2009

Assignment 1: Power Supply

trickle charger

Zahidur Rahman
Tshwane University of Technology:
PJT101 T
2/27/2009
Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

Table of contents

1) Introduction

2) Power supply

• Transformers

 Step down transformer

 Step up transformer

 Center tapped transformer

• Rectification

 Full wave rectifier; center tapped transformer

 Full wave rectifier; diode bridge

• Filter

• Regulator

• Overview

3) Trickle charger circuit

• Circuit diagnostics

• Trickle charger power supply

• Overview

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

1) Introduction
Power supplies are the root of all electronic devices, without an adequate flow of a
desirable pulse, the circuit is fruitless. This assignment studies the details of a
power supply that is enabled to trickle charge a battery such as a nickel-cadmium
battery or a nickel metal hydride battery such that a constant capacity is
maintained inside the battery even if it is under use.

Similar examples of such applications are such as an alternator inside a motor

vehicle, as the vehicle uses the battery for applications such as sound devices or
even the electric windows; the engine rotates the alternator armature to constantly
recharge the battery which implies a virtual battery of infinity charge.

Concerning power supplies

The power supply can be built in different ways, but is always run under the same
principals. There are 4 main stages in a power supply when converting an AC
(alternating Current) signal to a DC (Direct Current) signal. The methods are named
in respective to their levels: Transformer, Rectification, filter and Regulator.

Concerning chargers

There are two methods of charging a battery at a constant rate correspondent to its
discharge rate. Float charging and trickle charging are very much similar, float
charging is much safer because it does not overcharge the battery which causes a
potential hazard to the battery. Trickle charging is more preferred if the load used on
the battery is under constant use so that there is always a discharge to prevent an
overcharge.

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

2) The Power Supply

Transformers

Transformers are basically used in adjusting the intensity of AC, making it more
controllable and regular.

Step up transformer: sometimes, in rear cases, an AC signal generated from

the source is not sufficient for application, a step up transformer is used to increase
the values, but it is rear to need them in usual electronics applications.

Step down transformer: in maximum cases of electrical applications, it

would be ideal to have the source as to being more than the required amount. A
step down transformer is used to decrease the input signal (for example, the wall
socket of 230V, 50Hz) to a more acceptable value, preferably a little higher than the
exact required value such that we can compensate for the voltage losses
throughout the circuitry of the power supply.

This is what happens on a step down transformer

Note that the voltage has decreases but the frequency remains constant. Frquency
does not really matter much except for when you reach the filter section in this
document. At the end, the frequency will still seize to exist in a DC value.

Center tapped transformer: in some cases, rarely, a centre tapped transformer

is used for doing two jobs at once, it is a transformer and also used in the
rectification process rarely. The structure analysis of the device shows two windings
in the transformer, though the second windings differ from the primary because
there is a connection in the middle of the coil, thus we divide the output into two

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

halves of the transformed signal in the secondary windings. The following sketch
illustrates the signals generated:

This method can be used in a power supply but is not quite economic. This is a
reliable component since the transformer is a solid component whilst a diode bridge
(discussed later in this document) can sometimes fail due to over exposure to raw
current that is maybe not “stepped down” enough, which may cause in heating the
component and possible damage to the circuit.

Rectification

A rectifier is used to process the signal and channel it into an all positive output
wave. The rectifier can either use one half of the input cycle (half wave rectifier) or
it can use the full cycle and make it positive and pulsating at the rate of double the
frequency.

We have multiple choices on making our rectifier circuit, it would be preferable to

employ a full wave rectifier as it has a greater frequency that is better to work with
when we reach the filter phase.

Full wave rectifier; center tapped transformer: when we use a center

tapped transformer, as mentioned earlier, we use two halves of the secondary
wave, if we rectify it, we use two diodes to make use of the positive half cycle of
each half secondary wave. The following circuit diagram will allustrate what goes
on.

Refer to next page for diagram

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

To truly understand what goes on, we must study the circuit throughly, if we take
into account the first half of the wave along both terminals, we can see that the
positive cycle from V1 is forward biased into D1 and then coming to the output, whilst
V2’s positive cycle enters ground and does not influence the output voltage. Also,
since the circuit that works on D2 is reverse biased, V2 is actually inactive and there
is a Positive Inverse Voltage (PIV) that acts upon D2. Note the red line to show the
active part of the cycle:

In the second half of the cycle, the negative value of V2 is forward biased by D2
whilst –V1 reverse biases D1 and there is a (PIV) acting upon D2.

Refer to next page for diagram

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

This way, only the positive cycle of eachwave is active and extracted from the
secondary coil. And thus we have arectified all positive signal that is pulsating.

Full wave rectifier; diode bridge: in electronics, making and buying a center
tapped transformer is expencive, thus an alternative was inevitable, the diode
bridge uses 4 diodes connected in parallel to eachother. The frequency in this circuit
will double as a normal full wave rectifier does, but the amplitude of the wave will
not be affected and will remain pure as the secondary coils produce them.

The opeartion proceeds as follows: when the positive cycle is active, D3 and D2 are
forward biased and there is a PIV acting on D1 and D4. This way, the first half cycle is
collected on the output terminal like shown in the next diagram:

Refer to next page for diagram

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

Note that the diodes tinted black are enduring a PIV, also that D2 seems to be
reverse biased, but it is actually forward biased, the current flows from the top of
the secondary coil through to D3, and then to ground, then it flows out of ground to
the cathode of D2 and back to the coil.

The second half of the wave cycle does the same thing as the first half, the coils
polarity is reversed and thus D4 is now forward biased and then D1 too. This causes
a PIV to act upon D3 and D2. And the negative cycle is collected upon the output
which adds up to the previous positive cycle as if it is pulsating. Refer to the
following diagram for a graphical representation:

Filter

When we convert AC to DC, we try to controll a volatile signal into a smothe positive
signal. After rectification, we have a signal that rapidly rises and falls, this fall can
be controlled if we can add a capacitor that will discharge as the voltage drops and
thus maintain a slower dropping signal that will be picked up by the following signal
cycle. The process is caller filter and can be illustrated in the following diagram:

Refer to next page for diagram:

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

There are
complex calculations involved when determining the voltage average of the ripple
created in this circuit. depending on the capacitor and the resistor value, the
discharge may be slow and thus the drop may be less steep.

Regulation

When we have a ripple voltage, we still don’t have a fully smothe flow of supply yet,
using a voltage regulator in the last phase can help us get rid of all the unwanted
variences, for this we can use a zener diode or just a normal voltage regulator for
simplicity. We still endure a relatively large loss of voltage since for us to get rid of
the ripple voltage, we must get a DC out voltage through the voltage regulator and
the ripple additional voltage will be used by an extra load resistor.

Overview

The circuit power supply is as follows, we are using a normal step down transformer,
diode bridge rectifier, capacitor filter and a voltage regulator.

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

There has to be a load resistor. If this document is continued, you will notice that
the load resistance is actually the trickle charging circuit for the battery.

3) Trickle charger circuit

Circuit diagnostics

The following circuit is a copy of a car battery charger that was extracted from
http://www.aaroncake.net/Circuits/charger1.asp?showcomments=all. This circuit is
said to charge most car lead acid batteries, to avoid over charging the battery, it is
designed to switch off when the battery is fully charged, thus it is also a float
charger that maintains the batteries health. Also, a heat sink is suggested to extract
energy from the voltage regulator U2

Part Description

R1 500 Ohm 1/4 W Resistor

R2 3K 1/4 W Resistor

R3 1K 1/4 W Resistor

R4 15 Ohm 1/4 W Resistor

R5 230 Ohm 1/4 W Resistor

R6 15K 1/4 W Resistor

R7 0.2 Ohm 10 W Resistor

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

C1 0.1uF 25V Ceramic Capacitor

C2 1uF 25V Electrolytic Capacitor

C3 1000pF 25V Ceramic Capacitor

D1 1N457 Diode

Q1 2N2905 PNP Transistor

U1 LM350 Regulator

U2 LM301A Op Amp

S1 Normally Open Push Button Switch

Trickle charger power supply

If the circuit shown is to be utilized, we must build a power supply that fruits 18V on
the output before the regulator. The same website suggested a power supply that
we can use.

Studiying the suggested power supply circuitry, a total list of real components are
shown.

Part Description

C1 6800uF 25V Electrolytic Capacitor

T1 3A 15V Transformer

BR1 5A 50V Bridge Rectifier

S1 5A SPST Switch

F1 4A 250V Fuse

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

Overview

Using the circuits given to us, we can build the complete circuit diagram of a car
battery charger that can not only trickle charge, but also float charge at the same
time. If we keep to the components list and the following circuit diagram:

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Assignment 1: Power Supply trickle charger
PJT101T: assignment 1
Zahidur Rahman

Bibliography
Books:

E.E Glasspoole Reg.Eng.Tech. “First Steps to Electronics”

book1/ book2/ book 3

© copyright 1990

Floyd, Thomas L. P. CM. “electronic devices/ Thomas L. Floyd.- 6th Edition”

© copyright 2002

World Wide Web addresses:

http://www.aaroncake.net/Circuits/charger1.asp?showcomments=all

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trickle_charge

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