Department of Electronic and Communications Engineering

Fourth Stage
Power Electronics Lab
Exp. No. 3: Firing Circuits for Thyristor-I

1. Thyristor Turned on Techniques

Thyristor can be turned on by the following techniques:
1. Forward break-over voltage.
2. dv/dt triggering.
3. Exceeding internal device temperature.
4. Focusing light beam on the junction.
5. Gate triggering.
 The gate triggering is the most widely used method of turning on the SCR. In
this Experiment and the next Experiment, we will study two types of gate
triggering circuits.
2. Feature of Firing circuits
The triggering circuits are called firing circuits. The firing circuit must fulfill
the following features or requirements:
1. The firing circuit should produce the triggering pulses for every thyristor
at appropriate instant.
2. The triggering pulses generated by the control circuit need to be amplified
and passed through the isolation circuit. The triggering pulses generated
by the control circuit have very small power. Hence, pulse amplifier
increases their power. Figure 1 shows the scheme of firing circuit. The
firing circuit operates at low voltage levels (5-20 volts) and the thyristor

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 operates at high voltage levels (greater than 250 volts). Hence, there must
be electrical isolation between firing circuit and the thyristor. The pulse
transformer or optocouplers provide this isolation.

Power
Supply

Control Pulse Pulse G

Circuit Amplifier Transformer
K
Figure 1. Main blocks of firing circuit

3. R-Firing Circuit:

Figure 2. shows the simple R- firing circuit. The resistance 𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 is used to limit
the gate current to its maximum value. If 𝐼𝑔 (𝑚𝑎𝑥) is maximum gate current, 𝑉𝑚 is
the peak supply voltage, and in case R is zero, the 𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 will be:
𝑉𝑚
𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 ≥ … (1)
𝐼𝑔 (𝑚𝑎𝑥)

𝑉𝑔

Figure 2. R-firing circuit

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 The resistance 𝑅𝑏 is the stabilizing resistance. The voltage across 𝑅𝑏 should not
exceed maximum or peak gate voltage 𝑉𝑔𝑚 , otherwise thyristor will turn on directly.
The value of 𝑅𝑏 can be calculated as shown below:
𝑉𝑚
𝑉𝑔𝑚 ≥ 𝑅𝑏 … (2)
𝑅𝑏 +𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 +𝑅

Thus,

𝑉𝑔𝑚 (𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 +𝑅)

𝑅𝑏 ≤ … (3)
𝑉𝑚 − 𝑉𝑔𝑚

The SCR will turn on only when the instantaneous anode voltage Vs is:

𝑉𝑠 = 𝐼𝑔(𝑚𝑖𝑛) (𝑅 + 𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 ) + 𝑉𝐷 + 𝑉𝑔𝑡 … (4)

Where 𝐼𝑔(𝑚𝑖𝑛) = minimum gate current to turn on thyristor.
𝑉𝐷 = voltage drop across diode.
𝑉𝑔𝑡 = minimum gate voltage to trigger, it corresponds to Ig(min).

The variable resistance (potentiometer) ‘R’ is used to trigger the thyristor T1

under the desired conditions by determining the gate voltage 𝑉𝑔 = I 𝑅𝑏 . When R is
zero the triggering angle is minimum. The triggering angle increases as value of R
is increased. When R is large, current is small and the voltage across 𝑅𝑏 that is equal
to 𝑉𝑔 is small too, in this case SCR will not turn on because 𝑉𝑔𝑚 is less than 𝑉𝑔𝑡
(minimum gate triggering voltage). The relationship between 𝑉𝑔𝑚 and 𝑉𝑔𝑡 may be
expressed as follows:
𝑉𝑔𝑚 sin 𝛼 = 𝑉𝑔𝑡 or

𝑉𝑔𝑡
𝛼 = sin-1 … (5)
𝑉𝑔𝑚

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Sub equation (2) in equation (4), we get:

𝑉𝑔𝑡 (𝑅𝑏 +𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 +𝑅)

𝛼 ≤ sin-1 … (6)
𝑅𝑏 𝑉𝑚

Where 𝛼 is a triggering or firing angle of the SCR.

From the above equation, the maximum value of 𝑉𝑔𝑡 is equal to 𝑉𝑔𝑚 . Thus, the
maximum value of 𝛼 is 90°. As 𝑉𝑔𝑡 , 𝑅𝑏 , 𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 and 𝑉𝑚 are fixed, 𝛼 ∝ sin-1 (𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 ) or
𝛼 ∝ (𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 ). In any case, 𝛼 can never be more than 90°.

Therefore, we can limit the element in Figure that represent each block in Figure
2 as the following:

1. Control Circuit: Represented by potentiometer (R) and diode combination circuit

that act as a gate voltage control circuitry to switch the SCR in the desired condition.

2. Pulse Amplifier: Represented by 𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 that limit the gate current to a safe value
as R is varied.

3. Pulse Transformer: Represented by 𝑅𝑏 .

3.1. Operation of the circuit

 As Vs goes positive, the SCR becomes forward biased from anode to cathode;
however it starts conducting only when its gate current exceeds 𝐼𝑔 (𝑚𝑎𝑥) or
when gate voltage 𝑉𝑔 becomes 𝑉𝑔𝑡 .
 The positive voltage Vs also forward biases the diode ‘D’ and the gate –
cathode junction of SCR. The gate current Ig starts to flow.
 The potentiometer setting ‘R’ determines the gate voltage amplitude. When R
is large, current Ig is small and the voltage across 𝑅𝑏 , ie; 𝑉𝑔 =Ig𝑅𝑏 is also small
as shown in Figure 3.

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 As maximum or peak gate voltage 𝑉𝑔𝑚 is less than gate trigger voltage 𝑉𝑔𝑡 ,
SCR will not turn on. Therefore load voltage Vo = 0, io = 0 and supply voltage
appears across SCR (VT) as shown in Figure 3(a).
 By decreasing the value of R the magnitude of gate current can be increased
and when 𝑉𝑔𝑚 = 𝑉𝑔𝑡 the SCR will turn ON.
 As soon as 𝑉𝑔 becomes equal to 𝑉𝑔𝑡 for first time SCR is turned on at a firing
angle of 900 as shown in Figure 3(b).
 If R is decreased further gate current Ig will increase and Vg will increase above
𝑉𝑔𝑡 . This causes SCR triggerring at angles less than 900 as shown in Figure
3(c).
 When the SCR is on, the voltage VT across it will reduce to almost zero. The
load voltage will increase to the supply voltage.
 The SCR remains ON and Vo=Vs until Vs decreases to a point where the load
current is below the SCR holding current. This usually occurs at wt = π.
 The SCR now turns OFF and remains in OFF position as its anode to cathode
is reverse biased when Vs is negative. SCR acts like a closed switch and load
voltage will be zero.
 The purpose of diode in the gate circuit is to prevent the gate-cathode reverse
bias from exceeding peak reverse gate voltage during the negative half cycle
of Vs.
 The same sequence is repeated when Vs again goes positive.
 Thus by varying R the firing angle (α) can be controlled from 00-900. As R
increases α increase too.

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3.2 Advantages and disadvantages of the circuit

The circuit is the simplest, great dependence on temperature, difference in

performance between individual SCRs, and economical type of the triggering but
limited for few applications due to its disadvantages. In this, the triggering angle is
limited to 90 degrees so the gate current has to reach minimum gate current value
somewhere between 0 to 90 degree.

Figure 3. Resistance firing of an SCR in a half-wave circuit with dc load (a) No

triggering of SCR (b) α = 90° (c) α < 900.

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3.3. Simulation of the circuit

The simulation circuit diagram of Figure 2 and its waveforms are shown in
Figure 4. (a) and (b), respectively.

Iak

Vak

(a)

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 Input Voltage

Anode-Cathode Current (Iak)

Anode-Cathode Voltage (Vak)

Output Voltage

Output Current

(b)
Figure 4. (a) and (b) Simulation circuit diagram of R-firing circuit and its
waveforms with R load (R=10, α = 900).

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Discussion:

1. Discuss what would happen to the circuit of Figure 2 in case load is plasced
behind the SCR.

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of R-firing circuit of SCR?

3. Design a suitable R-firing circuit for a thyristor network operating on 220 v,

50 Hz supply. The specification of the SCR are: 𝐼𝑔 (𝑚𝑎𝑥) = 22 mA, 𝑉𝑔𝑡 = 5 v
α = 900, 𝑅𝑏 10 Kohm. Give the exact value of 𝑅 that give α = 900.

Hint: Simulate the required design circuit.

4. What is the benefit of the three resistances and the diode to the SCR? On the
other ward, what is regarded of this combination of elements (three resistances
and diode) to the SCR?

5. Give a function of each element in the circuit shown in Figure 2.

6. If we replaced a load in Figure 4(a) by a load with R = 100 ohm. What is the
effect on the waveforms in Figure 4(b). Suggest an appropriate solution.

7. Calculate the value of the current that pass through 𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 and 𝑅 for the
simulation circuit in Figure 4(a). Comment!

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