TECC3791 Power Electronics

Laboratory 1: I-V Characteristics of SCR (Thyristor)

Due Date: 26 February 2023

GROUP NO:
Name Student Number
1
2
3
4
5
6

1. Objectives
1.1. To study and plot the I-V characteristics of SCR

2. Apparatus
2.1. Resistors: 1x 470 , 1x 2.2 k
2.2. 2x DC Power Supplies or 1x Dual Channel Power Supply
2.3. 2x Ammeters
2.4. 2x Voltmeters

3. Theory

A Thyristor or silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) is a four-layer (PNPN), three terminals power
semiconductor device. These three terminals are called anode, cathode, and gate while the three
junctions are J1, J2, and J3 respectively as shown in Figure 1. The term ‘silicon controlled
rectifier’ was coined by General Electric when SCRs were first introduced in 1957. Like
diodes, SCRs are unidirectional devices. The gate is connected on the p layer and its function
of a gate is to control the firing of an SCR Silicon Controlled Rectifier and eventually its
operation mode.

If the SCR anode is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply while the cathode
is supplied with the negative, no current passes through it owing to the fact that SCR’s J2
junction is reverse biased. However, if anode voltage is increased up to a specific critical value,
the junction J2 breaks down and a situation of high conductance results. The critical voltages
supplied on an anode on which junction J2 breaks down, are called forward break over voltages
(VBO). In such a situation, SCR offers very little forward resistance (value of which ranges
between 0.1 to 1.0 ohm). Thus, a very small voltage drop (about 1 volt) occurs across it and
the flow of high current within an SCR is controlled through power supply and load resistance.

1
 Figure 1: SCR Layers and circuit symbol

4. Procedure
4.1. Construct the circuit as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Experiment circuit

4.2. To plot the I-V characteristics, proceed as follow:

 Call the Lecturer or technician to verify the connections.
 Set Vdc2 to 10 V.
 Adjust Vdc1 gradually by a step of 1 V up to 10 V and record the respective
values in Table 1.
 Adjust Vdc2 gradually by a step of 1 V up to 15 V and record the respective
values in Table 1.

Table 1: Recorded values

Vdc1 Ig Vdc2 Ia

2
4.3. Plot Ia against Vak (Vdc2) on a graph and explain your observations.

Graph:

Observations:
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