Power EL Lab

UMEM ZAKI

LECT 06

Lab: TRIAC (Triode for Alternating Current)

Introduction The TRIAC is a three terminal semiconductor device for controlling current. It is effectively a development of the SCR or thyristor, but unlike the thyristor which is only able to conduct in one direction, the TRIAC is a bidirectional device. As such the TRIAC is an ideal device to use for AC switching applications because it can control the current flow over both halves of an alternating cycle. A thyristor is only able to control them over one half of a cycle. During the remaining half no conduction occurs and accordingly only half the waveform can be utilized.

TRIAC Symbol The TRIAC circuit symbol recognizes the way in which the TRIAC operates. Seen from the outside it may be viewed as two back to back thyristors. This is what the TRIAC symbol indicates.

TRIAC symbol for circuit diagrams On the TRIAC symbol there are three terminals. These are the Gate and two other terminals. These other TRIAC terminals are often referred to as an "Anode" or "Main Terminal". As the TRIAC has two of these they are labeled either Anode 1 and Anode 2 or Main Terminal, MT1 and MT2. TRIAC Basics The TRIAC is a component that is effectively based on the thyristor. It provides AC switching for electrical systems. Like the thyristor, the TRIACs are used in many electrical switching applications. They find particular use for circuits in light dimmers, etc., where they enable both halves of the AC cycle to be used.

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This makes them more efficient in terms of the usage of the power available. While it is possible to use two thyristors back to back, this is not always cost effective for low cost and relatively low power applications.

TRIAC equivalent as two thyristors

One of the drawbacks of the TRIAC is that it does not switch symmetrically. It will often have an offset, switching at different gate voltages for each half of the cycle. This creates additional harmonics which is not good for EMC performance and also provides an imbalance in the system TRIAC Advantages and Disadvantages When requiring switching both halves of an AC waveform there are two options that are normally considered. One is to use a TRIAC, and the other is to use two thyristors connected back to back - one thyristor is used to switch one half of the cycle and the second connected in the reverse direction operates on the other half cycle. As there are two options the advantages and disadvantages of using a TRIAC must be weighed up.

TRIAC ADVANTAGES

TRIAC DISADVANTAGES

Can switch both halves of an A TRIAC does not fire symmetrically on both AC waveform sides of the waveform Single component can be used Switching gives rise to high level of harmonics for full AC switching due to non-symmetrical switching

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TRIAC ADVANTAGES

TRIAC DISADVANTAGES More susceptible to EMI problems as a result of the non-symmetrical switching Care must be taken to ensure the TRIAC turns off fully when used with inductive loads

Despite what may seem like a number of disadvantages, it is still the best option for many circumstances. However when using a TRIAC, it is necessary to be aware of its limitations so that these can be satisfactorily addressed and overcome should they affect the operation of the overall circuit in any significant way.

TRIAC Applications TRIACs are used in a number of applications. However they tend not to be used in high power switching applications - one of the reasons for this is the non-symmetrical switching characteristics. For high power applications this creates a number of difficulties, especially with electromagnetic interference. However TRIACs are still used for many electrical switching applications: Domestic light dimmers Electric fan speed controls Small motor controls Control of small AC powered domestic appliances The TRIAC is easy to use and provides cost advantages over the use of two thyristors for many low power applications. Where higher powers are needed, two thyristors placed in "antiparallel" are almost always used.

TRIAC Structure The TRIAC structure is very different to that of the ordinary thyristor. Having the ability to switch signals on both halves of a cycle requires the TRIAC structure to be considerably more complicated than other similar devices. Nevertheless the TRIAC fabrication is well established and TRIACs are widely and cheaply available

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Like other power devices, the TRIAC is normally made of silicon. Using a silicon fabrication process further enables the devices to be produced very cheaply. The market would not tolerate the devices if they were made using more expensive technologies. As can be seen, the TRIAC structure consists of a number of different areas - typically four ntype areas as shown and two p-type areas.

The structure of a TRIAC

The gate contact is made to the p-base region, although there is an additional n-type diffusion layer placed under much of the gate. As there is considerable scope for confusion, the device polarity is normally described with reference to MT2. TRIAC Operation The TRIAC operation can be viewed on a number of levels, showing how the TRAIC operation in various circuits can be designed to overcome some of the issues. It can be imagined from the circuit symbol that the TRIAC consists of two thyristors back to back but with a common gate terminal, and the cathode of one thyristor connected to the anode of the other, and vice versa. This configuration is more correctly termed antiparallel. On a basic level, the operation of the TRIAC can be looked on in the format of the antiparallel thyristors, although the actual operation at the semiconductor level is rather complicated. When the voltage on the MT2 is positive with regard to MT1 and a positive gate voltage is applied, one of the SCRs conducts. When the voltage is reversed and a negative voltage is applied to the gate, the other SCR conducts. This is provided that there is sufficient voltage across the device to enable a minimum holding current to flow.

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Equivalent circuit of a TRIAC

In terms of the structure of the device, and its more detailed operation, the main terminals MT1 and MT2 are both connected to p and n regions within the device. The current path depends upon the polarity of the voltage across the main terminals. In terms of its operation, the ON characteristics for a TRIAC in any direction are similar to that of a thyristor. However as a result of the physical structure of the TRIAC, the latching current, holding current, and gate trigger current vary according to the different halves of the cycle and which "thyristor" within the TRIAC is being used. To explain how TRIACs work, one has to individually analyze the triggering in each one of the four quadrants. The four quadrants are illustrated in Figure below, according to the voltage on the gate and the MT2 terminals with respect to the MT1 terminal. The MT1 and MT2 terminals are sometimes referred to as A1 and A2, respectively. The relative sensitivity depends on the physical structure of a particular Triac, but as a rule, quadrant I is the most sensitive and quadrant IV is the least

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Triggering in Quadrant I (MODE I)

Triggering in Quadrant II (MODE II)

Triggering in Quadrant III (MODE IV)

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Triggering in Quadrant IV (MODE III)

TRIAC switching issues TRIACs do not fire symmetrically as a result of slight differences between the two halves of the device. This results in harmonics being generated and the less symmetrical the TRIAC fires, the greater the level of harmonics produced. It is generally undesirable to have high levels of harmonics in a power system and as a result TRIACs are not favored for high power systems. Instead two thyristors may be used as it is easier to control their firing. The setback of using this device is that it causes electromagnetic interference due to the sudden rise in the line current when it is gated ON. This chopping of the mains supply causes harmonics and may cause disturbances to other devices nearby. It could cause interference in radio and television receivers as well as microcontroller based equipments. As such, care must be taken to filter out these harmonics to an acceptable level. In order to improve the switching of a TRIAC current waveform and ensure it is more symmetrical is to use a device external to the TRIAC to time the triggering pulse. A DIAC placed in series with the gate is the normal method of achieving this.

DIAC and TRIAC connected together

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This device helps make the switching more even for both halves of the cycle. This results from the fact that the DIAC switching characteristic is far more even than that of the TRIAC. Since the DIAC prevents any gate current flowing until the trigger voltage has reached a certain voltage in either direction, this makes the firing point of the TRIAC more even in both directions. V-I Characteristic Curve of a Triac

Latching Current

When the gate current is discontinued, if the current flowing between the two main terminals is more than the so-called latching current, the device keeps conducting; otherwise the device might turn off. Latching current is the minimum that can make up for the missing gate current in order to keep the device internal structure latched. (Slightly higher than the holding current)
Holding Current

In particular, if the pulse width of the gate current is sufficiently large (generally some tens of microseconds), the TRIAC has completed the triggering process when the gate signal is discontinued and the latching current reaches a minimum level called holding current. Holding current is the minimum required current flowing between the two main terminals that keeps the device on after it has achieved commutation in every part of its internal structure.