Winding Switching

А simple winding switching mechanism to improve the efficiency of linear regulators. The output of your regulator goes to the 62kohm resistor, as it is represented with the potentiometer. When the output voltage rises above 15V the circuit enables the higher voltage winding. When the voltage falls below 15V the lower voltage winding is in play. Of course there is a few hundred mV of hysteresis, to keep the relay from oscillating around the 15V threshold. Just play with the potentiometer and see how the relay switches between the two windings. This is pretty much a universal mechanism, as long as your regulator can work with two different input voltages. A zener regulator won't work because the when the input voltage is low, the zener breakdown voltage won't be reached and it won't have any regulation purpose.

published 9 years ago