0% found this document useful (0 votes)
227 views23 pages

Experiment 1 SCR

The document describes the silicon controlled rectifier (SCR). It discusses that SCRs are four-layer semiconductor devices that can control large amounts of power using small input power. It also summarizes that SCRs act as open circuits until triggered, then provide a low resistance path between anode and cathode. The document outlines two methods for turning on an SCR - applying a gate trigger pulse or exceeding the breakover voltage. It also discusses two methods for turning off an SCR - interrupting the anode current or using forced commutation. Key SCR characteristics like breakover voltage, holding current, and gate trigger current are also defined.

Uploaded by

Emry Menez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
227 views23 pages

Experiment 1 SCR

The document describes the silicon controlled rectifier (SCR). It discusses that SCRs are four-layer semiconductor devices that can control large amounts of power using small input power. It also summarizes that SCRs act as open circuits until triggered, then provide a low resistance path between anode and cathode. The document outlines two methods for turning on an SCR - applying a gate trigger pulse or exceeding the breakover voltage. It also discusses two methods for turning off an SCR - interrupting the anode current or using forced commutation. Key SCR characteristics like breakover voltage, holding current, and gate trigger current are also defined.

Uploaded by

Emry Menez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 23

Experiment 1:

SILICON CONTROLLED
RECTIFIER
ECE 421L: Industrial Electronics

Prepared by
Engr. John Carl Joel S. Marquez
Engr. Seigfred V. Prado, M.Sc. ELEG
Engr. Jehiel D. Santos
THYRISTORS
Industrial Electronics Laboratory

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Thyristors
• Thyristors are devices that are constructed with four
semiconductor layers.
• Thyristors include the following:

Silicon
Shockley
Controlled Diac
Diode
Rectifier (SCR)

Gate Turn-off Silicon


Triac Thyristor Controlled
(GTO) Switch (SCS)

Light Silicon Silicon


Activated SCR Unilateral Bilateral
(LASCR) Switch (SUS) Switch (SBS)

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Thyristors
• Thyristors can control large amount of power using a very
small input power.
• These devices act as open circuits capable of withstanding a
certain rated voltage until they are triggered.
• The common applications include lamp dimmers, motor
speed controls, ignition systems, and charging circuits.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Silicon Controlled Rectifier
• An SCR is a 4-layer pnpn device with three terminals, namely,
anode, cathode, and gate.
• The basic construction and schematic symbol are shown.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Silicon Controlled Rectifier
• The gate determines when the rectifier switches from the
open-circuit to the short-circuit state.
• This implies that it is not enough to simply forward-bias the
anode-to-cathode region of the device.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Silicon Controlled Rectifier
• The SCR operation can be analyzed by its internal pnpn
structure as a two-transistor arrangement.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Turning the SCR On
Initial State: 𝑰𝑮 = 𝟎
• When the gate current (𝑰𝑮 ) is zero,
the devices is in the off-state.
• In this state, the very high
resistance between the anode and
cathode can be approximated as an
open switch.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Turning the SCR On
On-State: 𝑰𝑮 > 𝟎
• When a positive pulse current,
called a trigger, is applied to the
gate, both transistors turn on.
• The anode is made more positive
than the cathode.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Turning the SCR On
On-State: 𝑰𝑮 > 𝟎
• 𝑰𝑩𝟐 turns on 𝑸𝟐 , providing a path
for 𝑰𝑩𝟏 into the 𝑸𝟐 collector, thus
turning on 𝑸𝟏 .
• Note that the collector current of
𝑸𝟏 provides additional base current
for 𝑸𝟐 .
• Thus, 𝑸𝟐 stays in conduction even
after the trigger pulse is removed
from the gate.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Turning the SCR On
On-State: 𝑰𝑮 > 𝟎
• By this regenerative action, 𝑸𝟐
sustains the saturated condition of
𝑸𝟏 .
• Therefore, once the device is
triggered, it stays on and provides a
very low resistance between the
anode and the cathode.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Turning the SCR On
On-State: 𝑽𝑨𝑲 ≥ 𝑽𝑩𝑶
• Another way of turning the SCR on
is illustrated as shown.
p
• Observe that both 𝑱𝟏 and 𝑱𝟑 are 𝑱𝟏 𝑽 ≥ 𝑽𝑩𝑶
forward biased, while 𝑱𝟐 is reversed n
𝑱𝟐
biased. p
𝑱𝟑
• In this case, the SCR is cut-off.
n
• If the applied voltage, 𝑽𝑨𝑲 is
increased such that the reverse
biased 𝑱𝟐 breaks down.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Turning the SCR On
On-State: 𝑽𝑨𝑲 ≥ 𝑽𝑩𝑶
• The SCR conducts heavily and is said
to be in the on-state.
p
• The applied voltage at which SCR 𝑱𝟏 𝑽 ≥ 𝑽𝑩𝑶
conducts heavily is called forward- n
𝑱𝟐
breakover voltage, 𝑽𝑩𝑹 . p
𝑱𝟑
n

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Turning the SCR On
• There are two ways to turn on the SCR:
1. Keep the gate open and make the supply voltage equal to
the breakover voltage.
2. Operate SCR with supply less than the breakover voltage
and then supply a small voltage to the gate.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Turning the SCR Off
• When the gate returns to 0V after the trigger pulse is
removed, the SCR cannot turn off.
• The anode current must drop below the holding current, 𝑰𝑯
in order to turn off the SCR.
• There are two basic methods to turn off an SCR:
1. Anode current interruption
2. Forced commutation

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Turning the SCR Off
Anode Current Interruption
• The anode current can be interrupted by either a momentary
series or parallel switching arrangement as shown.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Turning the SCR Off
Forced Commutation
• The method requires momentarily forcing current through
the SCR in the direction opposite to the forward conduction
so that the net forward current is reduced below the holding
value.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


SCR Characteristic Curve
• The characteristic curve of an SCR is shown.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


SCR Characteristic Curve
• The characteristic curve of an SCR is shown for various values
of 𝑰𝑮 .
• It can be noticed that as the gate current increases the value
of 𝑽𝑩𝑹 required to turn on decreases.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


SCR Characteristics and Ratings
• Forward-breakover voltage, 𝑽𝑩𝑹 is the voltage above which
SCR enters the forward-conducting region.
• Holding Current, 𝑰𝑯 is the value of current below which the
SCR switches from the forward-conduction state to the
forward-blocking region.
• Gate trigger current, 𝑰𝑮𝑻 is the gate current necessary to
switch SCR from the forward-blocking region to the forward-
conducting region.
• The forward and reverse blocking regions are the regions
corresponding to the open-circuit condition for the controlled
rectifier that block the flow of charge from anode to cathode.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


EXPERIMENT
Industrial Electronics Laboratory

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


Experimental Circuit

𝟐𝟐𝟎𝒌𝛀

𝑨
𝑽𝑫𝑪
𝟒. 𝟕𝒌𝛀
𝑮
𝟏𝒌𝛀 𝑲

𝟏𝒌𝛀

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018


References
1. Boylestad, R. and Nashelsky, L. (2013). Electronic Devices
and Circuit Theory, 11th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
2. Floyd, T. (2012). Electronic Devices, 9th ed. New Jersey:
Prentice Hall.
3. Maloney, T. (2003). Modern Industrial Electronics, 4th ed.
New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

engrsvprado2011 | engrjdsantos2018 | engrjsmarquez2018

You might also like