Advantages and disadvantages of zener diode shunt regulator

There are some advantages of zener diode shunt regulator are given below,

    • The zener diode shunt is very economic as it is of low cost.
    • It requires only two or three components.
    • It has a very simple circuit.
    • It provides a better regulation over a wider range of load currents and input voltages.
    • It provide higher current capability.

There are some disadvantages of zener diode shunt regulator are given below,

    • It has poor efficiency for heavy loads because a considerable amount of power is wasted in zener resistance (R2) and series resistor (RS) in comparison with load power.
    • The DC output voltage slightly changes due to zener resistance.
    • Changes in load current produce changes in zener current.
    • Consequently the output voltage also changes.
    • The internal impedance of the circuit is high.
    • The voltage regulation is poor.
    • The output voltage is not adjustable because it has VO ­= VZ.
    • It cannot be used for large load current.

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