4-1
CHAPTER 4
SOLID-STATE POWER SUPPLIES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:
1. Identify the various sections of a power supply.
2. State the purpose of each section of a power supply.
3. Describe the operation of the power supply from both a whole unit standpoint and from a subunit
standpoint.
4. Describe the purpose of the various types of rectifier circuits used in power supplies.
5. Describe the purpose of the various types of filter circuits used in power supplies.
6. Describe the operation of the various voltage and current regulators in a power supply.
7. Describe the operation of the various types of voltage multipliers.
8. Trace the flow of ac and dc in a power supply, from the ac input to the dc output on a schematic
diagram.
9. Identify faulty components through visual checks.
10. Identify problems within specific areas of a power supply by using a logical isolation method of
troubleshooting.
11. Apply safety precautions when working with electronic power supplies.
In today's Navy all electronic equipment, both ashore and on board ship, requires a power supply.
The discovery of the silicon diode and other solid-state components made possible the reduction in size
and the increase in reliability of electronic equipment. This is especially important on board ship where
space and accessibility to spare parts are a major concern.
In this chapter, you will read about the individual sections of the power supply, their components,
and the purpose of each within the power supply.
THE BASIC POWER SUPPLY
View A of figure 4-1 shows the block diagram of a basic power supply. Most power supplies are
made up of four basic sections: a TRANSFORMER, a RECTIFIER, a FILTER, and a REGULATOR.
