POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
College of Engineering
ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
LABORATORY EXPERIMENT NO. 1
Freewheeling of the Inductive Energy
Objectives:
1. To know the function of a flyback or freewheeling diode and how it affects a circuit.
2. To construct a schematic diagram that involves and utilizes a diode.
3. To observe the waveforms produced by using a flyback/freewheeling diode.
4. Discern the difference of the circuit with and without the flyback or freewheeling diode.
Materials:
1. 6V Power source
2. IRFZ44E MOSFET
3. 1N4007 Diode
4. Inductors / Motors
5. Breadboard
6. Oscilloscope
7. Probes
8. Coupling wires
Schematic Diagram/s:
Figure 1. Figure 2.
Experimental Procedure:
Set up the components as shown in the schematic diagram in Figure 1 to switch
on the electric motor.
Use the oscilloscope to perceive the voltage spikes produced in the transistor’s
drain when it is turned off.
Next, set up the components as shown in Figure 2. Make sure that the diode is in
the correct orientation.
Use the oscilloscope to observe the inductive spike produced in this set up when
the transistor is turned off.
Compare the results and note the differences with and without the flyback diode.
Waveform/s:
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Observations:
In the first set up where there the diode is excluded, it was observed that there were
enormous voltage spikes reaching 40V. When the motor or inductor was running and the
MOSFET was on, current was able to flow through the inductor and there were no problems
apparent. The inductor has stored inductive energy because the circuit was running. When the
transistor was switched off, there is still current flowing through the inductor because the current
that flows through it does not change instantly. The current now has nowhere to go to because
the transistor was off, so the voltage will rise and accumulate until all the stored inductive energy
becomes electrical energy. The voltage spike as seen in Figure 3 is the result. When the voltage
spike reaches its limit, it runs the risk of destroying the transistor and other components close to
this part of the circuit.
In the second set up, a diode was added in parallel to the inductor but backwards. In this
case, when the transistor switch was turned off, there is now a convenient path for current to
flow. The inductive energy will leave the inductor and proceed to the diode and return to the
power source. It will eventually recirculate back into the inductor until it dissipates. The simple
addition of the diode in the circuit removed the inductive spikes. The resulting waveform is seen
in Figure 4.
Discussions and Conclusions:
Flyback Diodes, also known as freewheeling diodes, is connected to an inductor in
parallel with a switch. It is used to remove flyback, when a sudden voltage spike is
produced by the load when the supply current is reduced. It protects your components
from the extreme voltages. Another purpose of a flyback diode is that it deals with the
noise produced by high voltages. The higher the voltage, the more EMI.
The flyback or freewheeling diode is not a special diode, rather, it is a diode application
that protects the circuit components without obstructing the magnetic fields.
Flyback diodes enhance the waveform of the load current by making the circuit
continuous.
The Flyback Diode improves the Input Power Factor of Phase controlled Rectifiers or
converters
Problems that may be encountered:
1. Placing the diode in the wrong orientation.
2. Wrong connections of the wires and components.
3. Components can be rated wrong.