Date:

Practical no.:
SCR CHARACTERISTICS

AIM: To study SCR characteristics.

APPARATUS:
1. Experiment board of SCR
2. Ammeter, o-50 mA
3. voltmeter,0-50 V
4. connecting wires
THEORY:
An elementary circuit diagram for obtaining static I-V characteristics of SCR is shown in fig.(a).
Typical SCR I-V characteristic reveals that a thyristor has three basic modes of operation; namely
reverse blocking mode, forward blocking mode and forward conduction mode.
Reverse blocking mode:
When cathode is made positive w.r.t anode with switch s is open, thyristor is reversed biased as
shown in fig.(b). Junctions J1, J3 are seen to be reverse biased whereas J2 is forward biased. Here a
small leakage current of the order of a few milliamperes flows. This is called reverse blocking mode,
called the off state. If the reverse voltage is increased, then at a critical breakdown level, called
reverse breakdown voltage VBR, an avalanche occurs at J1 and J3 and the reverse current increases
rapidly. Note that I-V characteristic after avalanche breakdown during reverse blocking mode is
applicable when load resistance is zero.
Forward blocking mode:
When anode is positive with respect to the cathode, with gate circuit open, thyristor is said to be
forward biased as shown in fig.(c). It is seen from fig.(c) that junctions J1, J3 are forward biased but
junction J2 is reversed biased. In this mode, a small current, called for ward leakage current flows. As
it is small, SCR offers a high impedance. Therefore, a thyristor can be treated as an open switch even
in the forward blocking mode.

Forward conduction mode:

When anode to cathode forward voltage is increased with gate circuit open, reverse biased junction
J2 will have an avalanche breakdown at a voltage called forward breakover voltage VBO. After this
breakdown, thyristor gets turned on, called forward conduction mode. A thyristor can be brought
from forward blocking mode to forward conduction mode by turning it on by applying a positive gate
pulse between gate and cathode or a forward breakover voltage across anode and cathode.
PROCEDURE:
Make circuit connections as shown in fig.(a)
Give supply voltage VS.
Change voltage across anode and cathode,VAK and measure current across gate and cathode,IGK.
Keep constant voltage across anode and cathode and measure holding current.

OBSERVATION TABLE:
Sr.
No.

Voltage across Anode and

Cathode, VAK(v)

CONCLUSION:

Current across gate and

cathode, IGK(mA)

Holding current(mA)

EXPERIMENT NOAIM:
To study the resistance triggering circuit of SCR.
APPARATUS:
Circuit board, flexible connecting wires, C.R.O, lamp, multimeter.
THEORY:
Resistance triggering circuits are the simplest and most economical.
Figure (1) shows the most basic resistance triggering circuit. R2 is the variable resistance, R is the
stabilizing resistance. If R2 is zero, gate current may flow from source, through load, R1, d and gate to
cathode. This current should not exceed maximum permissible gate current Igm. R1 can therefore, be found
from the relation,
Vm / R1 Igm or R1 Vm / Igm
Where Vm = maximum value of source voltage.
It is thus seen that function of R1 is to limit the gate current to a safe value as R2 is varied. Resistance R
should have such a value that maximum voltage drop across it does not exceed maximum possible gate
voltage Vgm. This can happen only when R2 is zero. Under this condition,
Vm * R/(R1 +R) Vgm
Or

R Vgm * R1 / (Vm-Vgm)

EQN-1

The potentiometer setting R2 determines the gate voltage amplitude. When R2 is large, current i is small
and the voltage across R (vg) is also small. (1) As Vgp < Vgt, SCR will not turn on. (2) Now R2 is adjusted
such that Vgp=Vgt. This gives the value of firing angle as 90. (3) Now Vgp>Vgt, as soon as vg becomes
equal to Vgt for the first time SCR is turned on. The resistance triggering cannot give firing angle beyond
90. Increasing vg above Vgt turns on the SCR at firing angles less than 90. Firing angle can never be zero
degree.
A relationship between peak gate voltage Vgp and gate trigger voltage Vgt may be expressed as
follows:
Vgp sin =Vgt
Or

= sin -1 (Vgt / Vgp)

Since

Vgp = Vm * R / (R1 + R2 + R)

= sin -1 [Vgt * (R1 + R2 + R) / (Vm * R)]

as R2 is increased from small value, firing angle increases.

EQN-2

EQN-3

PROCEDURE:
1. Connect the circuit as shown in figure giving 1-, 230 volts, 50 Hz supply.
2. Vary the resistance R2 in steps.
3. Measure the corresponding values of Vgt and Vgp.
4. Measure the firing angle on C.R.O.
5. Draw the corresponding waveforms.
OBSERVATION TABLE:

Sr
No
1
2
3
4
5
CONCLUSION:

Voltage across
anode
cathode(Volts)

Voltage across Peak gate voltage

lamp(Volts)
Vgp (volts)

Firing angle
()

EXPERIMENT NO:
AIM: TO study RC phase shift control of SCR.
APPARATUS:
1. Ammeter(0-15 mA,DC)
2. C.R.O
3. BNC Connection
4. Flexible wires
5. Circuit board

DATE:

THEORY:
In many industrial applications, need a rises to control high power supplied to the load with very
high efficiency. Controlled rectifiers, which employs SCRs instead of diodes, are used for this
purpose. There is no wastage of power and even automatic controlling can be employed.
For controlling the firing angle of SCR various control methods are employed such as
1. Amplitude control method
2. Phase shift control method
3. Combined phase & Amplitude control method
4. Pulse control method
RC shift control provides phase shift between gate cathode voltage(V GK)
and anode cathode voltage (VAK) to provide control on firing SCR when VGK is made to lag
behind VAK the firing angle increases. This is evident from the pharos diagram drawn for the
ckt shown. A fix capacitor C and variable resistor R is used to obtained between C and O. The
diode D used in series with the gate provides only positive gate pulse to the SCR while
resistance R1 is used to limit the gate current. Stabilizing resistor Rs is chosen such, that the
voltage across gate-cathod does not exceed the maximum forward gate voltage. If resistance
R is increased, IR drop increases and hence I xc drop reduces. So as seen from the phasor
diagram phase angle increases and hence the firing angle increases. Reverse will be the case
when R is reduced.The phase angle is given by the equation,
=2tan-1(2fRC)
The firing angle can be approximately assumed to be same as the phase angle.
PROCEDURE:
1. Connect the circuit as shown in fig.
2. Switch on the supply.
3. Vary the value of resistor R & note down the reading of ammeter.
4. Observe & draw the waveform on CRO & also measure the conduction period from CRO
for the different values of resistor r.

OBSERVATION TABLE:
CONCLUSION:

EXPERIMENT NO:

DATE:__________

AIM

APPARATUS :

APLLICATION OF UJT AS A RELAXATION OSCILLATOR.

(1) Board of UJT Relaxation oscillator.
(2) An oscilloscope.

THEORY

The UJT consists of a bar of N-type silicon with connections at both ends
called base-1 and base-2 and a single p-type area on the side of the bar,
called the emitter E. The silicon bar exhibits the characteristics of an
ordinary resistance The inter-base resistance RBB of the n type silicon bar
appears as two resistors RB1 and RB2 where RBB equals the sum of these two.
The resistance of RB1 varies inversely with emitter current. When emitter to
base-1 current is permitted to flow and the UJT is turned ON, the resistance
of RB1 decreases sharply or in other words the device exhibits a N type
negative resistance characteristic between its emitter and base-1.When there
is no emitter current IE, voltage VAB1 from point A to B1 may be written as
VAB1 = VBB x RB1/(RB1 + RB2) = VBB x (RB1/RBB)
Where, VBB = inter-base voltage, RB1 = the base1 resistance, RBB is the interbase resistance. The ratio RB1/RBB is called the intrinsic stand off ratio of
UJT designated as . The value of lies in the range 0.51 to 0.82.
If the bias voltage VE is less than VBB, the emitter to base1 junction is
reverse biased and there is no emitter When the applied voltage V E is one
diode voltage drop greater than VBB, the emitter to base junction is forward
biased and emitter current will flow. This voltage is known as peak voltage
Vp. The emitter conductivity characteristic is such that, as I E increases the
emitter to base1 voltage decreases. For the points to the right of Vp, the
emitter to base1 is forward biased and there is IE. Between Vp and Vv,
increase in IE is accompanied by reduction in emitter voltage VE. Beyond the
valley point Vv, an increase in IE is accompanied by an increase in VE. The
region to the right of Vv is known as saturation region.
One common application of the UJT is in triggering of other devices such as
SCR. As shown in figure capacitor C starts charging exponentially through
R1 to the applied voltage. The time constant of the charging circuit is
T1=R1C.The voltage across C is the voltage V1 applied to the emitter of UJT.
When voltage across C reaches the peak voltage Vp, the UJT turns on,
decreasing greatly the effective resistance RB1 between the emitter and base
1.A rate determined by the time constant T1=R2C.When the voltage across C
decreases to about Vv, UJT turns off and the capacitor C again charges to
Vp=VBB and the cycle is repeated. The sawtooth voltage V E, generated by

EXPERIMENT NO:
AIM:

DATE:__________

TO STUDY LAMP DIMMER CONTROL BY TRIAC USING

DIAC TRIGERRING.

Equipments:

1: Lamp dimmer control board.

2: Voltmeter
3: Wattmeter
4: CRO

THEORY
The gate of a TRIAC responds as a nonlinear low impedance junction similar to that of a forward
biased diode. Triggering of the gate must therefore be achieved by low impedance source. The gate
junction usually requires a rather sizable current to produce triggering. This means that G-T2
junction is current sensitive. Most TRIACs require a hundred or more milliamperes of IG for a few
microseconds to be triggered into conduction. A capacitor is usually discharged into the gate to
initiate the triggering process. To control this process DIAC is the most suitable device.
As shown in figure the variable resistance R is turned clockwise to increase the light. At the start of
each half cycle, the ac voltage causes terminal 3 to rise as capacitor C charged through the resistance
of R and the lamp load. The DIAC is a triggering diode that abruptly conducts full current as the
voltage across it rises above the breakdown voltage. When terminal 3 reaches this value, the DIAC
conducts, letting capacitor C discharge through the gate of Triac, which applies ac voltage across the
lamps for the rest of that half cycle. During the negative half cycle the same phenomenon will occur
with reverse polarity. If resistance R is increased, C charges more slowly, so that a smaller portion of
the ac voltage wave is applied, dimming the lamps.
PROCEDURE
Connect the circuit as shown in figure .
Set the value of R and note down the firing angle from the scope across TRIAC
Vary the value of R and note down the respective firing angle.

EXPERIMENT NO:

DATE:__________

AIM: SCR half-controlled bridge converter with resistive load

Equipments: 1: Half wave control bridge board.
2: Voltmeter