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Controlling an AC Load with a

MOSFET
Published by Tahmid (members/tahmid.25120/) in the blog Tahmid's blog (xfa-blogs/tahmid.25120/). Views: 34016
In most cases where you want to control an AC load, a triac or SCRs will be
used. However, it is not easy to drive a triac or SCR. The drive requirement for
the triac or SCR makes it sometimes difficult to control it as we want. One thing is
that we can not turn the triac or SCR on or off as we desire, because once we
turn it on, it latches and stays on until the next zero crossing or until current stops
flowing through it. Also, driving a triac with reference to MT1 (or A1) is not as
straightforward as we would want.

However, a MOSFET can be controlled as we want. Set the gate high (with a
sufficient voltage) and current can flow from drain to source. Set the gate low and
current can no longer flow. Convenient!

However, a MOSFET can only be used to control DC loads since it is a

unidirectional switch - current flow can be controlled when it is flowing from drain
to source, but can not be controlled from source to drain. So, certainly it can not
be used to control AC loads. Right?

Well, directly, it can not be used to control AC loads the same way you'd control
DC loads. But, with some clever circuitry, it can be used to control AC loads. And
here's how:

Perhaps you don't see how it works now. But consider the two diagrams below,
which show the flow of current during the two AC half cycles. I'm sure you'll get it
better then.

As you can see, due to the bridge rectifier, the MOSFET always "sees" a DC
voltage as the drain is always positive with respect to the source. Thus, with this
combination of the bridge rectifier and MOSFET, by controlling a DC switch - the
MOSFET, you can control the AC load.

The MOSFET must be turned on fully by driving it high by at least 8V above

source level - 8V with respect to source.

So, you can turn the MOSFET on and off at any time and accordingly turn the
load on and off as required. This makes driving the AC load so easy!
Dec 7, 2012 (blog/controlling-an-ac-load-with-a-mosfet.518/)

dymbo (members/dymbo.309266/) likes this.

 JDT (members/jdt.41174/) Jan 3, 2013
(members/jdt.41174/)

However, a MOSFET can only be used to control DC loads since it is

a unidirectional switch - current flow can be controlled when it is
flowing from drain to source, but can not be controlled from source to
drain. So, certainly it can not be used to control AC loads. Right?

I have to disagree. The current can be controlled both ways but, of

course, there is the substrate diode that conducts in the reverse
direction. But it still controls!

So, if you connect two MOSFETS in series, you can control AC.
This gives a much lower on-state voltage drop and therefore lower
power loss than your bridge rectifier method. The reversed
MOSFET will switch on and if correctly specified will have a
voltage drop lower than the forward diode drop.

See diagram:-

(members/tahmid.25120/)Tahmid (members/tahmid.25120/) Jan 5, 2013

Hi JDT,
Yes, you're right.

What I mean by control is the ability to allow or stop the current by

means of a control signal, which can not be done with the body
diode.

While my intention was to show the control with 1 MOSFET, it is of

course possible to control the AC load with 2 MOSFETs back-to-
back where the body diodes are also utilized, as you have shown.

AfdhalAtiffTan (members/afdhalatifftan.104223/) Aug 17,

(members/afdhalatifftan.104223/)
2015
It seems like it can't handle inductive loads.
Any suitable snubber design?
(members/dymbo.309266/)dymbo (members/dymbo.309266/) Dec 11, 2016
As perfect as easy & cheap solution! )) The JDT's
advice is widely known and used, but this one has its own
elegance due to simplicity and cost-friendliness. As for the 1-2V
drop on the rectifier, this isn't a big issue for AC source 'cause the
very AC mains voltage easily varies in much more range (about 2-
10% which equals to 2~20V for 220 AC mains).

Ruberilio (members/ruberilio.417418/) Feb 15, 2017

(members/ruberilio.417418/)
Hi, i have a question, the two mosfets will work
as a triac?, Only on and off? Or i will control the Current?
Thanks

FQR (members/fqr.279077/) Feb 25, 2017

(members/fqr.279077/)
 @Ruberilio (https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/members/417418/):

No, they don´t work "as" a triac. These FETs (N-Channel

Enhancement Mode) do need positive gate voltage (referenced to
their sources) to "open" - and no voltage (or negative voltage -
again: r. t. t. s.) to "close".

[The intrinsic capacitances have to be charged and discharged

(with dis-/charge current) to bring them to the needed potential.
The needed charge (measured in Coulombs) for this may seem
small, but if you want to switch a MOSFET relatively fast, the
required peak current can be surprisingly high.]

Like with BJTs - you also could drive the FETs in a linear fashion...
but, this wouldn´t be very useful, because the losses would grow
substantially (and magic smoke would get out of it very fast).

So, you could control the current in this manner - but (please
believe me) you shouldn´t.

Please search for e.g. ... pulse width modulation (PWM), dimming /
phase cut, switch mode power supply (step-down), photovoltaic
inverter

...for "getting into" principles to control voltage and current (AC and
DC) with semiconductor switches efficiently.

Sagar Kayasth (members/sagar-kayasth.556330/) Aug

(members/sagar-kayasth.556330/)
16, 2018
 @FQR (https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/members/279077/)

in a N-channel enhancement Type mosfet in a Positive voltage is

applied to the gate then mosfet is Turns on and and no voltage or
negetive voltage is applied to gate with respect to the source then
the mosfet is off and they act as a open Switch.

And Generally the N-Channel Enhancement type Mosfet is

Equivallent to a "Normally Open Switch"

You are Write it the N-channel Enhancement Mosfet but you are
explaining the P-channel Enhancement Mosfet.

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