Lec 19

Power Electronics
Lecture # 19
 Contents of Today`s Lecture:

 THYRISTORS --- A brief review
 The Two Transistor model of Thyristor
1. THYRISTOR ( Silicon Controlled Rectifier)
A silicon controlled rectifier is a four-layer, three junction solid-state current-controlling device.

This is a semiconductor device which can work as a switch.
Construction of SCR:
It is a four layer, three junction device.

It has three terminals :
1) Anode
2) Gate
3) Cathode
Key Parameters:
Thyristor works on the principle of regenertive positive feedback. (This has been explained in detail in
lecture 18)
Triggered
It is a gate-turn on device. For a thyristor to turn on, the necessary condition is that the thyristor current
should be greater than the latching current.
i-e
IT> IL
Once the device starts conducting, the gate signal should be removed in order to avoid power loss,
because of the regenerative positive feedback the thyristor remains on.
Thyristor Turn on:
As we know from our physics background that at room temperature, there is depletion layer across the PN
junction . When a positive voltage is applied at the anode terminal and ground is connected with the
cathode terminal, the majority charge carrierrs or holes in the p-type region and the electrons in the n-type
region are pushed toward the junction due to the pressure applied by the positive charges at anode and
negative charges at cathode. Cosequently, they start to neutralize the depletion zone, reducing its width or
the depletion region across junction J1 and J3 starts to shrink and J1 and J3 become forward biased, but
the device cannot conduct because the junction J2 is reverse biased.
Now, if we apply gate pulse at the p region that is between junction J2 and J3,the positive gate pulse will
add on pressure on the majority carriers or holes of p region and it will start repelling the holes from the p
region, as a result, the depletion region of J2 will start shrinking and J2 will become forward biased and
the device will start coducting.
How to Turn off Thyristor:
There are following ways to turn off thyristor:
1) Reduce the current flowing through it below a minimum value called holding current IH.
i-e IT<IH
2) Apply a negative voltage with respect to anode and cathode i-e VAK<0.
Two Transistor Model:
Equivalent circuit with directions of
current mentioned
The thyristor works on the principle of regenerative current. To understand this principle, let us assume
that we have applied 10V to transistor Q1 and this applied voltage is sufficiently large to turn on Q1 and
the collector current of Q1 feeds the base of Q2.
IC1 = α1IE1 = IB2

Now this base current IB2 will cause Q2 to turn on which will feed additional base current to Q1.
IC2 = β IB2
Also; IC2 = IB1
It can be seen in the above figure that IC2 = IB1 which further increases IC1 and IE1 which consequently
increases IA (anode current) or the total current IT (IA = IT). This is a regenerative or positive feedback
effect.
When IA increases from a certain level, junction J2 becomes forward biased and it starts to conduct, this is
also known as saturation and the SCR turns on.
After the SCR turns on and is conducting significant forward current, the SCR stays on even if the gate
drive or supply is subsequently removed. This is also known as “latching”.
The way in which two transistors feed each other is known as regenerative switching or regenerative
action.
It is clearly mentioned in the figure how the current keeps on increasing through positive feedback
phenomenon and the two transistors keep on feeding each other. The regenerative current is shown in the
form of double and triple arrows in the figure, explaining how the current keeps on increasing or
regenerating itself due to positive feedback.
α = percentage of electron penetration from emitter to collector.
Thyristor Triggering:
The thyristor can be triggered in following ways:
1) Thermal
2) Light
3) High Voltage
4) High dv/dt
5) Gate
The Mathematical model of thyristor:
IC1= α1IE1 + ICBO1 (for Transistor Q1, where ICBO is forward leakage current)
IC2= α2IE2 + ICBO2
IE = IC1 + IC2 (Also IT = IA = IC1 + IC2 )
IA = α1IE1 + ICBO1 + α2IE2 + ICBO2 ------- (1)
From above figure;

IK = IA+ IG , IK = IE2
Equation (1) becomes;
IA = α1IE1 + ICBO1 + α2 (IA+ IG )+ ICBO2

IA = α1IA + ICBO1 + α2IA+ α2IG + ICBO2
IA ( 1- (α1 + α2)) = α2IG + ICBO1 + ICBO2
IA = α2IG + ICBO1 + ICBO2 / ( 1- (α1 + α2))
α (percentage of electron penetration from emitter to collector):
α = IC / IE
When collector current is equal to emitter current, i-e IC = IE  α =1, which means that penetration of
electrons from emitter to collector is 100%.
α has a value close to unity; between 0.980 and 0.998. It is less than unity due to recombination of charge
carriers as they cross the base region.
Also;
α = β / (1 + β)
Thyristor Turn on Timing diagram:
When gate pulse is applied at thyristor to turn it on, it takes some time for thyristor to turn-on, this is
called as TON time or propagation delay of the device. At 90% of gate current IG , the thyristor current
develops 10%, i-e : 0.1IT . This can also be seen from the figure below.
Where TON = td + tr
td = delay time
tr = rise time
Normally, the gate pulse is applied for duration more than the TON , so that the device me conduct fully.
Types of thyristors:
1) Silicon Controlled Thyristors (SCT)

2) Bidirectional Phase Controlled Thyristors (BCT)
3) Gate Commutated Thyristor (GCT)
4) TRIACS (“Triac” is an abbreviation for three terminal ac switch. „Tri‟-indicates that the device
has three terminals and „ac‟ indicates that the device controls alternating current or can conduct in
either direction)
5) Fast Switching Thyristors (FST)
Difference between BUCK and BOOST converter:
BUCK BOOST
1) The supply is on only during Ton period 1) The supply is on during both modes, i-e
or mode1. during mode 1 and mode 2, supply is
The supply is discontinuous during mode 2 or continuous.
Toff time period.
2) The capacitor of BUCK converter always 2) During Ton time or mode1, the capacitor
receives current, so it is normally smaller gives charge or it gives current to load.
in size. That‟s why the capacitor of BOOST
converter is normally larger in size than
that of BUCK converter.
BUCK CONVERTER
BOOST CONVERTER
(b)

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Power Electronics

 Contents of Today`s Lecture:

1. THYRISTOR ( Silicon Controlled Rectifier)

A silicon controlled rectifier is a four-layer, three junction solid-state current-controlling device.

It is a four layer, three junction device.

Thyristor Turn on:

How to Turn off Thyristor:

There are following ways to turn off thyristor:

IC1 = α1IE1 = IB2

α = percentage of electron penetration from emitter to collector.

The thyristor can be triggered in following ways:

The Mathematical model of thyristor:

From above figure;

IA = α1IE1 + ICBO1 + α2 (IA+ IG )+ ICBO2

Thyristor Turn on Timing diagram:

1) Silicon Controlled Thyristors (SCT)

Difference between BUCK and BOOST converter:

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