Rectifier Meters

Binoy B Nair
Textbook sections
• Electronic Instrumentation and Measurements, 2nd edition: Section
3.5-Rectifier voltmeter, 3.6-Rectifier Ammeter
Half-Wave Rectifier Voltmeter

 In order to measure the alternating current with the d’Arsonval meter movement, we
must rectify the alternating current by use of diode rectifier .
 Figure is the DC voltmeter circuit modified to measure AC voltage.
 The forward diode, assumed to be ideal diode, has no effect on the operation of the
circuit (but actually in practice, causes a voltage drop of 0.7 V)
 For example if the 10 V sine-wave input is fed as the source of the circuit, the voltage
across the meter movement is just the positive half-cycle of the sine wave due to the
rectifying effect of the diode.

Figure : DC Voltmeter Circuit Modified to Measure AC Voltage.

 Cont’d…
 The peak value of 10 V rms sine wave is,
Ep
Eave   Edc  0.318 * E p
E p  10Vrms *1.414  14.14V peak 
or
Ep 2 Erms
Eave    0.45 * Erms
 

 If the output voltage from the half-wave rectifier is 10V only, a dc voltmeter will
provide an indication of approximately 4.5 V.
E 0.45 Erms
Rs  dc  Rm   Rm
I dc I dc
 From the above equation, Sensitivity Sac is: S ac  0.45S dc
 Example-Half-Wave Rectifier Voltmeter

Q. Compute the value of the multiplier resistor for a 10 Vrms ac range on the voltmeter shown in Figure .

Figure : AC Voltmeter Using Half-Wave Rectification.

Solution:
Find the sensitivity for a half wave
rectifier.

1
S ac  0.45S dc  0.45 *  450 / V
I fs
Rs  S ac * Rangeac  Rm
 450 / V *10V  300  4.2 K
 Half-Wave Rectifier Voltmeter

 Commercially produced ac voltmeters that use half-wave rectification have an additional diode and shunt
as shown in Figure , which is called instrument rectifier.

Figure: Half-Wave Rectification Using an Instrument Rectifier and a Shunt Resistor.

Full-Wave Rectifier Voltmeter

 The full-wave rectifier provide higher sensitivity rating compare to the half-wave rectifier.
 Bridge type rectifier is the most commonly used, Figure.

Figure : Full Wave Bridge Rectifier Used in AC Voltmeter Circuit.

 Cont’d…

 Operation:
(a) During the positive half cycle (red arrow), currents flows through diode D2, through
the meter movement from positive to negative, and through diode D3.
- The polarities in circles on the transformer secondary are for the positive half cycle.
- Since current flows through the meter movement on both half cycles, we can expect
the deflection of the pointer to be greater than with the half wave cycle.
- If the deflection remains the same, the instrument using full wave rectification will
have a greater sensitivity.
(b) Vice-versa for the negative half cycle (blue arrow).
 Cont’d…
 From the circuit in previous Figure, the peak value of the 10 Vrms signal with the half-
wave rectifier is,

E p  1.414 * E rms  14.14V peak

 The average dc value of the pulsating sine wave is,

E ave  0.636 E p  9V

 Or can be compute as,

Eave  0.9 * Erms  0.9 *10V  9V

 The AC voltmeter using full-wave rectification has a sensitivity equal to 90% of the dc
sensitivity or twice the sensitivity using half-wave rectification.
S ac  0.9 * S dc
 Example: Full-Wave Rectifier Voltmeter

Q. Each diode in the full-wave rectifier circuit in Figure below has an average forward bias resistance
of 50 Ohm and is assumed to have an infinite resistance in the reverse direction. Calculate,
(a) The multiplier Rs.
(b) The AC sensitivity.
(c) The equivalent DC sensitivity.

Solution: Figure : AC Voltmeter Using Full-Wave Rectification and Shunt.

(a) Calculate the current shunt E m 1mA * 500

I sh    1mA
and total current, Rsh 500
and
I T  I sh  I m  1mA  1mA  2mA
 Cont’d…Example
(a) The equivalent DC voltage is, E dc  0.9 *10Vrms  0.9 * 10V  9.0V
E dc 9.0V
RT    4.5 K
IT 2mA

Rm Rsh
Rs  RT  2 Rd 
Rm  Rsh
500 * 500
 4500  2 * 50   4.15K
500  500
RT 4500
S ac    450 / V
(b) The ac sensitivity, Range 10V
S ac 1
S dc    500 / V
IT 2mA
or
(c.) The dc sensitivity, S ac 450 / V
S dc    500 / V
0. 9 0.9
 Rectifier Type Ammeter.

AC Current Full wave PMMC

Input Transformer Bridge rectifier Instrument

Basic block diagram of rectifier type ammeter for AC current measurement .

6
 Rectifier type Ammeter

• Rectifier type instruments generally used a PMMC movement in

combination with some Rectifier arrangement.
• Moving coil meter connected across the secondary of a current
transformer.
• The rectifier converts ac to dc and the dc current is passed through
ammeter for measurement.
 Rectifier type Ammeter
• An ac ammeter must have a very low resistance because it is always
connected in series with the circuit in which current is to be measured.

• The low resistance requirement means that the voltage drop across the
ammeter must be very small, not greater than 100mv.

• The use of current Transformer gives ammeter a low terminal Resistance

and low voltage drop.

• The Transformer steps up the input voltage (more secondary turns than
primary turns) to provide sufficient voltage to operate the Rectifiers.
 Rectifier type Ammeter
• The Transformer also used to steps down the primary current to a
level suitable for measurement by a PMMC meter.

• As the Transformer is used in an Ammeter circuit the current

transformation ratio Ip/Is=Ns/Npis very important.
 Rectifier type Ammeter…

Rectifier type Ammeter circuit with

current Transformer, full wave
rectifier and PMMC instrument.
 Rectifier type Ammeter…
• A load resistor RLis connected across the secondary winding of the
Transformer.
• This is selected to take the portion of secondary current not required by the
meter.
• The range of the instrument can be changed by switching-in
different valves of load resistance.
• Another method of range changing involves the use of additional
terminals (or taps) on the primary winding to alter the number of primary
turns, as shown in Fig
In some instruments bridge rectifier is used in place of full wave rectifier.
 Construction of Rectifier typeAmmeter

Alternating current is generally expressed in RMS values hence the

Rectifier type Ammeter is calibrated in terms of RMS values.

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