How to Implement OVP and UVP for Mains Input?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around designing an overvoltage and undervoltage protection circuit for mains input, specifically targeting operational thresholds of 180VAC to 260VAC, with monitoring capabilities up to 460VAC. Participants explore various implementation strategies, including the use of comparators, relays, and power supply considerations for the circuit.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks advice on implementing a protection circuit that trips at 460VAC for overvoltage and 180VAC for undervoltage.
  • Another participant questions the definition of "trip" and suggests generating signals for overvoltage and undervoltage using rectification, smoothing, and comparator circuits.
  • A participant clarifies that the circuit should operate normally between 180 to 260VAC and discusses the challenge of powering comparators and relays from the mains voltage across a wide input range.
  • One suggestion involves using a PLC with an analog input to monitor voltage, emphasizing the need to step down the voltage to a safe level before input.
  • Another participant proposes using a switching regulator and a transformer to provide supervisory power, detailing a method to achieve safety isolation and low output voltages suitable for the circuit.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the best approach to implement the circuit, particularly regarding the methods for power supply and monitoring. There is no consensus on a single solution, and multiple strategies are discussed.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight challenges related to the wide input voltage range and the need for safety isolation in the design. Specific assumptions about component capabilities and operational conditions remain unaddressed.

ElectroPhysics
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I want to make a overvoltage and undervoltage protection circuit. Overvoltage should trip at 460VAC and undervoltage at 180VAC. Any idea how to implement it.
 
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Depends a bit on what you mean by "trip". Do you want the Overvoltage to trip a breaker, or crowbar the line? For the undervoltage, I assume that you want to generate a signal that warns some circuit that the power is either going away, or has drooped too far to use.

To generate OV and UV signals, you just rectify and smooth the input, divide it down with a resistor divider, and put it into two comparator circuits with the appropriate reference voltages. You could also do a cycle-by-cycle check instead, where you sense the value of each peak of the AC waveform, and do a similar divide and compare circuit (cycle-by-cycle would give you faster information, compared to the rectify and smooth version).
 
Actually the circuit should operate normally between 180 to 260VAC. If input voltage goes above 260VAC or below 180VAC it should cut input supply. The circuit must be able to monitor input voltage upto 460VAC. A relay should be used to pass the mains voltage in normal operating mode.
The problem is that I have to make power for comparators and relay from the mains voltge. And for such a wide input voltage range it is very difficuilt to do that.
 
ElectroPhysics said:
Actually the circuit should operate normally between 180 to 260VAC. If input voltage goes above 260VAC or below 180VAC it should cut input supply. The circuit must be able to monitor input voltage upto 460VAC. A relay should be used to pass the mains voltage in normal operating mode.
The problem is that I have to make power for comparators and relay from the mains voltge. And for such a wide input voltage range it is very difficuilt to do that.

Perhaps you can use a PLC with an analog input to monitor the voltage. It would required stepping down the voltage to the input of the PLC to a safe level. I don't know of any PLC's off hand that could accept a 480 VAC input, but you could step it down first then use soft logic to get your desired output.

CS
 
ElectroPhysics said:
The problem is that I have to make power for comparators and relay from the mains voltge. And for such a wide input voltage range it is very difficuilt to do that.

A wide input range only means that you should use a switching regulator to provide your supervisory power. I'd use about a 10:1 divide transformer off of the mains to supply the supervisory power. Follow the transformer with a full-wave bridge rectifier and smoothing capacitor, followed by a Buck DC-DC converter to give you 12Vdc or so. Use that supply to power your supervisory circuit. You can also do the resistor divider off of the 10:1 transformer's output after the bridge to feed your window comparator circuit. One nice thing about the 10:1 transformer -- it gives you safety isolation, and the output voltages are low enough to qualify for SELV.
 

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