VOLTAGE DIMMER
15EL09,15EL18,15EL39,15EL43,15EL58,15EL64
Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro
INTRODUCTION
The light sources such as tube light or bulbs blink
according to their particular watt rating. If you need
more light, then you have to use high watt bulb and if
you need low light, then you have to replace with low
watt rating bulb. But, if there is no need to change the
brightness of the light from the same light source, then
we can use a voltage dimmer which is used to control
the brightness of the light according to our
requirement. It is very easy to design small and low
cost light dimmer circuits with high efficiency.
COMPONENTS
This light dimmer circuit is built with various
electrical and electronic components like resistors
R1=68 kilo ohms, R2=280 kilo ohms and R3=10 kilo
ohms, variable resistors VR1=250 kilo ohms,
capacitors C1, C2 and C3=0.068 uF, TRIAC is Q4006LT
and DIAC is ER900.
DIAC: The DIAC is a diode that conducts electrical
current only after its break over voltage, has been
reached momentarily. The term is an acronym of
diode for alternating current. The DIAC is widely
used to assist even triggering of a TRIAC when used
in AC switches.
TRIAC: The TRIAC is a three terminal component that
is used to control the current. It works based on the
thyristor. It gives AC switching for various electrical
system applications such as the TRIACS and the
thyristor. These components can be found only in a
particular light dimmer circuit where they allow both
halves of the AC cycle to be used. This makes them
more effective in terms of the power available.
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WORKING APPLICATIONS
Modern light dimmers work by changing the duty Voltage dimmers have vast commercial and industrial
cycle of the AC voltage which is applied to the lights applications. Dimmers ranging in size from small
being controlled. For instance, if the voltage is units the size of a light switch used for domestic
applied to half of the AC cycle, then the light bulb lighting to high power units used in large theatre or
will appear with less intensity when it gets the full architectural lighting installations. They are also used
AC voltage. Because it gets the low power to heat in professional lighting industry.
the filament. These light dimmers use the brightness
knob to control at what point each cycle to switch
the light ON and OFF.
Typical light dimmers are built with thyristors and
the fixed time when the thyristor is activated virtual
to the zero crossings of the AC power is used to
determine the level of power. When the thyristor
activates then it keeps directing until the current
passing through when it goes to zero. The phase can
be changed when the TRIAC is activated, you change
the duty cycle and thus the brightness of the light.
Here is the sine waveform of the normal AC power Dimmer in a residential application with RF-based remote control
get from the receptacle.
A dimmer rack containing 192 dimmers, with one dimmer per circuit.
SUPERVISED BY:
PROF. Dr. Aamir Mehmood Soomro
REFERENCES
As you can observe, by changing the turn ON point,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimmer
the power flowing to the bulb is variable and hence
http://www.lightingservicesinc.com/
the o/p of the light can be controlled. The benefit of
thyristor over variable resistors is that they waste very https://www.edgefx.in/light-dimmer-circuit-using-triac/
http://www.eleccircuit.com/ac-lights-dimmer-circuit/
little power either they are ON or OFF. Typically
thyristor causes 1 to 1.5 V voltage drop when it
passes the load current.