WHAT IS RECTIFIER ??

Rectifier is an electronic component that converts alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC),
ensuring a unidirectional flow of electric charge. As we know, electricity reaches our homes from
power grids in the form of AC, but most commonly used electric appliances, such as mobile phones,
computers, televisions, fridges, etc operate on direct current (DC). Therefore, the rectifier becomes a
very useful component in electronics.

This article provides a detailed understanding of the electrical component known as a rectifier,
including its types such as full-wave and half-wave rectifiers, controlled and uncontrolled rectifiers,
etc. In addition to that, we will learn about various specific rectifiers such as the Mercury Arc Rectifier,
Selenium Rectifier, and Precision Rectifiers.

Table of Content:

>What are rectifiers ?

>How does Rectifier Work?
>Types of Rectifiers.
>Half Wave Rectifier.
>Full Wave Rectifier.
>Bridge Rectifier.

What are Rectifiers?

Rectifiers are electronic devices or circuits that convert alternating current (AC) into direct current
(DC). Alternating current periodically changes direction, whereas direct current flows consistently in
one direction. Rectifiers are crucial in many electronic applications where a steady DC voltage is
required.

Most rectifiers use P-N junction diodes to convert AC to DC, but some use different kinds of materials
as well, such as semiconductor materials like silicon carbide or specialized semiconductor devices like
thyristors and metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs).

How does Rectifier Work?

A rectifier is an electrical device which is used to convert AC current into DC current. Rectifier does
this process by allowing current (I) to flow through any device and the process taking place here is
called rectification.

Rectifier works by using diodes which are like one-way valves for electricity. A rectifier can take one or
more diodes to convert the positive or negative half cycle of the AC inputs DC outputs. Rectifiers
generates an DC voltage by rectifying any one cycle of the AC supply and the reverse operation of this
above process is called Inverter and the process called inversion in electricity.

Rectifiers Circuits:
It plays a vital role in DC power supplies for converting AC signal into DC signal. P-N junction diode
have lot of applications and Rectifier circuits are one of them. In simple words the electronic circuit
which performs rectification is called rectifier circuit. By using this circuit we can able to convert
electrical signals.
Types of rectifier :
There are various types of rectifiers used in electronics for different use cases. Some of these
rectifiers are:

>Half-Wave Rectifier
The simplest type of rectifier.
Uses a single diode to allow current to flow in only one direction during one half-cycle of the AC
waveform.
Efficiency is relatively low.

>Full-Wave Rectifier
Utilizes two diodes to rectify both halves of the AC waveform.
Improved efficiency compared to half-wave rectifiers.
Center-Tap Full-Wave Rectifier: Uses a center-tapped transformer.
Bridge Rectifier: Uses four diodes in a bridge configuration, eliminating the need for a center-tapped
transformer.

>Bridge Rectifier
A type of full-wave rectifier that uses four diodes in a bridge configuration.
More efficient than center-tap full-wave rectifiers.
Commonly used in power supplies and electronic devices.

>Bridgeless Rectifier:
A variation of the bridge rectifier that minimizes voltage drops associated with diodes.
Uses additional switches to control the flow of current.
Offers improved efficiency compared to traditional bridge rectifiers.

>Controlled Rectifier:
In this type of rectifier, voltage always varies and MOSFET, SCRs or IGBTs are used to convert
uncontrolled rectifier to controlled rectifier. It consists of two other types of rectifiers which is
Half Wave Controlled Rectifier
Full Wave Controlled Rectifier
>Uncontrolled Rectifier: In this type of rectifier, voltage cannot be controlled or it cannot vary with
respect to time. There are two types of uncontrolled rectifier that is
Half Wave Uncontrolled Rectifier
Full Wave Uncontrolled Rectifier
Uncontrolled rectifier uses diodes and they generate a fixed output voltage depending only on AC
inputs.
It works with switches and here in this type of rectifier diodes play a important role.
This rectifier cannot be controlled because it is connected in forward biased.
Half Wave Rectifier:
It is easy to construct. Similar to rectifier Half way rectifier is used to convert AC (Alternating Current)
signal into DC (Direct Current) signal by passing through negative or positive half cycle. The only
drawback is it is less efficient by comparing to full-wave rectifier. In simple words Half wave rectifier
produces purely positive by avoiding negative half-cycle on the other hand full wave rectifier
produces purely negative half cycle by changing the direction. The efficiency of half wave rectifier is
40.5% which is considered as lower than full wave rectifier.

Half Wave Rectifier Circuit

Circuit for Half Wave Rectifier is given below:
Full Wave Rectifier
It requires multiple diodes to function and to construct. It is a process of converting AC signal into DC
signal (AC voltage into DC voltage). As we know that electrical circuits which convert AC into Direct
current are called rectifiers. Full wave rectifier rectifies both negative and positive half cycle of input
which is alternating signal. The efficiency of full-wave rectifier is twice than that of half-wave rectifier.
So these rectifiers are maximum used in all electronic devices because it can withstand high voltages
or current with intense power.

Full Wave Rectifier Circuit

Circuit for Full Wave Rectifier is given below:
Bridge Rectifiers
It is an type of full-wave rectifier which uses four diodes to form a close-loop bridge. It conduct in
pairs through each positive and negative half cycle which leads to no power wastage. It is also called
rectified output voltage. Rectifiers are mainly used in power supply, providing DC voltage for
electronic devices to function. It doesn’t require any center tap over the secondary winding of the
transformer .

Here Let us see the working of bridge rectifier the input is fed through transformer to the cross
section of diagonal bridge . Here the transformer is always busy due to power supply to the both cycle
all the time of input AC.

Bridge Rectifiers Circuit

Circuit for Bridge rectifier is given below:
Some Specific Types of Rectifiers
Other than all these discussed types of rectifiers, there are some special types of rectifiers. Some of
these are:

Mercury Arc Rectifier

Selenium Rectifier
Precision Rectifiers
Let’s discuss these types in detail as follows.

Mercury Arc Rectifier

It is used to convert AC power into DC power and it is used in the earlier stages which is before the
invention of solid state devices called thyristors. It is used to handle powers of hundred of kilowatts. It
consists of evacuated glass vessel with a pool of mercury at the bottom acting as a cathode and at the
top is an anode. Here the operation will occur due to mercury vapor discharge in a sealed tube to
create an electrical barrier that allows current to flow in only one direction. It is widely used in
industry and military applications.

Selenium Rectifier
It is a type of rectifier which is invented in 1933 that uses selenium which is an chemical element acts
as an semiconductor for electrical conductivity. it is used for power supplies for power equipment and
in high-current battery charger applications until they were superseded by silicon diode rectifiers.
They were made up of stacks of aluminium or steel plates coated with about 1 μm of bismuth or
nickel. it is about same size as a copper oxide rectifier.

Precision Rectifiers
It is an type of rectifier obtained with Op-amp in order to have a circuit functions like an ideal diode
and rectifier. It is highly used for high-precision signal processing. It conducts perfectly when it is
forward-biased , without any forward voltage drop and it blocks when reverse bias occurs.

Advantages of Rectifiers
Main advantages of rectifiers are:

Converts AC to DC power for electronic devices.

Essential for battery charging in devices and electric vehicles.
Used in industrial processes like electroplating and welding.
Enables efficient HVDC power transmission over long distances.
Provides controlled and stable DC power for precision applications.
Integral in renewable energy systems for converting variable AC to DC.
Facilitates signal processing by converting AC signals to rectified signals.
Contributes to energy efficiency in power conversion processes.
Cost-effective and reliable for a wide range of applications.

Disadvantages of Rectifiers
Key disadvantages of rectifiers are:

Generates harmonics and electrical noise during the conversion process.

May require additional filtering components to reduce output ripple.
Limited in handling high power levels compared to some alternative technologies.
Efficiency can decrease at partial loads or when operating away from design conditions.
High initial costs for certain types of rectifiers and associated equipment.
Some rectifiers may have a relatively lower power factor, leading to poor power quality.
Maintenance may be required, especially in heavy industrial applications.
Possibility of heat generation, requiring cooling mechanisms in high-power rectifiers.
Incompatible with AC-powered devices, necessitating additional conversion for certain applications.
Environmental concerns, as certain types of rectifiers may contain hazardous materials.

Applications of Rectifiers
Some of the key application of rectifiers are:

It is used for powering appliances as we know all electrical appliances use a DC power supply to
function. By using rectifier in power supply and systems it helps in conversion of AC to DC.
It is used to soldering and modulation as it is used in mosquito repellent to power the lead for the
fumes.
Voltage multiplier – As said earlier that rectifiers are used for power conversion such as AC power to
DC power and so on same as they are used to convert AC to DC voltage for electronic appliances such
as microwave ovens and so on.
Used in Transformers to obtain desired voltage by using rectifier in combination with a step-down or
step-up transformer.
For Radio appliances rectifiers acts as an detectors because the output consists of an audio signals.
For examples Modulation, Demodulation and power supplies.