RECTIFIER (FWR)

5. FULL WAVE
circuits for full wave rectification.
There are two

full wave rectifier

() Central tap
(i) Bridge rectifier.

Central tap full wave rectifier

)
Principle
It is based on the principle that in junction diode the current flows only if it is forward
biased and negligible current flows if it 1s reverse biased. The two diodes are connected in such a
one gets forward biased, the
way that when
other gets reverse biased so output is obtained
during both the half cycles of a.c. input.
Circuit arrangement -V
The basic circuit for full wave central a.C.
a.c. Input

tap rectifier using

two p-n junction diodes 0-wwwww.lo
.----RL
D and D are as shown in the figure 4.05.1.
A transformer T with a central tap O is used
so that each diode uses one half-cycle of
S
input a.c. voltage, d.c. output is obtained
Fig. 4.05.1. Full wave rectifier.
across RL
Theory
During positive half of input a.c. (say) diode D, is forward biased and diode D, is reverse biased.

AAA
ac
Input T
Voltage

Voltage
Across
T
D

Voltage
Across
D2 T

dc
Output T
Voltage

Fig.2. FWR, input and output voltage waveforms.

 current which flows the
not. The conventional
So, diode D, conducts while diode D, does
the diode D, load resistance R and upper half of secondary
binding is shown by full arrow s. throug
half of input diode D, is reverse biased and diode D, is forward hi.
During negative a.c.,
current which flows thronoi
So, diode D, conducts while diode D, does not. The conventional
diode D, load resistance Ri and lower half of secondary binding is shown by dotted arrows through the
We find that whether diode D, conducts or D, conducts, the direction of current along load h
Is always same. The wave form of input and output voltage is as shown in figure 4.05.2. R

Disadvantages
() Itis difficult to locate the centre tap on the secondary binding.
(t) Due to centre tap each diode can use only one half of the transformer secondary voltao.
(i) Peak inverse voltage is shared by one diode. So this rectifier cannot be used for highvoltapesItage.
) Bridge Rectifier
ages.
Bridge rectifier is the most widely used of all the rectifiers. It is a full wave rectifier and does
not require centre tapped transformer. does
Circuit arrangement
It consists of four diodes
D
D,, D, andD, which are connected to form a bridge as shown in
Fig. 4.05.3. The a.c. supply to be rectified is
applied to the diagonally opposite ends of the bridoe
through transformer and the load resistance R is connected between the other two ends the
the
of bridge

D,
D2
a.c.
-Vo9
Input R
www ----
Ds D4

B
Fig. 4.05.3. Bridge rectifier circuit.
Theory
During positive half of input a.c. the point A is
D areforward biased and conduct, while positive and B is negative. The diode and
two diodes are in series through the load D,
and D are reverse biased and do not conduct.D,These
full arrows. R; and the direction of conventional current is
showndy
During negative half of input a.c., the point B is
D are forward biased and conduct, while and positive and A is negative. The diodes D, an
D, D are reverse
two diodes are in series
through the load R; and the direction of biased and do not conduct. These
dotted arrows. conventional current is shown y
We find that whether diodes
in both the half cycles
D, and D, conduct or D and DA conduct, the
along the load R is always from D to C. The direction of curre
voltage is as shown in Fig. 4.05.4. waveform of input and oupu
 ac
Input OF T
Voltage

Voltage
Across
D2 and Dg3

Voltage
Across T
D, and D4

dc
output
voltage YYYYYYYY.
Fig. 4.05.4. Bridge rectifier, input and output voltage waveforms.
Advantages
1.Centre tapped transformer is not required.
2.The full voltage of secondary is applied across the two conducting diode. So the output is
twice that of the centre-tap circuit for the same secondary voltage.
3.The peak inverse voltage is half that of conventional centre tap rectifier.
Disadvantages
1.It is un-economical, as it requires four diodes.
2.Since during each half cycle of a.c., input, two diodes that conduct are in series. So, voltage
drop across the internal resistance of the diodes is double of the value in the centre tap circuit and
thus, the efficiency of the bridge rectifier is very low.
The performance of rectifier is observed by knowing the certain quantities.
(1) Average value of d.c. : In full wave rectifier the d.c output or d.e value of load
current is given by
(T/2 T
L = ID,dt+Ip,dt|
eTo T/2
T
T/2
sinwtdt +(-Io sinwt)dt
T/2

I sinwt dt
0

8 wt t / 2

de 2 w Jo
 ae 2lo-(-1)+1)
T

L.
do
l 0.636 Io

V a e 2 . 0 . 8 3 Vo
Vde
( Root mean square value of alternating current voltage: In full wave rectifie,
the root mean square value of current is given by
T/2

T/2

sin wt dt + 13sin wt dt
T/2
T/2
P 216 sin wt dt
T 0

21 (1-cos 2wt
2 |dt
T/2 T/2
dt- cos 2wt dt

= HT/2_sin 2wt(T/2
2w

-lsin 2xx-sin2xxo
2w

12
rms

r 0.707 Io

Vrm
Vm =0.707 Vo
(3) APple tactor: The ripple factor of a diode is the measure of fluctuating
of current and it is measure of cODpoo
the purity of d.c output. The ratio of root mean squai
vaue or a.c component of the wave to the average of d.c value of wave is wave called ripple
is callea rippo
factor. i.e.,
rmsvalue of ac component of wave
average of de value of wave

r Vrme
where Lde Vde
Tms root mean square value of a.c through load resistance
Vme root mean square value of alternating voltage across
load resistance
The output current of rectifier i.e., I.. consists of d.c component. i.e., Ide and the
effective value of ripple component i.e.,
rms
ma
aad?+G,m
Tms

meam-Ga
r
Vm-je
lde
2
r m
Lde

For full wave rectifier I = and Iie = 4

r
Io/ -1
216/

r 1.11"-1 =1.2321-1
r y0.2321
r= 0.48

me
V Vde
circuit is good for converting A.C into D.c. The ripple factor
Thus full wave rectifier wave rectifier,
full rectifier is smaller than half
of wave
(PI): n ful wave rectifier, when maximum forward vol tage
(4) Peak inverse voltage is maximumi I.ivoltage
diode D, then current filow throughR mavimo ln case of
is applied across
instant, the voltage across D, will be the
an ideal diode. At this is given by
across diode D,
inverse voltage
peak PIV = I%RL--V%
 PIV =
IR;+ Vo

R VoR,+Vo
PIV =
+RL
PIV R RL+1o
+RL
IfR>R,then PIV = (1+1) Vo = 2Vo
transformer
rectifier is twice the maximunm
inverse voltage in full wave
Thus, the peak to the central tapping.
voltage measured from either end :If is dynamic resistance of diode in forward
to the rectifier R, to the full wave
rectifier is
Power supplied then the power supplied
is load resistance,
bias and R
given by
Pae (m) (R,+R,)
2

1CR +R)
Pac 2
resistance
is obtained across load
The average output power
(6) Average outputpower:
Rie,

Pde T

4lhRL
2
to input power obtained
from
of rectifier: The ratio of output power
(7) Efficiency
is called efficiency of rectifier i.e.,
secondary coil oftransformer

n PPde
R,/T
16(R +Rz)/2

n R
RL
+BL)

n
K
R +RL
x0.812

81.2
-%
n1+R, /BL
IfR>> R, then
n 81.2%
Thus the efficiency of full wave rectifier is twice that of a half wave rectifier.
(8) Voltage regulation: The voltage regulationofrectifier is defined as the variation of
d.c output. Voltage with d.c load current.
In full wave rectifier

2 2oTT
ae V 2Vo
(R +B)
R +RL
or
TaR+ R) = 2V0
1

LR+TaR = 2Vo
2V - IaRg

Vde TaeL
Vde 2Vo

If d e 0 then V = 2Vo
40
TT
As lde increases then Vd. decreases linearly which depends on value of R
c
If R,is negligible then

Vde 2Vo
TT

Thus output voltage is constant and the value of percentage regulation is zero
Vnoload- Vload
i.e., percentage regulation
Vload