Breakover devices

Engr. Annalyn D. Soria

Lecturer
Use of Break Over Devices

 The firing circuits has two disadvantages.

1.Temperature dependence
2.Inconsistent firing behaviour between SCRs of same type
These problems can be eliminated by introducing a break over device at
gate terminal
Using a breakover device in the gate
lead
 SCR tends to fire at a lower gate current when its
temperature is higher (Ig is lowered)
 Change in temperature causes change in
firing angle and the load current
 The four layered diode acts like an open switch when the voltage across
the capacitor is below the breakover voltage and as a close switch when
the voltages rises to the breakover point
 It provides consistency of triggering behavior and reduces the
temperature dependence of the circuit
 Other triggering devices: SUS (silicon unilateral switch), SBS (silicon
bilateral switch), DIAC, UJT
Alternative methods of connecting
scrs
1. Unidirectional full wave control – this circuit behaves much like a full-
wave rectifier for a DC power supply
- both ac cycles are being used to
deliver power, but the load voltage has
only one polarity (it is rectified)
2. Bidirectional full wave control
- SCR1 fired on during the positive half-cycle of the ac supply, while
SCR2 is fired ON during the negative half-cycle. Hence the output (load)
voltage is uncertified. This circuit is called sometimes AC controller.
3. Bridge circuits containing an SCR
- in the positive half-cycle of the AC supply, diodes A and C are forward
biased; if the SCR is fired ON the ac voltage will be applied to the load. For
the negative half-cycle, diodes B and D are forward biased and if the SCR
fires the ac voltage will be applied to the load. 
- figure (a) With the load inserted in
one of the ac lines leading to the bridge,
the load voltage is unrectified, figure (b)
With the load inserted in series with the
SCR itself, the load voltage is rectified
Ex. In the circuit shown the DC supply is 48V and the trigger circuit
behaves as follows:
a. it delivers a turn-on pulse to the gate of the SCR
b. 6ms later it delivers a pulse to the base of the transistor
c. it repeats this cycle at a frequency of 125 Hz
Describe the load waveform and if the load is 12 ohms, how much average
power is delivered to the load? Please see figure on the board.
Solution:
1. For a cycle of 125 Hz:
T = 1/f = 1/125 = 8ms T=Th+Tl
8ms = 6ms + Tl
Tl = 2ms
conduction = 6/8 = 75%
2. Pon = Vl2 /Rl = 482/12 = 192W
Pave = (0.75)(192) = 144W
 TRIAC (Triode for Alternating Current)
10
 The major drawback of an SCR is that it can
conduct current only in one direction.

 In AC systems it is often desirable to control both

+ve and –ve half cycles.

 For this purpose a TRIAC is used.

 TRIAC (Triode for Alternating Current)
11
 Triac is a three terminal five layer semiconductor
switching device that can control flow of current of
an ac load. It can conduct current in either
direction
 Three terminals are designated as Main terminal 1
(MT1), Main Terminal 2 (MT2) and Gate (G).
 When the triac is off, no current flow
 When the triac is on, current flow depending on the polarity of the
applied voltage
 Triac can conduct for a full
3600 cycle, thus it acts as a
full wave rectifier.
 The average current is
dependent on the amount of
time per cycle that the triac
spends in its ON state (directly
proportional
Advantages over SCR

 No contact bounce
 No arcing across partially opened contacts
 Operate much faster than mechanical switches
 More precise control of current
14 TRIAC Packages
 TRIAC (Triode for Alternating Current)
15
 Following point may be noted about the triac.
1. The triac can conduct current (with proper gate current)
regardless of the polarity of the main terminals.
2. A triac can be turned on either with a positive or negative
voltage at the gate terminal.
3. Like the SCR once the triac is fired into conduction, the
gate lose all control. The triac can be turned off by
reducing the circuit current to the value of holding current.
4. The main disadvantage of triacs of SCRs is that triacs have
considerably lower current handling capabilities. Most triac
are available in ratings of less than 40A at voltages up to
600V.
 Triac Characteristics
16 • V-I characteristics of triac in the 1st and 3rd quadrants are
essentially identical to those of an SCR in 1st quadrant.
• Triac can be operated with either positive of negative gate
control voltage. But in normal operation usually the gate voltage
is positive in 1st quaint and –ve in 3rd quadrant.
17 Triac Phase Control Circuit
TRIAC waveforms
1. Draw the waveforms for a firing delay angle of a) 450 b) 900 c)positive
450 and negative 900?
Electrical Characteristics
 Forward or positive main terminal bias – when the triac is biased with an
external voltage more positive on MT2
 Usually triggered by current flow from gate to MT1
 Vg = 0.6V to 2.0V
 Ig = 0.1mA to 20mA
 Reverse main terminal bias – triggering is accomplished by sending gate
current into the triac on the MT1 lead and out of the triac on the G lead
 Quadrant I - MT2(+) , MT1(-), G(+)
 Quadrant II - MT2(+) , MT1(-), G(-)
 Quadrant III - MT2(-) , MT1(+), G(-)
 Quadrant IV= MT2(-) , MT1(+), G(+)
 A Triac does not require continuous gate current once it has been fired
 It will turn off once the current drops below the holding current I HO =
100mA
Other electrical characteristics
 Maximum allowable main terminal rms current, IT(rms)
 Breakover voltage VBO (max)
 When the applied voltage from MT2 to MT1 exceeds VBO, the triac beaks
over and begins passing main terminal current
 Example-1
21
  
The triac shown in following figure can be
triggered by the gate triggering voltage .
a) How will you trigger the triac by only +ve
voltage?
b) How will you trigger the triac by only -ve
voltage?
 Example-1
22
 Solution

a) How will you trigger the triac by only +ve

voltage?
 Example-1
23
 Solution

b) How will you trigger the triac by only -ve

voltage?
Triggering Methods for Triacs
a. RC gate control circuit – simples triggering circuit for triacs
- the capacitor charges through R1 and R2
during firing delay angle of each half cycle
- the capacitor once it is fully charges, it
delivers enough current through R3 to
fire the triac
- R2 is high – charging is slow, large firing angle
low load current
- R2 is low – charging is fast, low firing angle
high load current
Double RC triggering circuit
 It is an improved circuit to cause a wider range of delay angle
adjustments
Breakover devices in gate control
circuits of triacs
 The gate control circuits can be improved by the addition of breakover
device.
 Addition of breakover devices offer important advantages over simple
RC control circuits
 These devices deliver pulse to the gate
rather than a sinusoidal gate current
 Triac Gate Control Circuits
27  UJT triggering Circuit
 DIAC (Diode for Alternating Current)
28
 A Diac is a two terminal three layer bidirectional
device which can be switched from its OFF state
to ON state for either polarity of applied voltage.
 It is also known as a bidirectional trigger diode and symmetrical trigger
diode
 Has a breakover voltage of +32V (FB) and -32V (RB)
 DIAC Packages
30
 DIAC Characteristics
31
 Example1
32
  
A small gate triggering voltage is required to
fire a triac. How will you raise gate triggering
voltage level of triac?
 Example1
33
 Solution
Example 2
Suppose
  that the diac conducts with VBO = with a firing delay of 750, and it
was decided to use a 28V diac instead, what will be the new firing angle
assuming nothing else is changed.
Solution:
Von = Vp sin initially : 32 = Vp sin 750
Vp = 33.129V

Final: 28 = 33.129
= 57.6910
Other devices used for triggering
circuits
SBS  – silicon bilateral switch
-a device used in low-voltage trigger control circuits
- lower breakover voltage (
- typically SBS temperature coefficient = 0.02%/ 0C meaning VBO
increased only by 0.02% per 0C of temperature change, eventually equals
to 0.16%/1000C which is known to be temperature stable.
 Hysteresis (flash on effect) – caused when the triac is not firing due to
the triggering circuit not having enough voltage to trigger and
eventually triggers when the value of R2 is decreased to cause
breakover voltage to be achieved. This can be almost completely
eliminated using and SBS
SUS (silicon unilateral switch)
- frequently used in triggering circuit of SCRs
- only breakover (forward) is possible
- SUS can be fired at a very low anode to cathode voltage