Series Voltage Regulator (1)

AIM To design and set up a series voltage regulator using zener diode and power transistor to determine line and load regulation characteristics. THEORY An ideal power supply maintains a constant voltage at its output terminals, no matter what current is drawn from it. The output voltage of a practical power supply changes with load current, generally dropping as load current increases. The power supply specifications include a full load current rating, which is the maximum current that can be drawn from the supply. The terminal voltage when full load current is drawn is called the full load voltage (VFL). The no load voltage (VNL) is the terminal voltage when zero current is drawn from the supply, that is, the open circuit terminal voltage. One measure of power supply performance, in terms of how well the power supply is able to maintain a constant voltage between no load and full load conditions, is called its percentage voltage regulation.