Voltage Regulators:-

A voltage regulator is an electronic circuit or device that automatically maintains a constant

output voltage regardless of changes in input voltage or load current.
It ensures that the load receives a stable DC supply.

Types of Regulators
Regulators can be classified into different categories, depending upon their working and
type of connection.
Depending upon the type of regulation, the regulators are mainly divided into two
types namely, line and load regulators.
Line Regulator − The regulator which regulates the output voltage to be constant, in spite of input
line variations, it is called as Line regulator.
Load Regulator − The regulator which regulates the output voltage to be constant, in spite of the
variations in load at the output, it is called as Load regulator.
Depending upon the type of connection, there are two types of voltage regulators.
They are

Series voltage regulator and Shunt voltage regulator

The arrangement of them in a circuit will be just as in the above figures.

Zener Voltage regulator:-

When the Zener diode is operated in the breakdown or Zener region, the voltage across
it is substantially constant for a large change of current through it. This characteristic
makes Zener diode a good voltage regulator.
The following figure shows an image of a simple Zener regulator.

The applied input voltage when increased beyond the Zener voltage , then the
Zener diode operates in the breakdown region and maintains constant voltage across the
load. The series limiting resistor Rs limits the input current.
Working of Zener Voltage Regulator
The Zener diode maintains the voltage across it constant in spite of load variations and
input voltage fluctuations. Hence we can consider 4 cases to understand the working of a
Zener voltage regulator.
 Transistor Series Voltage Regulator
This regulator has a transistor in series to the Zener regulator and both in parallel to the
load. The transistor works as a variable resistor regulating its collector emitter voltage in
order to maintain the output voltage constant. The figure below shows the transistor
series voltage regulator.

A transistor series voltage regulator uses a zener diode to provide a fixed reference voltage.
A transistor, connected in emitter-follower mode (common collector), is placed in series with
the load. The transistor acts like a variable resistor, automatically adjusting its resistance to
keep the output voltage constant.
Operation:-
The zener diode maintains a constant voltage at the transistor’s base.
The output voltage is given by:
Vout≈Vz−VBE
where VBE is about 0.7 V for a silicon transistor.
If Input Voltage Increases:-
The output voltage tends to rise. Since the zener voltage Vz is constant, VBE decreases.
This reduces the transistor’s conduction, increasing its internal resistance, dropping more voltage
across itself, and bringing the output voltage back to normal.
If Input Voltage Decreases:-
The output voltage tends to fall. As Vz remains constant, VBE increases.
This causes the transistor to conduct more, lowering its internal resistance, dropping less voltage,
and restoring the output voltage.
If Load Current Increases:-
When load current increases, the output voltage drops slightly.
This increase in VBE causes the transistor to pass more current to the load, allowing the voltage
to recover.
Advantages:
Provides better voltage regulation than a simple zener regulator and can supply higher load
current.
Low output impedance makes it less affected by load changes, and it protects the zener diode
from excess current.
Disadvantages:
Power loss in the transistor causes heat generation, lowering efficiency.
Output voltage is fixed by the zener value and cannot be adjusted without replacing it.
 Transistor Shunt Voltage Regulator
The figure below shows the circuit diagram of a transistor shunt regulator.

The zener-controlled transistor shunt voltage regulator has a series resistor RS, a zener diode, an
NPN transistor, and a load resistor. The unregulated DC passes through RS, which limits the
current. The zener diode, in reverse bias, gives a constant voltage to the transistor’s base. The
transistor is in parallel with the load, so it is called a shunt regulator. It keeps the output voltage
steady by diverting extra current away from the load. The regulated voltage is taken across the
load resistor RL.
Operation
Zener diode maintains a constant voltage across the transistor’s base and emitter.
Output voltage is given by:
Vout≈VZ + VBE
1. If Supply Voltage Increases
o VBE and base current increase → transistor conducts more.
o This diverts extra current away from the load (shunting), increasing the voltage
drop across RS→ output voltage returns to normal.
2. If Supply Voltage Decreases
o VBE decreases → transistor conducts less.
o Less current is shunted, more flows to the load → output voltage recovers.
3. If Load Resistance Decreases (Load Current Increases)
o Less current flows through the transistor → most current flows to the load.
o Output voltage remains nearly constant.

Advantages
• Simple design and low cost.
• Protects the load from overvoltage by shunting excess current.

Disadvantages
• Low efficiency due to continuous current through RS and transistor.
• More current flows through the transistor than through the load in some conditions.
• Significant power loss in RS and transistor.
Three-terminal IC voltage regulators
Voltage Regulators are now-a-days available in the form of Integrated Circuits (ICs). These are
in short called as IC Regulators.
Three-terminal IC voltage regulators are integrated circuits designed to provide a constant,
regulated DC output voltage.
• 78xx series → Positive voltage regulators.
• 79xx series → Negative voltage regulators.
Here, “xx” indicates the output voltage (e.g., 7805 gives +5 V, 7912 gives −12 V).

Along with the functionality like a normal regulator, an IC regulator has the properties
like thermal compensation, short circuit protection and surge protection which are built
into the device.