Experiment 3

Shunt Voltage Regulator

I. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this experiment, students should be able to:
• Describe the operation of a shunt voltage regulator
• Evaluate the line and load regulation of a shunt voltage regulator

II. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (CLOs)

• ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyse and interpret data.

III. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Shunt voltage regulators use a regulating device, usually a transistor, in parallel with the output.
They are best suited for use in power supplies where line and load voltages are moderate.
Series regulators are well-suited to applications where there are wide variations in line voltage
or to applications that require variable output voltages.
Rs is a series dropping resistor, and the control voltage circuit provides base voltage for the
shunt regulating transistor, Q1.

Figure 1. Basic Shunt Regulating Circuit

Load current and transistor current both flow through series dropping resistor Rs. This resistor
must be selected to have ample power dissipation for normal regulator operation and also for
circuit protection in the event of an output short circuit.
The output voltage Vo of the voltage regulator circuit is determined by the Zener diode and Q1
as shown:
Vo = VZ + VBE
An increase in line voltage VA also causes the output voltage to increase. Increases Vo, applied
between the base and emitter of Q1, causes transistor conduction to increase in the same way as a
reduction in load current does. The shunt regulator circuit can compensate for changes in either
load resistance or changes in line voltage.

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 If the line voltage VA decreases substantially or if the load resistance drops significantly,
transistor conduction is reduced to zero at some point. Because the transistor no longer affects the
current flow through Rs, Vo can not be maintained at a nearly constant level. The circuit is not able
to regulate the output under these conditions.

IV. EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS/DEVICES

QUANTITY EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATIONS

1 unit VARIAC

1 unit Ammeter Analog/Digital

1 unit Voltmeter Analog/Digital

1 unit Multimeter Analog/Digital

1 set Connecting wires

1 pc Breadboard

1 unit Bridge rectifier module

1 pc Zener Diode 1N4738A or 8.2-V equivalent

1 pc NPN Transistor 2N4401 or equivalent with Beta = 50

2 pcs Resistor one 120-ohm and one 100-ohm, ½ watt

1 pc Capacitor 470 µF, 25 V

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 V. PROCEDURE
1. Prepare the materials needed.
2. Construct the circuit as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Schematic Diagram of Shunt Voltage Regulator Circuit

3. Measure the values needed as indicated in Table 1.
4. Repeat the process in step 3 with input AC voltages set to 14 Vrms and 12 Vrms. Record the
values.

VI. DATA TABLE

Table 1
Parameter Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
Vno-load 22 V 17.4 V 14.69 V
Vload 8.76 V 7.91 V 6.67 V
VBE 0.713 V 0.403 V 0.396 V
VZ 8V 7.51 V 6.28 V
VR1 13.3V 9.49 V 8V
% Load Regulation 151 % 120% 120.2%
ILOAD 151.7 A 114.75 A 93.87 A
ISUPPLY 151.7 A 114.75 A 93.87 A
IC 141.38 fA 80.57 fA 57.59 fA

% line regulation = (VoTrial1 – Vo Trial3) / Vo Trial3 * 100%

% line regulation = (8.76V – 6.67) / 6.67 * 100% = 31.33 %

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 VII. QUESTIONS
1. With respect to the circuit of a shunt voltage regulator, what is the purpose of using a transistor?
In the circuit of a shunt voltage regulator, the purpose of using a transistor is to regulate and
stabilize the output voltage. A shunt voltage regulator is a type of linear voltage regulator that
uses a Zener diode to maintain a constant output voltage. However, the Zener diode alone
cannot handle high current loads efficiently. This is where the transistor comes into play.

2. If the regulating transistor of a shunt regulating circuit is cut off, the circuit can not properly
control the output voltage. Does the output level increase or decrease at cut off? Why?
In a shunt regulating circuit, the regulating transistor plays a crucial role in controlling the output
voltage. However, if this transistor is cut off, the circuit cannot properly control the output
voltage. In such a scenario, the output level decreases rather than increases.

3. How different is the operation of shunt voltage regulator as compared to series voltage
regulator?
The operation of a shunt voltage regulator differs significantly from that of a series voltage
regulator. In a shunt regulator, the regulating element is connected in parallel with the load. This
regulating element, typically a Zener diode, maintains a constant reference voltage across its
terminals. As the input voltage increases, the excess current flows through the regulating
element, bypassing the load and maintaining a constant output voltage.

On the other hand, a series regulator operates by placing the regulating element in series with
the load. The regulating element adjusts its resistance based on changes in input voltage to
maintain a constant output level. As input voltage rises, more current flows through the
regulating element to reduce output voltage and vice versa.

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 VIII. OBSERVATIONS
In my observations, the value of all voltages in each trial are decreasing while the value of
currents in each trial are also decreasing. I noticed that the value of load current and supply current is
same but the in each trial, the value decreases. I noticed that the load regulation exceeds to 100%.
Shunt voltage has rough value than series voltage regulators.

IX. CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, I understand and determined how shunt voltage regulator work and also to
solve the load and line regulation in shunt voltage regulator circuit. I conclude that a shunt voltage
regulator is a type of voltage regulator that maintains a constant output voltage by diverting excess
current away from the load. It operates by using a shunt resistor in parallel with the load, and a
reference voltage is compared to the output voltage to control the current flow through the shunt
resistor. This helps in regulating the voltage across the load.

X. PICTURE EVIDENCES

This is screenshot of my simulation in activity 3, We determine the value of currents in trial 3 from the
circuit.

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This the second screenshot from my simulation in this activity. We determine the voltage values in trial
1 from the circuit.

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