ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is my duty to record my sincere

thanks and deep sense of gratitude to
my respected teacher Mr.
valuable

guidance,

constant

encouragement

for his

interest
that

and
has

helped me to complete the project

successfully.

Ujjawal Gupta
XII
Roll No.:

CERTIFICATE
This

is

to

certify

that,

student of CLASS-XII/B ; ENROLMENT

NO : ...of, has done the project

work

on

FULL

WAVE

RECTIFIER

under my supervision and guidance

with

my

full

satisfaction

in

the

stipulated time period. All through the

period I found her very sincere.

Mr. Teacher
(Teachers Signature)

INDEX
THEORY
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
CONSTRUCTION
FULL WAVE BRIDGE RECTIFIER
HALF WAVE RECTIFICATION
FULL WAVE RECTIFICATION
RECTIFIER OUTPUT SMOOTHING
WORKING OF BRIDGE RECTIFIER
GRAPH
BRIDGE RECTIFIER,RC FILTER
HOW RECTIFIER CIRCUIT WORKS IN
ELECTRONICS
FULL WAVE BRIDGE RECTIFIER

 MERITS AND DEMERITS OF FULL WAVE RECTIFIER

OVER HALF WAVE RECTIFIER

THEORY
A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating
current (AC), which periodically reverses direction, to
direct current (DC), which flows in only one direction.
The process is known as rectification.
Rectifiers have many uses, but are often found serving as
components of DC power supplies and high-voltage direct
current power transmission systems. Rectification may
serve in roles other than to generate direct current for use
as a source of power. As noted, detectors of radio signals
serve as rectifiers. In gas heating systems flame
rectification is used to detect presence of flame.
The simple process of rectification produces a type of DC
characterized by pulsating voltages and currents (although
still unidirectional). Depending upon the type of end-use,

this type of DC current may then be further modified into

the type of relatively constant voltage DC
characteristically produced by such sources as batteries
and solar cells.
A diode bridge is an arrangement of four (or more) diodes
in a bridge circuit configuration that provides the same
polarity of output for either polarity of input. When used
in its most common application, for conversion of an
alternating current (AC) input into a direct current (DC)
output, it is known as a bridge rectifier. A bridge rectifier
provides full-wave rectification from a two-wire AC
input, resulting in lower cost and weight as compared to a
rectifier with a 3-wire input from a transformer with a
center-tapped secondary winding.

Circuit Diagram

Construction

The diodes labelled D1 to D2 are arranged in "series pairs"

with only two diodes conducting current during each half
cycle. During the positive half cycle of the supply, diodes
D1 and D4 conduct in series while diodes D2 and D3 are
reverse biased and the current flows through the load.

Full Wave Bridge

Rectifier
Half-wave rectification
In half wave rectification of a single-phase supply, either
the positive or negative half of the AC wave is passed,
while the other half is blocked. Because only one half of
the input waveform reaches the output, mean voltage is
lower. Half-wave rectification requires a single diode in a
single-phase supply, or three in a three-phase supply.
Rectifiers yield a unidirectional but pulsating direct
current; half-wave rectifiers produce far more ripple than

full-wave rectifiers, and much more filtering is needed to

eliminate harmonics of the AC frequency from the output.

Full-wave rectification
A full-wave rectifier converts the whole of the input
waveform to one of constant polarity (positive or
negative) at its output. Full-wave rectification converts
both polarities of the input waveform to DC (direct
current), and yields a higher mean output voltage. Two
diodes and a center tapped transformer, or four diodes in a
bridge configuration and any AC source (including a
transformer without center tap), are needed. Single
semiconductor diodes, double diodes with common
cathode or common anode, and four-diode bridges, are
manufactured as single components.

Bridge rectifier: A full-wave

rectifier using 4 diodes
For single-phase AC, if the transformer is center-tapped,
then two diodes back-to-back (cathode-to-cathode or
anode-to-anode, depending upon output polarity required)
can form a full-wave rectifier. Twice as many turns are
required on the transformer secondary to obtain the same
output voltage than for a bridge rectifier, but the power
rating is unchanged.

Working of Bridge
Rectifier
During the positive input half cycle terminal M of the
secondary is positive and N is negative. Diode D1 and D3
becomes forward bias where as D2 and D4 are reversed
bias. Hence the current flows along point M, E, A, B, C, F
and N producing a drop across RL.
During the negative input half cycle secondary terminal N
becomes positive and M is negative. Now D2 and D4 are
forward bias and D1 and D3 are reversed bias. Now the

current flows along points N, E, A, B, C, F and M. Hence

we find that current keeps flowing through load resistance
RL in the same direction (A, B). during both half cycles
of the AC input the point A of the bridge rectifier always
acts as an anode and point C as cathod. It frequency is
twice that of supply frequency.

Graph

Bridge Rectifier, RC Filter

A bridge rectifier makes use of four diodes in a bridge
arrangement to achieve full-wave rectification. This is a
widely used configuration, both with individual diodes
wired as shown and with single component bridges where
the diode bridge is wired internally.

How Rectifier Circuit Works in

Electronics:One of the most common uses for rectifier
diodes in electronics is to convert household
alternating current into direct current that can be
used as an alternative to batteries. The rectifier
circuit, which is typically made from a set of
cleverly interlocked diodes, converts alternating
current to direct current.
In household current, the voltage swings from
positive to negative in cycles that repeat 60
times per second. If you place a diode in series
with an alternating current voltage, you
eliminate the negative side of the voltage cycle,
so you end up with just positive voltage.

If you look at the waveform of the voltage

coming out of this rectifier diode, you'll see that
it consists of intervals that alternate between a

short increase of voltage and periods of no

voltage at all. This is a form of direct current
because it consists entirely of positive voltage.
However, it pulsates: first it's on, then it's off,
then it's on again, and so on.
Overall, voltage rectified by a single diode is off
half of the time. So although the positive
voltage reaches the same peak level as the input
voltage, the average level of the rectified
voltage is only half the level of the input
voltage. This type of rectifier circuit is
sometimes called a half-wave rectifier because it
passes along only half of the incoming
alternating current waveform.
A better type of rectifier circuit uses four
rectifier diodes, in a special circuit called a
bridge rectifier.

Look at how this rectifier works on both sides of

the alternating current input signal:

In the first half of the AC cycle, D2 and D4

conduct because they're forward biased.
Positive voltage is on the anode of D2 and
negative voltage is on the cathode of D4.
Thus, these two diodes work together to pass
the first half of the signal through.
In the second half of the AC cycle, D1 and
D3 conduct because they're forward biased:
Positive voltage is on the anode of D1, and
negative voltage is on the cathode of D3.

The net effect of the bridge rectifier is that both

halves of the AC sine wave are allowed to pass
through, but the negative half of the wave is
inverted so that it becomes positive.
In the bridge circuit four diodes are connected in
the form of a Wheatstone bridge, two
diametrically opposite junctions of the bridge
are connected to the secondary of a transformer
and the other two are connected to the load.

Full-wave-bridge-rectifier:As shown in the given diagram of full wave

bridge rectifier it consists of four diodes under
the condition in which four diodes are
connected the called bridge circuit. So due to
this type of circuit is named bridge rectifier. A
resistor is connected in the circuit where
rectified output voltage appears called load
resistor RL. When the upper end of the
transformer secondary winding is positive, say
during first half-cycles of the input supply,
diodes D1 and D3 are forward biased and
current flows through arm AB, enters the load at
positive terminal, leaves the load at negative
terminal, and returns back flowing through arm
DC. During this half of each input cycle, the
diodes D2 and D4 are reverse biased and so the
current is not allowed to flow in arms AD and
BC. The flow of current is indicated by solid
arrows in the figure. In the second half of the
input cycle the lower end of ac supply becomes
positive, diodes D2 and D4 become forward
biased and current flows through arm CB, enters

the load at the positive terminal, leaves the load

at negative terminal and returns back flowing
through arm DA. Flow of current has been
shown by dotted arrows in the figure. Thus the
direction of flow of current through the load
resistance RL remains the same during both half
cycles of the input supply voltage.

Merits and Demerits of Full-wave Rectifier

over Half-Wave Rectifier: Merits:. The rectification efficiency of full-wave
rectifier is
double of that of a halfwave rectifier.

.The ripple voltage is low and of higher

frequency in case of a full-wave rectifier so
simple filtering circuit is required.
.Higher output voltage higher output power and
higher TUF in case of a full-wave rectifier.
.In a full-wave rectifier, there is no problem due
to dc saturation of the core because the dc
currents in the two halves of the transformer
secondary flow in opposite directions.
Demerits:Full-wave rectifier needs more circuit elements
and is costlier.