Automotive Electrical and

Electronics

VOLTAGE REGULATORS

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 Main Fn:- To prevent the vehicle battery from being
overcharged
Voltage regulation is a difficult task on a vehicle
alternator because of changing engine speed and
loads on the alternator
Alternator o/p varies linearly with engine speed
Alternator o/p is also proportional to magnetic field
strength(ie field current)
To control alternator output voltage field current is
controlled.

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 Action of voltage regulator

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 Contd

Alternator circuits supply a

constant feed to the field
windings from the
excitation diodes and the
regulator switches the earth
side.
Constantly earthed and the
regulator switches the
supply side.

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 Types of Regulator

Mainly mechanical and electrical

The fundamental classes of voltage regulators
(electrical) are linear regulator and switching regulators.
Two basics types of linear regulator are :
Series Regulator
Shunt Regulator

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 Basic Linear Series Regulator

In series regulation the control element is in series

with the input and output

Simple series voltage regulator and block diagram

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 Basic op-amp series regulator

The control element is a transistor in series with the load.

The output sample circuit senses a change in the output voltage.
The error detector compares the sample voltage with a reference
voltage (zener diode)
Control is achieved by controlling the voltage across Q1.

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 Regulating Action
The resistive voltage divider formed by R2 and R3 senses any
changes in the output voltage.
When the output voltage tries to decrease, a proportional
voltage decrease is applied to the op-amps inverting input by
the voltage divider.
Zener diode sets the reference voltage for the non-inverting
input of the op-amp. Any changes in the output are fed back
to the inverting input of the op-amp.
The difference voltage (error voltage) is amplified and the op-
amps output voltage is increased.
This increase is applied to the base of Q1 causing the
emitter voltage to increase until the voltage to the inverting
input equals the reference voltage.

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 The regulated output voltage of the series regulator is :

R2
Vout 1 VREF
R3

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 Basic Linear Shunt Regulator

In shunt regulation the control element is in parallel

with input and output.

Simple shunt voltage regulator and block diagram

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 Basic op-amp shunt regulator with load resistor

The control element is a transistor, Q1 parallel (shunt)

with the load and a resistor R1 in series with the load.
The operation same as series, except that regulation is
achieved by controlling the current through Q1.

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

 Regulating Action
When the output voltage tries to decrease due to a
change in input voltage or load current, the attempted
decrease is sense by R3 and R4 - applied to the op-amps
non-inverting input.
The difference voltage increases the op-amps output
voltage - - and increasing the collector voltage, Vc
keeping the output nearly constant.

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017

Prepared by Sreenath S 7/13/2017