GB1018676A - Voltage regulator - Google Patents

Abstract

1,018,676. Automatic voltage control. CHRYSLER CORPORATION. Feb.11, 1964 [July 24,1963], No. 5662/64. Heading G3R. A voltage regulator for a generator utilizes the negative resistance characteristic of a tunnel diode to control the switching of a transistor in the field circuit of the generator in dependence upon output voltage variations. As shown, the rectified output voltage of an alternator 14 is maintained constant by a voltage regulator comprising a transistor 40, connected in series with the field winding 16 of the alternator, and a tunnel diode 48 connected together with a resistor R3 between the base of transistor 40 and the junction 50 of resistors R1, R2 which constitute a voltage divider across the output lines 25,34 of the alternator. The regulator may include an inductor connected between tunnel diode 48 and resistor R3 (Fig. 6, not shown), or a capacitor connected between the collector of transistor 40 and the junction between diode 48 and resistor R3 (Fig. 7, not shown). A path for collector-base leakage current may be provided by a shunt resistor connected between the base of transistor 40 and output line 34 (Fig. 8, not shown). The characteristic operating curve of the transistortunnel diode combination is such that the switching of transistor 40 is effected in dependence upon output voltage variations, whereby the field current is automatically modified in a sense to correct for these variations.