AIM: To study the characteristics of half wave and full wave rectifier with and

without filter and calculate the ripple factor

COMPONENTS AND EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:

Diodes, Resistor, Voltmeter, Ammeter, Breadboard. Digital oscilloscope

THEORY: Rectifier changes ac to dc and it is an essential part of power supply.

The unique property of a diode, permitting the current to flow in one direction, is
utilized in rectifiers.

Half Wave Rectifier

Mains power supply is applied at the primary of the step-down transformer. All the
positive half cycles of the stepped down ac supply pass through the diode and all the
negative half cycles get eliminated. Peak value of the output voltage is less than the
peak value of the input voltage by 0.6V because of the voltage drop across the diode.

For a half wave rectifier,

V
Vrms= m
2

V
Vdc = m , where Vrms= rms value of input

Vdc= Average value of input
Vm = peak value of output
Vr,rms
Ripple factor r = where Vr,rms is the rms value of the ac component.
Vdc
Since
2 = 𝑉2 2
𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑟,𝑟𝑚𝑠 + 𝑉𝑑𝑐

Vrms 2
Ripple factor r = √( ) − 1 = 1.21
Vdc

Full Wave Rectifier

During the positive half cycle of the transformer secondary voltage, diode D1 is
forward biased and D2 is reverse biased. So a current flows through the diode D1,
load resistor R L and upper half of the transformer winding. During the negative half
cycle, diode D2 becomes forward biased and diode D1 becomes reverse biased. The
current then flows through the diode D2, load resistor R L and lower half of the
transformer winding. Current flows through the load resistor in the same direction
during both the half cycles. Peak value of the output voltage is less than the peak
value of the input voltage by 0.6V because of the voltage drop across the diode.
For a full wave rectifier,
Vm 2Vm
Vrms= , Vdc =
√2 

Vrms 2
Ripple factor r = √( ) − 1 = 0.48
Vdc

CIRCUIT DIAGRAMS

Half wave rectifier with filter

Full wave rectifier with filter

DESIGN
𝑅𝐿 = 1 K
Power supply frequency f = 50 Hz
Capacitor C = 47F
Observation:

Figure1: output of half-wave rectifier observed in oscilloscope

1. Half wave rectifier

Without filter
Vm = 1.8 * 5 = 9 V

Vm 9
Vdc = = = 2.864 V
 

Vm
Vrms = = 4.5 V
2

4.5 2
Ripple factor r = √( ) − 1 = 1.21
2.864
With filter
Vr = 0.6 * 5 = 3 V
Vshift = 1.2 * 5 = 6 V
V
Vripple = r = 1.160 V
2√2
Vr 3
(𝑉𝑑𝑐 )ripple = Vshift + = 6 + = 7.5 V
2 2

Practical ripple factor

V 1.160
𝑟𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐 = (𝑉 ripple
)
= = 0.141
𝑑𝑐 ripple 7.5

Theoretical ripple factor

1 1
rtheo = = = 0.123
2√3 f C.RL 2√3∗50∗47F∗1 k

2. Full wave rectifier

Figure 2: output of Full-wave rectifier observed in oscilloscope

Without filter
Vm = 1.8 * 5 = 9 V

2Vm
Vdc = = 5.729 V


Vm
Vrms = = 6.36 V
√2

6.36 2
Ripple factor r = √( ) −1
5.729

= 0.48
With filter
Vr = 0.4 * 5 = 2 V
Vshift = 1.4 * 5 = 7 V
V
Vripple = r = 0.3535 V
4√2
Vr 2
(𝑉𝑑𝑐 )ripple = Vshift + =7+ =8V
2 2

Practical ripple factor

V 0.3535
𝑟𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐 = (𝑉 ripple
)
= = 0.044
𝑑𝑐 ripple 8

Theoretical ripple factor

1 1
rtheo = = = 0.0614
4√3 f C.RL 2√3∗50∗47F∗1 k

Applications of Rectifier:

Rectifiers are used in almost all power rectification and electronics appliances.
Below is the list of common applications and uses of different Rectifiers.

1. Rectification i.e converting DC Voltages to AC Voltages.

2. Rectifiers are used in electric welding to provide the polarized voltage.
3. It is also used in traction, rolling stock and three phase traction motors used
for running trains.
4. Half wave rectifiers are used in mosquito repellent and soldering iron.Half
wave rectifier also used in AM Radio as a detector and signal peak detector.
5. Rectifiers also used in modulation, demodulation and voltage multipliers.