full wave rectifier circuit experiment

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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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Full Wave Rectifier: What is it? (Formula And Circuit Diagram)

What is a Full Wave Rectifier?

Centre-tapped full wave rectifier, construction of centre-tapped full wave rectifier, working of centre-tapped full wave rectifier, output waveforms, filter circuit, full wave bridge rectifier, construction of full wave bridge rectifier, principle of full wave bridge rectifier, full wave rectifier formula, ripple factor of a full wave rectifier (γ), efficiency of a full wave rectifier (η), form factor of a full wave rectifier (f.f), advantages of full wave rectifiers, disadvantages of full wave rectifiers, 0 thoughts on “full wave rectifier: what is it (formula and circuit diagram)”.

This explanation and the accompanying diagrams are beautifully clear. Well, I took this years ago in physics lab class, but everything came back in just perusing your text. Thanks, r

Lab 4: Full-Wave Rectifiers

This lab guides students in building a full-wave bridge rectifier and in exploring the V-I characteristic of a diode. Students will first simulate and build the rectifier to gain an understanding of the purpose of a rectifier. Then, students will use LabVIEW to explore the individual components of the rectifier in order to visualize and understand how these components limit its operating range. Advanced students can explore ways to overcome the threshold voltage limit when using diodes in a rectifier or learn more about programming practices and user-friendliness.

Introduction

A rectifier is a diode circuit that converts an alternating current (AC) waveform into a waveform that has constant polarity (also sometimes called a direct current or DC waveform), either always negative or always positive depending on the direction of the diodes. There are two major classifications of rectifiers, half-wave and full-wave rectifiers. Half-wave rectifiers are so called because they only pass through one polarity of the circuit while the opposite polarity is removed.

Full-wave rectifiers reproduce the whole waveform, but with one of the polarities inverted. You can think of full-wave rectification as putting an AC waveform through an absolute value function. In this lab we will simulate, build, and explore the bridge rectifier – a type of full-wave rectifier constructed using diodes.

Learning Objectives

In this section, students will:

Simulate a bridge rectifier in Multisim.
Build a bridge rectifier and explore its response to different input waveforms and loads.
Use LabVIEW to characterize diodes and find the minimum input voltage for a diode.

The following equipment is required for this experiment:

4x 1N4001, or compatible diodes
100KΩ resistor
100Ω resistor
4.7Ω resistor
Multisim Live
LabVIEW Community
Digilent WaveForms VIs

Circuit Theory and Simulation

Full-wave bridge rectifier.

The bridge rectifier consists of four diodes laid out in a bridge pattern. Using the forward-biased behavior of diodes, we can force current to flow in the same direction through a load. This allows us to convert an AC waveform into a DC waveform. Many circuits require the use of DC waveforms and the rectifier circuit is an important part of a power supply circuit.

The image to the right shows a typical configuration for a bridge rectifier. You can see that Diodes D1 – D4 are laid out in a bridge pattern with their anodes on the left and the cathodes on the right and the load is connected across the joint cathodes and the joint anodes.

Compare the output of the bridge rectifier to the input by using probes on the input and output of the bridge rectifier circuit and simulating the circuit in Interactive Mode. Remember that the probes are automatically reference to ground. In order to acquire the waveform across the output, you will need to place a separate Voltage Reference on the negative leg of the output terminal.

Before moving to the next section, save the waveform of the following situations:

Waveform capture of $V_{in}$ at 2V and $V_{out}$ with 1kΩ load resistance
Waveform capture of $V_{in}$ at 2V and $V_{out}$ with 100kΩ load resistance
Waveform capture of $V_{in}$ at 0.5V and $V_{out}$ with 1kΩ load resistance
Waveform capture of $V_{in}$ at 0.5V and $V_{out}$ with 100kΩ load resistance

These waveforms will be used to compare our simulated results to our physical results later in the lab.

Using the circuit component names ($D_1$, $D_2$, $D_3$, $D_4$, $R_{load}$), describe the path that current flows through during the positive half cycle of the AC input and the path that current flows through during the negative half cycle.
What is the peak voltage value of the rectified waveform?
What is the polarity of the DC waveform that is produced? How could we reverse the polarity of the output waveform?
Click on the load resistance and use the slider to change the load resistance while the simulation is running. Vary the load resistance from 1kΩ to 100kΩ. How does load resistance affect the output waveform? Why would this occur?
Set the load resistance back to 1kΩ. Click on the amplitude value of $V_{in}$ and use the slider to lower the voltage amplitude of $V_{in}$ while the simulation is running. What happens to the rectified waveform as $V_{in}$ decreases to 100mV?
Assume that our load has a minimum peak voltage requirement of 200mV. What is the lowest voltage if our load resistance is 1kΩ? And if our load resistance is 10kΩ?

Building and Measuring Your Circuit

Now that we have simulated the rectifier, we will move to actually building the circuit so that we can compare our simulated results against an actual circuit. Follow the steps below to build the circuit and acquire your experimental data.

Build the circuit presented in Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier on the Breadboard Canvas. Connect the function generator's W1 channel (yellow wire) and the oscilloscope's Channel 1+ (orange wire) to the input of the circuit and the 2+ channel of the oscilloscope (blue wire) to the positive output of the circuit. Connect the 2- channel of the scope (blue-white wire) to the negative output. Connect to the ground the 1- channel of the oscilloscope (orange-white wire), and the function generator's ground.

Don't forget to turn the Scope Channel 1 and Scope Channel 2 switches towards the MTE headers.

You can download the wiring diagram here: wiring_diagram_fw.zip

When connecting, check the polarity of the diodes!

Follow the instructions below to set up your instruments in WaveForms and acquire data for this experiment. We will look to see how the output waveform compares to the input waveform and how the rectified output reacts to different input voltages and load resistances.

Launch WaveForms, generate a 50Hz signal using the Wavegen instrument and set the amplitude to 2V. Use the Scope to view the circuit response in the time domain. Set the time base of the scope to visualize 2-3 periods of the signals.

What is the peak value of the rectified waveform? How does this compare to the simulated value?
Change the load resistance from 1kΩ to 100kΩ. What is the peak value of the rectified waveform now? How does this compare to the screenshot captured earlier?
Set the load resistance back to 1kΩ. Set the amplitude of the Wavegen to the value you recorded as the minimum input voltage to produce a 200mV peak output. What is the peak voltage of the output waveform? Is this higher or lower than 200mV? What is the actual minimum input voltage required to produce a 200mV peak output?
How would we determine the exact voltage where the bridge rectifier no longer produces a rectified waveform? Write a procedure that you would follow to determine this value.
What is the lowest voltage that produces a rectified waveform? What happens to the output signal when the input signal voltage is below that value?

Analysis with LabVIEW

After rectifying the AC signal in simulation and in the actual circuit, you may have noticed a smaller peak voltage in the output signal than the input. Analyzing the circuit, there is only one possible culprit for the difference: the diodes. While we can usually model diodes as components that either act as an open or a short, a small amount of voltage does get dropped over real diodes. When the diode is operating in forward-bias operation, this voltage is generally referred to as the forward “threshold” voltage ($V_{TH}$) of the diode. Ideally a diode would have $V_{TH}=0$, but common silicone diodes generally have a $V_{TH}=0.7V$, while germanium diodes have a $V_{TH}=0.3V$ and Schottky diodes have a $V_{TH}=0.2V$.

But you might be asking, if $V_{TH}$ is defined as a single point, why does the attenuation vary with different input voltage levels? This is because $V_{TH}$ is only a typical value and not an absolute value. In real-world diodes, the current through the diode, the voltage dropped across the diode and the input voltage are tied together in a non-linear relationship.

In this section, we will look to graphically model this relationship using two plots. The first plot will show us the relationship between the current through the diode and the voltage drop across the diode, and the second plot will show how these two quantities change with respect to the input voltage. We will use LabVIEW, a graphical programming language, to first automate the plotting of these graphs and then, secondly, analyze these relationships. This section of the lab will assume a working knowledge of the LabVIEW environment and basic programming conventions. For help with getting started in LabVIEW, including installation of the Digilent WaveForms VIs, please view the resources available here: Getting Started with LabVIEW and a Digilent Discovery Device

Note : Before testing or running your LabVIEW code, make sure that you exit WaveForms. The Digilent WaveForms VIs will throw an error if Digilent WaveForms is still open when you run your code.

Note : If you don't know what a VI does, you can check the Context Help by pressing Ctrl+H, then highlighting the respective VI.

Design a VI in LabVIEW that will map out the I-V curve of a diode. You can build your own VI, following the steps below, or you can download the VI used in this guide from here: i-v_curve.zip

The I-V curve allows us to explore the relationship between voltage and current through a given circuit element – in this case a diode. As the front panel shows, current (I) is plotted on the y-axis and voltage (V) is plotted on the x-axis.

The Front Panel is where you place your UI elements in LabVIEW and how you can interact with the program while it is running. There are two major components on this front panel: the controls are how you can give information to the program, and the indicators are how the program gives data back to the user.

The Block Diagram is where you will actually code in LabVIEW. Any controls you have will show up in the block diagram. As shown, in this VI we have one string, two numeric and one boolean controls. Any indicators you have will also show up in the block diagram. As shown, in this VI we have three graphs corresponding to the graphs we want the VI to plot.

The Functions Palette can be accessed by right-clicking on the Block Diagram. The Functions Palette is how you can place different functions and VIs that build up your code into the block diagram. For this VI we will primarily be using VIs from the Digilent WF VIs palette . The Digilent WF VIs palette gives us access to the VIs that control the different instruments on Analog Discovery devices and can be accessed by navigating to Functions Palette → Measurement I/O → Digilent WF VIs.

General Operation

The VI is able to sweep through a range of voltages, measuring voltage and current at each point. The sweep should start from 0V, end at the Maximum Input Voltage, and increase by the 0.1V in each step. In each sep, the scopes should acquire several samples and the average of these samples should be calculated to get the voltage drop and the current through the diode.

In each step, the calculated values should be appended to arrays, and these array should be displayed on the front panel, on one of the three plots. The first graph is the I-V curve of the diode. The second graph will show the current through the diode with respect to the input voltage. The third one shows the voltage drop on the diode against the input voltage. While the first graph lets us directly examine the voltage and current relationship of the diode, the second and the third graphs will let us examine how the current and the voltage react to different input voltages. The image to the right shows the general program flow for this VI and the Software Setup section goes over each of these steps in more detail.

Hardware Setup

While we can measure voltage across the diode directly, we will have to use a sense resistor ($R_{sense}$) and Ohm’s law to measure current through the diode. We will use the same full-wave rectifier circuit we used previously, however we will change the load resistance to 4.7Ω and will use the Supplies instrument to output a DC voltage instead of an AC waveform as our input voltage.

Build the circuit presented in Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier on the Breadboard Canvas. Connect the positive power supply V+ (red wire) to the input of the circuit and the 2+ channel of the oscilloscope (blue wire) to the positive output of the circuit. Connect the 2- channel of the scope (blue-white wire) to the negative output. Connect together the ground of the circuit and the ground of the Analog Discovery Studio (black wire). Connect the 1+ channel of the scope (orange wire) to the anode of a diode and the 1- channel (orange-white wire) to the cathode of the same diode.

Don't forget to turn the Scope Channel 1 and Scope Channel 2 switches towards the MTE headers and the and the V± switch towards the POWER inscription.

You can download the wiring diagram here: wiring_diagram_iv_curve.zip

Software Setup

Setup and instrument configuration.

As a first step the control and indicator elements should be placed by right-clicking on the Front Panel and selecting the required element. In this VI we need a Combo Box , which sets the device type, with the elements “Analog Discovery Studio”, “Analog Discovery 2” and “Analog Discovery”, we need a Numeric Control for the load resistance value and a Knob , to set the maximum input voltage. A Stop Button should also be placed on the Front Panel, to interrupt the program if needed.

To display the results, we need three XY Graphs . Arrange everything on the Front Panel, then right-click on the x-axis of the graphs and deselect Autoscale. The range of these axes will be set according to the maximum input voltage. Rename the placed elements by double-clicking on their name.

In the Block diagram, right-click the VD vs Vin graph and create a property node for the XScale.Maximum property. Repeat this step for the ID vs Vin graph. Change both property nodes to write, then connect the Maximum Input Voltage control to them.

Initialize the Scope instrument (MSO), then configure both analog channels (mso/1 and mso/2) in DC mode, with 1X probe attenuation, set the vertical offset to 0 and the vertical range to the double of the maximum input voltage. Enable the channels with a True constant.

Configure the timing of the Scope to sampling mode, with a sampling rate of 100000 samples/s, acquisition time of 0.1s and pretrigger time of 0s.

Initialize the Supplies instrument and configure the positive voltage supply (ps/+5V) to have a default current limit (0) and an output voltage level of 0V. Enable the power supply.

Acquiring Data

In a loop, run the Scope and read its output. The first element of the output array is the channel 1 data, the second element is the channel 2 data. Average the output arrays to get the voltage drop on the diode (channel 1) and the voltage drop on the sense resistor (channel 2). Divide the sense resistor voltage with the resistor value to get the current through the diodes.

Outside the loop, initialize three empty cluster arrays, with the clusters containing two numbers. Shift these arrays into the loop. Shift the voltage level of the power supply from the previous step (0V) into the loop.

Inside the loop, bundle together the diode voltage and the diode current, the input voltage and the diode current and the input voltage and the diode voltage, then append the resulting clusters to the arrays shifted into the loop. Connect the appended arrays to the respective XY Graphs, then shift them out of the loop.

Stepping the Input Voltage and Exiting

In each iteration, increment with 0,1 the voltage level shifted in the loop in the previous step, then reconfigure the positive power supply, setting the voltage level to this value.

Also compare this value to the Maximum Input Voltage , and if it is exceeded, exit the loop. The user should also be able to exit the loop if they press the stop button, so the the button should be connected to the exit condition. In case of any error the program will be finished, therefore connect the error signal to the exit condition as well.

If the loop is exited, the instruments must be stopped, then the errors should be handled.

Set up your circuit with a 4.7Ω sense resistor. Configure your VI to sweep to 2.5 V. Run the VI. Once the VI has stopped, describe the I-V curve. Is the curve linear or nonlinear? How does this compare to the ideal I-V curve of a diode?
Use the cursors on the “ID vs Vin” and on the “VD vs Vin” graphs. At what input voltage does the diode conduct current? How does the input voltage affect the voltage drop across the diode and the current through the diode?
Looking at the three graphs, what is the lowest voltage source we can use if our load needs a current of at least 50mA? 100mA? 200mA? 250mA?
How long does the VI take to run with a step increment of 0.1V? How would we increase or decrease this run time?

Further Exploration

The topics below go over two ways you can continue exploring after finishing this lab. The first topic goes more into the limitations on using diodes as a rectifier and the second topic covers some ideas for user-friendly programming.

Diodes and Rectifiers

Looking at your results, you should see a breakpoint in current around 0.6 – 0.7V. This matches with the typical $V_{TH}$ of a silicon diode. However, we also saw that the current through the diode at that point is relatively small; on the order of 10s of milliamps. In order to increase the current, we will need to increase the voltage. While this works for most circuit applications, what happens when we need to rectify a signal with an amplitude less than 0.6V?

We saw earlier that with the bridge rectifier, as the input voltage decreased we reached a point where our output signal was effectively zero. And looking at the diode curves we found using LabVIEW, it is very likely that while the voltage waveform was rectified, no current was actually flowing once the input voltage dipped below 0.6V. Therefore, in order to rectify a small signal, we would need some method of isolating the effects of $V_{TH}$ from our output signal. This is where the op-amp based precision rectifier comes in. The image to the right shows one typical configuration for a precision rectifier.

Use what you have learned in this lab to build the precision rectifier and compare it against the bridge rectifier. What are some of the tradeoffs with the precision rectifier? Aside from being able to rectify small signals, are there any other benefits to using a precision rectifier?

LabVIEW Programming and User Friendliness

Set up your LabVIEW VI to sweep to 2.5V again, but now change the step increment to 0.01V. Notice how much longer it takes to complete the VI this time. What is on screen while the VI is running? Is there any indication that it is working? How would you tell if the program was just busy processing your instructions or actually stuck in a loop? One of key aspect of user friendly programming is to give feedback to the user that a program is running or doing something. For example, loading bars show progress while a program is loading a big file or using a rotating wheel to symbolize that a program is busy executing your last command.

What other ways can we show the user that the program is running as expected? Use what you know of loops and iterations to implement a way to let the user know that the program is running correctly. You can even display an estimated time of completion for longer tasks.

For more complementary laboratories, return to the Complementary Labs for Electrical Engineering page of this wiki.

For technical support, please visit the Test and Measurement section of the Digilent Forums.

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Electronic Circuits

Full 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 into a high voltage DC or stepped down AC wall receptacle source into low voltage DC. The further process will be filtering, DC-DC conversion and etc. So, in this article we are going to discuss the operations of Full-wave rectifier . The full wave rectifier has a higher efficiency when compared to that of half wave rectifier .

The full wave rectification can be done by the following methods.

Center tapped full-wave rectifier
Bridge rectifier (Using four diodes)

Center tapped full wave rectifier circuit

If two branches of a circuit is connected by a third branch to form a loop, then the network is called a bridge circuit .Out of these two the preferable type is Bridge rectifier circuit using four diodes because the two diode type requires a center tapped transformer and not reliable when compared to bridge type. The diode bridge is also available in a single package. Some of the examples are DB102, GBJ1504, KBU1001 and etc.

The bridge rectifier outweighs the reliability of half bridge rectifier in terms of the ripple factor reduction for the same filter circuit at output. The nature of the AC voltage is sinusoidal at a frequency of 50/60Hz. The waveform will be as below.

Working of Full Wave Rectifier:

Let us now consider an AC voltage with lower amplitude of 15Vrms ( 21Vpk-pk ) and rectify it into dc voltage using a diode bridge. The AC supply waveform can be split into positive half cycle and negative half cycle. All the voltage, current that we measure through DMM (Digital Multimeter) is rms in nature. Hence the same is considered in below Greenpoint simulation.

During the positive half cycle diodes D2 and D3 will conducting and during negative half cycle diodes D4 and D1 will be conducting. Hence, during both the half cycles the diode will be conducting. The output waveform after rectification will be as below.

In order to reduce the ripple in waveform or to make the waveform continuous we have to add a capacitor filter in the output. The working of the capacitor in parallel to load is to maintain a constant voltage at the output. Thus, the ripple in the output can be reduced.

With a 1uF capacitor as filter:

Full wave rectifier circuit with capacitor as filter

The output with filter of 1uF dampens the wave only to a certain extend because the energy storage capacity of 1uF is less. The below waveform show the result of filter.

Input and Output waveform after using Capacitor as Filter

Since the ripple is still present in output we are going to check the output with different capacitance values. Below waveform shows the reduction in ripple based on the value of capacitance ie., charge storing capacity.

Full wave rectifier ripples vs capacitor values

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

Operations with capacitor:

During both the positive and negative half cycles, the diode pair will be in forward biased condition and the capacitor gets charged as well as the load gets supply. The interval of the instantaneous voltage at which the stored energy in capacitor is higher than the instantaneous voltage 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,

Let us calculate it for any capacitor value and compare it with the above obtained waveforms.

R load = 1kOhm; f= 100Hz; C out = 1uF; I dc = 15mA

Hence, Ripple factor = 5 volts

The ripple factor difference will be compensated at higher capacitor values. The efficiency of full wave rectifier is above 80% which is double that of a half wave rectifier.

Practical Full Wave Rectifier:

The components used in a bridge rectifier are,

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

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 andemf induced in secondary. In the transformer used below

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

Full Wave Rectifier Circuit Without filter:

The corresponding voltage across load is 12.43V because the average output voltage of the discontinuous waveform can be seen in the digital multi-meter.

Full Wave Rectifier Circuit With Filter:

When capacitor filter is added as below,

Full wave rectifier circuit diagram with filter

1. For C out = 4.7uF, the ripple gets reduced and hence the average voltage increased to 15.78V

Full wave Rectifier Circuit on Breadboard with Filter 1

2. For C out = 10uF, the ripple gets reduced and hence the average voltage increased to 17.5V

Full wave Rectifier Circuit with Filter2

3. For C out = 47uF, the ripple gets further reduced and hence the average voltage increased to 18.92V

Full wave rectifier circuit on breadboard with filter 3

4. For C out = 100uF, any value of capacitance greater than this will not have much effect, so after this the waveform is finely smoothened and hence the ripple is low. The average voltage increased to 19.01V

Full wave rectifier circuit on breadboard with filter 4

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Electric Circuit

Full Wave Rectifier

Electric circuits that convert AC to DC are known as rectifiers. Rectifiers are classified into two types as Half Wave Rectifiers and Full Wave Rectifiers. Significant power is lost while using a half-wave rectifier and is not feasible for applications that need a smooth and steady supply. For a more smooth and steady supply, we use the full wave rectifiers. In this article, we will be looking into the working and characteristics of a full wave rectifier.

Defining Full Wave Rectifiers

A full wave rectifier is defined as a rectifier that converts the complete cycle of alternating current into pulsating DC.

Unlike halfwave rectifiers that utilize only the halfwave of the input AC cycle, full wave rectifiers utilize the full cycle. The lower efficiency of the half wave rectifier can be overcome by the full wave rectifier.

Full Wave Rectifier Circuit

The circuit of the full wave rectifier can be constructed in two ways. The first method uses a centre tapped transformer and two diodes. This arrangement is known as a centre tapped full wave rectifier. The second method uses a standard transformer with four diodes arranged as a bridge. This is known as a bridge rectifier. In the next section, we will restrict the discussion to the centre tapped full wave rectifier only. You can read our article on bridge rectifier to learn the construction and working of bridge rectifier in detail.

The circuit of the full wave rectifier consists of a step-down transformer and two diodes that are connected and centre tapped. The output voltage is obtained across the connected load resistor.

Working of Full Wave Rectifier

The input AC supplied to the full wave rectifier is very high. The step-down transformer in the rectifier circuit converts the high voltage AC into low voltage AC. The anode of the centre tapped diodes is connected to the transformer’s secondary winding and connected to the load resistor. During the positive half cycle of the alternating current, the top half of the secondary winding becomes positive while the second half of the secondary winding becomes negative.

During the positive half cycle, diode D 1 is forward biased as it is connected to the top of the secondary winding while diode D 2 is reverse biased as it is connected to the bottom of the secondary winding. Due to this, diode D 1 will conduct acting as a short circuit and D 2 will not conduct acting as an open circuit

During the negative half cycle, the diode D 1 is reverse biased and the diode D 2 is forward biased because the top half of the secondary circuit becomes negative and the bottom half of the circuit becomes positive. Thus in a full wave rectifiers, DC voltage is obtained for both positive and negative half cycle.

Full Wave Rectifier Formula

Peak inverse voltage.

Peak inverse voltage is the maximum voltage a diode can withstand in the reverse-biased direction before breakdown. The peak inverse voltage of the full-wave rectifier is double that of a half-wave rectifier. The PIV across D 1 and D 2 is 2V max .

DC Output Voltage

The following formula gives the average value of the DC output voltage:

RMS Value of Current

The RMS value of the current can be calculated using the following formula:

Form Factor

The form factor of the full wave rectifier is calculated using the formula:

Peak Factor

The following formula gives the peak factor of the full wave rectifier:

Rectification Efficiency

The rectification efficiency of the full-wave rectifier can be obtained using the following formula:

The efficiency of the full wave rectifiers is 81.2%.

Advantages of Full Wave Rectifier

The rectification efficiency of full wave rectifiers is double that of half wave rectifiers. The efficiency of half wave rectifiers is 40.6% while the rectification efficiency of full wave rectifiers is 81.2%.
The ripple factor in full wave rectifiers is low hence a simple filter is required. The value of ripple factor in full wave rectifier is 0.482 while in half wave rectifier it is about 1.21.
The output voltage and the output power obtained in full wave rectifiers are higher than that obtained using half wave rectifiers.

The only disadvantage of the full wave rectifier is that they need more circuit elements than the half wave rectifier which makes, making it costlier.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

What is a full wave rectifier.

Full wave rectifiers convert both polarities of the input AC waveform to pulsating DC.

Why do we use a capacitor in full wave rectifier circuit?

A capacitor is used in the circuit to reduce the ripple factor.

What is a centre tapped full wave rectifier?

A centre tapped full wave rectifier is a type of rectifier that uses a centre tapped transformer and two diodes to convert the complete AC signal into DC signal.

Where is a full wave rectifier used?

A full wave rectifier is used in signal modulation and in electric welding.

What are the disadvantages of full wave rectifiers?

The full wave rectifiers are not suitable to use when a small voltage is required to be rectified. This is because, in a fullwave circuit, two diodes are connected in series and offer double voltage drop due to internal resistances.

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Full Wave Rectifier

A full wave rectifier is an electronic circuit that converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). An AC current flows in both directions, while a DC current flows in one direction only. An AC signal comprises a wave that rises above and falls below a central line, called a sinusoidal wave. A full wave rectifier rectifies the AC signal during both halves. It flips the negative half into a positive one, resulting in a continuous current flow in a single direction.

A full wave rectifier differs from a half wave rectifier in that the latter rectifies the AC signal only during the positive half and shuts down during the negative half.

Operation of a Full Wave Rectifier

Diodes : They allow current to flow in one direction while blocking it in the opposite direction.
Transformer : It is used to step up or step down the AC voltage to the desired level.
Load Resistance : It represents the device where the rectified and smoothed DC voltage is applied and measured.

There are two main types of full wave rectifiers, which differ in their circuits.

1. Center-Tapped Rectifier

A center-tapped rectifier is the most common type of full wave rectifier and best describes its general operations. It consists of a transformer with a center-tapped secondary winding and two diodes. The center-tapped transformer divides the secondary winding into two halves, allowing for a more efficient conversion of AC to DC. The image above explains the operation of a center-tapped rectifier.

During the positive half-cycle of the input AC voltage, one of the diodes (D1) becomes forward-biased and conducts, allowing current to flow through the load connected to the output terminals. Simultaneously, the other half of the secondary winding remains in the reverse bias state. During the negative half-cycle, the polarity reverses, causing the other diode (D2) to conduct, thus ensuring a continuous current flow through the load resistance in the same direction.

This configuration allows both halves of the input AC cycle to be utilized, resulting in a higher efficiency than a half wave rectifier.

2. Bridge Rectifier

The full wave bridge rectifier uses four diodes arranged in a bridge configuration, with the input AC voltage applied across two opposite corners and the output DC voltage obtained across the load resistance. During each half-cycle of the AC input, two diodes are forward-biased, allowing current to flow through them toward the output terminal, while the other two diodes are reverse-biased. This results in a unidirectional current flow and a higher average output voltage than a half wave rectifier.

Output Characteristics of a Full Wave Rectifier

The output of a full wave rectifier is characterized by a pulsating direct current (DC) signal, which results from the rectification of both the positive and negative halves of the alternating current (AC) input. Unlike a half wave rectifier that only uses one-half of the AC waveform, a full wave rectifier flips the negative half to positive, producing a waveform that pulsates with twice the frequency of the input AC. This means if the input AC is at 60 Hz, the output will have a ripple frequency of 120 Hz. Although the output is not a smooth DC signal but a series of peaks, it has a higher average voltage and is easier to filter into a steady DC output using capacitors and other smoothing components.

Performance Metrics

The performance of a full wave rectifier can be evaluated based on several key metrics, including:

1. Ripple Factor (γ)

This metric quantifies the amount of AC component or ripple in the rectified output. It is calculated using the formula:

V rms is the RMS ( root mean square) value of the AC component of the output voltage.
V DC is the DC component of the output voltage.

The ripple factor for a full wave rectifier is approximately 0.48, assuming an ideal condition (no load resistance or filtering).

2. Rectification Efficiency (η)

It measures the efficiency of the rectifier in converting AC input power into DC output power. The rectification efficiency (η) can be calculated as:

P DC is the DC output power.
P AC is the AC input power.

The rectification efficiency of a full wave rectifier, under ideal conditions, is around 81.2%.

3. Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV)

It refers to the maximum voltage across the diodes in the reverse-biased direction during the negative half-cycle of the input AC.

For a full wave bridge rectifier, the PIV across each diode is equal to the peak value of the input AC voltage.

For a center-tapped rectifier, the PIV across each diode is equal to twice the peak value of the input AC voltage.

Where V peak is the maximum value of the AC input voltage.

4. Form Factor (FF)

The form factor is a measure that indicates the shape or form of the output waveform relative to its average or RMS (root mean square) value. For a full wave rectifier, the form factor is given by the ratio of the RMS value to the average value of the output voltage. It is expressed as:

V rms is the RMS value of the output voltage.
V avg is the average value of the output voltage.

For a full wave rectifier, the output voltage is a pulsating DC with ripple, and the form factor is approximately 1.11, assuming ideal conditions and no load resistance or filtering.

5. Peak Factor (PF)

Peak factor is a measure that indicates the ratio of the peak value of the output voltage to its RMS value. It quantifies the extent of variation or peaks in the waveform compared to its average value. The peak factor for a full wave rectifier is calculated as:

V peak is the peak value of the output voltage.

The peak factor for a full wave rectifier is approximately 1.414, considering ideal conditions.

Applications of Full Wave Rectifier

Full wave rectifiers are fundamental components in many electronic devices, providing a steady DC voltage for their operation. Its applications include:

Power supply circuits to convert AC to DC.
Signal demodulation in communication systems.
DC motor drives.
Battery charging circuits.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Full Wave Rectifier

Higher Efficiency: Utilizes both halves of the AC waveform, resulting in a higher average output voltage than a half wave rectifier.
Higher Output Voltage: Provides a greater average DC output voltage, making it more effective for powering electronic devices.
Reduced Ripple: Produces a higher ripple frequency (twice the input AC frequency), which is easier to filter and smooth into a steady DC signal.
Better Transformer Utilization: In the case of center-tap rectifiers, the transformer utilization is more efficient as the entire secondary winding is used.

Disadvantage

The only disadvantage is that it requires more components (four diodes for a bridge rectifier and two diodes for a center-tapped transformer), making the circuit more complex and potentially more expensive.

Full Wave Rectifier – Electronics-tutorials.ws
Full Wave Rectifier: What is it? – Electrical4u.com
What is a Full Wave Rectifier: Circuit with Working Theory – Elprocus.com
Full Wave Bridge Rectifier – Devxplained.eu

Article was last reviewed on Tuesday, July 23, 2024

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Si Lab - Full-wave Center-tap Rectifier

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In this hands-on semiconductor electronics experiment, build a full-wave rectifier for AC to DC conversion and learn about center-tapped transformers.

Project overview.

The rectifier circuit in Figure 1 is called full-wave because it makes use of both the positive and negative half-cycles of the sinusoidal AC source voltage wave in powering a DC load.

Schematic diagram of the full-wave center-tap rectifier circuit driving a motor

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of a full-wave center-tap rectifier circuit driving a DC motor.

As a result, there is less ripple voltage seen at the load than in a half-wave rectifier . It relies on the center-tapped transformer and two diodes to always provide a positive voltage to the load.

Parts and Materials

Low-voltage AC power supply (6 V output) with a center tap
Two 1N4001 rectifying diodes or any of the 1N400X series of rectifying diodes
Small hobby motor, permanent-magnet type
Optional: Audio detector with headphones
Optional: 0.1 µF capacitor
One toggle switch, SPST (single-pole, single-throw)

It is essential for this experiment that the low-voltage AC power supply is equipped with a center tap. A transformer with a non-tapped secondary winding simply will not work for this circuit.

Learning Objectives

Design of a full-wave center-tap rectifier circuit
How to measure ripple voltage with a voltmeter

Instructions

Step 1: First, build the circuit illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Full-wave center-tap rectifier circuit driving a DC motor.

Note that our low-voltage AC power supply contains inside it the center-tapped step-down transformer that was shown in the schematic diagram of Figure 1. This transformer converts the 120 VAC wall voltage down to the 12 VAC (± 6 VAC) output by our supply.

Step 2: Use a voltmeter to measure both the DC and AC voltage delivered to the motor. The RMS (root-mean-square ) value of this full-wave rectifier’s output is also greater for this circuit than for the half-wave rectifier.

You should notice the advantages of the full-wave rectifier immediately by the greater DC output voltage and lower, undesirable AC voltage fluctuations, as compared to the half-wave rectifier experiment. In addition, this full-wave rectifier design has only a single-diode voltage drop in the conduction path. This is better than the two-diode voltage drops of the full-wave bridge rectifier .

Step 3: An experimental advantage of this circuit is the ease with which it may be converted to a half-wave rectifier. Simply disconnect the short jumper wire connecting the two diodes’ cathode ends together on the terminal strip (Figure 2). Better yet, for a quick comparison between half and full-wave rectification, you can add a switch in the circuit to open and close this connection at will using the circuit of Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 3. Schematic diagram with a switch to select between full-wave and half-wave rectifier operation.

Figure 4. Illustration of the circuit with a switch to select between full-wave and half-wave rectifier operation.

With the ability to quickly switch between half- and full-wave rectification, you may easily perform qualitative comparisons between the two different operating modes.

Step 4 (Optional): You can use the audio signal detector to listen to the ripple voltage present between the motor terminals for half-wave and full-wave rectification modes, noting both the intensity and the quality of the tone. Remember to use a coupling capacitor in series with the detector, as illustrated in Figure 5, so that it only receives the AC ripple voltage and not the DC voltage.

Figure 5. Configuration of the audio detector for evaluating the rectifier outputs.

Spice simulation of the full-wave center-tap rectifier circuit.

We can simulate the full-wave center-tap rectifier, as illustrated in Figure 6, using SPICE .

Figure 6. SPICE circuit schematic for a full-wave center-tap rectifier circuit.

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Full-wave bridge rectifier

A Full-wave rectifier is a circuit arrangement that makes use of both half cycles of input alternating current (AC) and converts them to direct current (DC). In our tutorial on Half-wave rectifiers , we have seen that a half-wave rectifier makes use of only one-half cycle of the input alternating current. Thus a full-wave rectifier is much more efficient (double+) than a half-wave rectifier. This process of converting both half cycles of the input supply (alternating current) to direct current (DC) is termed full-wave rectification.

The full-wave rectifier can be constructed in 2 ways. The first method makes use of a centre tapped transformer and 2 diodes. This arrangement is known as Center Tapped Full-Wave Rectifier .

The second method uses a normal transformer with 4 diodes arranged as a bridge. This arrangement is known as a Bridge Rectifier .

Full Wave Rectifier Theory

To understand full wave bridge rectifier theory perfectly, you need to learn half wave rectifier first. In the tutorial on the half-wave rectifier, we have clearly explained the basic working of a rectifier. In addition, we have also explained the theory behind a p-n junction and the characteristics of a p-n junction diode .

Full Wave Rectifier – Working & Operation

The working & operation of a full-wave bridge rectifier is pretty simple. The circuit diagrams and waveforms we have given below will help you understand the operation of a bridge rectifier perfectly. In the circuit diagram, 4 diodes are arranged in the form of a bridge. The transformer secondary is connected to two diametrically opposite points of the bridge at points A & C. The load resistance R L is connected to the bridge through points B and D.

During the first half cycle

During the first half cycle of the input voltage, the upper end of the transformer secondary winding is positive with respect to the lower end. Thus during the first half cycle, diodes D1 and D 3 are forward biased and current flows through arm AB enters the load resistance R L , and returns back flowing through arm DC. During this half of each input cycle, the diodes D 2 and D 4 are reverse biased and current is not allowed to flow in arms AD and BC. The flow of current is indicated by solid arrows in figure 1.2 above. We have developed another diagram below to help you understand the current flow quickly. See the diagram below – the green arrows indicate the beginning of current flow from the source (transformer secondary) to the load resistance. The red arrows indicate the return path of current from load resistance to the source, thus completing the circuit.

During the second half cycle

During the second half cycle of the input voltage, the lower end of the transformer secondary winding is positive with respect to the upper end. Thus diodes D 2 and D 4 become forward biased and current flows through arm CB, enters the load resistance R L , and returns back to the source flowing through arm DA. The flow of current has been shown by dotted arrows in figure 1.3. Thus the direction of flow of current through the load resistance R L remains the same during both half cycles of the input supply voltage. See the diagram below – the green arrows indicate the beginning of current flow from the source (transformer secondary) to the load resistance. The red arrows indicate the return path of current from load resistance to the source, thus completing the circuit.

Peak Inverse Voltage of a Full wave bridge rectifier:

Let’s analyse the peak inverse voltage (PIV) of a full-wave bridge rectifier using the circuit diagram. At any instant when the transformer secondary voltage attains positive peak value Vmax, diodes D1 and D3 will be forward biased (conducting) and the diodes D2 and D4 will be reverse biased (non conducting). If we consider ideal diodes in the bridge, the forward biased diodes D1 and D3 will have zero resistance. This means voltage drop across the conducting diodes will be zero. This will result in the entire transformer secondary voltage being developed across the load resistance RL.

Thus PIV of a bridge rectifier = Vmax (max of secondary voltage)

Bridge Rectifier Circuit Analysis

The only difference in the analysis between full wave and centre tap rectifier is that

In a bridge rectifier circuit, two diodes conduct during each half cycle and the forward resistance becomes double (2R F ).
In a bridge rectifier circuit, Vsmax is the maximum voltage across the transformer secondary winding whereas in a centre tap rectifier Vsmax represents that maximum voltage across each half of the secondary winding.

The different parameters are explained with equations below:

Peak Current

The instantaneous value of the voltage applied to the rectifier is given as

vs = Vsmax Sin wt

If the diode is assumed to have a forward resistance of R F ohms and a reverse resistance equal to infinity, the current flowing through the load resistance is given as

i1 = Imax Sin wt and i2 = 0 for the first half cycle

and i1 = 0 and i2 = Imax Sin wt for second half cycle

The total current flowing through the load resistance R L , being the sum of currents i1 and i2 is given as

i = i1 + i2 = Imax Sin wt for the whole cycle.

Where the peak value of the current flowing through the load resistance R L is given as

Imax = Vsmax/(2R F + R L )

2. Output Current

Since the current is the same through the load resistance RL in the two halves of the ac cycle, the magnitude of dc current Idc, which is equal to the average value of ac current, can be obtained by integrating the current i1 between 0 and pi or current i2 between pi and 2pi.

3. DC Output Voltage

The average or dc value of voltage across the load is given as

4. Root Mean Square (RMS) Value of Current

RMS or effective value of current flowing through the load resistance R L is given as

5. Root Mean Square (RMS) Value of Output Voltage

RMS value of voltage across the load is given as

6. Rectification Efficiency

Power delivered to load,

Rectification Efficiency of Full Wave Rectifier

7. Ripple Factor

The form factor of the rectified output voltage of a full-wave rectifier is given as

So, ripple factor, γ = 1.11 2 – 1) = 0.482

8. Regulation

The dc output voltage is given as

Merits and Demerits of Full-wave Rectifier Over Half-Wave Rectifier

Merits – let us talk about the advantages of a full-wave bridge rectifier over a half-wave version first. I can think about 3 specific merits at this point.

Efficiency is double for a full-wave bridge rectifier. The reason is that a half-wave rectifier makes use of only one half of the input signal. A bridge rectifier makes use of both halves and hence double efficiency
The residual ac ripples (before filtering) are very low in the output of a bridge rectifier. The same ripple percentage is very high in a half-wave rectifier. A simple filter is enough to get a constant dc voltage from the bridge rectifier.
We know the efficiency of the full-wave rectifier is double than the half-wave rectifier. This means higher output voltage, Higher transformer utilization factor (TUF) and higher output power.

Demerits – Full-wave rectifier needs more circuit elements and is costlier.

Merits and Demerits of Bridge Rectifier Over Center-Tap Rectifier.

A centre tap rectifier is always a difficult one to implement because of the special transformer involved. A centre tapped transformer is costly as well. One key difference between centre tap & bridge rectifier is in the number of diodes involved in construction. A centre tap full wave rectifier needs only 2 diodes whereas a bridge rectifier needs 4 diodes. But silicon diodes being cheaper than a centre tap transformer, a bridge rectifier is a much-preferred solution in a DC power supply. Following are the advantages of a bridge rectifier over a centre tap rectifier.

A bridge rectifier can be constructed with or without a transformer. If a transformer is involved, any ordinary step-down/step-up transformer will do the job. This luxury is not available in a centre tap rectifier. Here the design of the rectifier is dependent on the centre tap transformer, which can not be replaced.
The bridge rectifier is suited for high voltage applications. The reason is the high peak inverse voltage (PIV) of the bridge rectifier when compared to the PIV of a centre tap rectifier.
The transformer utilization factor (TUF) is higher for the bridge rectifiers.

Demerits of Bridge rectifier over centre tap rectifier

The significant disadvantage of a bridge rectifier over a centre tap is the involvement of 4 diodes in the construction of the bridge rectifier. In a bridge rectifier, 2 diodes conduct simultaneously on a half cycle of input. A centre tap rectifier has only 1 diode conducting on a one-half cycle. This increases the net voltage drop across diodes in a bridge rectifier (it is double the value of the centre tap).

Applications of Full-wave Bridge rectifier

Full-wave rectifier finds uses in the construction of constant dc voltage power supplies, especially in general power supplies. A bridge rectifier with an efficient filter is ideal for any type of general power supply applications like charging a battery, powering a dc device (like a motor, led etc) etc. However, for an audio application, a general power supply may not be enough. This is because of the residual ripple factor in a bridge rectifier. There are limitations to filtering ripples. For audio applications, specially built power supplies (using IC regulators) may be ideal.

Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier with Capacitor Filter

The output voltage of the full-wave rectifier is not constant, it is always pulsating. But this cannot be used in real-life applications. In other words, we desire a DC power supply with a constant output voltage. In order to achieve a smooth and constant voltage, a filter with a capacitor or an inductor is used. The circuit diagram below shows a half-wave rectifier with a capacitor filter.

Full wave rectifier with capacitor filter

Ripple factor in a bridge rectifier

The ripple factor is a ratio of the residual ac component to the dc component in the output voltage. The ripple factor in a full-wave bridge rectifier is half than that of a half-wave rectifier.

Here are some projects that are based on the full-wave rectifier

Variable lab-bench power supply
Mobile and laptop charger
Full-wave rectifier using SCR
12V power supply for LEDs strip
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

References

To explain the concepts better, we have referred to several textbooks, especially Principles of Electronics .
To create the easy to understand images, we have referred to this article .

Q switching: types of q switches and applications, do you know how rfid wallets work and how to make one yourself, rheostat – working, construction, types & uses, 26 comments.

please sir,how do I calculate the value of current at the output of a bridge rectifier an also the value of resistors to be used?

please sir,how do I calculate the value of resistors to be used in a single phase electronic motor starter system?

Great explanations & well explained. Thank you!

Thank you very much for the explanations.

hello everyone, I have made full wave bridge rectifier circuit using IN4007 diodes. As per the theory we all know if my input voltage is below the threshold of the diode it will not conduct but in my case I’m using signal from function generator if I give 4V rectifier is working very well but it is also conducting when supply is 1V only. I don’t the reason pls help me out from this problem.

What will be the output of the rectifier, if we supply dc to rectifier bridge?

rectification means to convert AC from DC and DC from AC. when DC sorce is applied then it gives us an AC wave form.

output will be a DC with 1.4Volts less than the applied DC voltage.

dc in dc out, less two diode drops.

Your output voltage will be the same as the input voltage minus the forward voltage rating of the diode. Typically the forward voltage of most diodes is about 0.7 volts. So if you push 12 volts into and through a diode you can expect to see about 11.3 volts as a result.

sir , why does the capacitor connected bridge rectifier’s wave form’s output is like that?

It is due to the charging and discharching of capacitor.

Like what? The BR (bridge rectifier) will rectify the current. With minimal loss, the negative going sine wave will be inverted into a positive going sine wave. However, the voltage will still have full peaks (minus forward voltage) and zero volts. If you’re asking about why the sine wave looks like that it’s because the negative side of the sine is being turned upside down.

When you add a capacitor you add a reservoir (of sorts) to collect and give back current, thus making the DC line appear more stable. However, no capacitor in the world can absolutely smooth out the wave form. There will ALWAYS be some ripple to the wave.

Also consider that the RMS value of the AC sine wave is about 70% of the total voltage being produced. A 12 volt (RMS) AC sine wave will have a useful voltage of 12 volts but will have a peak voltage of 12 x 1.414 (or nearly 17 volts). Rectifying the sine wave and putting a capacitor on that circuit you can collect and store about 15 1/2 volts. The reason for the lower voltage is because the diodes have a forward voltage and will drop that much of the voltage. Typically about 0.7 volts per diode. Since you’re using a BR you’re always going through two diodes at any given time. hence, 0.7 x 2 = 1.4 forward volts dropped from the nearly 17 volts.

Because of peak voltages and tolerances, it would be wise to use a capacitor who’s voltage is rated at least 1 1/2 times the highest voltage you expect to see. On a nearly 17 volt circuit I would not use a 16 volt capacitor, I’d use the next bigger size available. Typically about 35 volts.

To summarize your question: The reason why it looks like that is because the capacitor is charging (or charged) at the peak of the sine wave. When the sine wave drops down the capacitor is giving back its stored energy, hence, the wave form appears to ripple.

Hope this helps.

Because of output is not constant dc voltage

Give me value of diode in full wave bridge rectifier.

Dear sir! How we calculate the V ripple and €^-t/RC

Rf =(vrms)”2/vdc-1

thank you explanation of these topic

Dear sir I want to know that what will be the Output DC voltage if we give 220v AC.

220 VAC (RMS) (Root Mean Squared) means that at 220 volts you’re seeing about 70% of the total voltage. The top 30% is virtually unused in an AC circuit. However, rectifying and storing (in a capacitor) means you can see a peak voltage of 1.414 times the RMS value.

1.414 is the square root of 2.

So, 220 x 1.414 = 311 volts peak.

THANKS FOR YOUR EXPLANATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC

Thanks a lot for the circuit and explaination, I’m a std 12th student and this information helped me a lot in making my school project. My teacher was very much impressed by this project and explanation. My course book didn’t explained that we need a capacitor and also that for diodes are better than two.

Thanks a lot for your help !!

amazing..well answerd

I am verymuch satisfied. Please inform me “what type of diode and transeformer is requred to form a bridge rectifire”

It depends upon the load voltage and current. So chose required Voltage/Current rating transformer and Diodes.

CONSIDERING THIS WEB SITE IT IS VERY HELPFUL FOR ALL THE TECHNICAL CANDIDATES . THANK U FOR THIS WEB SITE .

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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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Full Wave Rectifiers

A full wave rectifier is a component, in electronics that converts alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). Unlike a wave that only utilizes one half of the input cycle a full wave rectifier takes advantage of both the positive and negative halves of the input cycle resulting in a smoother and more efficient output. In this article, we will go through the types of full wave rectifiers how they work, their advantages and disadvantages as well and their applications.

Table of Content

Filter Circuit
Solved Example
Smoothing Capacitor
Advantages and Disadvantages

Defining Full Wave Rectifiers

A wave rectifier circuit is used to convert an input AC signal into DC by rectifying both negative cycles. This process is achieved by utilizing diodes that conduct during each cycle of the input signal. The outcome is a DC output with reduced ripples compared to a half-wave rectifier resulting in a smoother waveform with a value.

Full Wave Rectifier Circuit

An electrical arrangement called a wave rectifier circuit’s employed to convert alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). It makes use of diodes to ensure that both halves of the AC cycle are transformed into a flow of current, in one direction. This leads to a smoother DC output. The basic implementation can be done using either a center tapped transformer or a bridge rectifier configuration.

Working of Full Wave Rectifier

Rectification: Converts AC to pulsating DC by allowing current flow in both halves of the AC cycle using diodes.
Bridge Configuration: Often employs a bridge rectifier with four diodes to ensure full-wave rectification.
Output Voltage: Produces a pulsating DC output with twice the frequency of the input AC.

Full Wave Rectifier Formula

We are going to learn about some important formulas as given below :

Center-Tapped Full-Wave Rectifier Formula

A full wave rectifier is a circuit that converts alternating voltage (AC) into (DC) voltage. There are two used types; the center tapped wave and the bridge rectifier.

To calculate the output DC voltage (V out ) of a center tapped full wave rectifier you can use the equation:

V out represents the output DC voltage.
V m is the peak value of the AC voltage (the voltage).
ω refers to the frequency of the AC voltage (2π times the frequency, in Hertz).
t denotes time.

Bridge Rectifier Formula

There are four diodes used in a bridge rectifier to rectify the AC voltage. The output voltage (V out ) of a bridge rectifier can be calculated using the below equation:

V out = V m – V d

V out is the output DC voltage.
V m is the peak value of the AC voltage (maximum voltage).
V d is the voltage drop across the diodes (usually around 0.7 volts for silicon diodes).

In both cases, the output voltage is a pulsating DC voltage. To obtain a smoother DC voltage, a filter capacitor is often connected across the output.

Note: Keep in mind that these formulas provide idealized results, and in practical circuits, there may be variations due to factors like diode characteristics, transformer losses, and other real-world considerations.

Peak Inverse Voltage

PIV is the maximum reverse voltage that a diode in a full-wave rectifier must withstand. It is equal to the peak value of the input AC voltage.

where, Vm = peak value of the AC input voltage

DC Output Voltage

The DC output voltage of a full-wave rectifier is approximately equal to the peak value of the AC input voltage minus the voltage drop across the diodes.

Vdc ≈ Vm – 2Vd

where, Vd= voltage drop across each diode

RMS Value of Current

The RMS value of the output current in a full-wave rectifier can be calculated using the RMS value of the input current.

where, Im= peak value of the input current

Form Factor

The form factor is the ratio of the RMS value of the output voltage to the average value of the output voltage. For a full-wave rectifier, the form factor is typically around 1.11.

Where, Vrms = RMS value of the output voltage

Peak Factor

The peak factor is the ratio of the peak value of the output voltage to its RMS value.

Rectification Efficiency

Rectification efficiency measures how effectively the rectifier converts AC to DC. It is the ratio of the DC power output to the AC power input. The efficiency of the full wave rectifiers is 81.2%.

Ripple Voltage

Ripple voltage is the AC component super imposed on the DC output voltage. In a full-wave rectifier with a filter capacitor, it can be calculated using the load current (IL) and the capacitance (C) of the filter capacitor.

Filter Circuit Using Full Wave Rectifier

A filter circuit in conjunction with a full-wave rectifier plays a crucial role in converting alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC) with minimal ripple voltage. The full-wave rectifier, typically implemented using diodes, ensures that both halves of the AC input waveform are utilized, effectively doubling the frequency of voltage pulses. However, this rectification process still leaves some residual AC components and produces a pulsating DC output. To smooth out these fluctuations and obtain a relatively constant DC voltage, a filter circuit is employed. This filter typically consists of capacitors and sometimes inductors arranged in various configurations.

Filter Circuit using Full Wave Rectifier

Capacitors store electrical energy and discharge it during the brief gaps between rectified pulses, effectively reducing the ripple voltage. This results in a much smoother and steady DC output that is suitable for powering electronic devices and circuits. The combination of the full-wave rectifier and the filter circuit ensures that the DC output is nearly constant, which is crucial for many applications where stable power supply is essential.

Types of Full Wave Rectifiers

A full wave rectifier is an electronic circuit that converts alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC), and it has two main types:

Center-Tapped Full Wave Rectifier: It uses a center-tapped transformer and two diodes to rectify AC, commonly employed in low to moderate power applications.
Bridge Rectifier : This type of bridge rectifier utilizes four diodes arranged in a bridge configuration allowing for AC to DC conversion without relying on a center tapped transformer. It is often employed in high power applications and compact circuits.

Centre-Tapped Full Wave Rectifier

Centre-tapped Full Wave Rectifier

A center-tapped full wave rectifier circuit consists of a center-tapped transformer, two diodes, and a resistive load. The center-tapped transformer has a wire connected at the center of its secondary winding, which divides the input AC voltage into two halves. The diodes are connected in parallel to each other, with the load connected at the center tap of the transformer.

During the positive half of the input cycle, one diode conducts (forward bias) while the other diode is non-conducting (reverse bias). This allows current to flow through the load. In the negative part of the cycle, the diodes change their job. The one that was allowing electricity to flow now stops, and the one that was blocking it begins to allow it through. This is unlike a half-wave rectifier that uses only one part of the cycle. Using both parts in a full wave rectifier improves its performance and ensures more efficient conversion of the wavy input into a smooth output.

Working of Centre-Tapped Full Wave Rectifier

Working of Centre-tapped Full Wave Rectifier

In this arrangement the center tapped full wave rectifier effectively converts AC to DC by utilizing two diodes. During the half of the AC cycle one diode allows current to flow through the connected device or load. Conversely during the half of the cycle the other diode takes over. Enables current to flow in the opposite direction. This dual diode action ensures that both positive and negative halves of the input AC cycle are transformed into an flow resulting in a more stable and reliable source of power for electronic devices.

Advantages of Centre-Tapped Full Wave Rectifier

Some advantages of using a center tapped wave include its higher efficiency compared to a half wave rectifier since it utilizes both halves of the AC cycle.
It produces an more consistent DC output waveform, which reduces noise in devices.
This type of rectifier plays a role in converting AC to DC and providing reliable power, for various electronic applications.
The voltage and current, in the DC are twice as high as those in a half wave rectifier resulting in increased power, for the devices connected to it.

Disadvantages of Centre-Tapped Full Wave Rectifier

The rectifier necessitates the use of center tapped transformers, which can be more costly to produce and thus raise the circuit expenses.
Designing and constructing it is more intricate when compared to a half wave rectifier, which makes it less appropriate, for simple applications.
The transformer utilized in this rectifier can be bigger and heavier which may not be optimal, for portable devices.

Bridge Rectifier Full Wave Rectifier

A wave rectifier that doesn’t need a center-tapped transformer is a bridge rectifier circuit. Instead, it converts both of the input cycle’s negative components using four diodes arranged in a bridge arrangement.

In this circuit, the diodes are positioned so that two conduct during one half of the input cycle and the other two conduct during the other. By ensuring that both input cycle halves are rectified, a current (DC) output waveform is produced.

Working of Bridge Rectifier Full Wave Rectifier

Input Image

Input Voltage Waveforms

Output Image

Rectified Output Voltage/Current Waveforms

Consider a square with two diodes on top and two on bottom, making the outline of a bridge. When the AC power goes through this bridge, during each half of the cycle, two of these diodes start working like a team. They let the electric current flow through them and into whatever you’re powering. This clever setup ensures that both the positive and negative parts of the AC electricity get turned into DC, which means you get a smoother and more even kind of electricity that’s great for powering all sorts of things.

So, a bridge rectifier is like a bridge that helps make your power supply smooth and stable.

Advantages of Bridge Rectifier Full Wave Rectifier

The efficiency of rectifying a bridge is higher when compared to a half wave rectifier.
The ripple factor is lower which leads to a DC output waveform.
Bridge rectifiers are a cost option as they eliminate the need, for a center tapped transformer, unlike center tapped rectifiers.

Disadvantages of Bridge Rectifier Full Wave Rectifier

While using bridge rectifiers there is a decrease, in voltage due to the process of rectification.
Setting up bridge rectifiers involves a circuit arrangement, which might pose challenges for those who are new to electronics.
The components used in bridge rectifiers such as diodes can be more expensive compared to rectification methods.
Multiple diodes in bridge rectifiers can generate heat so it’s important to include heat dissipation solutions like heat sinks.
Bridge rectifiers may exhibit leakage currents, where a small amount of current flows, in the opposite direction when the diodes are off. This can result in energy wastage and reduced efficiency.

Solved Example of Full Wave Rectifier

Suppose we have an AC voltage source with a sinusoidal waveform: This AC voltage source is connected to a full-wave bridge rectifier circuit consisting of four diodes. We want to find the output DC voltage Vout across the load resistor (RL=1,000).

1. The given AC voltage source Vin(t) has a frequency of 60 Hz, which means it completes 60 cycles per second.

2. The full-wave bridge rectifier circuit will convert both the positive and negative halves of the input AC waveform into positive DC voltage.

3. The output voltage Vout can be calculated as follows:

Vout= Vpeak − Vdiode drop

Vpeak is the peak voltage of the input AC waveform.
Vdiode drop is the voltage drop across the diodes, which is typically around 0.7 volts for silicon diodes.

4. To find Vpeak, we need to determine the peak value of the sinusoidal waveform. The peak value of a sine wave is times its RMS (root mean square) value.

RMS value = 10/√2 volts

Peak value Vpeak = √2 volts = 10 volts

5. Now, we can calculate Vout:

Vout = 10 volts – 0.7 volts = 9.3 volts

So, the output DC voltage Vout across the load resistor is 9.3 volts when the input AC voltage is a 10-volt sinusoidal waveform with a frequency of 60 Hz. This rectified DC voltage can be used to power electronic devices or circuits.

Full Wave Rectifier With Smoothing Capacitor

A full-wave rectifier with a smoothing capacitor is an electrical circuit designed to convert alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC) while mitigating voltage fluctuations, resulting in a more stable DC output voltage. This configuration is frequently employed in power supply systems to deliver a dependable source of DC voltage for a variety of electronic devices. The rectifier uses diodes to ensure that both halves of the AC cycle are utilized, yielding a pulsating DC output. The smoothing capacitor, connected in parallel, stores energy during peak voltage moments and releases it during lower voltage periods, effectively diminishing voltage ripples, thus furnishing a steadier DC output. This helps ensure consistent power delivery for electronic equipment.

Rectification: Converts AC voltage to pulsating DC using a bridge rectifier (four diodes).
Smoothing Capacitor: Connected in parallel to the load resistor.
Charging: During the positive half-cycle, the capacitor charges as current flows through the load resistor.
Discharging: During the negative half-cycle, the capacitor discharges energy into the load resistor, bridging gaps between voltage pulses.
Output Voltage: This process smooths out the output voltage, reducing ripples to provide a relatively constant DC voltage.
Larger Capacitance: A larger capacitor reduces ripple and yields a more stable DC output.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Full Wave Rectifier

There are some list of advantages and disadvantages of Full Wave Rectifier given below :

Efficiency: Utilizes both halves of the AC cycle, making it more efficient than half-wave rectification.
Higher Average Voltage: Provides a higher average output voltage compared to half-wave rectifiers.
Reduced Ripple: Smoother DC output due to the double frequency rectification, improved further with a smoothing capacitor.

Disadvantages

Complexity: Requires four diodes in a bridge configuration, making it slightly more complex than a half-wave rectifier.
Higher Cost: Increased component count can lead to higher manufacturing costs.
Voltage Drop: Each diode introduces a small voltage drop, which may affect the output voltage slightly.

Full wave rectifiers play a vital role in electronics by converting AC signals to DC signals. Whether it’s a center-tapped rectifier or a bridge rectifier, both types offer advantages such as higher rectification efficiency, smoother DC output waveforms, and increased output voltage and load current values. These rectifiers find applications in power supply units, radio signal detection, electric welding, and high voltage conversion, among others. Understanding the working principles and characteristics of full wave rectifiers is essential for anyone working in the field of electronics.

FAQs on Full Wave Rectifier

1. can a full wave rectifier completely eliminate ac ripple from the output voltage.

While a full wave rectifier significantly reduces AC ripple compared to a half-wave rectifier, it cannot completely eliminate it. Some level of ripple may still be present in the DC output voltage due to factors like diode characteristics and load variations. To further reduce ripple, additional filtering components such as capacitors are often used in conjunction with full wave rectifiers.

2. What is the use of capacitor in full wave rectifier circuit?

Capacitor is used to reduce ripple factor in full wave rectifier circuit.

3. How many diodes are used in a full-wave rectifier?

Two diodes are used in center-tapped rectifier and four diodes are used in full-wave bridge rectifier.

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Full Wave Rectifier With and Without Filters

To study the operation of Full- Wave Rectifier with and without filter and to find its:

Percentage Regulation
Ripple Factor

Components:

S.No.	Name	Quantity
1	Bread board	1 (One) No.
2	Diodes (1N4007)	2 (Two) No.
3	Resistor (1K	1 (One) No.
4	Capacitor (1000	1 (One) No.

S.No.	Name	Quantity
1	Transformer with Center Tapped Secondary ( 9 - 0 - 9 )V	1 (One) No.
2	Digital Multimeter	1 (One) No.
3	Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO) (0-20MHz)	1 (One) No.
4	Connecting wires (Single Strand)

The conversion of AC into pulsating DC is called Rectification. Electronic Devices can convert AC power into DC power with high efficiency.

The full-wave rectifier consists of a center-tapped transformer, which results in equal voltages above and below the center-tap. During the positive half cycle, a positive voltage appears at the anode of D1 while a negative voltage appears at the anode of D2. Due to this diode D1 is forward biased. It results a current Id1 through the load R.

During the negative half cycle, a positive voltage appears at the anode of D2 and hence it is forward biased, resulting a current Id2 through the load. At the same instant a negative voltage appears at the anode of D1, reverse biasing it and hence it doesn’t conduct.

Ripple Factor:

Rectification Factor:

The ratio of output DC power to input AC power is defined as efficiency.

Percentage of Regulation:

It is a measure of the variation of DC output voltage as a function of DC output current (i.e., variation in load).

V NL = Voltage across load resistance, when minimum current flows through it.

V FL = Voltage across load resistance, when maximum current flows through.

For an ideal Full-wave rectifier, the percentage regulation is 0 percent. The percentage of regulation is very small for a practical full wave rectifier.

Peak- Inverse - Voltage (PIV):

It is the maximum voltage that the diode has to withstand when it is reverse biased.

Advantages of Full wave Rectifier:

Disadvantages of Full wave Rectifier:

Output voltage is half of the full secondary voltage.
Diodes with high PIV rating are to be used.
Manufacturing of the center-tapped transformer is quite expensive and so Full wave rectifier with center-tapped transformer is costly.

Circuit Diagram:

Full Wave Rectifier (without filter):

Full Wave Rectifier (with filter):

Connect the circuit as shown in the circuit diagram.
Connect the primary side of the transformer to AC mains and the secondary side to rectifier input.
Using a CRO, measure the maximum voltage V m of the AC input voltage of the rectifier and AC voltage at the output of the rectifier.
Using a DC voltmeter, measure the DC voltage at the load resistance.

Observations:

Peak Voltage, V m = (From CRO for HWR with and without filter)
DC Voltage, V DC(full load) = (From Voltmeter/ Multimeter for HWR with and without filter)
No Load DC Voltage, V DC(No load) = (From Voltmeter/ Multimeter for HWR with and without filter)
Ripple Voltage, V r = (From CRO for HWR with filter)

Calculations:

Without filter:

With filter:

V NL = DC voltage at the load without connecting the load (Minimum current).

V FL = DC voltage at the load with load connected.

P AC = V 2 rms / R L

P DC = V dc / R L

Expected Waveforms:

The operation of Full Wave rectifier is studied and the following are calculated.

Outcomes: Students are able to

analyze the operation of Full Wave rectifier with and without filter.
calculate its performance parameters-ripple factor, percentage regulation, efficiency with and without filter.

Viva Questions:

1. What is filter?

Ans: Electronic filters are electronic circuits which perform signal processing functions, specifically to remove unwanted frequency components from the signal.

2. Give some rectifications technologies?

Ans: Synchronous rectifier, Vibrator, Motor-generator set , Electrolytic ,Mercury arc, and Argon gas electron tube.

3. What is the efficiency of bridge rectifier?

4. What is the value of PIV of a center tapped FWR?

Ans: 2V m.

5. In filters capacitor is always connected in parallel, why?

Ans: Capacitor allows AC and blocks DC signal.in rectifier for converting AC to DC, capacitor placed in parallel with output, where output is capacitor blocked voltage.If capacitance value increases its capacity also increases which increases efficiency of rectifier.

6. What is the purpose of Center Tapped transformer?

Ans: Center tapped transformer in FWR produce the voltages are in phase with each other,we can produce the current in only one direction.It reduces the voltage drop across the load.

7. What is Regulation?

Ans:Line regulation is the ability to maintain specified output voltage over changes in the input line voltage.

Load regulation is the ability to maintain specified output voltage given changes in the load.

8. What is the location of poles of filter in S-plane?

Ans:The S-plane is a complex plane with an imaginary and real axis referring to the complex-valued variable z. The position on the complex plane is given

by re iθ and the angle from the positive, real axis around the plane is denoted by θ. When mapping poles and zeros onto the plane, poles are denoted by an

"x" zeros are denoted by"o".

(image from http://pilot.cnxproject.org )

9. What is the output of FWR with filter? Is it unidirectional?

It is unidirectional output.

10. What are the advantages and disadvantages of center tapped full-wave rectifiers compared with Bridge rectifiers?


One diode conducts in each half cycle of input	Two diodes conduct in each half cycle of input
The output voltage is more	The output voltage is less
PIV rating of the diode is 2V	PIV rating of the diode is V
The transformer is less effectively used T.U.F is 0.693.	The transformer is more effectively used T.U.F is 0.812.

11. Define Ripple factor ‘γ’ and its values for the three types of rectifiers.

Ans:Ripple factor can be defined as the variation of the amplitude of DC (Direct current) due to improper filtering of AC power supply. it can be measured by RF = v rms / v dc

Ripple factor for Half wave recifier is 1.21, FWR is 0.482 and Bridge recifier is 0.482

12. What is the value of No load voltage for all the three types of the rectifiers?

13. What are the different types of filters used for the rectifiers?

Updated Oct 31, 2019
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Full Wave Rectifier PUBLIC

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Created	August 28, 2012
Last modified	August 28, 2012
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Description

Circuit Diagram for Full-Wave Rectifier(FWR) using bridge config. At output node, we can provide a capacitor for ripple free.

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IMAGES

Full wave rectifier project || science experiment & practical || center tapped working model easy
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COMMENTS

PDF Experiment No. 1 HALFWAVE AND FULLWAVE RECTIFIERS
HALFWAVE AND FULLWAVE RECTIFIERS. wave and bridge rectifier with and without filterand calculate the ripple. QUIRED: Diodes, Resistor, Tr. nsformer, Voltmeter,Ammeter, Breadboard and CRO.THEORY: Rectifier changes ac. o dc and it is an e. sential part of power supply. The unique propertyof a diode, permitting the current to.
Experiment to Study Half Wave and Full Wave Rectifier
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 ...
Full Wave Rectifier: What is it? (Formula And Circuit Diagram)
Key learnings: Full Wave Rectifier Definition: A full wave rectifier is defined as a device that converts both halves of an AC waveform into a continuous DC signal.; Circuit Diagram: The circuit diagrams for both centre-tapped and bridge rectifiers show how diodes are used to ensure the conversion of AC to DC.; Formula for Efficiency: The efficiency of a full wave rectifier, represented as the ...
Lab 4: Full-Wave Rectifiers
For technical support, please visit the Test and Measurement section of the Digilent Forums. Lab 4: Full-Wave Rectifiers This lab guides students in building a full-wave bridge rectifier and in exploring the V-I characteristic of a diode. Students will first simulate and build the rectifier to gain an understanding of the purpose of a rectifier.
Full Wave Rectifier
The full wave rectifier circuit consists of two power diodes connected to a single load resistance (R L) 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 D 1 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 ...
Full Wave Rectifier Circuit With and Without Filter
The supply is then applied across the rectifier circuit as below. Full Wave Rectifier Circuit Without filter: The corresponding voltage across load is 12.43V because the average output voltage of the discontinuous waveform can be seen in the digital multi-meter. Full Wave Rectifier Circuit With Filter: When capacitor filter is added as below, 1.
PDF Lab 2: Rectifiers
Full-Wave Rectifier Figure 2-3: Full-wave rectifier 1. Use PSpice to obtain a plot of the transfer function of the circuit shown in Fig. 2-3. Use the plot to estimate the output if the input is a sine wave with 10V amplitude and 60Hz of frequency. 2. Use PSpice to plot the output of the rectifier circuit driven by the sinusoidal input source in ...
Si Lab
The effect of capacitor filtering on the full-wave bridge rectifier output. This experiment involves constructing a rectifier and filter circuit for attachment to the low-voltage AC power supply constructed earlier. With this device, you will have a source of low-voltage DC power suitable as a replacement for a battery in battery-powered ...
Full Wave Rectifier
Full Wave Rectifier - Circuit. So, we have seen that this rectifier circuit consists of two sources which have a phase difference along with two diodes. ... Click on 'ON' button to start the experiment. Click on 'Sine Wave' button to generate input waveform ; Click on 'Oscilloscope' button to get the rectified output. Vary the Amplitude ...
Si Lab
Step 1: Build the full-wave bridge rectifier circuit using the four silicon diodes, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 2. Terminal strip implementation of the full-wave bridge rectifier circuit driving a motor. Step 2: Measure the DC voltage across the motor. Compare the DC voltage reading across the motor terminals with the reading ...
Full Wave Rectifier
Full Wave Rectifier Circuit. The circuit of the full wave rectifier can be constructed in two ways. The first method uses a centre tapped transformer and two diodes. This arrangement is known as a centre tapped full wave rectifier. The second method uses a standard transformer with four diodes arranged as a bridge. This is known as a bridge ...
Lab 4: Full-Wave Rectifiers
This lab guides students in building a full-wave bridge rectifier and in exploring the V-I characteristic of a diode. Students will first simulate and build the rectifier to gain an understanding of the purpose of a rectifier. Then, students will use LabVIEW to explore the individual components of the rectifier in order to visualize and understand how these components limit its operating range.
Full Wave Rectifier: Definition, Operation, Types, and Diagram
A full wave rectifier is an electronic circuit that converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). An AC current flows in both directions, while a DC current flows in one direction only. An AC signal comprises a wave that rises above and falls below a central line, called a sinusoidal wave. A full wave rectifier rectifies the AC ...
Experiment: The Full Wave Rectifier
If you follow the current path through a full wave rectifier you will notice that when V in goes positive, D 2 and D 4 are on (conducting), while D 1 and D 3 are off, and current flows in the direction through the resistor as indicated by the arrow. When V in goes negative, D 1 and D 3 are on (conducting), while D 2 and D 4 are off, and current flows in the same direction through the resistor ...
Si Lab
Project Overview. The rectifier circuit in Figure 1 is called full-wave because it makes use of both the positive and negative half-cycles of the sinusoidal AC source voltage wave in powering a DC load.. Figure 1. Schematic diagram of a full-wave center-tap rectifier circuit driving a DC motor. As a result, there is less ripple voltage seen at the load than in a half-wave rectifier.
PDF CIRCUITS LABORATORY Experiment 8
8.2.2 Full-Wave Rectifier In order to understand the operation of the full-wave rectifier shown in Figure 8.1 (b), consider the circuit shown in Fig. 8.4. Again, the output of the transformer is represented by a sinusoidal voltage source vs and source resistance Rs, but, as shown, it is
PDF Ee 3101 Electronics I Laboratory Experiment 2 Lab Manual
The circuit shown in Figure 6 demonstrates the full-wave rectifier design for this part of the lab. The rectifier/filter circuit design will require approximately 16 VDC @ 130 mA output capability, with a peak-to-peak voltage ripple less than 0.5 V. It is shown in the textbook that for a full-wave rectifier the ripple voltage is [1] = 2
Full Wave Rectifier-Bridge Rectifier-Circuit Diagram ...
The full-wave rectifier can be constructed in 2 ways. The first method makes use of a centre tapped transformer and 2 diodes. This arrangement is known as Center Tapped Full-Wave Rectifier. The second method uses a normal transformer with 4 diodes arranged as a bridge. This arrangement is known as a Bridge Rectifier.
Full Wave Rectifier
We don't go over too much of the conceptual concepts of a full-wave rectifier in this video, we just want to give a practical demonstration showing the outpu...
Experiment: Full Wave Rectification (using bridge 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 ...
Full Wave Rectifier
A full wave rectifier is a circuit that converts alternating voltage (AC) into (DC) voltage. There are two used types; the center tapped wave and the bridge rectifier. To calculate the output DC voltage (Vout) of a center tapped full wave rectifier you can use the equation: Here, Vout represents the output DC voltage.
Full Wave Rectifier With and Without Filters
Circuit Diagram: Full Wave Rectifier (without filter): Full Wave Rectifier (with filter): Procedure: Connect the circuit as shown in the circuit diagram. Connect the primary side of the transformer to AC mains and the secondary side to rectifier input. Using a CRO, measure the maximum voltage V m of the AC input voltage of the rectifier and AC ...
Full Wave Rectifier
These tools allow students, hobbyists, and professional engineers to design and analyze analog and digital systems before ever building a prototype. Online schematic capture lets hobbyists easily share and discuss their designs, while online circuit simulation allows for quick design iteration and accelerated learning about electronics.

Experiment to Study Half Wave and Full Wave Rectifier

Procedure:-

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Full Wave Rectifier: What is it? (Formula And Circuit Diagram)

What is a Full Wave Rectifier?

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Lab 4: Full-Wave Rectifiers

Introduction

Learning Objectives

Circuit Theory and Simulation

Building and Measuring Your Circuit

Analysis with LabVIEW

General Operation

Hardware Setup

Software Setup

Acquiring Data

Stepping the Input Voltage and Exiting

Further Exploration

Diodes and Rectifiers

LabVIEW Programming and User Friendliness

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Full Wave Rectifier Circuit With and Without Filter

Working of Full Wave Rectifier:

With a 1uF capacitor as filter:

Operations with capacitor:

Practical Full Wave Rectifier:

Operation of the circuit:

Full Wave Rectifier Circuit Without filter:

Full Wave Rectifier Circuit With Filter:

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Full Wave Rectifier

Defining Full Wave Rectifiers

Full Wave Rectifier Circuit

Working of Full Wave Rectifier

Full Wave Rectifier Formula

DC Output Voltage

RMS Value of Current

Form Factor

Peak Factor

Rectification Efficiency

Advantages of Full Wave Rectifier

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Why do we use a capacitor in full wave rectifier circuit?

What is a centre tapped full wave rectifier?

Where is a full wave rectifier used?

What are the disadvantages of full wave rectifiers?

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Lab 4: Full-Wave Rectifiers

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SKILLS REQUIRED

Requirements

Multisim Live

DETAILED REQUIREMENTS

Related Resources

Full Wave Rectifier

Operation of a Full Wave Rectifier

Output Characteristics of a Full Wave Rectifier

Performance Metrics

1. Ripple Factor (γ)

2. Rectification Efficiency (η)

3. Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV)

4. Form Factor (FF)

5. Peak Factor (PF)