Rectifiers (AC-DC Converters)

Half Wave Diode Rectifiers

Diode Rectifiers with R & RL Loads
Full Wave Diode Rectifiers
Full Wave Bridge Rectifiers
Full Wave Rectifiers with RL Loads

E n g r. A q i b N o o r
L e c t u r e r, E E
N a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t y FA S T K a r a c h i
What is Rectifier?
Rectifier is a circuit that converts an AC signal to a DC signal.
 In a diode rectifiers, the power flows only from the AC source to the DC side.

Rectifier

AC Transformer
supply

Applications of Rectifiers
 DC power supply for consumer electronic products such as radios, TVs, DVD players,
mobile phone chargers, computers, laptops and so on (low power).
 DC motor drives (high power).
Depending on the type of input source, rectifiers are classified into two main groups:

Half-wave

Single phase Full-wave

Uncontrolled rectifier / Full-wave Bridge

Diode Rectifiers

Half-wave
Three phase
Full-wave
Single-phase half-wave rectifier (R load)
 𝑉𝑚
The average value of output voltage 𝑉𝑑𝑐 =
𝜋

The average value of load current 𝑉𝑑𝑐 𝑉𝑚

𝐼𝑑𝑐 = =
𝑅 𝜋𝑅

The rms value of output voltage 𝑉𝑚

𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 =
2

The rms value of load current 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠

𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 =
𝑅

Peak inverse voltage across the diode 𝑃𝐼𝑉 = 𝑉𝑚

The efficiency of rectification 𝑃𝑑𝑐 𝑉𝑑𝑐 𝐼𝑑𝑐

η= =
𝑃𝑎𝑐 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠
The effective (rms) value of the ac component of output voltage

2 2
𝑉𝑎𝑐 = 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 − 𝑉𝑑𝑐

The form factor (a measure for the shape of output voltage)

𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠
FF =
𝑉𝑑𝑐

The ripple factor (a measure for the ripple content)

2 2
𝑉𝑎𝑐 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 − 𝑉𝑑𝑐
RF = = = 𝐹𝐹 2 − 1
𝑉𝑑𝑐 𝑉𝑑𝑐
The harmonic factor or total harmonic distortion (a measure for distortion of a
waveform) of the input current
2
𝐼ℎ 𝐼𝑠2 − 𝐼𝑠1
2
𝐼𝑠
𝐻𝐹 = 𝑇𝐻𝐷 = = = −1
𝐼𝑠1 𝐼𝑠1 𝐼𝑠1

Where is1 is the rms value of the fundamental component of the input current. And is the rms
value of the input current.
Numerical 1
Single-phase half-wave rectifier with RL load

 Industrial loads typically contain inductance as well as resistance.

 As the source voltage goes through zero, becoming positive in the circuit, the diode
becomes forward-biased.
 The Kirchhoff voltage law equation that describes the current in the circuit for the
forward-biased ideal diode is ;
Figure (a) shows the
circuit arrangement for
half-wave with RL load.
Figure (b) shows wave
forms.
Numerical 2
Single-phase center-tap full-wave rectifier (R load)

Circuit diagram

Waveforms
Formulas & Derivations

2𝑉𝑚
The average value of output voltage 𝑉𝑑𝑐 =
𝜋

𝑉𝑑𝑐 2𝑉𝑚
The average value of load current 𝐼𝑑𝑐 = =
𝑅 𝜋𝑅

𝑉𝑚
The rms value of output voltage 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 =
2

𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠
The rms value of load current 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 =
𝑅

Peak inverse voltage across each diode 𝑃𝐼𝑉 = 2𝑉𝑚

Single-phase bridge full-wave rectifier (R load)

Circuit diagram
Waveforms & Derivations
The average value of output voltage
2𝑉𝑚
𝑉𝑑𝑐 =
𝜋
The average value of load current
𝑉𝑑𝑐 2𝑉𝑚
𝐼𝑑𝑐 = =
𝑅 𝜋𝑅
The rms value of output voltage
𝑉𝑚
𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 =
2
The rms value of load current
𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠
𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 =
𝑅
Peak inverse voltage across each diode

𝑃𝐼𝑉 = 𝑉𝑚
Waveforms
Single-phase full-wave rectifier (RL load)

 The method of analysis for full-wave RL connected load is similar to that for the half-
wave rectifier with the freewheeling diode.
 After a transient that occurs during start-up, the load current ‘io’ reaches a periodic
steady-state condition.
 For the bridge circuit, current is transferred from one pair of diodes to the other pair
when the source changes polarity.
 The full-wave rectified sinusoidal voltage across the load can be expressed as a
Fourier series consisting of a dc term and the even harmonics.
• Figure (a) shows circuit arrangement for full-wave
rectifier with RL load.
• Figure (b) shows the output voltage & current
waveforms.
• Figure (c) shows the diode and source currents
when the inductance is large and current is nearly
constant.
The dc current and current amplitude at each frequency are computed from;

Note: As the harmonic number n increases in output voltage equation, the voltage amplitude
decreases. For an RL load, the impedance Zn increases as n increases.
Numerical 3
Comparison between different types of conversion arrangements