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Re: Solid State Voltage and Current Regulator (fwd)




From: 	Bill Lemieux[SMTP:gomez-at-netherworld-dot-com]
Sent: 	Wednesday, January 07, 1998 5:22 PM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: Solid State Voltage and Current Regulator (fwd)

Richard Wayne wrote:

> Harri's observation about these series pass transistors are analogous
> to large variable resistors is partially correct.  Resistor are always
> fully on and are incapable of functioning in a cut off mode.  These
> transistors dissapate virtually no power in the full on mode or cutoff
> mode. 

Cut off mode I'll believe, but no power dissipation in full on mode?
That's hard to believe.  What is their forward drop?  Since any BPT is 
essentially two back-to-back diodes, the forward drop is usually at
least a few tenths of a volt.  That equates to a lot of dissipated power
when they are fully conducting.  Are these by any chance Insulated Gate
Bipolar Transistors?  I hear that IGBTs have _very_ low forward drop, 
and I see them being used in some of the higher-end lighting dimmers in
place of SCRs these days- their ability to turn on at any desired speed
eliminates the need for a filter inductor.

Following this thread with considerable interest,
Gomez

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