A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits

HANDOUT # 04
Rectifiers
Need of Rectification, Half-Wave Rectifier, Analysis

Learning Outcomes:
After completing this session, the student will be able to
 Interpret the need of rectifier in regulated power supply
 Illustrate the operation of half-wave rectifier with its input and output waveforms
 Analyze the characteristics of half-wave rectifier
Introduction:
 For the operation of most of the electronic devices and circuits, a DC source is required. So it is
advantageous to convert domestic AC supply into DC voltages.
 The process of converting AC voltage (bidirectional signal) into pulsating DC voltage (unidirectional
signal) is called as rectification. This is achieved with i) Step-down transformer, ii) Rectifier,
iii) Filter and iv) Voltage regulator circuits.
 The elements constitute DC regulated power supply shown in the figure below.

Fig. Block Diagram of Regulated D.C. Power Supply

Types of Rectifiers
 An ideal regulated power supply is an electronic circuit designed to provide a predetermined DC
voltage (VDC) which is independent of the load current and variations in the input voltage and
temperature.
 Using one or more diodes in the circuit, following rectifier circuits can be designed as
 Half Wave Rectifier
 Full Wave Rectifier
 Bridge Rectifier
Half-Wave Rectifier:
 A half-wave rectifier is the one which converts AC voltage into a pulsating DC voltage using only
one half cycle of the applied AC voltage.
 The basic half-wave diode rectifier circuit along with its input and output waveforms is shown in
figure below.

Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 1|Page

 A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits
HANDOUT # 04
Operation:
For the positive half-cycle of input a.c. voltage, the diode D is forward biased and hence it
conducts. Now a current flows in the circuit and there is a voltage drop across R L. The waveform of the
diode current (or) load current is shown in figure.

For the negative half-cycle of input, the diode D is reverse biased and hence it does not conduct.
Now no current flows in the circuit i.e., i=0 and Vo=0. Thus for the negative half-cycle no power is
delivered to the load.

The input and output waveforms are shown in figure below

Analysis
 In the analysis of a HWR, the following parameters are to be analyzed.
 DC or Average output/load current, IDC or IAV
 DC or Average output voltage, VDC
 RMS or AC output/load current, IRMS or IAC
 RMS or AC output voltage, VRMS or VAC
 Rectifier Efficiency, 
 Ripple factor, 
 Transformer Utilization Factor (TUF)
 Form Factor, F
 Peak Factor, P

 Let a sinusoidal voltage vi be applied to the input of the rectifier. Then vi  Vm sin( wt ) , where Vm is
the maximum value of the sinusoidal voltage.

Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 2|Page

 A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits
HANDOUT # 04
 Let the diode be idealized to piecewise-linear approximation with resistance R f in the forward
direction i.e., in the ON state and Rr (=∞) in the reverse direction i.e., in the OFF state.
 Now the current i in the diode (or) in the load resistance RL is given by
 I sin( wt ) for 0  wt   Vm
i m Where I m 
0 for   wt  2 R f  RL
1) DC or Average output/load current, IDC or IAV
The average dc current Idc is given by
2
1
i d (t )
2 0
I  dc

 2
1  
  I m sin t d (t )   0  d (t )
2   
0 
1  I ( cos t ) 

2  m 0 
1  I ( cos t ) 

2  m 0 
1
  I m (1  (1))
2  

 Im

 0.318 I m

2) DC or Average output voltage, VDC or VAV

The average DC voltage is given by

Im  R Vm RL
Vdc  I dc  RL  
 L
  R f  RL 
Vm
If RL  R f then Vdc   0.318 Vm


3) RMS or AC output/load current, IRMS or IAC:

The value of the R.M.S. current is given by
1
2
 1 2
I rms 
 2
0 i 2 d (t )

1
 2
 1 1 2
 0 I
2
sin 2
t.d (t )   0 d (t ) 
 2
m
2
 

 
1
2 
I 1  cos t 
  m   2
 d (t ) 
 2 0  2  

Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 3|Page

 A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits
HANDOUT # 04
1
 2
 I2  1  
 m  ( t )  sin  t  
 4  2 0 
1
2
sin 2
  I m 
  0 
 2
 sin 0 
 4  2 
1
I 2 2
Im
  m  
 4 2
4) RMS or AC output voltage, VRMS or VAC
R.M.S. voltage across the load is given by
Vm RL Vm Vm
Vrms  I rms  RL   ; If RL  R f then Vrms 

2 R f  RL   R  2
2 1  f 
 RL 
5) Rectifier Efficiency, 
The rectifier efficiency is defined as the ratio of DC output power to the AC input power i.e.,
Pdc

Pac
I 2 RL
Pdc  I RL 
2 m
dc
2
I2
Pac  I  RL  R f    RL  R f 
2 m
rms
4
I R 4  RL 
2
P 4
  dc  m 2 L  2  2 
Pac  I m  RL  R f    RL  R f 
4 1 0.406
   
 2
 Rf  Rf
1  R  1
 L 
RL
40.6
%   R
1 f
RL
Rf
Theoretically the maximum value of rectifier efficiency of a half-wave rectifier is 40.6% when 0
RL
6) Ripple Factor, 
The ripple factor  is given by
2 2
 I rms   Vrms 
  I  1 OR   V  1
 dc   dc 

  1
2 2
 Im / 2  
    1     1.21
 Im /   2

Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 4|Page

 A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits
HANDOUT # 04
7) Transformer Utilization Factor, TUF
 The DC power to be delivered to the load in a rectifier circuit decides the rating of the transformer
used in the circuit. So, transformer utilization factor is defined as
Pdc
TUF 
Pac (rated )
 The factor which indicates the utilization of the transformer in the process of rectification is called
Transformer Utilization Factor (TUF).
2
 The DC power delivered to the load is Pdc  I 2 RL   I m  RL
dc  
 The AC power rating of the transformer is Pac ( rated )  Vrms I rms
Vm
 The secondary voltage is purely sinusoidal hence its rms value is Vrms  while the current is
2
Im
half sinusoidal hence its rms value is I rms  .
2
Vm I Vm I m
 Pac( rated )   m

2 2 2 2
2
Pdc I  2 2 I2 R 2 2
TUF    m  RL   m 2 L 2  0.287
Pac ( rated )   Vm I m   I m  RL
 The value of TUF is low which shows that in half-wave circuit, the transformer is not fully
utilized.
 If the transformer rating is 1 KVA (1000VA) then the half-wave rectifier can deliver
1000 X 0.287 = 287Watt to resistance load.

8) Regulation
 The variation of DC output voltage as a function of DC load current is called regulation.
 The variation of Vdc with Idc for a half-wave rectifier is obtained as follows:
Im Vm
I dc   But Vdc  I dc RL
   R f  RL 

Vm  RL  Vm  Rf 
Vdc     1  
  R f  RL    R f  RL 
V
Vdc  m  I dc R f

9) Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV):
It is defined as the maximum reverse voltage that a diode can withstand without destroying the
junction. The peak inverse voltage across a diode is the peak of the negative half-cycle. For half-wave
rectifier, PIV is Vm.

Writing KVL to the loop: Vm  PIV  0  PIV  Vm

Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 5|Page
 A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits
HANDOUT # 04
10) Form factor (F):
The Form Factor F is defined as

rms value I /2
F   m  F  1.57
average value I m / 

11) Peak Factor (P):

The peak factor P is defined as

Peak Value V
P = m  P=2
rms value Vm / 2

Disadvantages of Half wave Rectifier:

1. The ripple factor is high.
2. The efficiency is low.
3. The Transformer Utilization factor is low.

Example 1.1
A diode whose internal resistance is 20Ω is to supply power to a 100Ω load from 110V(rms) source
power supply. Calculate (a) peak load current (b) the dc load current (c) the ac load current (d) the
percentage regulation from no load to full load.
Solution:
Given a half-wave rectifier circuit R f  20, RL  100
Given an ac source with rms voltage of 110V, therefore the maximum amplitude of
sinusoidal input is given by
Vm  2  Vrms  2 110  155.56 V
Vm 155.56
(a) Peak load current : Im    1.29 A
R f  RL 120
Im 1.29
(b) The dc load current : I dc    0.41 A
 
Im
(c) The ac load current : I rms   0.645 A
2
V 155.56
(d) No load voltage : Vno load  m  49.51V
 
Vm
Full load voltage : V full load   I dc R f  49.51  0.41 20  41.26 V

Vno load  V full load 49.51  41.26
% Re gulation   100   100  19.97%
V full load 41.26

Dr. Rajendar Sandiri, Mr. Nagarjuna Malladhi,– ECE, VCEH 6|Page

 A8403 – Electronic Devices and Circuits
HANDOUT # 04
Analysis Problems
1. An a.c. supply of 230V is applied to a half-wave rectifier circuit through transformer of turns ration
5:1. Assume the diode is an ideal one. The load resistance is 300Ω. Find (a) dc output voltage (b)
PIV (c) maximum, and (d) average values of power delivered to the load.
 Ans :Vdc  20.7 V , PIV  65V , Maximum Power  14.1W , Average Power  1.43W 
2. a. Sketch the output V0 and determine the dc level of the output for the network of Figure below
b. Repeat part (a) if the ideal diode is replaced by a silicon diode
c. Repeat parts (a) and (b) if Vm is increased to 200V. `

Previous GATE Questions:

1. The figure shows a half wave rectifier circuit with input voltage V(t) = 10 sin (100Πt) assuming
ideal diode characteristics with zero forward voltage drop and zero reverse current, the average
power consumed in watts by the load resistance RL, is ______ W.

 Ans :0.25W 
References:
1. Robert L. Boylestad and Louis Nashelsky: Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory; PHI, 11e, 2013.
2. Thomas L. Floyd David L. Buchla, Electronics Fundamentals - Circuits, Devices and Applications;
Pearson Education Limited, 8e, 2014.
3. James M. Fiore, Semiconductor Devices: Theory and Application, an open educational resource
(OER), Version 1.1.1, 12 May 2019.

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