What is the use of voltage stabilizer?

All electrical and electronic systems are designed and manufactured to

operate at maximum efficiency with a given supply voltage, called the
nominal operating voltage.
For various reasons the voltage of the energy distribution does not remain
constant, showing considerable fluctuations in the nominal value, which
leads to the apparatus, not only a loss of efficiency (sometimes even the
impossibility of operation), but also a significant increase in failure rate.
The stabilizers are electronic devices responsible for correcting the voltage
of the electrical power supply to provide a stable and secure power supply
to equipments, allowing for a stable voltage and protecting the equipment
from most of the problems of the mains.
Like UPS, voltage stabilizers are an asset to the protection of electrical and
electronic equipment.
The main function of a stabilizer is to make the output voltage that feeds
the equipments connected to it as much as possible equivalent to the ideal
electrical power supply, ensuring that the oscillations in electrical power are
offset, and its output maintain a stable value, preventing them from being
experienced by equipments and thereby avoiding their damage.
Most stabilizers also have electronic filters whose purpose is to suppress
noise and peak voltage.

A voltage stabilizer:
 Increases useful life of equipments;
 Reduces malfunctions rate of equipments;
 Maintains a stabilized power supply;
 Attenuates noise, interference and lightning;
 Protects against under-voltages and over-voltage of the mains;
 Operates in cases of overloading and overheating;
 Signals events from the mains.
The voltage stabilizer is an efficient solution of modera
Introduction to Stabilizer:
The embedding of microprocessor chip technology and power
electronic devices in the design of intelligent AC voltage
stabilizers (or automatic voltage regulators (AVR)) led to produce
high-quality, stable electric power supply in the event of significant
and continuous deviation of mains voltage.
As advancement to the conventional relay type voltage stabilizers,
modern innovative stabilizers use high performance digital control
circuits and solid state control circuitry that
eliminates potentiometer adjustments and allows the user to set
voltage requirements through a keypad, with output start and stop
facility.
This also led to make the trip timing or responsiveness of the
stabilizers to a very less rate, typically less than a few
milliseconds, in addition this can be adjusted with variable setting.
Nowadays, stabilizers became an optimized power solution to
many electronic appliances that are sensitive to voltage
fluctuations and they have found working with many devices such
as CNC machines, air conditioners, television sets, medical
equipment, computers, telecommunication equipments, and so
on.
What is a Voltage Stabilizer?
It is an electrical appliance which is designed to deliver a constant
voltage to a load at its output terminals regardless of the changes
in the input or incoming supply voltage. It protects the equipment
or machine against over voltage, under voltage, and other voltage
surges.
It is also called as automatic voltage regulator (AVR). Voltage
stabilizers are preferred for costly and precious electrical
equipments to protect them from harmful low/high voltage
fluctuations. Some of these equipments are air conditioners,

offset printing machines, laboratory equipments, industrial

machines, and medical apparatus.
Voltage stabilizers regulate the fluctuating input voltage before it
could be fed to the load (or equipment which is sensitive to
voltage variations). The output voltage from the stabilizer will stay
in the range of 220V or 230V in case of single phase supply and
380V or 400V in case of three phase supply, within given
fluctuating range of input voltage. This regulation is carried by
buck and boost operations performed by internal circuitry.
There are huge varieties of automatic voltage regulators are
available in today’s market. These can be single or three-phase
units as required by the type of application and capacity (KVA)
needed. Three-phase stabilizers come in two versions as
balanced load models and unbalanced load models.
These are available either as dedicated units for appliances or as
a big stabilizer unit for whole appliances in a particular place, say
whole house. In addition, these can be either analog or digital
type of stabilizer units.
The common types of voltage stabilizers include manual operated
or switchable stabilizers, automatic relay type stabilizers, solid
state or static stabilizers, and servo controlled stabilizers.  In
addition to the stabilizing function, most stabilizers come with
additional features such as input/output low voltage cutoff,
input/output high voltage cutoff, overload cutoff, output start and
stop facility, manual/auto start, voltage cutoff display, zero voltage
switching, etc.
Why Voltage Stabilizers Are Needed?
Generally, each and every electrical equipment or device is
designed for a wide range of input voltage. Depending on the
sensitivity, the working range of the equipments are limited to a
specific values, for instance, some equipments can tolerate ± 10
percent of the rated voltage while others ± 5 percent or less.
The voltage fluctuations (rise or dip of the magnitude of rated
voltage) are quite common in many areas, especially at
terminated lines. The most common reasons for voltage
fluctuations are lighting, electrical faults, faulty wiring and periodic
turning off the device. These fluctuations create mishap to the
electrical equipments or appliances.

Relay Type Voltage Stabilizers

In this type of voltage stabilizers, voltage regulation is
accomplished by switching the relays so as to connect one of a
number of tappings of the transformer to the load (as in the
manner discussed above) whether it is for boosting or bucking
operation. The figure below illustrates the internal circuitry of relay
type stabilizer.
It has electronic circuit and set of relays besides the transformer
(which can be toroidal or iron core transformer with tappings
provided on its secondary). The electronic circuit comprises
rectifier circuit,
operational amplifier,
microcontroller unit, and
other tiny components.
The electronic circuit
compares the output
voltage with a reference
value provided by built-in
reference voltage source.
Whenever the voltage
rises or falls beyond reference value, the control circuit switches
the corresponding relay to connect a desired tapping to the
output.
These stabilizers usually change the voltage for input voltage
variations of ±15 percent to ±6 percent with output voltage
accuracy of ±5 to ±10 percent. This type of stabilizers is most
popularly used for low rating appliances in residential, commercial
and industrial applications as they are of low weight and low cost.
However, these are suffering with several limitations such as slow
voltage correction speed, less durability, less reliability,
interruption to power path during regulation, and unable to
withstand high voltage surges.
Components Required
1. IC LM324
2. Transistor (BC548x2)
3. Zener diode (3.9V)
4. Bridge
5. Diode (1N4007x2)
6. LED (Green, Red)
7. Capacitor (100uFx2, 1000uF)
8. Resistor (1Kx5,180/20 watts)
9. POT (10Kx2)
10. Buzzer (12V)
11. Relay (12V/10A)
12. Transformer (230V/0-12V; 500mA)
13. 15 watt incandescent lamp

Working of Stabilizer Circuit

 Circuit design of stabilizer is quite easy and compact. This is a relay type voltage
stabilizer circuit diagram.
 A 12V step down transformer is used to drive the stabilizer circuit and the same transformer
is used to analyze the input line voltage.
 Bridge rectifier is employed to convert AC to DC and 1000µF capacitor is used to filter AC
ripples.
 LM342 has four embedded comparators, among those we have used only two comparators
for our stabilizer. First comparator compares low voltage level and other one for comparing
high voltage level.
 A 3.9V Zener diode is used to obtain reference voltage of 3.9V (can use any Zener diode of
below 6V) and this reference voltage is used by both comparators.
 Reference voltage is connected to the non-inverting terminal of the upper comparator
and potentiometer is connected to inverting terminal. Then adjust the potentiometer value
to get voltage greater than 3.9V (reference voltage) by keeping normal input voltage.
 Inverting terminal of lower comparator is connected to reference voltage and
the potentiometer corresponding to it is set to a voltage which is below the reference
voltage (3.9 V) at non-inverting terminal.
Case 1: Normal supply voltage
 In this situation both comparators are OFF (Output is low).
 At normal supply voltage the lamp appears to be directly connected between phase and
neutral. Same time the output of upper comparator is negative then LED_GREEN is ON,
which indicates that input is normal. (Refer the following fig)
Case 2: Supply voltage Increases
 When the AC input voltage is increased, corresponding output of DC also increases. When it
exceeds preset level 3.9 V, obviously the voltage drop across both potentiometers will
increase. When the voltage drop is greater than 3.9V then the output of lower
comparator will become positive.
 It leads to LED_RED and transistor to become ON, thus relay will switch and the
connection to the lamp becomes through the resistor. So the voltage drop across lamp will
reduce since resistor and lamp will come in series to the main supply. (LED_RED indicates
the supply voltage increased).

Case 3: Supply voltage decreases (Approximately below 180V AC)

 When the line voltage is below a threshold level then voltage drop across both
potentiometer will decrease, then the non-inverting terminal of upper comparator gets higher
voltage than inverting terminal.
 Then the output of upper comparator becomes positive and LED_GREEN turns OFF.
 Transistor gets turned ON, accordingly relay ON which make disconnection of lamp from
the supply. Same time buzzer is also turned ON to indicate the line voltage is below 180
volt.
In this way our stabilizer controls the output load.

 The value of the series resistor connected to lamp depends on the load power, for high
power devices higher wattage resistors should be used.
 We can build a high power stabilizer by little alteration in the circuit together with a step up
transformer which can be used for refrigerator, TV, washing machines etc.