EXP NO : DATE:

AC PHASE CONTROL USING SCR

AIM:
1. To assemble a Single phase Full wave AC Voltage Controller and study the operation by
observing the following waveforms,
(i) Thyristor voltage with reference to input AC waveform.
(ii) Load voltage and load Current for R=20Ω at different delay angles.
(iii) Load voltage and load Current for given load impedance at different delay
angles. Draw the waveform of load voltage, current and thyristor voltage with reference to
supply voltage for one value of α.Calculate the input power factor, average and rms SCR
currents at the same α for the R load.
2. Observe what happens to the load waveform when the triggering angle is reduced below
load phase angle.
3. Find the maximum and minimum output voltage and the corresponding firing angles in
case of R & RL load.
4. Determine the power loss in the thyristor in case of R load for α =720 .Assume VT=0.7V,
RT=23mΩ.

COMPONENTS AND APPARATUS:

Sl No. ITEMS DESCRIPTION Nos

1 AC phase control Kit 1
2 AC voltmeter(0-50V)MI type 1
3 Digital Multimeter,3 ½ digits 1
4 Dual-trace Oscilloscope 1
5 Probe 1:1 2
6 Isolation transformer, 230/27V 1
7 Load inductance 0.8Ω, 51mH 1

THEORY:

AC Phase control using SCRs are used to control the alternating voltage magnitude at the
same frequency of input ac voltage. The main applications of ac phase controllers are for
heating, lighting control and motor speed control of single and three phase ac drives. They are
simple and compact but introduce harmonics in the supply current and load voltage especially
at the reduced output voltage.Power factor also reduces as the output r.m.s voltage is reduced.
The circuit diagram of an often used single phase control circuit is shown in Fig.1 (a).
The two thyristors T1 & T2 are connected in anti-parallel. The trigger source for the two SCRs
should be isolated as their cathodes are at different potentials (to trigger an SCR a positive
voltage should be applied to the gate terminal w.r.t cathode terminal). If the same trigger source
is used without isolation, the cathodes of two SCRs are to be connected together in order to
apply gate voltages to their gate terminals. Then that connection will short-circuit the SCRs
and no output control is possible.

io
T1
+

LOAD V0
+ T2
_ VmSin ωt -

Power circuit diagram for

Single ac phase regulator
Fig 1 (a)

Fig 1(b) Voltage and current Waveform on R load

Single phase AC (phase controlled) regulator with R- load: Voltage and current waveforms in
resistance load are shown in fig 1 (b). Thyristor T1, Which is forward biased during the positive
half cycle, is triggered at an angle ωt = α.It conducts from α to π applying a source voltage to
the load.
At ωt = π, the current falls to zero. Thereafter the source voltage reverse
biases T1 and turn it off. Thyristor T2 which is forward biased during the negative half cycle is
triggered at ωt = (π+α) and it conducts up to 2π. Since for all the values of α, each thyristor is
reverse biased for a duration of π, there is no restriction on the maximum value of α. It can be
controlled up to π. As α is varied from 0 to π the r.m.s value and fundamental component of
the load voltage changes from V to 0. In an application like a heater, the r.m.s voltage output
is of interest.

1 1
1  2 2  2  1  sin 2  2
V    2V sin t  V       ------------(1)
or      2 
  

where V is the r.m.s input voltage.

Input power factor: Input power factor of the controller is the ratio of the input power to the
input volts-amps. Neglecting the losses in the thyristors, input power to the controller equals
the out put power. Hence

P0 I 2R V
Input power factor of AC voltage controller =  S L  O 
VI S V I S V
r.m.s voltage across RL
= __________________________ ------------- (2)
Input r.m.s voltage

Average SCR current: Average SCR current is given by

1 
2V 2V
ITAV =  sin t.d .(t )  1  cos   -------(3)
2  R 2R
R.m.s SCR current: Since each SCR conducts identically,
I V
Each SCR r.m.s current ITrms = orms  or ---------------- (4)
2 2*R
on state power loss in the thyristor is given by
Pavon= VT* ITAV + I2Trms * rT

Where VT =Threshold voltage of SCR and rT is it's on state slope resistance.

SINGLE PHASE AC REGULATOR WITH R-L LOAD:

Single phase ac regulator with R-L load is shown in fig.2(a). The steady state
source voltage, gate current, load voltage & thyristor voltage waveform are shown in fig 2(b).
The gate signal should have a pulse duration of at least equal to the angle required for the
current to reach the latching current of the SCR) or a pulse train of the same duration.
Current starts to flow flows through the load when SCR T1 is fired at an angle α. Due to the
presence of inductance, the load current does not become zero at ωt= π but continues to flow
until β, the extinction on an angle. The load is subjected to source voltage from α to β. At β,
SCR T1 turns off due to a reverse bias and voltage across T2 jumps from a small voltage, equal
l to the thyristor on state voltage drop, to the source voltage thus subjecting T2 to a large rate
of change of positive voltage. This may turn on the thyristor T2 if its dv/dt rating is smaller.
This is prevented by employing a proper snubber circuit across it. SCR T2 is triggered at ( π +
α ). Load currents start to flow in negative cycle negative current reduces to zero at ωt= π + α
,T2 turns off and T1 is subjected to forward voltage. T1 is again triggered at 2 π + α. The cycle
repeats.
As α is decreased the conduction angle increases.When α = , the load phase angle, the
conduction angle γ - will be π and load voltage will be same as the input voltage. Reducing
α below  will not bring any change in the operation of the ac regulator. Load voltage and load
current waveforms for α ≤ Ф are shown in Fig.2(c).

PROCEDURE:
1. Assemble the single phase full wave a.c voltage controller using given SCRs
as shown in Fig. A and verify the connections.
2. (a) Plug in the 3 pin plug of a.c input power to the control circuit and switch on the power.
(b).Check the output of full wave rectifier.
(c).Check the clipped rectified voltage across the zener diode.
(d).Check the voltage across the timing capacitor of the oscillator.
(e). Check the triggering voltage VG1K1 and VG2K2 separately. The signal will have a period of
10ms and amplitude of about 1volt.

PRECAUTION:
While observing waveforms in 2 traces simultaneously, ensure that the two grounds of
traces are NEVER CONNECT TO POINTS AT DIFFERENT POTENTIALS.

1. (i) Set the load at 20Ω using the 43Ω, 2.8A rheostat. Plug in the 3 pin plug on the ac
power. Observe for different α, the waveforms of the voltage across load on trace
A[scope ground at (C) and probe A at(A)] and load current on trace B[scope ground at
(c)and probe (B) at the junction of load & current sensing resistor. Draw the waveform
for a representative value of α. Switch off power to the circuit.

(ii) Calculate the input power factor, average and r.m.s thyristor currents.
2. Set the Series R-L Load (10.8+j16) using the rheostat and given choke. Switch on power
to the power circuit and observe the waveforms as in (i) for different α. Note the
waveform thyristor voltage with reference to the a.c input waveform.
 V
0-50V
3A 3A

A
F1 20 or
10.8+j16 0.2 ohm,4W

A1 K2
L G2
N G1
A2
G V K1
230V,50HZ 0-50V
single phase
supply

B
230/27V 100 ohm,10W

3A
1K 470 ohm,1/4W
F1 ohm,
1W 68 ohm,1/4W
+

FULL
G1
1Z9
WAVE BA159
L RECTIFIER 1K ohm
N K1
2N2646
G 3.2uF
68 ohm,1/4W
230V,50HZ
single phase supply G2
_
BA159
230V/27V 1K ohm
K2

Fig A Experimental layout of AC regulator with R L load.

 Vs

0 π 2π wt
T1 ig1
ig2 α 2π+α wt
io +
wt
R
io π+α 3π+α
T2
α+π 2π+α
LOAD Vo 0
Vm Sinwt α β wt
Vo
L

0
- π 2π wt

Fig 2(a). ac regulator with R L load.

VT

0
wt

Fig 2(b) Waveforms α>Φ

VS,Vo
0 π 2π wt

0 π 2π
wt

FIG. 2(c) Waveforms WITH α<Φ

OBSERVATIONS:

SAMPLE CALCULATIONS:

1
 1  sin 2 
2

Load rms voltage =V       

  2 
Input power factor at α =54 = Vor/VS
0

 
Average SCR current α  54 0  Vm / 2R1  cos   Vin / 2 *  * R 1  cos  
R.m.s current = Ior/√2=Vor/√2R=
RESULT:

1. The maximum and minimum output voltage respectively are________and ________

corresponding to the firing angles of ________ and ________ for R load.

2. The maximum and minimum output voltage respectively are________and ________

corresponding to the firing angles of ________ and ________ for RL load.

3. The calculated input power factor is __________.

4. The average SCR Current is ________and rms SCR current is ______ for an α
=_________ with R load.

5. The calculated power loss in the thyristor in case of R load for α =720 is __________. The
assumed VT =_______ and RT =_________.

6. What happens to the load wave form when the triggering angle is reduced below load phase
angle?

7. If the triggering angle is very close to the load phase angle and if the gating pulse width is
reduced to a very small value what happens to the load voltage waveform.
INFERENCE:

1. Comment on the input current THD observed in the simulation and its variation with the
triggering angle.

2. Comment on the load voltage THD and the Lowest Order Harmonic (LOH) content in it.
Compare it qualitatively, with a PWM inverter’s output voltage LOH.

3. This is the converter used by the modern fan regulators. What is your observation on the
fan at home when it is made to run at low speeds? Reason it out.

Components Maximum Obtained

Marks Marks
Viva 20
Conduction 10
Graph and Results 15
Inference 15
Total 60