EXEPREMENT NO-2:

OBJECT:

To study about the AC Timer and Plot the charecterstics.

REQUERIMET:

S.NO EQUIPMENTS RANGE SPECIFICATION

1 Pannel Board 230V Filled with thyratron
2 Power Supply 6.3V
3 Stop Watch Least count =0.33s
4 FET VOM Anti parallel
5 Connecting wire 5A/220V PVC insulated copper wire

THEORY:

A typical AC timer circuit is shown in Fig. 6.22. Such a timer circuit is

used to control the number of cycles for which power may be supplied into
the weld. The action of such a timer circuit is explained below.

Ankit chaturvedi2312210 Date-25/04/2025 17

When switch S is open and supply terminal 1 is positive with respect to
terminal 2, the cathode and anode of the thyratron are at the same poten-
tial, and the grid is negative with respect to the cathode. Therefore, no cur-
rent flows between the cathode and the grid.
When terminal 1 is negative with respect to terminal 2, the potential at
point A is positive. The grid becomes positive with respect to the cathode
and anode, and electronic current flows through R₂, R₁ from grid to cath-
ode, through R₃, and to terminal 1.
In a few cycles, the capacitor C₂ will get charged to the maximum voltage
between A and 1. This is due to the large value of the time constant. The
capacitor does not discharge much during the negative half cycle of the
grid voltage. Resistance R₁ limits the grid cathode circuit current to a safe
value and also determines the number of cycles in which C₂ will be fully
charged.
So long as switch S remains open, capacitor C₂ remains charged by the
grid rectification action. As soon as switch S is closed, the grid becomes
very much negative with respect to the cathode, and there is no capacitor
charging current through grid rectification. Capacitor C₂ will, therefore,
start discharging through R₂, and the negative bias of the grid will gradu-
ally decrease depending upon the time constant R₂C₂ of the discharge cir-
cuit.
Conduction in the thyratron tube will start during the positive half cycle of
the anode voltage, when the grid voltage instantaneously rises to the crit-
ical grid voltage. Current through the relay coil is rectified half waves.
The anode is also connected through the relay and therefore, no anode-
cathode current can flow where there is no supply voltage applied.

Ankit chaturvedi2312210 Date-25/04/2025 18

When the switch is closed, the grid voltage on the thyratron (with respect
to cathode) is made up of two components:
A DC component
An AC voltage between point 'O' and terminal 'A', which is equal to 115
minus 30 or 35 Vrms.
The AC component remains constant, but the DC component across C
However, during the first half cycle when terminal A is positive with re-
spect to the cathode, current flows through the R.C. combination through
the R₁ from grid to cathode and through R₄ to the terminal within just a
few cycles as the capacitor C charges almost to time constant. The peak
value of the voltage E between C and D for the time constant RC is high
as compared to one cycle of line frequency, and the capacitor does not dis-
charge appreciably during the half cycle when the grid is switching negat-
ive.
The number of cycles required for C₁ to reach substantially full charge is
determined mainly by R, which limits the grid current during the early
charging half cycle a safe value for the tube.
Thus, we see that if the initiating switch has been open for a few cycles,
the C₁ is charged to some constant voltage depending upon the setting of
the potentiometer R₃ with the indicated polarity. Now, the switch connects
the cathode slightly to terminal A, and the thyratron now uses the full
115V AC anode supply.
With switch S closed, the tube is ready to fire but does not do so immedi-
ately, because the charge on C₁ makes the grid too negative preventing
conduction at that moment.
When the switch is closed, the grid voltage on the thyratron (with respe-

Ankit chaturvedi2312210 Date-25/04/2025 19

decreases exponentially as the capacitor discharges through R₁, giving a
grid voltage as shown in the figure. It can be seen that the thyratron does
not fire until the DC supply component has dropped considerably.

OBSERVATION TABLE:

S.NO CHARGING DISCHARGING TIME (sec)

VOLTAGE(V) VOLTAGE (V)
01
02
03

PROCEDURE:
1- Circuit is connected according to circuit daigram.
2- Keep switch S open and apply 115V AC supply.

Ankit chaturvedi2312210 Date-25/04/2025 20

3-Allow capacitor C₂ to charge through R₁ and R₂.

4-Close switch S to start discharging C₂ through R₂.

5-When grid voltage reaches firing level, thyratron conducts and relay op-
erates.

RESULT:
The AC timer circuit was successfully set up and tested.
It was observed that the thyratron conducts after a delay determined by the
RC time constant, and the relay is activated for a controlled number of AC
cycles.

Ankit chaturvedi2312210 Date-25/04/2025 21

 MCQ BASED ON EXP-2

1. Que: What is the primary purpose of an AC timer?

Ans: To control the ON/OFF timing of AC devices
2. Que: Which component is commonly used to delay the AC signal in an
AC timer circuit?
Ans: Capacitor
3. Que: What kind of signal does an AC timer typically operate on?
Ans: Alternating Current (AC)
4. Que: Which device is often used to switch AC loads in a timer circuit?
Ans: Relay
5. Que: Which electronic component helps convert AC to DC for control
circuitry in an AC timer?
Ans: Bridge Rectifier
6. Que: Which parameter of a timer defines the duration for which the
load remains ON or OFF?
Ans: Time Delay
7. Que: What is the function of a diac in an AC timer circuit?
Ans: To trigger the triac
8. Que: Which instrument is used to plot the characteristics of an AC timer
circuit?
Ans: Oscilloscope
9. Que: In a timer circuit, what happens when the capacitor charges to a
specific voltage?
Ans: It triggers the next stage
10. Que: Which component determines the time delay in an RC timer cir-

Ankit chaturvedi2312210 Date-25/04/2025 22

cuit?
Ans: Resistor and Capacitor
11. Que: What is the unit of measurement for time delay in an AC timer?
Ans: Seconds
12. Que: Why is opto-isolation used in AC timer circuits?
Ans: To provide electrical isolation
13. Que: What kind of waveform is observed at the output of an AC timer
using a triac?
Ans: Phase-controlled waveform
14. Que: Which property of an AC timer is observed by plotting voltage
vs.time?
Ans: Switching behavior
15. Que: What happens if the capacitor in the timer circuit has a higher
value?
Ans: Time delay increases
16. Que: Why is a heat sink required with a triac in AC timer circuits?
Ans: To dissipate heat
17. Que: What type of control is used in programmable AC timers?
Ans: Microcontroller-based control
18. Que: What does a zero-cross detection circuit do in an AC timer?
Ans: Detects the zero voltage point of AC
19. Que: What is the effect of increasing resistance in an RC delay timer?
Ans: Increases delay
20. Que: Why is plotting characteristics of an AC timer important?
Ans: To analyze timing accuracy and performance

Ankit chaturvedi2312210 Date-25/04/2025 23