POWER ELECTRONICS - EEEB339 1

DIODE RECTIFIERS

Freewheeling Diode and RLE Load

Department of Electrical Power Engineering

Universiti Tenaga Nasional
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Learning Outcomes
Able to describe and illustrate the operation of single-phase
half-wave rectifiers with RL-load and freewheeling diode
Able to describe and illustrate the operation of single-phase
half-wave rectifiers with RLE load
Able to analyse the operation of half-wave rectifiers with RLE
load
Apply the power computation concepts in Topic 1 to single-
phase half-wave rectifiers with RLE and LE load
Able to describe and illustrate the effects of source inductance
on single-phase half-wave rectifiers with RL-load and
freewheeling diode
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RL-Load With a Freewheeling Diode

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Steady-State Load Voltage and Current

Waveforms with Freewheeling Diode

Vm
Vo, dc  ; Vo is a half-wave
π rectified sine wave

Vo, dc FWD results in

I o, dc  ; continuous io
R

Po, dc V o, dc*I o, dc
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Effects of Source Inductance

 Assume that the load inductance
is very large making the load
current constant
u is known as the commutation
angle
Commutation is the process of
turning off an electronic switch,
and transfer of load current from
one switch to another
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Effects of Source Inductance

 Assume that the load inductance
is very large making the load
current constant
u is known as the commutation
angle
Commutation is the process of
turning off an electronic switch,
and transfer of load current from
one switch to another

 I L   I X 
u  cos 1 1  L S   cos 1 1  L S 
 Vm   Vm 
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Single-Phase Half-Wave Rectifier with RL-

Source Load
Requirement for diode to conduct
– the diode must be forward
biased.

• If Vs > Vdc, the io will be able to

flow

• If Vdc > Vs (instantaneous values),

the diode will be reversed biased
hence diode will not conduct,
therefore output io = 0 A.
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Total Current (Forced and Natural Response)

Determine the angle at which vs=Vdc

What is the KVL when the diode conducts?
Derive the force and natural current responses
Use the initial condition of i()=0 to determine the initial
constant value of the natural response.
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Review Example 3-5

For a half-wave rectifier with RL-source load where R=2 ,
L=20mH, and Vdc= 100V. The ac source is 120V rms at 60 Hz.
Determine
a) An expression for the current in the circuit in terms of ωt
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Filter Capacitor
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Filter Capacitor

𝜋
If 𝜃 =
2

 2  Vm
Vo  Vm   
 RC  f RC

𝑉𝑚 sin 2𝜋 + 𝛼 = 𝑉m sin 𝜃 𝑒 − 2𝜋+𝛼−𝜃 /𝜔𝑅𝐶

− 2𝜋+𝛼−𝜃
sin 𝛼 − sin 𝜃 𝑒 𝜔𝑅𝐶 =0
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Example 3-9
A half-wave uncontrolled rectifier has a 120-V source at 60 Hz,
R=500Ω and C=100uF. Determine a) the peak-to-peak output
voltage variation b) the value of capacitor so that the peak-to-
peak output voltage variation is 1% of Vm.