POWER SUPPLIES Page 1 of 4 SHAHEER TARIQ

POWER SUPPLIES
Need for Regulated Power Supplies:
Protection of sensitive / expensive equipment.
Requirement of regulated voltage from unregulated / varying dc supply.
Constant dc output voltage.

Basic types of Regulators:
A voltage regulator is device connected in the output of a power supply to maintain the output voltage at its constant
rated value. It reacts automatically within its rated limits to any variations in the output voltage. Should the output voltage
rise or fall, the voltage regulator automatically compensates for the change and maintains the output voltage at the
required value. Although there may be large changes in load current drawn from a power supply or changes in the applied
voltage, the voltage regulator maintains a constant output voltage.
Shunt Regulator:
In the shunt regulator a circuit is connected in parallel with the load. The purpose of the regulator
is to ensure a stable voltage across the load at all times; this is achieved by arranging that a current
will flow through the regulator circuit at all times. If the load current increases, then the regulator
circuit reduces its current so that the total supply current, (made up of the load current plus the
regulator current), remains at the same value. Similarly if the load current decreases, then the
regulator current increases to maintain a steady total current. If the total supply current remains
the same, then so will the supply voltage.

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Series Regulator:
In the series regulator, the controlling device is in series with the
load. At all times there will be a voltage drop across the regulator.
This drop will be subtracted from the supply voltage to give a
voltage VL across the load, which is the supply voltage minus the
regulator voltage drop. Like shunt regulation, the action of the
series regulator will also compensate for variations in the supply
voltage.




IMPORTANT FORMULAS:
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Improvement by adding dc Amplifiers and Negative Feedback:
To improve on the simple series regulator a feedback circuit and
error amplifier can be added to the basic series circuit. Figure
shows a block diagram of a series regulator circuit with error
amplification. In this system the reference voltage VZ is
compared with a feedback voltage VF, which is a portion of the
actual output voltage. The difference between the two inputs
produces an error voltage that is used to vary the conduction of
the control element, correcting any error in the output voltage.
A circuit diagram for this system is shown. Tr1 is the series
control element. It will usually be a power transistor, mounted
on a substantial heat sink to cope with the necessary power
dissipation.
A stable reference voltage is provided by R4 & D1 from the un-
regulated input voltage. Tr2 is the error amplifier and its gain is
set by the value of its load resistor R3. Tr2 compares the fraction
of the output voltage VF fed back from the output potential
divider R1/R2 with the stable reference voltage VZ across the
zener diode DZ.

Protection circuits in stabilized Power Supplies:
Over Current:
Figure shows how the series stabilizer can be protected
against excessive current being drawn by the load. This
will prevent damage to the supply in the event of too
much current being drawn from the output, or even a
complete short circuit across the output terminals.
Two components have been added, Tr3 and R5. The
resistor R5 is a very low value (typically less than 1
ohm).
When the load current rises above a predetermined
value, the small voltage developed across R5 will
become sufficient (at about 0.7v) to turn Tr3 on. As Tr3
is connected across the base/emitter junction of the
main control transistor Tr1, the action of turning Tr3 on will reduce the base/emitter voltage of Tr1 by an amount
depending on the amount of excess current. The output current will not be allowed to increase above a predetermined
amount, even if a complete short circuit occurs across the output terminals. In this case Tr1 base/emitter voltage will be
reduced to practically zero volts, preventing Tr1 from conducting. Under these conditions the output voltage will fall to
zero for as long as the excess current condition persists, but the supply will be undamaged.
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Over Voltage:
Where regulated supplies are used, the DC input
voltage to the regulator is often considerably higher
than the required output voltage. Therefore if a PSU
fault occurs, it is possible that the regulated output
voltage may suddenly rise to a level that can damage
other components. For this reason it is common to find
over voltage protection included in stabilized supplies.
The circuit shown in Fig. 2.2.6 is sometimes called a
"crowbar" circuit because when it operates, it places a
complete short circuit across the across the output, a
similar effect to dropping a metal crowbar across the
positive and ground output terminals!


Switched Mode dc Voltage Regulator & Supply:

Rectifier: This block is where AC is converted into a pulsating DC output. Typically, the rectifier is made up of three diodes
and three SCRs (or 6 thyristors) connected in a full-wave array.
Output Filter: This block contains the circuits that smooth the pulsating DC output from the rectifier. The filter is made up
of a choke (inductor) and a capacitor bank. These are connected together in an "L" configuration. The capacitors oppose
changes in voltage, and the inductor opposes changes in current. After filtering, the DC output voltage will be relatively
smooth and ripple-free.
Control Board: The control board supplies the pulses that gate the SCRs at the proper times. The exact point of pulse
generation is a function of the output voltage of the rectifier. The control board compares the output of the rectifier to
an internal reference and then generates an error signal, which in turn adjusts the firing angle of the SCRs. If the output
of the rectifier begins to drop, a signal is generated that increases the conduction interval of the SCRs and thus returns
the output voltage to its normal value. In addition, the control board has built-in overvoltage protection. This feature
protects the load against the high DC voltages that may occur if a drastic increase in AC supply voltage were to occur.

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Block Diagram of SMPS
Simplified SMPS Regulator Circuit


Advantages of Switched mode Power Supplies:
Greater efficiency as less power is consumed by the supply itself.
Compact size and lightweight due to greater efficiency.
Suitable for high current and low voltage supplies.
Ability to cope with wide input voltage range.
Low cost / economical.
Reliable.