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SCR Firing Circuits

This document discusses different firing circuits used to trigger SCRs (silicon controlled rectifiers). It describes the working and limitations of a resistance firing circuit, which can only trigger the SCR within 90 degrees. Then it discusses an improved RC firing circuit that uses a capacitor and resistor to vary the firing angle from 0 to 180 degrees. Finally, it introduces a UJT firing circuit that uses a uni-junction transistor to produce pulse trains for triggering the SCR at predetermined intervals, reducing power losses compared to continuous resistance or RC triggering.

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Tariq Ali
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697 views10 pages

SCR Firing Circuits

This document discusses different firing circuits used to trigger SCRs (silicon controlled rectifiers). It describes the working and limitations of a resistance firing circuit, which can only trigger the SCR within 90 degrees. Then it discusses an improved RC firing circuit that uses a capacitor and resistor to vary the firing angle from 0 to 180 degrees. Finally, it introduces a UJT firing circuit that uses a uni-junction transistor to produce pulse trains for triggering the SCR at predetermined intervals, reducing power losses compared to continuous resistance or RC triggering.

Uploaded by

Tariq Ali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SCR FIRING CIRCUITS

INTRODUCTION

 As we know various triggering methods to turn the SCR, gate triggering is the most efficient and reliable method.
 Most of the control applications use this type of triggering because the desired instant of SCR turning is possible
with gate triggering method.
 The various firing circuits of SCR.
 Resistance Firing Circuit
 Resistance – Capacitance (RC) Firing Circuit
 UJT Firing Circuit
RESISTANCE FIRING CIRCUIT

 The circuit below shows the resistance triggering of SCR where it is employed to drive the load from the input AC
supply. 
 Resistance and diode combination circuit acts as a gate control circuitry to switch the SCR in the desired
condition.
WORKING

 SCR is forward biased and doesn’t conduct until its gate current is more than minimum gate current of the SCR.
 When the gate current is applied by varying the resistance R2.
 SCR is turned ON, when gate current is more than the minimum value of gate current. Hence the load current
starts flowing through the SCR.
 The SCR remains ON until the anode current is equal to the holding current.
 To switch OFF, applied voltage should be zero, so load current also become zero and SCR acts as open switch.
 Resistance R1 limits the current flowing through the gate terminal and its value is such that the gate current should
not exceed the maximum gate current.
 The diode protects the gate drive circuit from reverse gate voltage during the negative half cycle of the input. 
LIMITATION

 It is the simplest and economical type of triggering but limited for few applications due to its disadvantages.
 Its limitation is the triggering angle is limited to 90 degrees only.
 It means that, applied voltage is maximum at 90 degrees so the gate current has to reach minimum gate current
value somewhere between zero to 90 degrees.
RESISTANCE – CAPACITANCE (RC) FIRING CIRCUIT

 The limitation of resistance firing circuit can be overcome by the RC triggering circuit.
 It provides the firing angle control from 0 to 180 degrees. 
 It is obtained by changing the phase and amplitude of the gate current, a large variation of firing angle is obtained
using this circuit.
  Its circuit consisting of two diodes with an RC network connected to turn the SCR.
 By varying the variable resistance, triggering or firing angle is controlled in a full positive half cycle of the input
signal.
WORKING

 During the negative half cycle of the input signal, capacitor charges with lower plate positive through diode D2 up
to the maximum supply voltage Vmax. 
 This voltage remains at -Vmax across the capacitor till supply voltage attains zero crossing.
 During the positive half cycle of the input.
 SCR becomes forward biased and the capacitor starts charging through variable resistance to the triggering voltage
value of the SCR.
 When the capacitor charging voltage is equal to the gate trigger voltage, SCR is turned ON.
 Therefore the capacitor voltage is helpful for triggering the SCR even after 90 degrees of the input waveform.
 diode D1 prevents the negative voltage between the gate and cathode during the negative half cycle of the input
through diode D2.
WAVEFORM- RC FIRING CIRCUIT
UJT FIRING CIRCUIT

 It is the most common method of triggering the SCR


 The prolonged pulses at the gate using R and RC triggering methods cause more power dissipation at the gate
 UJT (Uni Junction Transistor) as triggering device the power loss is limited as it produce a train of pulses.
 The RC network is connected to the emitter terminal of the UJT which forms the timing circuit. 
 Capacitor is fixed while the resistance is variable, So that the controlling of the RC time constant.
WORKING
 When the voltage is applied, the capacitor starts charging through the variable resistance. 
 By varying the resistance value voltage across the capacitor get varied.
 Once the capacitor voltage is equal to the peak value of the UJT, it starts conducting and hence produce a pulse
output.
 It continue till the voltage across the capacitor equal

to the valley voltage Vv of the UJT.


 This process repeats and produces a train of pulses

at base terminal-1 .
 The pulse output at the base terminal-1 is used to

turn ON the SCR at predetermined time intervals.

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