SEMICONDUCTOR

RECTIFIERS

SOLVED

Q.) Expalin Rectifier.

Ans: 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. Physically, rectifiers take a number of
forms, including vacuum tube diodes, mercury-arc valves, copper
and selenium oxide rectifiers, semiconductor diodes, siliconcontrolled rectifiers and other silicon-based semiconductor
switches. Historically, even synchronous electromechanical
switches and motors have been used. Early radio receivers,
called crystal radios, used a "cat's whisker" of fine wire pressing
on a crystal of galena (lead sulfide) to serve as a point-contact
rectifier or "crystal detector".
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 a flame.
Because of the alternating nature of the input AC sine wave, the
process of rectification alone produces a DC current that, though
unidirectional, consists of pulses of current. Many applications of
rectifiers, such as power supplies for radio, television and
computer equipment, require a steady constant DC current (as
would be produced by a battery). In these applications the output
of the rectifier is smoothed by an electronic filter (usually a
capacitor) to produce a steady current.

SEMICONDUCTOR

RECTIFIERS

SOLVED

Q.) Give the types of rectifiers.

Ans:
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. Fullwave rectification converts both polarities of the input waveform to
pulsating DC (direct current), and yields a higher average 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.

SEMICONDUCTOR

RECTIFIERS

SOLVED

Q.) Explain the working of half wave rectifier.

Ans:

Fig.

Working :
During the positive half-cycle of ac supply, terminal A is
positive w.r.t. terminal B. Therefore, diode D is forward biased
and current flows through the load. During the negative halfcycle, the terminal B is positive w.r.t. A. Therefore, diode D is
reverse biased and no current flows through the load. The output
voltage appears across the load during the positive half cycle of
3

SEMICONDUCTOR

RECTIFIERS

SOLVED

the ac supply only. Hence, the circuit is called half-wave rectifier.

The output of the rectifier is pulsating in nature, i.e. it contains ac
as well as dc components.

Analysis of Half-wave Rectifier

1)

DC or Average value of load current (Idc)

Idc

2)

2
0

1
i L d
2

LM I
MNz

m sin d

Im
cos
2

Im
I
cos cos 0 m
2

RMS Value of Load Current (Irms)

Irms

1
2

i L2 d

LM I sin d 0 dOP
z PQ
MNz
I
FG 1 cos 2 IJ d I LM sin2 OP
z
K
2 H
2
4 N
2 Q

1
2

2
m

2
m

2
m

3)

OP
PQ

LM
N

OP
Q

2
Im
sin2 sin0

4
2
2

Output voltage (Vdc)

2
Im
I
m
4
2

SEMICONDUCTOR

RECTIFIERS

Vdc IdcRL

where,

SOLVED

Im
RL

LM I
N

1
Vm
RL
Rf Rs RL

Vm
Rf Rs RL

Rf = Diode forward resistance

RS= Secondary winding resistance
RL= Load resistance
Vdc

FG
H

Vm Rf Rs RL Rf Rs

Rf Rs RL

FG
H

IJ
K

IJ
K

Vm
Rf Rs
1

Rf Rs RL

Vm
Vm

Rf Rs
Rf Rs RL

Vm
Idc Rf Rs

gb

At no load, Idc = 0

Vdc

Vm

4)Rectifier Efficiency : It is defined as the ratio of dc output

power to ac input power.

dc output power Pdc

ac input power Pac

2
Pdc Idc
RL

Pac

2
Irms

2
Im
RL
2

bR R
f

FI I
R g G J bR R
H K
2

RL

OP
Q

SEMICONDUCTOR

RECTIFIERS

2
Im
Rf Rs RL
4

2
Im
RL
2

2
Im

bR R
f

RL

4
1
.
2 R R

f
s 1
RL

4
2

SOLVED

4
RL
.
2 R R R

f
s
L

= 0.406

( Rf + RS << RL)

% = 40.6%

5) Ripple factor : The purpose of a rectifier is to convert ac

into dc. The input of the rectifier is pulsating in nature, i.e. it
contains dc as well as ac components. The ac component is
called ripple which is removed with the help of a filter circuit. The
ratio of the rms value of ac component of the waveform to the dc
component of the waveform is known as ripple factor.
Ripple factor, r =

rms value of ac component of wave

dc component of wave

Iac, rms
Idc

The output current in a half-wave rectifier is given by,

iL = Idc + iac
rms value of the output current is given by
2
2
Irms Idc
Iac
, rms

SEMICONDUCTOR

RECTIFIERS

2
2
Iac, rms Irms
Idc

Iac, rms

Idc
r

FG I IJ
HI K

SOLVED

rms
dc

FG I IJ
HI K

rms
dc

For a half-wave rectifier,

FG I IJ
H 2K
FG I IJ
H K

1 1. 21

6) Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV) : It is defined as the maximum

reverse voltage that can be applied across the diode without
damaging it. For a half-wave rectifier,
PIV = Vm

7)Transformer Utilization Factor (TUF) :

TUF =

dc power delivered to the load

ac rating of transformer secondary

Pdc
Pac rated

The rated voltage of the secondary is

current flowing through the winding is only
7

Vm
, but actual
2
Im
, not Im .
2
2

rms

SEMICONDUCTOR

RECTIFIERS

SOLVED

FG I IJ R
H K
TUF
2

Vm Im
2 2

Im

2
Im
RL
2
Rf Rs RL Im
2
2

[ Vm = Im (Rf + Rs + RL)]

2 2
RL
2 2
1

2 R R R
2 R R

f
s 1
f
s
L
RL

2 2
0. 287
2

[ Rf + Rs << RL]

8)Voltage Regulation : The variation of dc output voltage as a

function of a dc load current is called voltage regulation.
% regulation =

Vdcno load Vdcfull load

Vdcfull load

LM
N

100

Vm
V
m Idc Rf Rs

Idc RL

Rf Rs
100
RL

gOPQ

100