26

Rectifier Circuits

A Rectifier is used to convert a signal, which alternate between positive

and negative values (ac), to a signal with a single polarity; either positive
v
polarity or negative polarity. The output, of a rectifier ( o ), may be

considered as the sum of two components; a DC-component

(V dc ) , and an
v
ac-component ( r ) called a "Ripple-Component ":

v o =V dc + v r
If a pure DC-output is required, the ripple component should be very
small. This is possible by using a smoothing circuit as we shall see in the
next sections.
The Ripple Factor (R.F) is usually adopted as a measure of the quality of
a rectifier, defined as follows:

V r (rms )
R . F= ∗100 %
V dc
 27

There are two types of rectifiers; the Half wave Rectifier and the Full
wave Rectifier, as we shall see, in details, in the following sections.
5-1 Half wave Rectifier (Without Smoothing
Capacitor)
v
Fig. 5-1 shows a simple half-wave rectifier where the input signal ( s ) is

sinusoidal having an internal resistance (

R s ) and the output signal ( v o )

appears across the load resistance

RL.

RL
v o =v s
For
v s ≥0 , the diode is short → RL+ Rs

For
v s < 0 , the diode is open → v o =0

Fig. 5-1

V
The DC-component dc , contained in the output, is equal to average
value of the output:
T /2 T /2
1 1 1
V dc = ∫ v o dt ∫ V om sin ωt − V cos wt T / 2
T −T /2 =
T 0 dt = ωT om |0

1 T 2 V om
V dc =− V (cos ω −cos0 )= V =
ωT om 2 2 π om π

To obtain
V r (rms ) v
we draw at first the ripple component r :
v r =v o −V dc
 28

√
T
1
V r (rms )= ∫ v 2 dt
T 0 r

√
T/2 T
1 1
=
V r (rms ) T ∫ ( V om sin ωt−V dc ) dt + ∫ (−V dc )2 dt
2
T T /2
0

√
T/2 T
1 V om 2 1 V om 2
=
V r (rms ) T ∫ ( V om sin ωt−
π
) dt + ∫ (−
T T /2 π
) dt
0

√
T /2
1
V r (rms )
=V om
T
∫ ( sin ωt− 1π )2 dt + 12 1
2
0 π

√
T /2
1
V r (rms )
=V om
T
∫ ( sin 2 ωt + 12 − 2π sin ωt ) dt + 12 1
2
0 π π

√
T /2
1
V r (rms )
=V om
T
∫ ( 12 − 12 cos 2 ωt )+ 1 2
2
−
π
sin ωt ) dt +
1 1
2 π2
0 π

= √ 1 1
( t−
T 2
1
4ω
sin 2ωt )|T0 /2 +
1 1
+
2
2 π 2 πω
cos ωt|T /2
0 ) dt +
1 1
2 π2

V r (rms )
=V om
√ 1 1 1
+
4 2π 2
1 1 1
−2 2 +
π 2π 2
1 1
=V om − 2
4 π √
V om
V r (rms ) π ∗1 .21
¿
Thus, the ripple factor of a half wave rectifier is given by:

V r ( rms) (V om /π )∗1 .21

R . F .= ∗100 % ∗100 %=121 %
V dc ¿
V om /π
5-2 Half wave Rectifier (With Smoothing Capacitors)
For the output signal to be close to a pure DC, a smoothing circuit should
be used in order to reduce the ripple factor to a very small value. The
 29

simplest smoothing circuit is a capacitor connected across the load

resistance as shown in Fig.5-2, with the following condition:

τ >> T, where τ =R L C , and T is the period time of the source signal

Fig. 5-2

V r ( pp ) V r ( pp) V r ( pp ) V om
− ≈− ≈− ≈− →
t 2 −t 1 t 3 −t 1 T τ
T 1
V r ( pp)≈ V om V dc ≈V om− V r ( pp )
τ , 2
v
Since r is almost triangular, the rms-value of the ripple component can
be approximated to
V r ( pp)
V r ( rms )≈
2 √3
V V (rms ) ,
Example 5-2 For the rectifier shown below, determine dc , r
and Ripple Factor.
a) Without smoothing capacitor , b) With smoothing capacitor

Solution:
 30

V sm RL 36 80
V om = = ∗ =8
4 R L+ R s /16 4 80+10
a) Without capacitor :
V om 8 V om
V dc = = =2 .55 V (rms ) π ∗1 .21 =3 . 08 → R . F .=121 %
¿
π π , r
2π
T= =0 . 63 ms τ =R C=80∗390 μ=31. 2 ms
b) With capacitor: ω , L
T 0 . 63 ms
V r ( pp)≈ V om= ∗8=0. 16
τ >> T → τ 31 . 2ms
V r ( pp) 0 .16
V r ( rms )≈ = =0 .047
2 √3 2 √3

1
V dc ≈V om− V r ( pp )=8−0 .08=7 . 96
2 ,
V ( rms) 0 . 047
R . F .= r ∗100 % = ∗100 %=0 . 59 %
V dc 7 . 96
This example shows that the ripple factor is reduced from 121% to
0.59% by using a smoothing capacitor.

5-3 Full wave Bridge Rectifier (Without Smoothing

Capacitor)
v
Fig. 5-3 shows a bridge full-wave rectifier where the input signal ( s ) is

sinusoidal having an internal resistance (

R s ) and the output signal ( v o )

appears across the load resistance

RL.
 31

Fig.5-3
v s ≥0 → D1 , D4 are shorted while
D2 . D3 are open →

RL
v o =v s
i
The output current o flows in the indicated direction → R s+ R L
vs< 0 → D1 , D4 are open while
D2 . D3 are short →
RL
v o =−v s
i
The output current o flows in the same direction →
R s+ R L

V
The DC Component dc , contained in the output, is equal to the average
value of the output:

T T /2
1 2
V dc = ∫ v o dt ∫ V om sin ωt
T 0 =
T 0 dt

2 2 T
V dc =− V cos wt T / 2 =− V (cos ω −cos0 )
ωT om |0 ωT om 2
2 2 V om
V dc =− V om (cos π −cos 0 ) =
2π π

To obtain
V r (rms ) we draw at first the ripple component
v r (Fig.5-2-1

v r =v o −V dc

Fig. 5-2-1

√ √
T T/2
1 2
V r ( rms )= ∫ v 2 dt =
T 0 r T
∫ ( V om sin ωt−V dc )2 dt
0
 32

√
T/2
2 2 V om 2
V r (rms )
=
T
∫ ( V om sin ωt− π
) dt
0

√
T /2
2
V r (rms )
=V om
T
∫ ( sin 2 ωt + 42 − 4π sin ωt ) dt
0 π

√
T /2
2
V r (rms )
=V om
T
∫ ( 12 − 12 cos 2 ωt + 42 dt − 4π sin ωt )dt
0 π

V r (rms ) =V om √ 2 1
( t−
T 2
1
4ω
4
sin 2ωt + 2 t +
π
4
πω
cos ωt )|T0 / 2

V r (rms )
=V om
√ 2 1T 4 T
( + 2 −
8
T 2 2 π 2 πω
)=V om
1 4 8
+ 2− 2 )
2 π π √
V r (rms )
¿ V om
√ 1 4 2 V om
− =
2 π2 π √ π2
8
−1 ¿
2V om
π
∗0 . 48

Thus, the ripple factor of a full wave rectifier is given by:

V r ( rms) (2 V om / π )∗0 . 48
R . F .= ∗100 % ∗100 %=48 %≈50 %
V dc ¿
(2 V om /π )

5-4 Full wave Bridge Rectifier (With Smoothing

Capacitor)
For the output signal to be close to a pure DC, a smoothing circuit should
be used in order to reduce the ripple factor to a very small value. The
simplest smoothing circuit is a capacitor connected across the load
resistance as shown in Fig.5-4, with the following condition:

τ >> T , where τ =R L C , and T is the period time of the source-

signal
 33

Fig. 5-4

V r ( pp ) V ( pp) V ( pp ) V
− ≈− r ≈− r ≈− om →
t 2 −t 1 t 3 −t 1 T /2 τ

T 1
V r ( pp)≈ V V dc ≈V om− V r ( pp )
2 τ om , 2
v
Since r is almost triangular, the rms-value of the ripple component can
be approximated to

V r ( pp)
V r ( rms )≈
2 √3

5-5 Full wave Center Tape Rectifier

Fig. 5-5 shows a center tape full-wave rectifier where the input
v R
signal ( s ) is sinusoidal having an internal resistance ( s ) and the output
v R
signal ( o ) appears across the load resistance L .

Fig. 5-5
 34

Comparing this output with that of the Full wave Bridge Rectifier, we
have:
a) without a smoothing capacitor:

2 V om 2V om
V dc = V r (rms ) = ∗0 . 48
π , π , R . F .≈48 %

b) with a smoothing capacitor:

1 T V r ( pp)
V dc ≈V om− V r ( pp ) V r ( pp)≈ V V r ( rms )≈
2 , 2 τ om , 2 √3

Example 5-3 For the rectifier of Fig. 5-5, if

v s =36 sin 104 t , n=2 ,
R s=160 , R L=80 , find the rectifier DC-output
V dc ,

the rms-ripple voltage

V r (rms ) , and the ripple factor RF

a) Without a smoothing capacitor,

b) With a390 μF− smoothing capacitor across

RL
V sm RL 36 80
V om = = =8
2 n Rs 2∗2 160
+ RL +80
4n2 4∗4
Solution:

a) without a smoothing capacitor:

2 V om 2∗8
V dc = π
=
π
=5. 1 V (rms )=5 . 1∗0 . 48=2. 49
, r → R . F .≈48 %

b) with a smoothing capacitor:

2π
T= =0 . 63 ms
10 4 ,
τ =R L∗C=80∗390 μ=31 . 2ms
 35

T 0. 63 m
V r ( pp)≈ V om = ∗8=0. 08
τ >> T → 2τ 2∗31. 2 m
V r ( pp) 0 . 08
V r ( rms )≈ = =0 . 023
2 √3 2 √3

1
V dc ≈V om− V r ( pp )=8−0 .04=7 . 96
2
V r ( rms) 0 . 023
R . F .= ∗100 %= ∗100 %=0 . 29 %
V dc 7 . 96
This example shows that the ripple factor could be reduced to a very
small value using a smoothing capacitor.
5-6 Problems
5-6-1 For the rectifier shown in Fig. 5-6-1, determine dc , r
V
, and
V (rms )
the ripple factor
a) without smoothing capacitor b) with smoothing capacitor

Fig.5-6-1

5-6-2 For the rectifier shown in Fig. 5-6-2, determine the output DC
V
Component dc , the rms-value of the ripple component r ,
V (rms )
and the Ripple Factor.
a) Without a smoothing capacitor , b) With a smoothing capacitor

Fig. 5-6-2

5-6-3 For the rectifier shown in Fig. 5-6-3, determine the output- DC-
V
Component dc , rms-value of the ripple component r ,
V (rms )
and Ripple Factor.
a)Without a smoothing capacitor , b)With a smoothing capacitor
 36

Fig. 5-6-3

5-6-4 For the rectifier of Fig. 5-6-4, specify the turns ratio n and the
CapacitanceC , which makes the voltage, across the100 Ω load
resistance, equal to 30V-DC with a ripple factor of 2 %

Fig. 5-6-4

5-6-5For the of Fig. 5-6-5, find the value of C which makes the decay,

in the output
v o , less than 5mV, from its maximum value, if
R L=100 Ω

Fig. 5-6-5