7/13/2015

CalculatingCapacitorCurrentinTransformerlessPowerSupplies|HomemadeCircuitProjects

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CalculatingCapacitorCurrentinTransformerlessPower
Supplies
PostedbySwagatamMajumdar

+4 Recommend this on Google

Youmayhavestudiedcountlesstransformerlesspowersuppliesinthisblogandinthe
web,howevercalculatingthecrucialmainscapacitorinsuchcircuitshasalwaysremained
anissueforthemanyconstructors.

Alreadyamember?Signin

Beforewelearntheformulaforcalculatingandoptimizingthemainscapacitorina
transformerlesspowersupply,itwouldbeimportanttofirstsummarizeastandard
transformerlesspowersupplydesign.
Thefollowingdiagramshowsaclassictransformerlesspowersupplydesign:

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Referringtothediagram,thevariouscomponentsinvolvedareassignedwiththefollowing
specificfunctions:
C1isthenonopolarhighvoltagecapacitorwhichisintroducedfordroppingthelethal
mainscurrenttothedesiredlimitsaspertheloadspecification.Thiscomponentthus
becomesextremelycrucialduetotheassignedmainscurrentlimitingfunction.
D1toD4areconfiguredasabridgerectifiernetworkforrectifyingthesteppeddownAC
fromC1,inordertomaketheoutputsuitabletoanyintendedDCload.
Z1ispositionedforstabilizingtheoutputtotherequiredsafevoltagelimits.

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C2isinstalledtofilteroutanyrippleintheDCandtocreateaperfectlycleanDCforthe
connectedload.

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R2maybeoptionalbutisrecommendedfortacklingaswitchONsurgefrommains,
althoughpreferablythiscomponentmustbereplacedwithaNTCthermistor.

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Intheentiretransformerlessdesigndiscussedabove,C1istheonecrucialcomponent
whichmustbedimensionedcorrectlysothatthecurrentoutputfromitisoptimized
optimallyaspertheloadspecification.
Selectingahighvaluecapacitorforarelativelysmallerloadmayincreasetheriskof
excessivesurgecurrententeringtheloadanddamagingitsooner.
Aproperlycalculatedcapacitoronthecontraryensuresacontrolledsurgeinrushand
nominaldissipationmaintainingadequatesafetyfortheconnectedload.
Themagnitudeofcurrentthatmaybeoptimallypermissiblethroughatransformerless
powersupplyforaparticularloadmaybecalculatedbyusingOhm'slaw:

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(13)
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(8)

I=V/R

AVRTutorial3
AVRTutorial4

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whereI=current,V=Voltage,R=Resistance

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Inordertocrackthisweneedtoderiveamethodwhichwilltranslatethecapacitor'scurrent
limitingvalueintermsofOhmsorresistanceunit,sothattheOhm'slawformulacouldbe
solved.
Todothiswefirstfindoutthereactanceofthecapacitorwhichmaybeconsideredasthe
resistanceequivalentofaresistor.

IC4017(70)
IC4033(2)

ArduinoBasics4

Howeveraswecansee,intheaboveformulaRisanoddparametersincewearedealing
withacapacitorasthecurrentlimitingmember.

Theformulaforreactanceis:

IC4043(1)
IC4047(10)
IC4060(49)
IC555(16)

Xc=1/2(pi)fC
whereXc=reactance,

IC741(49)

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IndicatorCircuits
(49)

pi=22/7

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(4)

f=frequency

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(11)

C=capacitorvalueinFarads

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(79)

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TheresultobtainedfromtheaboveformulaisinOhmswhichcanbedirectlysubstitutedin
ourpreviouslymentionedOhm'slaw.

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PICTutorial2

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PICTutorial7

LM317(16)
LM338(9)

PICTutorial8

Let'ssolveanexampleforunderstandingtheimplementationoftheaboveformulas:
Let'sseehowmuchcurrenta1uFcapacitorcandelivertoaparticularload:

LM567(5)

PICTutorial9

Meters(21)

Wehavethefollowingdatainourhand:

PICTutorial10

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(28)

PICTutorial11

pi=22/7=3.14

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f=50Hz(mainsACfrequency)

opamp(27)

andC=1uFor0.000001F

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Solvingthereactanceequationusingtheabovedatagives:

Relay(9)

Xc=1/(2x3.14x50x0.000001)

Relay
Changeovers(13)

=3184ohmsapproximately

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(22)

SubstitutingthisequivalentresistancevalueinourOhm'slawformula,weget:

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R=V/I
orI=V/R

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Suppressors(13)

AssumingV=220V(sincethecapacitorisintendedtoworkwiththemainsvoltage.)

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Controller(7)

Weget:

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I=220/3184
=0.069ampsor69mAapproximately
Similarlyothercapacitorscanbecalculatedforknowingtheirmaximumcurrentdelivering
capacityorrating.
Theabovediscussioncomprehensivelyexplainshowacapacitorcurrentmaybe
calculatedinanyrelevantcircuit,particularlyintransformerlesscapacitivepowersupplies.

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AboutMe

SwagatamMajumdar
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Iamanelectronichobbyist,
inventor,afreelanceelectronic
circuitdesigner,manufacturer.I
amalsoanavidpublisher,Ienjoyposting
electronicrelatedarticlesinmywebsite:
http://www.homemadecircuits.com/wherethe
interestedviewersgettheopportunitytoread
aboutmanyinnovativeelectroniccircuitideas,

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Hz021 February2,2015at6:53PM

2015(114)

GREAT!..thankyouMrSwagatamMajumdar.:)

January(24)
ReverseForwardMotorTimerCircuitfor
Incubator...

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HighPowerIndustrialMainsSurge
SuppressorExplo...

SwagatamMajumdar

February2,2015at8:27PM

youarewelcomeHz!

SimpleRGBLEDControllerCircuit
SimpleIndustrialDelayTimerCircuits
UsingHighWattLEDswithArduino

kostas March22,2015at12:58AM

ModelLocomotiveInfraredController
Circuit

Firstly i would like to thank you for your schematic it was really usefull and your
explanationisgreat!
Butiwouldliketomakeaquestionaboutthecurrent.Ididmakethecircuitandi
useda7805alsointheoutputandididsupplyanotherpicmicrocontrollercircuit
withvoltage.BUTimeasuredthecurrentbetwentheACpowerandtheC1andit
wasalwaysAC220mA(it'smaximumbecauseiuse3,3uFcapat250V)andwhen
imeasuretheDCcurrentafterthe7805itwasdrainingonlyDC47mA.
Can you explain me what happens ? Because if leave the device open for long
timethecapthediodebridgeandthe7805gethot.
I would provide you with a schematic but i didn't know how to post the Picture
here.
Regards,Kostas.

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TransformerlessP...
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ControllerCirc...

SwagatamMajumdar

0to99DigitalPulseCounterCircuit

Thankyoukostas!IfyouaskmeaboutyourdesignIwouldsuggestthatit'snot
recommended and is dangerous to use a capacitive power supply for sensitive
circuits,Iwouldadviseyougoforanysmpsadapterinstead.

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Cyclist'sSafetyLightCircuit
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asforthecurrentdifference,theissuemaybeduetothezenerdiodeorthe7805
which are itself draining all the current and allowing only 47mA to pass to the
circuit, try removing the zener and check, or you may want to try a transistor
commoncollectorstageinsteadofthezenerandtheICforachievingtherequired
regulationwithoutdroppingmuchcurrent

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March22,2015at6:53PM

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(***)(impetuos)(***) February17,2015at12:01AM
HelloMr,IwasreadingyourinterestingpostandIwaswonderingabouttheC1value,I'm
trying to get work a 60led string (3,2V 150mA) but the simulation doesn't work, my
calculationisfor120V60HzandtheC1valueis3,3uF,alsotheC2Iuse15uf250Vbutis

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not working at all, I have a severe wave of VDC I mean is not continue , what could be
wrong? Also I tried to get a voltage doubler but the signal on VDC is the same as your
circuitsimulation

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SwagatamMajumdar

February17,2015at10:54AM

HelloMr.herearethecalculations:
Sincethesupplyis120Vyouwillneedtomaketwostringsof30LEDseachand
connecttheminparallel,eachhavinga22ohmseriesresistor
Thereforethetotalcurrentrequirementwouldbecome300mA.
As per the calculations a 1uF caapcitor at 60Hz/120V would produce 45mA
current,thereforeforachieving300mAwewouldneed300/45=6.66uFcapacitor
ForZ1youmayincludea120Vzenerdiodeorsimplyeliminateit.
C2couldbea15uF/250Vnoissues.

vasudevanv May27,2015at11:02PM
SwagathamMajumdar,
IfIneedoutput3VDCor6VDCwhatvalueofC!,C2,R1andR2tohaveinthe
circuit.Plexplain
Regards
VasudevanV

SwagatamMajumdar

May28,2015at8:44AM

Vasudevan, voltage can be controlled only by using zener diodes or volatge

regulatorICs,C1decidesthecurrentnotthevolatge,1uF/400Vwillallowyouto
getaround70mAcurrent.
R1 can be 1M it's not relevant to the output, R2 is also not crucial can be
removedifthecurrentspecsoftheoutputmatcheswiththeC1maxcapacity.
AnNTCorMOVisamustandshouldbeconsidered.
Reply

NareshJain February18,2015at11:04PM
sirpleaseexplain:
Xc=1/2x3.14x50x0.000001
=3184ohmsapproximately
onsolvingaboveformulaitis0.0000785not3184
Reply
Replies
SwagatamMajumdar

February19,2015at12:18PM

Naresh,
thenumerator1isfortheentiredenominator,calculateinthefollowingmanner:
1/(2x3.14x50x0.000001)
Reply

NareshJain February19,2015at2:25PM
Lotofthanks

Reply

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manpreetsingh February25,2015at4:50PM
hellosirIamusingthesamecktbutdriving24ledinseriesC1is2.2uforR1is470Ebut
capC1getblastafterfewtimecanuhelpme
Reply
Replies
SwagatamMajumdar

February25,2015at8:39PM

hellomanpreet,what'sthewattageoftheLEDs?
.....bythewaythecapacitormustbenonpolarandratedat400V
Reply

manpreetsingh February26,2015at10:42AM
Iamusing.5wattsmdledandpolyesterfilmcapis225j
Reply
Replies
SwagatamMajumdar

February26,2015at6:18PM

trya1uF/400VPPCcaapcitor
Reply

manpreetsingh February27,2015at1:28PM
ThankyousirbutIamusing5730smd.5wattledForwardCurrentis150mAandaccording
totheabovecalculation1uf/400Vat250V/50Hzabletoprovide69mAcurrent.
andtheotherissueIhaveLEDheatingtomuchforthisIremoveloadingresistorandput22
ohmresistanceintheseriesitworkfor4hrs.
Reply
Replies
SwagatamMajumdar

February27,2015at5:04PM

youmayuse2.2uFcapacitorbutmakesureits400Vratedandisnonpolar,and
alsodon'tforgettoputanNTCthermistorinserieswiththeinputofthecapacitor
asdescribedhere:
http://homemadecircuitsandschematics.blogspot.in/2013/02/usingntcresistoras
surgesuppressor.html
R1shouldbe1MegOhmoranyotherhighervalue
Reply

manpreetsingh February27,2015at5:56PM
Thanksforurresponssir1morethinkiwanttoknowhowtocalculatetheloadingresistor
valueintheckt.
Reply
Replies
SwagatamMajumdar

February28,2015at5:04PM

AccordingtomeyoucanuseOhm'slawforthis:
R=V/I,V=330,andI=LEDcurrent

pradeep March30,2015at11:23PM
sirisloadresisterandR2aresame?ifnothowtocalculateit?howv=330after
bridgerectifier?

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SwagatamMajumdar

March31,2015at3:12PM

pradeep the load resistance is not crucial, it should a low value resistor just to
restricttheswitchONsurge.
the peak value of 220V RMS is around 330V...after rectification the RMS turns
intopeakvalueintheformof330VDC

pradeep March31,2015at7:54PM
thankssirforreply,
mybasicknowledgeaboutanalogelectronicsisnotsostrong,iwanttoknowthat
ifiwillget220VRMSvalueafterC1,thenwhatispurposeofC1.howandwhere
acvoltageisdropping.

SwagatamMajumdar

April1,2015at10:06AM

thecapacitorrestrictsthe220Vcurrenttoaverysmalllevel,whenaloadwhich
hasvoltagerequirementmuchlowerthan220Vbutcurrentmuchhigherthanthe
capacitor output is connected, then the load acts like a shunts or shorts the
capacitoroutputuntilthe220Vvoltsdropstotheloadvoltagelevel.

SaqibMehmood July3,2015at5:06PM
Sir as I know that c1 control current then if current is 15 ma and my out put
current requirement is also 15ma then are u sure that at the out put we will get
15ma

SwagatamMajumdar

July3,2015at7:42PM

yesthat'sasurething...thecurrentcontrolwillbeconstantbutduringswitchONit
canincreaseintheformofainstantaneousspike.
Reply

shubhambansal July7,2015at2:20PM
sir,canwesimulatethiscircuitonmultisimsoftware?
becauseithink,inthissoftwaretheavailablecapacitoriselectrolyticcapacitor.
andweareusing105/440vPPCcapacitor.
if we cant simulate on multisim software so please guide me on which software we can
simulatethiscircuit.
andhowcanwecalculatethevalueofvoltageandcurrentafterthebridgerectifier.
Reply
Replies
SwagatamMajumdar

July7,2015at6:06PM

Hi Shubam, I never use simulators so I won't be able to suggest much about

thesesoftwares.
thevoltageafterthebridgeissolelydeterminedbythezenerrating,ifyouremove
thezeneritwilljumpto330VDC,althoughthemeterwouldshowthereadingthat
could be equal to the filter capacitor's voltage rating.... but that would mean the
capacitor being subjected to a significant electrical stress....so the zener is a
crucialpartforcontrollingtheoutputvoltagetotherequiredlevels
Reply

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