Freewheeling Diode
Is Freewheeling diodes used in every inductive circuit?
To protect the components and to prevent voltage spikes freewheeling diodes are used. It is not necessary to use the Freewheeling diodes in every inductive circuit, the circuit may use other components.
What are the Conditions that Freewheeling diodes will fail?
Due to the over voltage, extreme current and voltage rating may cause the freewheeling diode to fail. There should be careful consideration when selecting the diode and installing it.
Freewheeling diode is only used in DC circuits?
To protect the circuit from voltage spikes, freewheeling diode is used in both Alternating current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) circuits with the inductive load.
Freewheeling Diode
In an Electrical circuit, a Diode is a semiconductor device that acts like a one-way switch (it allows current to flow in one direction and restricts the current to flow in another direction). Semiconductor is made up of p-type and n-type materials. Semiconductors have conductivity between conductors and insulators. To control the Load voltage, a switching element is used to switch at a particular frequency.
A severe high voltage occurs at the time the switching element is activated due to the stored energy within the magnetic field of the inductive load coming across the switching element terminals in switch OFF condition which may destroy the switching element. To distribute this energy, a Freewheeling diode is used. The Load can be short-circuited at the time the switching element is inactivated. The energy stored in the magnetic field is degenerate like heat.
Table of Content
- What is a Freewheeling Diode?
- Basics of Flyback Converters
- Operation
- Importance in Inductive Load Circuits
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
- Applications
Contact Us