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Basic Electronics
Course Code: ECE 422
Rectifiers
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Objectives
After this lesson, the students should be able to:
• Explain and analyze the operation of half-wave rectifiers
• Discuss half-wave rectification
• Explain and analyze the operation of full-wave rectifiers
• Describe how a center-tapped full-wave rectifier works
• Describe how a bridge full-wave rectifier works
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Half-wave rectifier circuit
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Half-wave rectifier operation
The process of removing one-half the
input signal to establish a dc level is
called half-wave rectification.
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Average Value of the Half-Wave Output
Voltage
• The average value of the half-wave rectified output voltage is the value
you would measure on a dc voltmeter.
Mathematically,
where:
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Example 1:
What is the average value of half-wave rectified voltage in the figure
shown?
Note: VAVG is 31.8% of Vp.
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Effect of the Barrier Potential on the Half-Wave
Rectifier Output
• The effect of the barrier potential on the half-wave rectified output
voltage is to reduce the peak value of the input by about 0.7 V
• It is usually acceptable to use the ideal diode model, which neglects the
effect of the barrier potential, when the peak value of the applied voltage
is much greater than the barrier potential (at least 10 V, as a rule of
thumb).
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Effect of the Barrier Potential on the Half-Wave
Rectifier Output
Vo = Vin - 0.7
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Example 2
Draw the output voltage of the
rectifier shown in the figure.
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Try to Solve
Sketch the output Vo and determine
the dc level for the network shown.
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Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV)
• The peak inverse voltage (PIV) equals the peak
value of the input voltage, and the diode must
be capable of withstanding at least this amount
of repetitive reverse voltage.
• A diode should be rated at least 20% higher
than the PIV
• In this circuit, the PIV occurs at the
• The PIV occurs at the peak of each half-cycle peak of each negative half-cycle
of the input voltage when the diode is
reverse-biased.
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Transformer Coupling
• A transformer is often used to couple the ac input voltage from the source
to the rectifier as shown in the figure.
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Transformer Coupling
Advantages of transformer coupling:
1. It allows the source voltage to be stepped up or down as needed.
2. The ac source is electrically isolated from the rectifier, thus avoiding a
shock hazard in the secondary circuit for lower voltages.
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Transformer Coupling
• The amount that the voltage is stepped up or down is determined by the
turns ratio of the transformer.
• a transformer with a turns ratio less than 1 is a step-down type and one with a
turns ratio greater than 1 is a step-up type.
• The secondary voltage of a transformer equals the turns ratio, n, times the
primary voltage.
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Transformer Coupling
The peak secondary voltage, Vp(sec), in a
transformer-coupled half-wave rectifier is
the same as Vp(in)
in terms of Vp(sec) is
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Example 3
Determine the peak value of the output
voltage if the turns ratio is 0.5.
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Full-wave rectifiers
A full-wave rectifier allows unidirectional (one-way) current through the load
during the entire 360 of the input cycle, whereas a half-wave rectifier allows
current through the load only during one-half of the cycle.
Average value can be measured using the formula:
VAVG is approximately 63.7% of Vp for a full-wave rectified voltage.
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Full-wave rectifiers
A center-tapped rectifier is a type of full-wave rectifier that uses two diodes
connected to the secondary of a center-tapped transformer.
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Full-wave rectifiers operation
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Example:
a. Show the voltage waveforms across each half
of the secondary winding and across RL when
a 100 V peak sine wave is applied to the
primary winding as shown.
b. Assuming a 20% margin, what minimum PIV
rating must the diodes have?
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Bridge Full-wave rectifier operation
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Bridge Full-wave rectifier operation
If silicon rather than ideal diodes are employed as shown:
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Example
Determine the peak output voltage for the bridge rectifier in Figure shown.
Assuming the practical model, what PIV rating is required for the diodes? The
transformer is specified to have a 12V rms secondary voltage for the
standard 120 V across the primary.
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Summary
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Summary
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Summary
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END of Presentation
