sources of error in half wave rectifier experiment

Half Wave Rectifier Circuit Diagram & Working Principle

What is a Half Wave Rectifier?

Half wave rectifier theory.

The diagram below illustrates the basic principle of a half-wave rectifier. When a standard AC waveform is passed through a half-wave rectifier, only half of the AC waveform remains. Half-wave rectifiers only allow one half-cycle (positive or negative half-cycle) of the AC voltage through and will block the other half-cycle on the DC side, as seen below.

We’ll now go through the process of how a half-wave rectifier converts an AC voltage to a DC output.

During the positive half-cycle of the AC voltage, the diode becomes forward biased, allowing current to flow through. Conversely, in the negative half-cycle, it is reverse biased, which blocks the current. The resulting DC output waveform from this process is displayed in figure 3.

Half Wave Rectifier Capacitor Filter

Half wave rectifier formula, ripple factor of half wave rectifier, efficiency of half wave rectifier, rms value of half wave rectifier, peak inverse voltage of half wave rectifier, form factor of half wave rectifier, output dc voltage, applications of half wave rectifier, advantages of half wave rectifier, disadvantages of half wave rectifier, 3 phase half wave rectifier, 0 thoughts on “half wave rectifier circuit diagram & working principle”.

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Half Wave Rectification            

Rectification.

Half Wave Rectification

The simplest kind of rectifier circuit is the half-wave rectifier.The half-wave rectifier is a circuit that allows only part of an input signal to pass. The circuit is simply the combination of a single diode in series with a resistor, where the resistor is acting as a load.

Half Wave Rectifiers – Waveforms

The output DC voltage of a half wave rectifier can be calculated with the following two ideal equations.

$$V_{peak}=V_{rms} \times √2$$ $$V_{dc}=\frac{V_{peak}}{Π}$$

Half Wave Rectification:For Positive Half Cycle

Diode is forward biased, acts as a short circuit, passes the waveform through.

For positive half cycle: $$V_I - V_b - I \times r_d - I \times R=0$$ where, V I is the input voltage, V b is barrier potential, r d is diode resistance, I is total current, R is resistance $$I=\frac{V_I - V_b}{r_d + R}$$ $$V_O = I \times R$$ $$V_O =\frac{V_I - V_b}{r_d + R} \times R$$ For r d << R, $$V_O = V_I- V_b$$ V b is 0.3 for Germanium , V b is 0.7 for Silicon

For V I < V b ,

The diode will remain OFF.The Output voltage will be, V O =0 For $$V_I > V_b $$,

The diode will be ON.The Output voltage will be, $$V_O = V_I- V_b$$

Half Wave Rectification:For Negative Half Cycle

Diode is reverse biased, acts as a open circuit, does not pass the waveform through.

For negative half cycle:

$$V_O=0 \quad Since, \quad I =0$$

Half wave Rectification:For an Ideal Diode

For Ideal Diode, V b = 0

For positive half cycle, V O = V I

For negative half cycle, V O = 0

Average output voltage

$$V_O=V_m \times \sin wt \quad for \quad 0 \leq wt \leq \pi$$ $$V_O=0 \quad for \quad \pi \leq wt \leq 2 \pi$$ $$V_{av}=\frac{V_m}{\pi} =0.318V_m$$

RMS load voltage

$$V_{rms}=I_{rms} \times R = \frac {V_m}{2}$$

Average load current

$$I_{av}=\frac{V_{av}}{R} =\frac{\frac{V_m}{\pi}}{R}$$ $$I_{av}=\frac{V_{m}}{\pi \times R}=\frac{I_m}{\pi}$$ RMS load current

$$I_{rms}=\frac {I_m}{2}$$

Form factor: It is defined as the ratio of rms load voltage and average load voltage.

$$F.F= \frac{V_{rms}}{V_{av}}$$ $$F.F= \frac{\frac{V_{m}}{2}}{\frac{V_{av}}{2}}=\frac{\pi}{2}=1.57$$ $$F.F \geq 1$$ $$rms \geq av$$

Ripple Factor

$$\gamma=\sqrt({F.F}^2-1) \times 100\%$$ $$\gamma=\sqrt({1.57}^2-1) \times 100\%=1.21\%$$

Efficiency:It is defined as ratio of dc power available at the load to the input ac power.

$$n \%=\frac{P_{load}}{P_{in}} \times 100 \%$$ $$n \%=\frac{I_{dc}^2 \times R}{I_{rms}^2 \times R}\times 100 \%$$ $$n \%=\frac{\frac {I_{m}^2}{\pi^2}}{\frac{I_{m}^2}{4}}\times 100 \%=\frac{4}{\pi^2}\times 100 \% =40.56 \%$$

Peak Inverse Volatge

For rectifier applications, peak inverse voltage (PIV) or peak reverse voltage (PRV) is the maximum value of reverse voltage which occurs at the peak of the input cycle when the diode is reverse-biased.The portion of the sinusoidal waveform which repeats or duplicates itself is known as the cycle. The part of the cycle above the horizontal axis is called the positive half-cycle, the part of the cycle below the horizontal axis is called the negative half cycle. With reference to the amplitude of the cycle, the peak inverse voltage is specified as the maximum negative value of the sine-wave within a cycle's negative half cycle.

$$ PIV=V$$ $$ -V_m +V=0 \Rightarrow V=V_m$$ $$PIV \geq V_m$$

Oscilloscope Tutorial

An oscilloscope displays a voltage waveform versus time and has the following components:

• a screen to display a waveform,
• input jacks for connecting the signal to be displayed,
• dials to control how the signal will be displayed.

The screen is cathode ray tube found in most television sets where the face of the screen is divided up into a 2 dimensional grid (or axes or scale); In this experiment we consider 8x10 grid. The vertical grid is divided up into 8 (major) divisions and the horizontal grid is divided into 10 major divisions. To improve the precision, each of these divisions is further broken up into 5 minor divisions. The horizontal axis (X-axis) represents time and the vertical axis (Y-axis) represents voltage. The scope displays (also called a signal trace or trace) the input signal voltage along the vertical (or Y-axis) while an internally generated signal (called the horizontal sweep or sweep signal) is simultaneously produced along the X-axis creating a 2- dimensional time trace of the input signal.

volts/div- This control lets you change how many volts are represented by each vertical increment of grid (vertical axis) on the screen. Basically, it allows you to zoom in and out along the y axis.

time/div- This control lets you change how much time is represented by each horizontal increment of the grid overlay on the screen. It allows you to zoom in and out along the x axis.

If volt/div is set to 1 volt which implies each mazor vertical division is 1 volt where as each minor vertical division is 0.2 volt. And time/div is set to 0.1ms/div which implies each maor horiontal division is 0.1ms. Voltage on the vertical scale is 1 volt/div multiply by (number of division). Time on the horizontalscale is 0.1msec multiply by (number of division). In the figure 9, 1 volt/div and amplitude of the input signal is 1 volt. Here 0.1mses/div, the frequency is 1 kHz and its period is 1 complete cycle in 1m sec.

In the figure 10, if volt/div is set to 2volt/div, which implies each mazor division is 2 volt where as each minor division is 0.5volt.

Note: If you set the Volts/Div too low, you’ll clip the signal. Similarly, setting it too high, and you’ll won’t find the signal, i.e. the signal will b flat. ncreasing the Timebase will display more cycles of a periodic signal. Conversely, reducing the Timebase, fewer cycles will be displayed.

Virtual Oscilloscope Tutorial : Oscilloscope Tutorial

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Experiment to Study Half Wave and Full Wave Rectifier

To Study half wave and full wave rectifier.

Objectives:

• To understand the basic concept of diodes and rectifiers.
• To study the types of rectifiers.
• Perform the experiment on the trainer kit
• Observe the waveforms of half wave and full wave rectifier.
• Find percentage of regulation.

Components and equipments required: Rectifiers trainer, CRO, multimeter, set of patching wires.

General Instructions: You will plan for Experiment after self study of Theory given below, before entering in the Lab.

Rectifier A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current (AC), which periodically reverses direction, to direct current (DC), which flows in only one direction. The process is known as rectification. Physically, rectifiers take a number of forms, including vacuum tube diodes, mercury-arc valves, solid-state diodes, silicon-controlled rectifiers and other silicon-based semiconductor switches.

Halfwave Rectifier The Half wave rectifier is a circuit, which converts an ac voltage to dc voltage. In the Half wave rectifier circuit shown above the transformer serves two purposes. It can be used to obtain the desired level of dc voltage (using step up or step down transformers). It provides isolation from the power line. The primary of the transformer is connected to ac supply. This induces an ac voltage across the secondary of the transformer. During the positive half cycle of the input voltage the polarity of the voltage across the secondary forward biases the diode. As a result a current IL flows through the load resistor, RL. The forward biased diode offers a very low resistance and hence the voltage drop across it is very small. Thus the voltage appearing across the load is practically the same as the input voltage at every instant.

During the negative half cycle of the input voltage the polarity of the secondary voltage gets reversed. As a result, the diode is reverse biased. Practically no current flows through the circuit and almost no voltage is developed across the resistor. All input voltage appears across the diode itself. Hence we conclude that when the input voltage is going through its positive half cycle, output voltage is almost the same as the input voltage and during the negative half cycle no voltage is available across the load. This explains the unidirectional pulsating dc waveform obtained as output. The process of removing one half the input signal to establish a dc level is aptly called half wave rectification.

The Full Wave Rectifier In the previous Power Diodes tutorial we discussed ways of reducing the ripple or voltage variations on a direct DC voltage by connecting capacitors across the load resistance. While this method may be suitable for low power applications it is unsuitable to applications which need a "steady and smooth" DC supply voltage. One method to improve on this is to use every half-cycle of the input voltage instead of every other half-cycle. The circuit which allows us to do this is called a Full Wave Rectifier.

Like the half wave circuit, a full wave rectifier circuit produces an output voltage or current which is purely DC or has some specified DC component. Full wave rectifiers have some fundamental advantages over their half wave rectifier counterparts. The average (DC) output voltage is higher than for half wave, the output of the full wave rectifier has much less ripple than that of the half wave rectifier producing a smoother output waveform.

In a Full Wave Rectifier circuit two diodes are now used, one for each half of the cycle. A transformer is used whose secondary winding is split equally into two halves with a common centre tapped connection, (C). This configuration results in each diode conducting in turn when its anode terminal is positive with respect to the transformer centre point C producing an output during both half-cycles, twice that for the half wave rectifier so it is 100% efficient as shown below.

The full wave rectifier circuit consists of two power diodes connected to a single load resistance (RL) with each diode taking it in turn to supply current to the load. When point A of the transformer is positive with respect to point C, diode D1 conducts in the forward direction as indicated by the arrows. When point B is positive (in the negative half of the cycle) with respect to point C, diode D2 conducts in the forward direction and the current flowing through resistor R is in the same direction for both half-cycles. As the output voltage across the resistor R is the phasor sum of the two waveforms combined, this type of full wave rectifier circuit is also known as a "bi-phase" circuit.

As the spaces between each half-wave developed by each diode is now being filled in by the other diode the average DC output voltage across the load resistor is now double that of the single half-wave rectifier circuit and is about 0.637Vmax of the peak voltage, assuming no losses.

Where: VMAX is the maximum peak value in one half of the secondary winding and VRMS is the rms value. The peak voltage of the output waveform is the same as before for the half-wave rectifier provided each half of the transformer windings have the same rms voltage value. To obtain a different DC voltage output different transformer ratios can be used. The main disadvantage of this type of full wave rectifier circuit is that a larger transformer for a given power output is required with two separate but identical secondary windings making this type of full wave rectifying circuit costly compared to the "Full Wave Bridge Rectifier" circuit equivalent.

The Full Wave Bridge Rectifier Another type of circuit that produces the same output waveform as the full wave rectifier circuit above, is that of the Full Wave Bridge Rectifier. This type of single phase rectifier uses four individual rectifying diodes connected in a closed loop "bridge" configuration to produce the desired output. The main advantage of this bridge circuit is that it does not require a special centre tapped transformer, thereby reducing its size and cost. The single secondary winding is connected to one side of the diode bridge network and the load to the other side as shown below.

The four diodes labeled D1 to D4 are arranged in "series pairs" with only two diodes conducting current during each half cycle. During the positive half cycle of the supply, diodes D1 and D2 conduct in series while diodes D3 and D4 are reverse biased and the current flows through the load as shown below.

During the negative half cycle of the supply, diodes D3 and D4 conduct in series, but diodes D1 and D2 switch "OFF" as they are now reverse biased. The current flowing through the load is the same direction as before.

As the current flowing through the load is unidirectional, so the voltage developed across the load is also unidirectional the same as for the previous two diode full-wave rectifier, therefore the average DC voltage across the load is 0.637Vmax. However in reality, during each half cycle the current flows through two diodes instead of just one so the amplitude of the output voltage is two voltage drops ( 2 x 0.7 = 1.4V ) less than the input VMAX amplitude. The ripple frequency is now twice the supply frequency (e.g. 100Hz for a 50Hz supply)

Typical Bridge Rectifier Although we can use four individual power diodes to make a full wave bridge rectifier, pre-made bridge rectifier components are available "off-the-shelf" in a range of different voltage and current sizes that can be soldered directly into a PCB circuit board or be connected by spade connectors. The image to the right shows a typical single phase bridge rectifier with one corner cut off. This cut-off corner indicates that the terminal nearest to the corner is the positive or +ve output terminal or lead with the opposite (diagonal) lead being the negative or -ve output lead. The other two connecting leads are for the input alternating voltage from a transformer secondary winding.

Procedure:-

• Make the connections as shown in figure.
• Give input ac supply.
• Observe output waveform across load.

Do and Don’ts to be strictly observed during experiment:

Do (also go through the General Instructions):

• Before making the connection, identify the components leads, terminal or pins before making the connections.
• Before connecting the power supply to the circuit, measure voltage by voltmeter/multimeter.
• Use sufficiently long connecting wires, rather than joining two or three small ones.
• The circuit should be switched off before changing any connection.
• Avoid loose connections and short circuits on the bread board.
• Do not exceed the voltage while taking the readings.
• Any live terminal shouldn't be touched while supply is on.

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5.3: Half-wave Rectifier

• Last updated
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• Page ID 1266

• Tony R. Kuphaldt
• Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories via All About Circuits

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PARTS AND MATERIALS

• Low-voltage AC power supply (6-volt output)
• 6-volt battery
• One 1N4001 rectifying diode (Radio Shack catalog # 276-1101)
• Small “hobby” motor, permanent-magnet type (Radio Shack catalog # 273-223 or equivalent)
• Audio detector with headphones
• 0.1 µF capacitor (Radio Shack catalog # 272-135 or equivalent)

The diode need not be an exact model 1N4001. Any of the “1N400X” series of rectifying diodes are suitable for the task, and they are quite easy to obtain.

See the AC experiments chapter for detailed instructions on building the “audio detector” listed here. If you haven’t built one already, you’re missing a simple and valuable tool for experimentation.

A 0.1 µF capacitor is specified for “coupling” the audio detector to the circuit so that only AC reaches the detector circuit. This capacitor’s value is not critical. I’ve used capacitors ranging from 0.27 µF to 0.015 µF with success. Lower capacitor values attenuate low-frequency signals to a greater degree, resulting in less sound intensity from the headphones, so use a greater-value capacitor value if you experience difficulty hearing the tone(s).

CROSS-REFERENCES

Lessons In Electric Circuits , Volume 3, chapter 3: “Diodes and Rectifiers”

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Function of a diode as a rectifier
• Permanent-magnet motor operation on AC versus DC power
• Measuring “ripple” voltage with a voltmeter

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

ILLUSTRATION

INSTRUCTIONS

Connect the motor to the low-voltage AC power supply through the rectifying diode as shown. The diode only allows current to pass through during one half-cycle of a full positive-and-negative cycle of power supply voltage, eliminating one half-cycle from ever reaching the motor. As a result, the motor only “sees” current in one direction, albeit a pulsating current, allowing it to spin in one direction.

Take a jumper wire and short past the diode momentarily, noting the effect on the motor’s operation:

As you can see, permanent-magnet “DC” motors do not function well on alternating current. Remove the temporary jumper wire and reverse the diode’s orientation in the circuit. Note the effect on the motor.

Measure DC voltage across the motor like this:

Then, measure AC voltage across the motor as well:

Most digital multimeters do a good job of discriminating AC from DC voltage, and these two measurements show the DC average and AC “ripple” voltages, respectively of the power “seen” by the motor. Ripple voltage is the varying portion of the voltage, interpreted as an AC quantity by measurement equipment although the voltage waveform never actually reverses polarity. Ripple may be envisioned as an AC signal superimposed on a steady DC “bias” or “offset” signal. Compare these measurements of DC and AC with voltage measurements taken across the motor while powered by a battery:

Batteries give very “pure” DC power, and as a result, there should be very little AC voltage measured across the motor in this circuit. Whatever AC voltage is measured across the motor is due to the motor’s pulsating current draw as the brushes make and break contact with the rotating commutator bars. This pulsating current causes pulsating voltages to be dropped across any stray resistances in the circuit, resulting in pulsating voltage “dips” at the motor terminals.

A qualitative assessment of ripple voltage may be obtained by using the sensitive audio detector described in the AC experiments chapter (the same device described as a “sensitive voltage detector” in the DC experiments chapter). Turn the detector’s sensitivity down for low volume, and connect it across the motor terminals through a small (0.1 µF) capacitor, like this:

The capacitor acts as a high-pass filter, blocking DC voltage from reaching the detector and allowing easier “listening” of the remaining AC voltage. This is the exact same technique used in oscilloscope circuitry for “AC coupling,” where DC signals are blocked from viewing by a series-connected capacitor. With a battery powering the motor, the ripple should sound like a high-pitched “buzz” or “whine.” Try replacing the battery with the AC power supply and rectifying diode, “listening” with the detector to the low-pitched “buzz” of the half-wave rectified power:

COMPUTER SIMULATION

This simulation plots the input voltage as a sine wave and the output voltage as a series of “humps” corresponding to the positive half-cycles of the AC source voltage. The dynamics of a DC motor are far too complex to be simulated using SPICE, unfortunately.

AC source voltage is specified as 8.485 instead of 6 volts because SPICE understands AC voltage in terms of peak value only. A 6 volt RMS sine-wave voltage is actually 8.485 volts peak. In simulations where the distinction between RMS and peak value isn’t relevant, I will not bother with a RMS-to-peak conversion like this. To be truthful, the distinction is not terribly important in this simulation, but I discuss it here for your edification.

Half-Wave Rectifiers - Practical Demonstration

Published Oct 29, 2019

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In our previous tutorials about diode, we have discussed how a diode operates theoretically. A diode can be used as rectifier in which it could be a half-wave or a full-wave rectifier. A rectifier converts an AC voltage into a DC voltage, so it is usually found in a DC power supply. If you want to build a basic half-wave power supply, this tutorial will guide you on how to build it.

Warning! If you’re planning to build a power supply, make sure that all conductors, especially on the primary side of the transformer, are safely insulated since we’re dealing with high-voltage here.

Parts and Materials

So in order to build a half-wave power supply, we need the following parts and materials:

1. Electrical Plug and Zip-Cord

The electrical plug and the zip-cord allows the power supply to be connected to the wall outlet where we will be getting our AC source. There are different types of plug so be sure the one that you will use matches the wall outlets available at your location. Also consider if the plug and the zip-cord can withstand the voltage from the wall outlet and the current that the load will draw.

The switch makes it easier to turn ON or OFF the power supply without disconnecting the plug from the wall outlet. The same with the electrical plug and zip-cord, you need to make sure the voltage and current rating of the switch meets the requirement. The wiring also depends on the type of switch that you will use.

3. Fuse and Holder

The fuse serves as a protection in case there’s an overcurrent event that will happen. Under normal operating conditions, the fuse just act like a normal conductor. But if the current flowing through the circuit exceeds the current rating of the fuse, the wire inside the fuse melts and causes the circuit to be opened. This prevents the current to flow again.

When selecting a fuse, be sure to get a slow-acting or a slow-blow type fuse since the transformer and capacitor filters may initially draw high surge current that causes the fuse to blow when it’s a fast-acting type. To determine the current rating of the fuse that you’re going to use, divide the power rating of the transformer by the voltage of the AC source.

4. Stranded Electrical Wire

The stranded electrical wire is going to be used to connect the switch, fuse, transformer, and the rectifier circuit. The size of the wire depends on the current required.

5. Transformer

A transformer is a passive electrical device that can be used to step up or step down a voltage. In a DC power supply, most of the time a transformer is used to step down an AC voltage. Also, the transformer isolates the circuit on the secondary side from the AC source.

The diode here functions as the half-wave rectifier that converts the AC voltage into a pulsating DC voltage. You can use a general purpose diode like a 1N4007 if the current required is less than 1A.

7. Electrolytic Capacitor

Since the output of the half-wave rectifier is still a pulsating DC voltage, the electrolytic capacitor here is used to filter the output of the rectifier and produce a smooth DC voltage. For smoother output, please use at least 1000uF capacitor. The voltage rating depends on the output voltage from the rectifier.

8. Zener Diode

The Zener diode is used as a voltage regulator to have a steady DC output voltage even if there’s a variation with the input voltage or the load’s resistance. The voltage rating of the Zener diode depends on what voltage you want your power supply to output.

9. Resistor

The resistor here is just used as a dummy load and is not really required. We’re just going to use it to experiment.

Instructions on How to Build

1. Assemble the parts on the primary side of the transformer (plug, zip-cord, switch, and fuse) first as shown in the diagram and do a safety check before connecting or soldering it to the transformer.

2. After connecting all the parts, turn ON the switch and measure the resistance between the prongs of the plug using an ohmmeter. The ohmmeter should display infinite resistance. If it shows continuity, there’s a short between the two power conductors which is dangerous.

3. The switch and fuse holder are usually mounted to the power supply case, so you also need to check if there’s a short between the prongs of the plug and the casing.

4. Solder the wire connected to the other end of the fuse and the wire connected to the switch to the terminals of the transformer.

Instruction number 5 to 10 is for a specific transformer VPS24-5400 from Triad Magnetics. But some of the tips here are still applicable even if you use a different transformer.

5. The connection to the transformer depends on what type of power transformer you are using. In our case, we’re using the VPS24-5400 power transformer from Triad Magnetics. It’s a 130VA transformer which can accept around 230VAC input when its primary windings are connected in series or 115VAC if connected in parallel and can have an output of 24VAC when the secondary windings are connected in series or 12VAC if connected in parallel.

6. Since we want to have approximately 12VAC on the secondary side from a 120VAC input, we are going to have a parallel connection on both sides of the transformer.

7. So according to the datasheet, to have a parallel connection on the primary side, we need to connect terminal 6 to 2 and terminal 5 to 1 and use terminals 6 and 1 as our input terminals. So we are going to connect or solder the stranded wires from the fuse and switch to terminals 6 and 1.

8. After soldering the wires from the fuse and switch to the input terminals of the transformer, check the continuity of the primary windings by measuring the resistance across the prongs of the plug. When the switch is OFF, there should be infinite resistance or no continuity. When the switch is ON, the ohmmeter should measure a small amount of resistance. If there’s no continuity, check the connections if they’re really connected and check the fuse if it’s good or blown.

9. On the secondary side, we need to connect terminal 12 to 8 and terminal 11 to 7 to have a parallel connection. Then terminals 12 and 7 are going to be our output terminal on the secondary side which will be connected to the rectifier circuit.

10. Now solder the wires to terminal 12 and 7 and check the continuity of the secondary winding. If there’s continuity, next thing to do is to connect the plug into a wall outlet, turn ON the switch, and measure the AC voltage across the secondary side. You should be able to measure approximately 12VAC. Now, turn OFF the switch and disconnect the plug from the outlet.

11. Next thing to do is to breadboard the parts on the secondary side of the transformer (rectifier diode, capacitor filter, zener voltage regulator circuit, load) as shown in the circuit diagram. Since this is just a prototype, we’ll just put the power supply circuit on a breadboard. If you still don’t know how to use a breadboard, you can check our tutorial about breadboards here . You can always transfer this circuit to a PCB if you are already sure of the value of the components.

12. Check if all devices are connected properly. Check the polarity of the rectifier diode, electrolytic capacitors, and the Zener diode. If they’re all connected correctly, you can now connect the wires from the secondary side of the transformer to the input of the rectifier diode.

13. Connect again the plug into the wall outlet and turn ON the switch. Check if there’s a DC voltage across the output of the rectifier or the capacitor filter and across the load. The voltage across the capacitor filter should be closed to the secondary voltage of the transformer and the voltage across the load should be the same or approximately equal to the Zener diode voltage rating.

So that’s how you build a basic DC power supply with a half-wave rectifier. If you have any questions, leave it in the comments below and if you’ve found this interesting or helpful, give it a like and subscribe to our channel !

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Authored By

Jb magoncia.

JB is an Electronics Engineer who is interested in audio, embedded systems, and PCB design. He is one of CircuitBread Engineers. JB is also a musician who mainly plays piano/keyboard but can also play bass, guitar, and drums. He currently lives in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.

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Half Wave Rectifier Circuit With and Without Filter

The process of converting alternating current into direct current is rectification . Any offline power supply unit has the block of rectification which converts either the AC wall receptacle source onto high voltage DC or stepped down AC wall receptacle source into low voltage DC. The further process will be filtering, DC-DC conversion, etc., So, in this article we are going to discuss all the operations of  Half-wave rectifier with circuit diagram .

The nature of the AC voltage is sinusoidal at a frequency of 50/60Hz. The waveform will be as below.

Now Rectification is the process of removing the negative part of the Alternate Current (AC), hence producing the partial DC. This can be achieved by using diodes. Diodes only allow current to flow in one direction. For understanding we can split the waveform into positive half cycle and negative half cycle.When the above voltage is supplied through a diode, the conduction takes place during positive half cycle only. Thus, below will be the waveform.

Working of Half Wave Rectifier:

In Half wave Rectifier, we remove the negative Half Cycle of AC wave by using one diode, while in Full Wave Rectifier we convert the negative half cycle of AC into positive cycle using 4 diodes. Let us now consider an AC voltage with lower amplitude of 15Vrms and rectify it into dc voltage using a single diode. The diode conducts only during positive half cycle. But, the output will be discontinuous pulsed positive DC voltage. It has to be further filtered to make it a pure DC with lesser ripple. Point to be kept in mind is all the voltage, current that we measure through DMM is rms in nature. Hence the same is considered in simulation also.

The output waveform above is as expected, a discontinuous pulsed DC waveform. In order to smoothen the waveform or to make it continuous we add a capacitor filter in the output. The working of parallel capacitor is to maintain a constant voltage at the output. It decides the amount of ripple present in the output.

With a 1uF capacitor filter:

Below waveform shows the reduction in ripple based on the value of capacitance ie., charge storing capacity.

Output waveforms : Red – 1uF ; Mustard green – 4.7uF ; Blue – 10uF ; Dark green – 47uF

Operation with capacitor :

During the positive half cycle, the diode is forward biased and the capacitor gets charged as well as the load gets supply. During negative half cycle the diode gets reverse biased and the circuit is open during which the capacitor supplies the stored energy in it. The more the energy storage capacity the lesser the ripple in the output waveform.

The ripple factor can be calculated theoretically by,

R load = 1kOhm;               f= 50Hz;             C out = 1uF;         I dc = 15mA

Hence,                                 

The above waveform has a ripple of 11 Volts which is nearly same. The difference will be compensated at higher capacitor values. Besides, the efficiency is the major problem in half wave rectifier which is lesser than full wave rectifier. Generally the efficiency(ƞ) = 40%.

Practical Half Wave Rectifier Circuit on Breadboard:

The components used in half wave rectifier circuit are:

• 220V/15V AC step-down transformer.
• 1N4007 – Diode

Here, for an rms voltage of 15V the peak voltage will be up to 21V. Hence the components to be used should be rated at 25V and above.

Operation of the circuit:

Step-down transformer:

The step down transformer consists of primary winding and secondary winding wound over laminated iron core. The number of turn of primary will be higher than the secondary. Each winding acts as separate inductors. When primary winding is supplied through an alternating source, the winding gets excited and flux will be generated. The secondary winding experiences the alternating flux produced by the primary winding which induces emf into the secondary winding. This induced emf then flows through the external circuit connected. The turns ratio and inductance of the winding decides the amount of flux generated from primary and emf induced in secondary. In the transformer used below

The 230V AC power supply from the wall receptacle is stepped down to 15V AC rms using a step-down transformer. The supply is then applied across the rectifier circuit as below.

Half Wave Rectifier Circuit Without filter:

Corresponding voltage across load is 6.5V because the average output voltage of the discontinuous waveform can be seen in the DMM.

Half Wave Rectifier Circuit With Filter:

When capacitor filter is added as below,

1. For C out = 4.7uF, the ripple gets reduced and hence the average voltage increased to 11.9V

2. For C out = 10uF, the ripple gets reduced and hence the average voltage increased to 15.0V

3. For C out = 47uF, the ripple gets further reduced and hence the average voltage increased to 18.5V

4. For C out = 100uF, so after this the waveform is finely smoothened and hence the ripple is low. The average voltage increased to 18.9V

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5.1: Half-wave Rectifier

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• Page ID 94084

• James M. Fiore
• Mohawk Valley Community College

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The goal of this exercise is to investigate the ideal versus real operation of a basic half-wave rectifier. The effects of a filtering capacitor are included.

• 5.1.1: Theory Overview
• 5.1.2: Equipment
• 5.1.3: Schematics
• 5.1.4: Procedure
• 5.1.5: Data Tables
• 5.1.6: Questions

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Half Wave Rectifier

A Half-wave rectifier is an electronic device that is used to convert Alternating current (AC) to Direct current (DC). A half-wave rectifier allows either a positive or negative half-cycle of AC to pass and blocks the other half-cycle. Half-wave rectifier selectively allows only one half-cycle of the AC input voltage to pass through, producing a pulsating DC output voltage across the load resistor. While it’s a simple and cost-effective way to convert AC to DC.

In this article, we will go through Half wave Rectifier, First, we will begin with the basics of the rectifier, Then we will go through the definition of the half wave rectifier, then we will go through a diagram of half wave rectifier, and working principle of half wave rectifier, Also we will go through capacitor filter in half wave rectifier and three phase half wave controlled rectifier. At last, we will conclude our Article with Advantages and Disadvantages, Application and Some FAQs on Half Wave Rectifier.

Table of Content

What is a Rectifier?

Rectifier components, types of rectifiers.

Half Wave Rectifier with Filter

Three Phase Half Wave Rectifier

• Solved examples

A rectifier is an electronic device that converts Alternating current (AC) to Direct current (DC). The process of converting AC to DC is called rectification. A p-n junction diode is a primary component that is used as a rectifier. Rectifiers can be broadly classified into two: Half-wave rectifiers and Full-wave rectifiers. Both half-wave rectifiers and full-wave rectifiers consist of p-n junction diodes. Rectifiers are used widely in electrical and electronic circuits. For example, you can find a rectifier inside the LED bulbs we use in our households. An LED only works in DC, that’s why a rectifier is used in LED bulbs whose source is AC. It can also be found in our mobile phone chargers and many other devices.

Before we Begin on the working of Rectifier, let us look at the Components of the Rectifier

• P-N junction diode: A p-n junction diode is a device that only allows current flow in one direction. It allows current flow when the P side of the diode has a higher potential than the N side and such a condition is called forward biased. It prevents the flow of current when the N side has a higher potential than the P side and it is known as the reverse biased condition.
• Alternating Current (AC): It is an electric current that changes its direction periodically
• DC Current (DC): It is a type of electric current that does not change its direction periodically.
• Waveform: Waveform is a graphical representation of the magnitude and direction of electric current or voltage.
• V rms and I rms : V rms and I rms are the root mean square values of voltage and current of AC respectively. It is 1/√2 times the peak voltage or current.
• Capacitor: A capacitor is a two-terminal device that stores energy in the form of electric field. It can charge and discharge in a circuit which helps to reduce fluctuations in the circuit.
• Function Generator: It is a device used to produce electrical waveforms of different mathematical functions. Here it is used to generate AC with the required voltage and frequency.

Rectifiers are classified broadly into two: Half-wave rectifiers and Full-wave rectifiers.

• Half Wave rectifier : A half-wave rectifier allows one AC half-cycle to pass through it and blocks the other AC half-cycle. Therefore it is called a half-wave rectifier. It is less efficient than a full wave rectifier as one half cycle is wasted. It has a very simple circuit compared to a full-wave rectifier.
• Full wave rectifier : A Full wave rectifier can convert both AC half cycle to DC. It allows a one-half cycle of AC without any modification. And other half cycle is also allowed to pass but it reverses the direction of that half cycle. Thus it can convert AC to DC. It uses the complete half cycle of AC and has no wastage, therefore it is more efficient than Half half-wave rectifier. But it has a complex circuit consisting of more number of diodes.

A Half-wave rectifier is a device that converts Alternating Current (AC) to Direct Current (DC). In a Half-wave rectifier, only one half-cycle of AC is converted to DC and the other half-cycle is blocked. Therefore, the output waveform produced by a half-wave rectifier consists of ripples of positive half-cycle of the input waveform and it is called pulsating DC. In a half-wave rectifier, a p-n junction diode is used as a rectifier. It has a relatively simple circuit consisting of a p-n junction diode connected in series to a load.

Half Wave Rectifier Circuit

Given below is the Circuit diagram of the Half Wave Rectifier. The components of the Half Wave Rectifier are P-N Junction diode, Ac supply and the load.

Half wave rectifier circuit diagram

Construction of Half Wave Rectifier

To Construct a half-wave rectifier, the Components are Assembled as the Following

• Function generator serves as input AC source for us. The positive end of the function generator (red colored end) is connected to the positive side of the diode(black side of diode without line).
• Next, The negative terminal of the diode (marked by a grey line or indicator) is connected to the one end of the resistor.
• Now, The other end of the resistor is connected to the remaining terminal of the function generator. This completes the circuit loop and allows the AC signal from the function generator to flow through the diode and resistor.

Working of Half Wave Rectifier

In a half-wave rectifier, the AC supply is connected in series to a p-n junction diode and load resistor. An Alternating current (AC) consists of two half-cycles: Positive half-cycle and Negative half-cycle. Let us take a look at the working of the half-wave circuit at each half-cycle separately.

• In a positive half-cycle, the Diode is forward-biased and hence acts like a short circuit. Therefore in a positive half-cycle, current flows through the circuit and produces whole AC input as such in DC output. In the real world, the output voltage is less than the input voltage considering the Diode voltage drop.

Equivalent circuit in positive half-cycle

• In a negative half-cycle, the Diode is reverse-biased and hence acts like an open circuit. Therefore, in a negative half-cycle current does not flow through the circuit. And output does not consist of input negative half-cycle.

Equivalent circuit in negative half-cycle

This step is repeated in each half-cycle and AC is converted into DC. The waveform of input AC and corresponding rectified DC are shown in the figures below.

Half Wave Rectifier Waveforms

Given below is the Input and output waveform of the half wave rectifier

AC Input Waveform

The below figure shows AC input with a maximum voltage of V max . This is the Ac Waveform given as the input for the half wave rectifier which is converted to the Dc.

AC input waveform

DC Output Waveform

The below figure shows the output waveform of the DC output waveform of a half-wave rectifier. From the input first a positive half cycle comes and in the positive half cycle diode lets pass the input voltage through it. You can see the positive half cycle in the output waveform as such from the input waveform. Then a negative half-cycle comes, but it does not allow to pass the negative half-cycle and we can see that the negative half-cycle is not present in the output waveform. At that time output voltage is zero. Then again a positive half cycle comes which is passed through the diode and it is visible in the output waveform. After that a negative half cycle comes and it is blocked by the diode and is not present in the output. This process continues to convert AC to DC.

Rectified DC output waveform

we can see that the output of a half-wave rectifier is pulsating DC and pulsating DC cannot be used for many real-world applications. So, To avoid or reduce the ripples in pulsating DC filters are used. Generally, capacitors and inductors are used as filters in half-wave rectifier circuits. These capacitors or inductors reduce ripples in output DC and help in many real-world applications. Although we can reduce ripples in the output of the half-wave rectifier, it is not possible to completely remove ripples in output DC.

Half Wave Rectifier Capacitor Filter

Here’s the circuit diagram of a half-wave rectifier with a capacitor filter.

Working of Half Wave Rectifier with Filter

In a Half-wave rectifier with a filter, the Diode is connected in series to a capacitor and Load resistor which in turn are connected parallelly as shown in the above circuit diagram. In this circuit, the capacitor charges in the positive half-cycle and discharges during the negative half-cycle and reduces ripples in the output. In a positive half cycle, the diode acts as a short circuit and the capacitor charges from the input source. In the negative half cycle when the diode acts as an open circuit, the capacitor discharges providing current flow into the Load. Thus adding a capacitor to the circuit helps to maintain DC output even when AC is in negative half cycle. Given below is the output waveform of the Half wave rectifier with Filter.

Output waveform of a Half wave rectifier with capacitor filter

Thus a capacitor helps to reduce ripples in the DC output of a half-wave rectifier.

Three-phase connection is used in households and industries with high power requirements. The main advantage of three phases over a single phase is that they are more efficient. A three-phase AC connection consists of three single phases (Red, Yellow and Blue colored wires are used to represent each of the three phases) AC with a phase difference of 120° connected to the load. So at any time voltage of any one of the phases will be greater than zero and therefore machines operate at a better efficiency. To convert a Three-phase AC supply to DC a three-phase half-wave rectifier is used. To convert a three-phase AC supply to DC, a diode is connected in series to each of the three-phase inputs, such an arrangement is called a three-phase rectifier. So it requires three diodes to convert three-phase AC to DC. The circuit diagram of a three-phase rectifier is given below.

Circuit diagram of three-phase rectifier

Working of Three Phase Half Wave Rectifier

The below figure shows the input of a three-phase AC supply. You can see that the input of three-phase AC is like that of three single-phases separated by an equal time gap. So when we place a half-wave rectifier in each phase wire, the half-wave rectifier allows it to pass the positive half cycle and prevents the flowing of current in the negative half cycle. Thus it can convert AC to DC.

Input waveform of Three-phase AC supply

If we consider the red phase alone, In the positive half cycle diode acts as a short circuit and it allows to pass current through it. In a negative half cycle, the diode acts as an open circuit and blocks the flow of current. You can see that in the output waveform given below, red phase voltage is present when it is in the positive half cycle and it is not visible in the negative half cycle.

Similarly, other phases are also rectified by using a diode.

Output waveform of three-phase rectifier

From the output of a three-phase rectifier, You can see that its voltage does not fall into zero like in that of a single-phase rectifier as it uses three phases and at any time any of the three phases will have a positive half-cycle. Thus it has a better supply than that of a single-phase rectifier.

Half Wave Rectifier Formula

Here are some important formulas to calculate various parameters related to Half half-wave rectifier.

Terms used below formulas are: Vp is peak AC voltage, V d is forward biased voltage drop of the diode, I dc is the value of DC component of output current, P out value of output power, P in is the value of input power and V avg is the average value of output voltage.

Peak Inverse Voltage of HWR

It is the maximum Voltage Withstand by the diode without getting damage

Output voltage (V out )

The output voltage of a half-wave rectifier for a given AC voltage is given by the formula

V out = V p /π -V d

Form Factor (FF) of a Halfwave Rectifier

Form factor is defined as the ratio of the RMS value of voltage to the average value of output voltage.

FF =RMS Value/Avg Value= V rms / V avg

Ripple factor (γ) of Half Wave Rectifier

Ripple factor determines the quality of rectification of AC to DC. The lower the value of the ripple factor, the higher the quality of rectification. We use capacitors and inductors in rectification circuits to decrease the ripple factor.

Ripple Factor( γ )=√((FormFactor) 2 -1) = √((V rms / V avg ) 2 -1) also, γ= (I 2 rms – I 2 dc )/ I dc

From the above equation, we can find out that the ripple factor of a half rectifier without any filters is 1.21.

Efficiency (η) of Half Wave Rectifier

Efficiency is defined as the ratio of output DC power to input AC power.

η= (P out / P in )x100

RMS Value of Half Wave Rectifier

I rms and I dc : I rms is the average value of the output current and I dc is output current at load.

I rms = I m /2 and I dc = I m / π

Solved Examples on Half Wave Rectifier

Calculate the rectification efficiency of a half-wave rectifier that obtained 15 watts of power output on an input power of 40 watts.

Given the input power (P in ) as 40 watts and the output power (Pout) as 15 watts, the rectification efficiency can be calculated using the formula: Rectification efficiency = (P out / P in ) * 100 Substituting the given values: Rectification efficiency = (15 / 40) * 100 ≈ 37.5% So, the rectification efficiency is approximately 37.5%.

A power supply with a peak voltage of 6v is connected to a diode for rectification and a resistor of 100Ω is connected as load. If the internal resistance of the diode is 6Ω, find the following:

• Find the Peak value of the current, the RMS value of the current and the DC output current.
• Find the input and output power.
• Find the efficiency of rectification.
• Find the output voltage of the DC output.

Given: Load resistance (RL) = 100Ω Peak voltage (Vm) = 6V Diode resistance (RD) = 6Ω 1. Calculate Im (peak current): I m = V m /(R D +R L ) = 6 / (6 + 100) = 0.057A = 57mA Calculate I dc (average current): I dc = Im / π = 57mA / π ≈ 18.14mA Calculate I rms (root mean square current): I rms = Im / 2 = 57mA / 2 = 28.5mA 2. Calculate input power (Pin): P in = I 2 R = (I rms ) 2 x (R D +R L ) = (0.0285) 2 x (6+100) = 0.086 watts Calculate output power (Pout): P out = I 2 R = (I dc ) 2 x R L = (0.01814) 2 x 100 = 0.032 watts 3. Calculate efficiency: Efficiency = (P out / P in ) x 100 = (0.032W / 0.086W) x 100 ≈ 37.2% 4. Calculate DC voltage (Vdc): V dc = I dc x R L = 0.01814A x 100Ω = 1.814V

Advantages and Disadvantages of Half Wave Rectifier

Given below are the Advantages and Disadvantages of the half wave rectifier

Advantages of Half Wave Rectifier

• Simplicity of circuit: The half-wave rectifier circuit is simple and easy to Implement.
• Low cost: Components required for a half-wave rectifier are inexpensive, contributing to cost-less designs.
• Easy to manufacture: Due to its Low cost and simple Design, half Wave Rectifiers can be easily manufactured in large quantities.

Disadvantages of Half Wave Rectifier

• High ripple factor: It produces Significant ripple in output Waveform, leading to fluctuations in the DC output voltage.
• High power loss: Efficiency is reduced due to the utilization of only half of the input waveform, resulting in higher power dissipation.
• Low efficiency: Compared to full-wave rectifiers, half-wave rectifiers have lower efficiency because they utilize only one half of the input cycle.
• Low output voltage: The output voltage of a half-wave rectifier is lower than that of a full-wave rectifier, limiting its application in systems requiring higher voltages.

Applications of Half Wave Rectifier

Half-wave rectifiers are widely used in electrical and electronic circuits. Some of such circuits are:

• Pulse generating circuits: Half-wave rectifiers are commonly used in pulse-generating circuits for applications such as triggering switches and driving LEDs.
• Signal demodulation circuits: They are utilized in demodulating AM radio signals to extract the original information signal.
• Signal peak circuits: Half-wave rectifiers can be employed in circuits that require detection of signal peaks or maximum values.
• AC to DC converters: In low-power applications where efficiency is not critical, half-wave rectifiers can be used to convert AC power to DC power.
• Low-power DC chargers: They are suitable for charging low-power devices such as small batteries or capacitors in applications like toys or portable electronics.

A half-wave rectifier is the simplest form of rectifier available. Even though it does not convert the entire AC cycle to DC like a full-wave rectifier, still it has many applications in real life and is one of the important fundamental electronic devices. Also, it serves as the basis of a full wave rectifier. I hope this article helped to create a better understanding of half-wave rectifiers. Share your thoughts in the comments!

Half Wave Rectifier – FAQs

Why is a half-wave rectifier so called.

Half wave rectifier is a device that allows only one of the AC half-cycle to pass through it, blocking the other half-cycle. So, the rectification process occurs only in one of the half cycle therefore, it is called as half-wave rectifier.

Is it possible to remove ripples in a half-wave rectifier?

No, it is not possible to eliminate ripples in the Half-wave rectifier. But we can reduce it by using a filters like capacitors and inductors.

What is pulsating Direct current (DC)?

Pulsating DC is a current that varies its magnitude over time but does not change the direction.

Where are Half-wave rectifiers used?

Half-wave rectifiers are used in low-power DC chargers, Signal peak circuits, pulse generators, signal demodulators etc.

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Diodes are mainly used for rectification of a.c. current for use by many electrical appliances.

Rectification is the conversion of sinusoidal waveform into unidirectional (non-zero) waveform.

A bridge rectifier is used in full wave rectification.  The current flows in the same direction in both half cycles.

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Experiment: Full Wave Rectification (using bridge rectifier)

Name of Experiment: Full Wave Rectification (using bridge rectifier)

Theory: Rectification is a process by which alternating voltage is converted into a direct voltage. Semiconducting diode performs this work effectively. There are two types of rectifiers, viz.- half wave rectifier and full wave rectifier. A full wave rectifier is discussed below.

Bridge Rectification is the process by which alternating current (a.c.) is converted into direct current (d.c.) is called rectification and the circuit which is used in this work is called a rectifier. Rectifiers are mainly classified into three types: Half-wave rectifier, Center tapped full-wave rectifier and Bridge Rectifier. All these three rectifiers have a common aim that is to convert Alternating Current (AC) into Direct Current (DC).

In full wave rectification for both half of the input a. c. voltage current flows through the load resistance in one direction. For one half of the input voltage pair of diodes becomes forwardly biased, when the other pair of diodes remains in reverse biased. Again for the second half of a. c. input voltage the first two diodes become reverse biased and the second two diodes become forward biased. So the current flows through the load in one direction. In this way, in both halves of the a. c. input voltage across the load is produced in one direction. This d. c. output is not smooth d. c. but pulsating d. c. i.e., both a. c. and d. c. components are present in the output. In order to get pure d. c. voltage the output is smoothed by a filter circuit.

• Step down transformer ,
• Bridge rectifier,
• Capacitor (330 μF or 50 μF),
• Multimeter,
• Oscilloscope,
• Connecting wires etc.

Circuit connection: According to the figure below the electric circuit connection is made.

The primary coil of the transformer is connected with the a. c. supply. The two terminals of the secondary coil are connected with opposite terminals PQ of the bridge rectifier. The other two terminals of the bridge rectifier are connected to the capacitor and load resistance R L .

Working procedure:

• According to the figure above the circuit, a connection is made. During a positive half cycle of the secondary voltage M terminal of the transformer becomes positively charged and N terminal becomes negatively charged. In this situation, diodes D 1 and D 3 become forward biased and diodes D 2 and D 4 become reverse biased. So, along MPD 1 BAD 3 QN current flows and across R L potential drops. Again during negative half cycle terminal M becomes negatively charged. So, along NQD 2 BAD 4 PM path current flows will be seen that current through load R L flows always in the same direction.
• Wave shapes of the input and output are observed through the oscilloscope. Input and output will be observed as in figures (a) and (b).
• The voltage across R L is measured by the help of oscilloscope.
• If an oscilloscope is not available, a. c/d. c voltage can be measured by a voltmeter.

Precautions and Discussion:

• Connections of the diode should be correct.
• Terminals of the wires should be made tight.
• Instead of oscilloscope a. c/d. c voltmeter may be used.
• Step down transformer is to be used.

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