EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions Draw the static V.I characteristics of PN junction diode. VI characteristics of P-N junction diodes is a curve between the voltage and current through the circuit. Voltage is taken along the x-axis while the current is taken along the y-axis. The above graph is the V-I characteristics curve of the P-N junction diode. With the help of the curve, we can understand that there are three regions in which the diode works, and they are: • • • Zero bias Forward bias Reverse bias 1 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions Discuss briefly about the operation of single phase full bridge rectifiers and half bridge with its output wave forms. Rectification methods to convert AC (Alternating Current) to DC (Direct Current) include full-wave rectification and halfwave rectification. In both cases, rectification is performed by utilizing the characteristic that current flows only in the positive direction in a diode. Full-wave rectification rectifies the negative component of the input voltage to a positive voltage, then converts it into DC (pulse current) utilizing a diode bridge configuration. In contrast, half-wave rectification removes just the negative voltage component using a single diode before converting to DC. Afterward, the waveform is smoothed by charging/discharging a capacitor, resulting in a clean DC signal. From this, it can be said that full-wave rectification is a more 2 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions efficient method than half-wave rectification since the entire waveform is used. Also, a ripple voltage that appears after smoothing will vary depending on the capacitance of this capacitor and the load. Given the same capacitance and load, ripple voltage is smaller with full-wave rectification than haif-wave rectification. Of course it goes without saying that the smaller the ripple voltage the better the stability. Explain the operation of common emitter configuration with circuit diagram ,draw its input and output characteristics.(common base) Output characteristics is the plot between collector-emitter voltage (VCE) and the collector current (IC) at different constant values of base current (IB) Output resistance is defined as the ratio of the change in collectoremitter voltage (ΔVCE) to the change in collector current (ΔIC) at a constant base current IB. Initially with the increase in VCE, the collector current increase almost linearly this is because the junction is not reverse biased. When the supply is more than required to reverse bias the base collector junction IC increase very little with VCE. The reciprocal of slope of the linear part of the curve gives the value of output resistance. 3 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions Input characteristics diagram Output characteristics diagram 4 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions Explain the construction and working principle of JFET and draw its output characteristics and transverse. JFET or Junction Field Effect Transistor is one of the simplest types of field-effect transistor. Contrary to the Bipolar Junction Transistor, JFETs are voltage-controlled devices. In JFET, the current flow is due to the majority of charge carriers. However, in BJTs, the current flow is due to both minority and majority charge carriers. Since only the majority of charge carriers are responsible for the current flow, JFETs are unidirectional. The first working model of junction fieldeffect transistors was made in 1953. In an N-channel JFET, the material is of P-type, and the substrate is N-type, while in a P channel JFET the material is of N-type, and the substrate used is p-type. JFET is made of a 5 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions long channel of semiconductor material. Ohmic contacts are provided at each end of the semiconductor channels to form source and drain connections. A P-type JFET contains many positive charges, and if the JFET contains a large number of electrons, it is called an N-type JFET. JFET Operation Let us understand the working of JFET by comparing it to a garden hose pipe. Water flows smoothly through a garden hose pipe if there is no obstruction, but if we squeeze the pipe slightly, the water flow slows down. This is precisely how a JFET works. Here the hose is analogous to JFET, and the water flow is equivalent to a current. By constructing the current carrying-channel according to our needs, we could control the current flow. When no voltage is applied across the source and gate, the channel is a smooth path for the electrons to flow through. When the polarity that makes the P-N junction reverse biased is applied, the channel narrows by increasing the depletion layer and could put the JFET in the cut-off or pinch-off region. 6 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions Comparison between BJT and FET. Explain the construction of IGBT in a circuit diagram and draw its characteristics. The good characteristics of MOSFET and BJT technologies are integrated into Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT). The p+ injecting layer forms a pn junction with the drain layer and injects minority carriers into it. The n type drain layer may have two different doping levels. The lightly doped n region is called drain drift region. Doping level and width of 7 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions this layer sets the forward blocking voltage of the device. A large number of basic cells are grown on a single silicon wafer and connected in parallel to form a complete IGBJ device. When gate-emitter voltage is less than threshold voltage, no inversion layer is formed and the device is in OFF state. When gate-emitter voltage exceeds the threshold, an inversion layer fonns in the p type body region under the gate. This inversion layer shorts the emitter and drain drift layer and an electron current flows from the emitter through this channel to the drift region. This causes hole injection from pT collector to drain drift region. Few holes recombine with the electrons arriving at the drain drift region through the channel. The rest of the holes cross drift region to reach p type body where they are collected by the source metallization. 8 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions VI characteristics: Transfer characteristics 9 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions Explain the working principle of SCR and draw its static characteristics. Working of Silicon Controlled Rectifier(SCR): Depending on the biasing given to the SCR, the operation of SCR is divided into three modes. They are 1. Forward blocking Mode 2. Forward Conduction Mode and 3. Reverse Blocking Mode Forward blocking mode: In this mode of operation, the Silicon Controlled Rectifier is connected such that the anode terminal is made positive with respect to cathode while the gate terminal kept open. In this state junctions J1 and J3 are forward biased and the junction J2 reverse biased. Due to this, a small leakage current flows through the SCR. Until the voltage applied across the SCR is more than the break over voltage of it, SCR offers a very high resistance to the current flow. Therefore, the SCR acts as a open switch in this mode by blocking forward current flowing through the SCR as shown in the VI characteristics curve of the SCR. 10 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions Forward Conduction Mode In this mode, SCR or thyristor comes into the conduction mode from blocking mode. It can be done in two ways as either by applying positive pulse to gate terminal or by increasing the forward voltage (or voltage across the anode and cathode) beyond the break over voltage of the SCR. Once any one of these methods is applied, the avalanche breakdown occurs at junction J2. Therefore the SCR turns into conduction mode and acts as a closed switch thereby current starts flowing through it. Note that in the VI characteristic figure, if the gate current value is high, the minimum will be the time to come in conduction mode as Ig3 > Ig2 > Ig1. In this mode, maximum current flows through the SCR and its value depends on the load resistance or impedance. It is also noted that if gate current is increasing, the voltage required to turn ON the SCR is less if gate biasing is preferred. The current at which the SCR turns into conduction mode from blocking mode is called as latching current (IL). And also when the forward current reaches to level at which the SCR returns to blocking state is called as holding current (IH). At this holding current level, depletion region starts to develop around junction J2. Hence the holding current is slightly less than the latching current. 11 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions Reverse Blocking Mode In this mode of operation, cathode is made positive with respect to anode. Then the junctions J1 and J3 are reverse biased and J2 is forward biased. This reverse voltage drives the SCR into reverse blocking region results to flow a small leakage current through it and acts as an open switch as shown in figure. So, the device offers a high impedance in this mode until the voltage applied is less than the reverse breakdown voltage VBR of the SCR. If the reverse applied voltage is increased beyond the VBR, then avalanche breakdown occurs at junctions J1 and J3 which results to increase reverse current flow through the SCR. This reverse current causes more losses in the SCR and even to increase the heat of it. So there will be a considerable damage to the SCR when the reverse voltage applied more than VBR. 12 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions List various types of power converters • • • • • • • • The Power Electronic Converter can be classified into. six types: Diode Rectifier. AC to DC Converter (Controlled Rectifier) DC to DC Converter (DC Chopper) AC to AC Converter (AC voltage regulator) DC to AC Converter (Inverter) Static Switches. What is commutation? To generate motion in a three-phase linear motor there must be switching between the phases to energize appropriate windings. The process of switching between the phases is called commutation. What are line and natural commutations? Natural or Line commutation is a Class-F SCR commutation technique in which, a thyristor is turned off due to natural current zero and voltage reversal after every half cycle. What are various forced commutations? The forced commutation can be classified into different methods as follows: Class A: Self commutated by a resonating load. Class B: Self commutated by an LC circuit. Class C: Cor L-C switched by another load-carrying SCR. 13 EEE Unit 2 Important Questions with solutions 14