Zener Diode as a Voltage Regulator

Swarnadeep Biswas

Asstt. Professor
Dept. of Physics
Assam University, Silchar

January 13, 2022

Aim: To study Zener Diode as a Voltage regulator

Equipment Required:

S. No. Equipment Specification Quantity

1 Variac (0-280) V 1
2 Diodes (rectification) 1N4007 2
3 Diode (regulation) 1N4733A 1
4 Multimeter (two as voltmeter and two 4
as ammeter)
5 Breadboard 1
6 Resistance 1 kΩ,100 Ω 2
7 Capacitor 1000 µF 1
8 potentiometer 1 kΩ 1
9 Hooke up wires as required
10 Transformer (12-0-12) 1

Circuit Diagram:

1N 4007
12
A
+
100 Ω
0
220 V variac +
50 Hz V
− 1000 µF
50 V 1 kΩ
12
1N 4007

c
swarnadeepbiswas@gmail.com

Figure 1: Circuit diagram to study the load regulation and line regulation for an unregulated power supply

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Zener diode as a voltage regulator Experiment No 2 Electronics Practical 105

1N 4007 1 kΩ
12
A
+
100 Ω
0
220 V variac +
50 Hz V
− 1000 µF
50 V 1 kΩ
12
1N 4007

c
swarnadeepbiswas@gmail.com

Figure 2: Circuit diagram to study the load regulation and line regulation for a regulated power supply using zener
in shunt mode

Procedure:

1. Make the circuit for the unregulated power supply as shown above

2. To study the line regulation, increase Vinac from 0 to 260 V in the steps of 10V, using variac, keeping the RL
fixed for three different values and the record the VL .

3. To study the load regulation, fixed the Vinac to a perticular value and change the RL and record the IL with
the change in the VL .

4. Above two steps are repeated to study the load regulation and line regulation for a zener regulated power
supply.

Observation:

Results and Discussion:

Precautions and Sources of errors:

2 swarnadeepbiswas@gmail.com
Zener diode as a voltage regulator Experiment No 2 Electronics Practical 105

Table 1: Table to draw the line regulation curve for an unregulated power supply

RL = 200 Ω RL = 1.1 kΩ RL = 10.1 kΩ

S. No.
Vinac VL Vinac VL Vinac VL
(in volts) (in volts) (in volts) (in volts) (in volts) (in volts)
1 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00
2 10 0.04 10 0.09 10 0.17
3 20 0.46 20 0.53 20 0.65
4 30 0.98 30 1.06 30 1.17
5 40 1.51 40 1.60 40 1.71
6 50 2.05 50 2.14 50 2.26
7 60 2.59 60 2.69 60 2.80
8 70 3.14 70 3.24 70 3.36
9 80 3.69 80 3.79 80 3.91
10 90 4.23 90 4.35 90 4.47
11 100 4.78 100 4.90 100 5.02
12 110 5.33 110 5.46 110 5.58
13 120 5.88 120 6.02 120 6.14
14 130 6.43 130 6.57 130 6.70
15 140 6.99 140 7.13 140 7.26
16 150 7.54 150 7.69 150 7.82
17 160 8.09 160 8.25 160 8.38
18 170 8.64 170 8.81 170 8.94
19 180 9.19 180 9.37 180 9.50
20 190 9.74 190 9.93 190 10.06
21 200 10.29 200 10.49 200 10.62
22 210 10.85 210 11.04 210 11.18
23 220 11.40 220 11.62 220 11.75
24 230 11.95 230 12.18 230 12.31
25 240 12.50 240 12.74 240 12.87
26 250 13.05 250 13.29 250 13.43
27 260 13.60 260 13.86 260 13.99

Table 2: Table to draw the Load regulation curve for an unregulated power supply

Vinac = 260 V Vinac = 220 V Vinac = 180 V

S. No.
IL VL IL VL IL VL
(in mAmpere) (in volts) (in mAmpere) (in volts) (in mAmpere) (in volts)
1 0.00 14.19 0.00 11.96 0.00 9.67
2 12.60 13.86 10.60 11.62 8.52 9.38
3 15.39 13.85 15.45 11.59 10.40 9.36
4 19.75 13.82 19.28 11.57 14.37 9.34
5 25.08 13.80 25.64 11.54 20.68 9.31
6 30.6 13.77 32.90 11.50 26.51 9.28
7 39.23 13.73 38.26 11.48 30.86 9.26
8 45.67 13.70 45.78 11.45 36.92 9.23
9 68.02 13.60 56.98 11.40 45.95 9.19
10 90.08 13.51 75.46 11.32 60.84 9.13

3 swarnadeepbiswas@gmail.com
Zener diode as a voltage regulator Experiment No 2 Electronics Practical 105

Table 3: Table to draw the line regulation curve for an zener diode regulated power supply

RL = 200 Ω RL = 1.1 kΩ RL = 10.1 kΩ

S. No.
Vinac VL Vinac VL Vinac VL
(in volts) (in volts) (in volts) (in volts) (in volts) (in volts)
1 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00
2 10 0.03 10 0.08 10 0.16
3 20 0.32 20 0.50 20 0.64
4 30 0.66 30 0.98 30 1.16
5 40 1.02 40 1.47 40 1.69
6 50 1.38 50 1.97 50 2.23
7 60 1.75 60 2.47 60 2.77
8 70 2.11 70 2.98 70 3.32
9 80 2.48 80 3.48 80 3.87
10 90 2.85 90 3.99 90 4.23
11 100 3.22 100 4.50 100 4.95
12 110 3.58 110 4.97 110 5.03
13 120 3.95 120 5.04 120 5.06
14 130 4.32 130 5.06 130 5.07
15 140 4.60 140 5.07 140 5.08
16 150 5.00 150 5.08 150 5.08
17 160 5.04 160 5.08 160 5.09
18 170 5.06 170 5.09 170 5.09
19 180 5.07 180 5.09 180 5.10
20 190 5.08 190 5.10 190 5.10
21 200 5.08 200 5.10 200 5.10
22 210 5.09 210 5.10 210 5.10
23 220 5.09 220 5.10 220 5.11
24 230 5.10 230 5.11 230 5.11
25 240 5.10 240 5.11 240 5.11
26 250 5.10 250 5.11 250 5.11
27 260 5.11 260 5.11 260 5.11

Table 4: Table to draw the Load regulation curve for an zener diode regulated power supply

Vinac = 260 V Vinac = 220 V Vinac = 180 V

S. No.
IL VL IL VL IL VL
(in Ampere) (in volts) (in Ampere) (in volts) (in Ampere) (in volts)
1 0.00 5.11 0.00 5.11 0.00 5.10
2 4.65 5.11 4.64 5.10 4.63 5.09
3 6.38 5.11 6.00 5.10 6.36 5.09
4 8.51 5.11 7.85 5.10 8.48 5.09
5 10.22 5.11 9.27 5.10 10.16 5.09
6 12.77 5.11 12.75 5.10 12.72 5.09
7 14.59 5.11 14.75 5.10 14.53 5.08
8 17.03 5.11 16.99 5.10 16.94 5.08
9 20.43 5.11 20.38 5.10 20.31 5.08
10 25.52 5.11 25.46 5.09 25.35 5.07
11 34.00 5.10 33.91 5.09 33.68 5.05
12 50.90 5.09 50.64 5.06 45.94 4.60

4 swarnadeepbiswas@gmail.com
Zener diode as a voltage regulator Experiment No 2 Electronics Practical 105

Line Regulation curve for an unregulated power supply

14
RL = 200 Ω
12
RL = 1.1 kΩ
RL = 10.1 kΩ
10
VL [in Volt]

0 50 100 150 200 250

Vac [in Volt ]
Load Regulation curve for an unregulated power supply

14

12
VL [in Volt]

10

6 Vinac = 260 V
Vinac = 220 V
4 Vinac = 180 V

0 20 40 60 80 100
IL [in mA ]

5 swarnadeepbiswas@gmail.com
Zener diode as a voltage regulator Experiment No 2 Electronics Practical 105

Line Regulation curve for a zener diode regulated power supply

6
RL = 200 Ω
5 RL = 1.1 kΩ
RL = 10.1 kΩ

4
VL [in Volt]

0 50 100 150 200 250

Vac [in Volt ]

Load Regulation curve for an zener regulated power supply

6

4
VL [in Volt]

Vinac = 260 V
2
Vinac = 220 V
Vinac = 180 V
1

0 10 20 30 40 50
IL [in mA ]

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