4. .A rectifier is an electrical device that
converts the alternating current (AC) , which
periodically reverses direction, into the direct
current (DC) , which flows only in one
direction. This 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, silicon-controlled
rectifiers and other silicon-based
semiconductor switches.
5. .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.
6.
7.
8. T h e h a l f - w a v e r e c t i f i e r c i r c u i t u s i n g a s e m i c o n d u c t o r d i o d e
( D ) w i t h a l o a d r e s i s t a n c e R L . T h e d i o d e i s c o n n e c t e d i n
s e r i e s w i t h t h e s e c o n d a r y o f t h e t r a n s f o r m e r a n d t h e l o a d
r e s i s t a n c e R L . T h e p r i m a r y o f t h e t r a n s f o r m e r i s b e i n g
c o n n e c t e d t o t h e a c s u p p l y m a i n s .
T h e a c v o l t a g e a c r o s s t h e s e c o n d a r y w i n d i n g c h a n g e s
p o l a r i t i e s a f t e r e v e r y h a l f c y c l e o f i n p u t w a v e . D u r i n g t h e
p o s i t i v e h a l f - c y c l e s o f t h e i n p u t a c v o l t a g e i . e .
W h e n u p p e r e n d o f t h e s e c o n d a r y w i n d i n g i s p o s i t i v e w . r . t I t s
l o w e r e n d , t h e d i o d e i s f o r w a r d b i a s e d a n d t h e r e f o r e c o n d u c t s
c u r r e n t . I f t h e f o r w a r d r e s i s t a n c e o f t h e d i o d e i s a s s u m e d t o
b e z e r o ( i n p r a c t i c e , h o w e v e r , a s m a l l r e s i s t a n c e e x i s t s ) t h e
i n p u t v o l t a g e d u r i n g t h e p o s i t i v e h a l f - c y c l e s i s d i r e c t l y
a p p l i e d t o t h e l o a d r e s i s t a n c e R L , m a k i n g i t s u p p e r e n d
p o s i t i v e w . r . t . I t s l o w e r e n d . T h e w a v e f o r m s o f t h e o u t p u t
c u r r e n t a n d o u t p u t v o l t a g e a r e o f t h e s a m e s h a p e a s t h a t o f
t h e i n p u t a c v o l t a g e .
D u r i n g t h e n e g a t i v e h a l f c y c l e s o f t h e i n p u t a c
v o l t a g e i . e . W h e n t h e l o w e r e n d o f t h e s e c o n d a r y w i n d i n g i s
p o s i t i v e w . r . t . I t s u p p e r e n d , t h e d i o d e i s r e v e r s e b i a s e d a n d
s o d o e s n o t c o n d u c t . T h u s d u r i n g t h e n e g a t i v e h a l f c y c l e s o f
t h e i n p u t a c v o l t a g e , t h e c u r r e n t t h r o u g h a n d v o l t a g e a c r o s s
t h e l o a d r e m a i n s z e r o . T h e r e v e r s e c u r r e n t , b e i n g v e r y s m a l l
i n m a g n i t u d e , i s n e g l e c t e d . T h u s f o r t h e n e g a t i v e h a l f c y c l e s
n o p o w e r i s d e l i v e r e d t o t h e l o a d .
T h u s t h e o u t p u t v o l t a g e ( V L ) d e v e l o p e d a c r o s s l o a d
W o r k i n g o f a h a l f w a v e r e c t i f i e r