Electronic Projects, forums and more.

Go Back   Electronic Circuits Projects Diagrams Free > Electronics Forums > General Electronics Chat


General Electronics Chat This forum is for general chat about electronics, eg: Dont know what a part does? Dont know how to read a circuit? Want to get an opinion?

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 13th September 2006, 03:17 AM   (permalink)
Default Transistors in parrallel to increase collector current

Hello,

The answer in obviously yes, but i just want to be double sure it works that way in the practical world:

Putting Transistors in parrallel will increase their maximum collector current to the double, right?
__________________
Ibrahim Kamal
check my electronics and robotics page: http://www.ikalogic.com/
ikalogic is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 03:23 AM   (permalink)
Default

Generally you don't want to do that with bipolar junction transisors. Biasing would be tricky, and current hogging would be a distinct possibility. It is however possible with MOSFETS.
Papabravo is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 03:46 AM   (permalink)
Default

Audio power amplifiers use emitter resistors to balance the current gain of paralleled transistors and many circuits use them that way.
Here is one:
Attached Images
File Type: png 1.5kW amplifier.PNG (29.6 KB, 48 views)
__________________
Uncle $crooge
audioguru is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 03:50 AM   (permalink)
Default

I never had to design an audio amp. Since the original application was not specified, I was thinking switches or motors so I stand corrected.
Papabravo is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 04:14 AM   (permalink)
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Papabravo
Generally you don't want to do that with bipolar junction transisors. Biasing would be tricky, and current hogging would be a distinct possibility. It is however possible with MOSFETS.
i made a search about current hogging, and as far as i understood, this problem can appear if the base's of the trasisitors are not connected together.. but as far as i am going to connect the exact same BJT fully in parallel.. is it still a problem.

Does using a tip122 is a darlington pair with a couple of resistors (used to stabilise the gate input, i guess, the datasheet doesn't say) will allow me to use it?
__________________
Ibrahim Kamal
check my electronics and robotics page: http://www.ikalogic.com/
ikalogic is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 04:15 AM   (permalink)
Default

yes it is for motors... they shall be all connected to the same motor..
__________________
Ibrahim Kamal
check my electronics and robotics page: http://www.ikalogic.com/
ikalogic is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 04:25 AM   (permalink)
Default

Experience tells me that you should size a single transistor to handle the load and not mess around with a parallel connection of bipolar transistors. I also question the need for a gain of 1000, typical in a darlington, for driving a motor. You will notice that in audiogurus amplifier there were complementary NPN and PNP transistors with emitter resistors. Are you planning a similar arrangement to drive your motor or did you have something simpler in mind?

Posting a schematic would save a bunch of text messaging back and forth.

BTW, what kind of motor are we talking about?
Papabravo is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 04:30 AM   (permalink)
Default

Transistors from one manufacturer with the same part number have a difference of current gain of 3.5 times for a 2N3055. It is important to match the gain of paralleled transistors in linear applications.
The saturation voltage of switching transistors have a difference of about the same, 3.5 times.
Darlington transistors also have a wide difference.

Therefore emitter resistors should be used to balance the difference in current gain and saturation voltage to avoid hogging.
__________________
Uncle $crooge
audioguru is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 04:40 AM   (permalink)
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Papabravo
BTW, what kind of motor are we talking about?
Is he the guy who wants to fry a toy car?
He said its motor smelled funny and got very hot when it had a battery with 3 times more voltage than its rating.

3 times the voltage creates 3 times the current, doesn't it?
3V times 3A= 9 times the power isn't it?
__________________
Uncle $crooge
audioguru is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 05:05 AM   (permalink)
Default

Ok i agree you are right it is not switable for a motor driver...

But, why the mosfets will accept to be connected in parallel without creating hogging...?
__________________
Ibrahim Kamal
check my electronics and robotics page: http://www.ikalogic.com/
ikalogic is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 05:13 AM   (permalink)
Default

Because MOSFETs take "no" current through the gate? I'm not sure what he means by current hogging but I have an idea...
dknguyen is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 05:23 AM   (permalink)
Default

Current hogging happens when the transistor with the highest current gain or with the lowest saturation voltage carries most of the load and fails from overload. Hogs push the others away from the food so they can eat the most.

When a transistor gets hot from powering a high load, its gain increases and its saturation voltage drops, so it hogs even more of the load. It is called "thermal runaway".

Mosfets turn off a little when they get hot so they share a load more evenly when paralleled.
__________________
Uncle $crooge
audioguru is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 09:42 AM   (permalink)
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ikalogic
i made a search about current hogging, and as far as i understood, this problem can appear if the base's of the trasisitors are not connected together.. but as far as i am going to connect the exact same BJT fully in parallel.. is it still a problem.
In ALL cases you MUST use balancing resistors in the emitters, doesn't matter if they are the same batch or not - you MUST use them!. Calculate their value from the current you're going to pass through them!.
__________________
PIC programmer software, and PIC Tutorials at:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk
Nigel Goodwin is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 12:30 PM   (permalink)
Default

with properly sized emitter ballast resistors, this is done all the time with bjts.
__________________
"Everything that is done in the world is done by hope." -Martin Luther
"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."-Albert Einstein
Analog is offline  
Old 13th September 2006, 01:05 PM   (permalink)
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Analog
with properly sized emitter ballast resistors, this is done all the time with bjts.

how can i use emitter ballast resistors in an H bridge ?

can i use it for darlington pair transistor?

thx a lot.
__________________
Ibrahim Kamal
check my electronics and robotics page: http://www.ikalogic.com/
ikalogic is offline  
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes





All times are GMT. The time now is 10:44 AM.


Electronic Circuits  |  Learning Electronics
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

eXTReMe Tracker