UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA SPANISH INSTITUTE

STB 47203 POWER ELECTRONICS AND DRIVE

TRIAC

MOHD AISAMUDDIN BIN AHMAD BASTAMAM 54269209134

LECTURER: MDM NURAIDA BINTI MD HASSAN

INTRODUCTION Triac (Triode for Alternating Current) is like a diac with a gate terminal and three bidirectional switching thyristor device. A triac can be turned ON by a pulse of gate current and does not require the breakover voltage to initiate conduction, as does of the diac. Basically, a triac can be thought of simply as two SCRs connected in parallel and in opposite directions with a common gate terminal. Unlike the SCR, the triac can conduct current in either direction with a common gate terminal.

OBJECTIVE 1- To describe the basic structure and operation of triacs 2- Be able to identify a triac by the schematic symbol 3- Explain the triac characteristic curve 4- Discuss an application

TRIAC STRUCTURE AND SCHEMATIC SYMBOL Figure below shows the triac structure and symbol. It consists of three terminals MT2 ,
MT1 and gate G.
MT1 G N2 MT2 P2 N3 P2 N1 P1 MT2 N1 P1 G MT1

N4

Triac basic Construction

Triac Symbol

The gate terminal G is near the MT1 terminal. MT1 is the reference terminal to obtain the characteristics of the triac. A triac can be operated in four different modes depending upon the polarity of the voltage on the terminal MT2 with respect to MT1 and based on the gate current polarity. The characteristics of a triac is similar to that of an SCR, both in blocking and conducting states. A SCR can conduct in only one direction whereas triac can conduct in both directions.

TRIAC WORKING OPERATION

Triac basic function

When no voltage is applied between gate and T1, the TRIAC will operate as an open switch, allowing no current to flow. But if apply a voltage pulse at the gate, the TRIAC will immediately switch on, letting pass the current through the load, it doesn't matter if is a positive or negative hemicycle, neither the input's polarity. Once triggered, the TRIAC will continue conducting current, even in the absence of the input voltage. It will switch off just when the current through it becomes too low, wich happens at the end of the AC hemicycle.

MODE 1 : MT2 positive, Positive gate current

( I mode of operation)

When MT2 and gate current are positive with respect to MT1, the gate current flows through P2-N2 junction as shown in figure below. The junction P1-N1 and P2-N2 are forward biased but junction N1-P2 is reverse biased. When sufficient number of charge carriers are injected in P2 layer by the gate current the junction N1-P2 breakdown and triac starts conducting through P1N1P2N2 layers. Once triac starts conducting the current increases and its V-I characteristics is similar to that of thyristor. Triac in this mode operates in the first-quadrant.

MT2 (+)

P1 N1 Ig P2 N2 MT1 ()

G (+) Ig

MODE 2 : MT2 positive, Negative gate current

MT2 (+)

( I mode of operation)

P1 Initial conduction N3 G N1 P2 N2 MT1 () Final conduction

V
Ig

When MT2 is positive and gate G is negative with respect to MT1 the gate current flows through P2-N3 junction as shown in figure above. The junction P1-N1 and P2-N3 are forward biased but junction N1-P2 is reverse biased. Hence, the triac initially starts conducting through P1N1P2N3 layers. As a result the potential of layer between P2-N3 rises towards the potential of MT2. Thus, a potential gradient exists across the layer P2 with left hand region at a higher potential than the right hand region. This results in a current flow in P2 layer from left to right, forward biasing the P2N2 junction. Now the right hand portion P1-N1 - P2-N2 starts conducting. The device operates in first quadrant. When compared to Mode 1, triac with MT2 positive and negative gate current is less sensitive and therefore requires higher gate current for triggering.

MODE 3 : MT2 negative, Positive gate current

( III mode of operation)

When MT2 is negative and gate is positive with respect to MT1 junction P2N2 is forward biased and junction P1-N1 is reverse biased. N2 layer injects electrons into P2 layer as shown by arrows in figure below. This causes an increase in current flow through junction P2-N1. Resulting in breakdown of reverse biased junction N1-P1. Now the device conducts through layers P2N1P1N4 and the current starts increasing, which is limited by an external load.
MT 2 ()

N4 P1 N1 P2 G (+) Ig N2 MT1 (+)

The device operates in third quadrant in this mode. Triac in this mode is less sensitive and requires higher gate current for triggering.

MODE 4 : MT2 negative, Negative gate current ( III mode of operation)

MT 2 ()

N4 P1 N1 N3 G (+) Ig P2 MT1 (+)

In this mode both MT2 and gate G are negative with respect to MT1, the gate current flows through P2N3 junction as shown in figure above. Layer N3 injects electrons as shown by arrows into P2 layer. This results in increase in current flow across P1N1 and the device will turn ON due to increased current in layer N1. The current flows through layers P2N1P1N4. Triac is more sensitive in this mode compared to turn ON with positive gate current. (Mode 3). Triac sensitivity is greatest in the first quadrant when turned ON with positive gate current and also in third quadrant when turned ON with negative gate current. When MT2 is positive with respect to MT1 it is recommended to turn on the triac by a positive gate current. When MT2 is negative with respect to MT1 it is recommended to turn on the triac by negative gate current. Therefore Mode 1 and Mode 4 are the preferred modes of operation of a triac ( I mode and III mode of operation are normally used).

TRIAC CHARACTERISTIC CURVE

Figure above shows the V-I Characteristics of a triac. Triac is a bidirectional switching device. Hence its characteristics are identical in the first and third quadrant. When gate current is increased the break over voltage decreases. A triac can also be triggered by exceeding the breakover voltage. This is not normally employed in triac operation. The breakover voltage is usually considered a design limitation. One other major limitation, as with the SCR, is dV/dt, which is the rate of rise of voltage with respect to time. A triac can be switched into conduction by a large dV/dt. Typical applications are in phase control, inverter design, AC switching, relay replacement, etc.

TRIAC APPLICATION Same as SCR, triac also used to control average power to a load by the method of phase control. The triac can be trigged such that the AC power is supplied to the load for controlled portion of each half-cycle. During each positive half-cycle af the AC, the triac is OFF for a certain interval, called the delay angle and then it is triggered ON and conducts current through the load for the remaining portion of the positive half-cycle, called the conduction angle. Similar action occurs on the negative half-cycle, current is conducted in the direction through the load.

Example of phase control using a triac is illustrated in figure (a) below. Diodes are used to provide trigger pulses to the gate of the triac. Diode D1 conducts during the positive half-cycle. The value of R1 sets the point on the positive half-cycle at which the triac triggers. During the this portion of the AC cycle, A1 and gate are positive with respect to A2. Diode D2 conducts during the negative half-cylce and R1 sets the trigger point. During this portion of the AC cycle, A2 and gate are positive with respect to A1. The resulting waveform across RL is shown in fiure (b)

Low power triac also used in many applications such as light dimmer, speed control for electric fans and other electric motors, and in the modern computerized control circuits of many household small and major appliances.

CONCLUSION As the conclusion, the triac have three terminal which are gate, A1(MT1) and A2(MT2). Triac can be operated with small current. Triac are mainly used in power control to give full wave control. This enables the voltage to be controlled between zero and full power. The triac provides a wider range of control in AC circuits without the need for additional components, e.g. bridge rectifiers or a second thyristor, needed to achieve full wave control with thyristors. The triggering of the triac is also simpler than that required by thyristors in AC circuits, and can normally be achieved using a simple DIAC circuit.