AC PHASE FIRING CIRCUIT USING MICROCONTROLLER

Abstract- AC Voltage is controlled using Phase firing signals. This signal is generated using Microcontroller. One
Potentiometer is connected to microcontroller for the setting the values of phase firing angle. Zero Crossing Detector
(ZCD) is used for the sensing of zero voltage of AC Voltage. Based on the Rising Edge and Falling Edge of ZCD
microcontroller it generates gate signals for TRIAC Power circuit. For the isolation between Power circuit and control
circuit Opto isolator is used. These isolated signals are given to the TRIAC and then AC Voltage is controlled.

Index Term- TRIAC; Root Mean Square; Block Diagram; Result; Simulation.

I. INTRODUCTION

AC voltage controllers are used to vary the Root Mean Square value of the alternating voltage applied to a load through
TRIAC which are connected between the load and constant ac voltage source. The Root Mean Square value of voltage is
applied to a load circuit is controlled by controlling the firing angle of the TRIAC in the ac voltage controller circuits. In
phase control the TRIAC are used as switches to connect the load circuit to the input ac supply for every cycle. So the ac
supply voltage is chopped using TRIAC during every input cycle. The TRIAC switch is turned on every cycle, so the
supply voltage appears across the load and then turned off during the remaining half cycle to disconnect the ac supply
from the load. By controlling the phase angle the output Root Mean Square voltage across the load can be controlled
which is shown in the display of the circuit diagram. The firing angle „a‟ is defined as the phase angle at which the
TRIAC turns on and the load currents begin to flow.
Some general problem that should be taken into account for practical applications areas follows.

i. Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR) is an unidirectional device and it allow current in one direction only. So, here I
used TRIAC because it allows current in both direction. Hence, it is mainly used in AC circuits only.

II. BLOCK DIAGRAM

Figure 1: Process Flow for AC Phase Firing Circuit

A. AC Voltage Zero Crossing Detector.

Zero Crossing Detector (ZCD) is used for the sensing of zero voltage of AC Voltage and used to convert sine wave or
other signal into square wave, the output should be low if the input is negative and high if the input is positive. Many zero
crossing detector is used split supply (symmetric supply), but this zero crossing detector circuit only need a single supply,
thus suitable for battery- operated circuits. The zero crossing detector circuit is an important application of the op-amp
comparator circuit. It can also be called as the sine to square wave converter. Anyone of the inverting or noninverting
comparators can be used as a zero-crossing detector. The only change to be brought in is the reference voltage with which
the input voltage is to be compared, must be made zero (Voltage reference = 0volt). An input sine wave is given as
Voltage input. These are shown in the circuit diagram and input and output waveforms of an inverting comparator with a
0volt reference voltage.

B. Microcontroller
@IJAERD-2016, All rights Reserved 720 Based on the Rising Edge and Falling Edge of ZCD
microcontroller it generates gate signals for TRIAC Power circuit. Looking at the board, this is an Arduino uno board.
We used the ATMEGA328 board. The pin functioning of this board is listed.The Arduino Uno is a microcontroller board
based on the ATmega328. It has 14 digital input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 6 analog inputs, a
16 MHz ceramic resonator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It contains everything
needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC
adapter or battery to get started. The Uno differs from all preceding boards in that it does not use the FTDI USB-to-serial
driver chip.

Operating Voltage 5V
Input 7-12V
Input Voltage 6-20V
(Milimcroits)contro ATmega328
ller
Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide
PWM output)
Analog Input Pins 6
DC Current per I/O 40 mA
DC Current for 3.3V 50 mA
Flash Memory 32 KB (ATmega328)
of which 0.5
SRAM 2 KB (ATmega328)
EEPROM 1 KB (ATmega328)
Clock Speed 16 MHz

Table I: Data Sheet of ATMega 328

C. Opto-Isolator IC.

The isolation between Power circuit and control circuit Opto isolator is used. An Opto-isolator contains a source
(emitter) of light, almost always a near infrared light-emitting diode (LED), that converts electrical input signal into light,
a closed optical channel (also called dielectrical channel), and a photo sensor, which detects incoming light and either
generates electric energy directly, or modulates electric current flowing from an external power supply.

Figure 2: Functional Block Diagram of mct 2 e [1]

D. Power Circuit using TRIAC.

Isolated signals are given to the TRIAC and then AC Voltage is controlled. TRIAC, from triode for alternating current,
is a generalized trade name for an electronic component that can conduct current in either direction when it is triggered
(turned on), and is formally called a bidirectional triode thyristor or bilateral triode thyristor. The ac voltage regulator
apparatus of the present invention uses TRIAC power output switches which are triggered into conduction after being
delayed for a period of time from the previous ac supply voltage zero point. The TRIAC switches are switching the load
voltage at a determinate phase angle in order to obtain a constant true RMS voltage. The delay time of the trigger signal is
variable and is changed to obtain regulation of the RMS voltage applied to the ac load. This regulation feature, ac supply
voltage variations, and ac load current changes.
Some Importance words for TRIAC.

(1) Gate threshold current

III. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OF POWER CIRCUIT

Sr. Firing angle V0 rms

In a Power circuit when we set the firing angle then we shown the different value of V 0rms. Figure 3(a) and 3(b) has
show that when I set the value of alpha 60 then the value of V 0rms is 206.30 on LED and the intensity of bulb. Figure 3(c)
shown that waveform of V0rms in Oscilloscope. And it will be continue for alpha 90, and 150.We have noted that when the
firing angle is increase the value of V0rms is decrease and the intensity of bulb is also change (decrease).

Figure 3: (a) (b) value of alpha,V0rms and intensity of bulb. (c) Waveform of V0rms in Oscilloscope.
 Figure 4: (a) (b) value of alpha,V0rms and intensity of bulb. (c) Waveform of V0rms in Oscilloscope.

Figure 5: (a) (b) value of alpha,V0rms and intensity of bulb. (c) Waveform of V0rms in Oscilloscope
.
IV. SOFTWARE AND SIMULATION

I have done the simulation of power circuit in PSIM software and simulation of control circuit in PROTEUS 8.

A. Simulation of power circuit in PSIM.

Figure 6 shown that when I set the frequency100 and trigger the TRIAC at 30° then we show the TRIAC Conduction
Waveform ,followed by Figure 7 at 120° and Figure 8 at 180°.If noticed, when I increase the firing angle then we show
the effect in TRIAC conduction Waveform.
 Figure 6: Power circuit TRIAC Triggering at 30° and Conduction Waveform.

Figure 7: Power circuit TRIAC Triggering at 120° and Conduction Waveform.

Figure 8: Power circuit TRIAC Triggering at 180° and Conduction Waveform.

B. Simulation of control circuit (PROTEUS 8).

Figure 9: Diagram of control circuit.

V. CONCLUSION.

In conclusion of this project by doing the firing of TRIAC or changing value of firing angle we will get their respective
output waveform input value and also respective controlled Root Mean Square value of input voltage.