DC Regulated Power Supply

Why we need DC Regulated Power Supply?

• Everywhere in world an electric energy is available in houses and industries

in the form of alternating voltage. The AC mains supply has a voltage rating
of 230V or 120V (RMS) at a frequency of 50Hz/60 Hz. Nowadays almost all
equipments used in houses and industries includes an electronic circuits.
• The electronics circuit uses semiconductor components and devices which
requires stable dc voltage for their operation. The Batteries, cells cannot be
used because they are costly and inconvenient to use.
• So it is necessary to convert the available AC voltage of mains supply into
D.C. voltage and can be use for operation of electronic circuits.

• The equipment which converts AC voltage into pure and stable DC voltage is
called as a DC Regulated power supply.
General block diagram of the DC Regulated power supply
FUNCTION OF TRANSFORMER

Transformers convert AC electricity from one voltage to another with little loss
of power. The types of the transformer according to obtained secondary
voltage are
Step-up transformer and Step down transformer

Step-up transformers increase voltage, step-down transformers reduce voltage.

Most power supplies use a step-down transformer to reduce the dangerously
high mains voltage (230V in UK) to a safer low voltage.
• The transformer used in DC regulated power supply is generally
a step down transformer which provides less secondary output
voltage. So therefore the secondary output voltage is easy for
conversion in dc voltage as well as we can easily obtained
required level of DC voltage.

• The transformer primary winding is connected to AC mains

supply and the secondary winding is connected to the rectifier
circuit for conversion in DC voltage. We can select the required
transformer voltage rating as per need of DC output voltage.
Generally 9V, 12V, 15V or 18V with 500mA, 750mA, 1A, or 1.5A
RECTIFIER

Rectifier is an electronic circuit consisting of diodes which carries out the

rectification process. Rectification is the process of converting an alternating
voltage or current into corresponding direct (DC) quantity. The input to a
rectifier is AC whereas its output is unidirectional pulsating DC (Pulsating DC is
caused by current rectified from AC that has not been filtered.) Usually, a
bridge rectifier is used to convert the ac into pulsating dc the rectifier
employed usually a bridge rectifier due to its advantages over any other type
of rectifier. Thus the output of the rectifier is pulsating dc
FILTER CIRCUITS
• The rectified output voltage of rectifier is applied to filter circuits the
electronic circuit required constant DC voltage similar to the voltage from
battery for their working. The rectifiers cannot provide ripple free DC
voltage, they provide pulsating DC voltage.
• It means the output voltage of rectifier consists of AC voltage variations
along with DC voltage so it is necessary to remove AC variations from the
output of rectifier.
• Therefore to produce pure dc voltage filter circuits are necessary in DC
Regulated power supply. The filter circuit blocks the AC components
and passes only DC components towards the load.
REGULATION
• This is the last block in a regulated DC power supply. The output voltage or
current will change or fluctuate when there is a change in the input from ac
mains or due to change in load current at the output of the regulated power
supply or due to other factors like temperature changes.
• This problem can be eliminated by using a regulator. A regulator will
maintain the output constant even when changes at the input or any other
changes occur.
• The commonly used types of voltage regulators are
• Zener diode voltage regulator. Transistorized series voltage regulator. IC
voltage regulators etc.