle of the input, the end B is positive and end A is negative.
Now the negative voltage appearing at point A makes the diode D1, to remain off and positive voltage
appearing at point B makes the diode D2 to conduct. So during negative half-cycle of input diode D1 does
not conduct & diode D2 conducts. The current flows through the diode D2, load resistor R L and the lower
half of the winding as shown in figure:
The voltage drop across the RL will be equal to the input voltage. The current i1 & i2 flows through
the load RL in the same direction. Hence they can be added to give the resultant current iL flowing through
the load.
Disadvantages:
1. It is difficult to locate the centre tap on the secondary winding.
2. The DC output is small as each diode utilizes only one-half of the transformer secondary voltage.
3. The diodes used must have high PIV.
The input & output waveforms of the centre tapped full wave rectifier are shown in figure:

3. FULL WAVE BRIDGE RECTIFIER:

This rectifier utilizes four diodes for the purpose of rectification. Hence, this is cheaper than the earlier
full wave centre tapped rectifier. Four diodes are connected in the form of a bridge, hence the name bridge
rectifier. The AC supply is applied to the diagonally opposite ends of the bridge. The load resistance R L is
connected between the other two ends of the bridge.
 Positive half-cycle: During the positive half-cycle the input due to the polarity of secondary voltage. The
diodes D1 & D3 are forward biased and conducts, while diode D2 & D4 are reverse biased and do not
conduct. Therefore, current i1 flows through diodes D1,D3 and load RL.
Negative half-cycle: During the negative half-cycle of the input, the polarities of secondary voltage get
reversed. Now the diodes D2 & D4 are forward biased and conduct. While diodes D1 & D3 are reverse
biased and do not conduct. Now let i2 is the current flowing through the diodes D2, D4 and load RL.
Both the currents i1 and i2 flows through the load resistor RL in the same direction and hence they can
be added to give the total output current iL. Therefore, a fluctuating unidirectional voltage is developed
across the load.

Advantages:
1. The need for centre-tapped transformer is eliminated.
2. The output is twice that of the centre-tapped circuit for the same secondary voltage.
3. The PIV is one-half that of the centre-tap circuit.
Disadvantages:
1. It requires four diodes.
2. It does the rectification process during each half-cycle will be twice as great as in the centre-tap circuit.
The input & output waveforms of bridge rectifier are shown in figure:

COMPARISION OF HWR, FW& CENTRE-TAPPED RECTIFIERS:

 Half-Wave Centre-tapped Full- Bridge Full-Wave
S.No Parameter
Rectifier Wave Rectifier Rectifier
1 Number of diodes 1 2 4
2 Maximum efficiency 40.6% 81.2% 81.2%
3 Vdc(no load) Vm/Π 2Vm/Π 2Vm/Π
4 Ripple factor 1.21 0.48 0.48
5 Peak inverse voltage Vm 2Vm Vm
6 Form factor 1.57 1.11 1.11
7 Peak factor 2 √2 √2
8 Average current Im/Π 2Im/Π 2Im/Π
across diode
9 RMS voltage Vm/2 Vm/√2 Vm/√2
10 RMS current Im/2 Im/√2 Im/√2
11 Need of centre-
tapped transformer No Yes No
12 Ripple frequency fm 2fm 2fm

2.3 NEED FOR FILTER:

A Rectifier is required to produce pure DC supply for using at various places in electronic circuits.
However the output of a rectifier has pulsating character, i.e: it contains AC &DC components. The AC
component is undesirable and must be keep away from the load. The filter circuit is used which removes the
AC components, and allows only DC components to reach the load.
The filter is a device which removes the AC component of rectifier output but allows the DC
component to reach the load.
Filter circuit should be placed between rectifier and load. The filter circuit generally a combination of
L(inductor), C(capacitor), R(resistor).

2.4 TYPES OF FILTERS:

1.capacitive filter
2.CLC filter (or) p-section filter
3. CRC filter
4. LC filter (OR) choke filter
2.5 ZENER DIODE AS A VOLTAGE REGULATED POWER SUPPLY:
A zener voltage regulator is shown in below figure:

A zener has a sharp breakdown voltage, under reverse bias condition. When the input voltage is greater
than the breakdown voltage of the zener diode then the voltage across it is constant irrespective of the current
flowing through it. So zener diode can be used as a voltage regulator.
It consists of resistor Rs connected in series with the input voltage, and zener diode connected in
parallel with load resistor RL. The RS limits the zener current from exceeding its rated maximum I Zmax. Here,
the applied input must be greater than the breakdown voltage VZ of the zener diode, for its operation.
CASE 1:Suppose R is kept fixed but supply voltage Vin is increased slightly.it will increase current I. This
increase in I will be absorbed by the Zener diode without affecting IL The increase in Vin will be dropped
across R thereby keeping Vout constant.
Conversely, if supply voltage Vin falls, the diode takes a smaller current and voltage drop across R is reduced,
thus again keeping Vout constant. Hence, when Vin changes, I and IR drop change in such a way as to keep
Vout is constant.
CASE 2:In this case, Vin is fixed but R is changed decreases(IL changed).When IL increases, diode current IZ
decreases thereby keeping I and hence IR drop constant. In this way,Vout remains constant.
Should be R increases, ILdecrease,IZ would increase in order to keep I and hence IR drop constant.Again
Vout constant.
IS=IZ+IL
Vi=VZ+ISRS
Vi=Vo+ISRS Here, VZ=Vo

2.6 FUNCTION OF VOLTAGE REGULATED POWER SUPPLT

A DC power supply which maintains the output voltage constant irrespective of AC mains flows fluctuations
or load variations is known as regulated power supply.
The block diagram of regulated power supply is shown in figure:

A power supply consists of transformer, rectifier, filter and regulator.

Transformer: The AC voltage is applied to the input of the transformer. The use of transformer is, it allows
step up or step down the AC input voltage, and it isolates the rectifier circuit from power line thus reduces the
risk of electric shock.
Rectifier: It is used to convert an AC signal into pulsating DC signal.
Filter: It is used to remove the alternating component (ripple) of the rectified output, to producing DC signal.
Regulator: It used to obtain constant output voltage irrespective of the load variations and supply variations.
Then it produce Dc constant voltages.