Voltage Regulator using Op Amp and Transistor

A voltage regulator circuit using an op amp, emitter follower transistor, and Zener diode,
is simple to draw from memory if you understand the working principle. These types of
circuits provide better load regulation, than a simple Zener diode and resistor alone. In
addition, if you make R1 a variable resistor, then the output voltage could be varied for a
large range of voltages. For this op amp circuit, we use the operational amplifier as a
comparator, and the two voltage levels that we are comparing are the regulated input
reference, and final output. We should also remember that we use potential dividers (PD)
to get a sample of the input and output voltages. As you can see, the input side consists of
a Zener diode and resistor, and this arrangement is the same if you were to have a simple
Zener diode regulator circuit. The regulated output from the Zener diode and resistor
network feeds the non-inverting input of the op amp. Engineers usually call this a
reference voltage because it remains the same, even when the input voltage varies. The
Zener diode obviously determines this fixed reference voltage across it, which we call V Z.
The output voltage from the second PD consisting of R 1 and R2 feeds the inverting input
of the comparator. This voltage is V2, which we usually find using the simple PD formula.
The two input voltages subtract as (VZ – V2), and the result value is the output VO from the
op amp that drives a power transistor in emitter-follower configuration. Hence, we can
deduce the formula to be the following.
VO = A × (VZ – V2)
In this formula, A is the open loop gain of the operational amplifier, which is usually
100000 for a 741-type device.
The final output voltage VOUT is (VO – 0.7 V). As you can see, it is always 0.7 V less
because of the emitter-follower junctions.
Regulation Scenario
Let us say that the output voltage V OUT begins to fall because of the loading across it. Then
V2 across R2 also falls, and then the result of (V Z – V2) increases, and VO also increases,
making the transistor conduct more, thereby increasing the output voltage. As you can see,
the mechanism of this comparator circuit is such that it tries to make V Z approximately
equal to V2 all the time.

Equations and Formula

Here is a simple PD formula showing V2 in terms of R1 and R2.

Since the op amp tries to make V 2 and VZ the same by compensating the output, we can
write the following expression.

By substitution, we derive this expression for VZ.

Here, we rearrange for VOUT.

Here we try to simplify.

Here is the final expression for VOUT in terms of VZ and resistors R1 and R2.