TOPIC 2 (A)

SINGLE-PHASE HALF-WAVE
RECTIFIER

DET40073- POWER ELECTRONIC

Function of Single-phase AC to DC
Converter
• AC – DC conversion principle:

 convert alternating current (AC)  direct current (DC).

 Known as rectifier.
 Rectification is a process of converting AC voltage (or) current to DC
voltage (or) current.
Application in Industry

 High voltage DC transmission

 DC power supplies
 UPS and HVDC systems
 Battery charging
 Speed control of DC drives, traction etc.
Classification Of Rectifier
 Rectifier can be classified as 2 types :
i. Uncontrolled rectifier
ii. Controlled rectifier

 Output voltage and power from rectifier circuit can be control by

controlling the semiconductor switching device in the circuit such as for:

Classification of rectifier Switching device

Uncontrolled Diode
Controlled Thyristor / SCR
Difference function of Diode and SCR:
Diode (Uncontrolled) SCR (Controlled)

will continue to conduct can be controlled by

current when forward bias. controlling the firing angle
at the gate.
Classification of Rectifier

 Uncontrolled Rectifier : make use of diodes. The output D.C.

voltage is fixed and is decided by the amplitude of the A.C.
input voltage. The direction of the power flow is only from the
source to the load.

 Fully Controlled Rectifier : make use of SCRs only as the

rectifying elements. The control of output voltage is obtained by
changing the firing angle.
Types of Single-phase Rectifier
 Uncontrolled & Controlled Half
Wave Rectifier
Three types load of Uncontrolled & Controlled Half Wave
Rectifier circuit :
i. Resistive load

ii. Inductive load

iii. Inductive load and freewheeling diode

SINGLE-PHASE UNCONTROLLED
HALF-WAVE
RECTIFIER WITH RESISTIVE LOAD

DIODE
Uncontrolled Half Wave Rectifier with Resistive
Load

Circuit connection Input and output waveforms

Operation circuit:
•
Expression of the output voltage:

If the V = Vm sin wt, the average output voltage is :

RMS Output Output Power
Voltage(𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) )

𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) =
𝑉𝑚 Po ( avg )  Vo ( avg )  Io ( avg )
2
OR

Po ( avg )  Io ( avg )  R
2
RMS Output Current (𝐼𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) )
OR
2
Vo ( avg )
𝐼𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) =
𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠)
𝑅
Po ( avg ) 
R
Example:
Calculate the output voltage, Vo for the rectifier circuit below :

Vin = 50 sin 132t

Solution :
Exercise:
Calculate the average output voltage, Vo and the output
current, Io for the circuit below.

Vin = 36 V

Ans : Vo = 16.21V , Io = 0.016A

SINGLE-PHASE CONTROLLED
HALF-WAVE
RECTIFIER WITH RESISTIVE
LOAD

SCR
Controlled Half wave rectifier with
resistive load
Circuit connection waveforms
Operation circuit:

 When half positive cycle (0 < t < π) :

 The thyristor anode is +ve with respect to cathode and until

the thyristor is triggered by a proper gate pulse it blocks the
flow of load current in the forward direction.

 When the thyristor is fired at an angle , full supply voltage is

applied to the load. Hence the load is directly connected to
the +ve half wave ac supply.
 When half negative cycle (π< t <2π) :

 The thyristor is reversed biased, blocks the flow of load

current.

 No voltage is applied to the load R.

Expression of the output voltage:
If the V = Vm sin wt, the average output voltage is :
RMS Output Voltage(𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) ) Output Power

𝑉𝑚 𝛼 sin(2𝛼) Po ( avg )  Vo ( avg )  Io ( avg )

𝑉𝑜 𝑟𝑚𝑠 = 1− +
2 𝜋 2𝜋
OR

RMS Output Voltage(𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) )

Po ( avg )  Io ( avg )  R
2

OR
2
Vo ( avg )
𝐼𝑜 𝑟𝑚𝑠 =
𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠)
𝑅
Po ( avg ) 
R
Example:
Calculate the output voltage, Vo for the rectifier circuit
below if α = 45° :

Vin = 50 sin132t

Solution :
Exercise:
Calculate the average output voltage, Vo the output current,
Io and power output, Po for the circuit below if α = 60°.

V max  Vrms  2

Vin = 100 V

Ans : Vo = 33.76V , Io = 33.76mA, Po = 1.14W

SINGLE-PHASE UNCONTROLLED
HALF-WAVE RECTIFIER WITH
INDUCTIVE LOAD
Uncontrolled Half wave Rectifier with
Inductive Load

Circuit connection
Output waveforms:
Operation circuit:

 When half positive cycle (0 < t < π) :

 Conduction of diode act as short circuit switch (assume

diode is ideal) connect supply voltage to the load.

 Inductor will charging and stores energy before current flow

to the resistance load.
 When half negative cycle (π< t <2π) :

 Load current is also conduct on half cycle negative input voltage from
π till β.

 This because inductive load change its polarity and discharge energy
to maintained the load current, thus it tries to overcome the negative
supply voltage and the diode stay in forward biased.

 When inductive load is fully discharge, the voltage and current become
zero (from angle β to 2π)
Expression of the output voltage:
If the V = Vm sin wt, the average output voltage is :
Average output current

𝑉𝑜(𝑎𝑣𝑔)
𝐼𝑜(𝑎𝑣𝑔) =
𝑅
RMS Output Voltage(𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) )
Output Power

𝑉𝑜 𝑟𝑚𝑠 =
𝑉𝑚 2
4𝜋
𝛽−
sin(2𝛽)
2 Po ( avg )  Vo ( avg )  Io ( avg )
OR

RMS Output Voltage(𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) )

Po ( avg )  Io ( avg )  R
2

OR
𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠)
𝐼𝑜 𝑟𝑚𝑠 = 2
𝑍
Vo ( avg )
Where 𝑍 = 𝑅2 + (𝜔𝐿)2 Po ( avg ) 
R
Example:
Calculate the output voltage, Vo for the rectifier circuit below if
β = 210°.

Vin = 170 sin132t

Solution :
Exercise:
Calculate the average output voltage, Vo, the output current,
Io and power output, Po for the circuit below if β = 230°.

Vin = 240 V

Ans : Vo = 88.74V , Io = 0.89A , Po = 78.98W

 SINGLE-PHASE
CONTROLLED HALF-WAVE
RECTIFIER WITH INDUCTIVE
LOAD
Controlled Half wave Rectifier with Inductive
Load

Circuit connection
Input and Output waveforms:

Input waveform

Output waveform
Operation circuit:

 When half positive cycle (0 < t < π) :

 The thyristor will be forward biased in the +ve half cycle of the supply.
Hence thyristor is applied with the firing pulses in the +ve half cycle.

 When the thyristor is triggered, the supply voltage appears across load,
hence Vo = Vs. The load current will increase in a finite time through the
inductive load. Energy is stored in inductor during interval  to .
 When half negative cycle (π< t <2π) :

 At  angle, the supply voltage reverses, but the thyristor is kept

conducting. This is due to the fact that current through the inductance
cannot be reduces to zero.
 current continues to flow till the energy stored in the inductance
dissipated in the load resistor and a part of the energy is fed back to the
source.
 Hence, due to energy stored in inductor, current continuos to flow up to
instant β. At instant β, the load current is zero and due to –ve supply
voltage, thyristor turns OFF.
Expression of the output voltage:

If the V = Vm sin wt, the average output voltage is :

Average output current

𝑉𝑜(𝑎𝑣𝑔)
𝐼𝑜(𝑎𝑣𝑔) =
𝑅
RMS Output Voltage(𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) ) Output Power

Po ( avg )  Vo ( avg )  Io ( avg )

𝑉𝑜 𝑟𝑚𝑠

𝑉𝑚 2 sin 2𝛽 sin 2𝛼
= 𝛽−𝛼− +
4𝜋 2 2
OR

RMS Output Voltage(𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) ) Po ( avg )  Io ( avg )  R

2

𝑉𝑜(𝑟𝑚𝑠) OR
𝐼𝑜 𝑟𝑚𝑠 =
𝑍
2
Vo ( avg )
Where 𝑍 = 𝑅2 + (𝜔𝐿)2
Po ( avg ) 
R
Example:
Calculate the output voltage, Vo for the rectifier circuit below if
α = 45° and β = 210°.

Vin = 170 sin132t

Solution :
Exercise:
Calculate the average output voltage, Vo for the circuit below if α = 90
and β = 230°.

Vin = 240 V

Ans : Vo = 34.72 V
TIME TO TEST YOUR
KNOWLEDGE….
Question 1

Name the rectifier circuit below

Question 2

Sketch the circuit connection for Controlled Half-wave Rectifier with inductive
load
Question 3
Name the rectifier circuit below
Question 4
Sketch the waveforms of Ig and Vo for the circuit below If
α = 45°
Question 5
Sketch the waveforms of Vs, Vo & Io for the circuit below
If α = 90°
Question 6
Derive the expression for the output voltage waveform below.
Question 7
Derive the expression for the output voltage waveform below.
 UNCONTROLLED HALF-WAVE
RECTIFIER WITH INDUCTIVE
LOAD & FREE WHEELING DIODE
Uncontrolled Half wave rectifier with
inductive load & free wheeling diode

Circuit connection
Output waveforms

Output voltage
waveform

Output current
waveform
• Any circuit that has inductive load has discontinuous current and
high in noise.

• So in order to avoid this, a continuous load current can be

achieved by adding a diode parallel with load as in the figure.

• This diode stops the flow of reversed voltage at the load when input
supply is in negative cycle.

 When diode D1 stopped at zero volt, diode Df gave an

alternative way as shown in waveform of figure b.

 The value of output voltage now is the positive half cycle from
sinusoidal input voltage.
Operation circuit:

 When half positive cycle (0 < t < π) :

 The diode D1 is forward bias in positive half cycle of supply. Hence Vo = Vs.
The waveform of Vo is shown in figure. Observe that from 0 to π , Vo is
same as supply voltage Vs. The freewheeling diode (Dfw) is reversed
biased, hence it does not conduct. The output current io increases from
zero as shown in figure (b).
 When half negative cycle (π< t <2π) :

 After π, the supply voltage becomes negative. Hence diode D1 is reversed

biased and turn-off. Therefore io tries to go to zero. But the load inductance
does not allow io to go to zero.
 The induced inductance voltage forward biases freewheeling diode (Dfw).
Hence it starts conducting. Therefore D1 turns-off. The output current now
flows through the freewheeling diode.
 The freewheeling current flows only due to energy stored in the load
inductance. The output current flows in the load itself. This process is called
freewheeling.
Expression of the output voltage
If the V = Vm sin wt, the average output voltage is :
Output Power:

Po ( avg )  Vo ( avg )  Io ( avg )

OR

Po ( avg )  Io ( avg )  R
2

OR
2
Vo ( avg )
Po ( avg ) 
R
Example:
Calculate the output voltage, Vo and power output,
Po for the rectifier circuit below if R =1kΩ and L = 5H.

Vin = 180 sin132t

Solution :
Z  R  jXL
XL  2fL  L  132(5H )  660
Z  R 2  XL2  (1k ) 2  (660) 2  1.2k
Vo(avg ) 2 (57.3) 2 (57.3) 2
Po(avg )     2.74W
Z ( R  jXL ) 1.2k
Exercise
Calculate the average output voltage, Vo for the
circuit below.

Vin = 250 V

Ans : Vo = 112.54V,
CONTROLLED HALF-WAVE
RECTIFIER WITH INDUCTIVE
LOAD & FREE WHEELING
DIODE
Controlled Half wave rectifier with
inductive load & free wheeling diode

Circuit connection
Output waveforms:
Operation circuit :
 When half positive cycle (0 < t < π) :

 The SCR is triggered at firing angle of α in positive half cycle of

supply. Hence Vo = Vs. The waveform of Vo is shown in figure
(c). Observe that from α to π , Vo is same as supply voltage
Vs. The freewheeling diode (Dfw) is reversed biased, hence it
does not conduct. The output current io increases from zero as
shown in figure (d).
 When half negative cycle (π< t <2π) :

 After π, the supply voltage becomes negative. Hence SCR

tries to turn-off. Therefore io tries to go to zero. Observed that
io is maximum at π. But the load inductance does not allow io
to go to zero. The energy stored in inductance generates the
voltage L dio/dt with polarity as shown in figure below :
 The induced inductance voltage forward biases freewheeling
diode (Dfw). Hence it starts conducting. Therefore T1 turns-off.
The output current now flows through the freewheeling diode.
 The induced inductance voltage forward biases
freewheeling diode (Dfw). Hence it starts
conducting. Therefore T1 turns-off. The output
current now flows through the freewheeling diode.
 In figure observe that io = ifw when freewheeling diode
conducts. Here ifw is freewheeling current. Figure (d) and
(e) shown that io = ifw when freewheeling diode conducts.

 The freewheeling current flows only due to energy stored

in the load inductance. The output current flows in the
load itself. This process is called freewheeling.

 The energy of inductance goes on decreasing after π.

Hence io also goes on reducing. At β the inductance
energy is finished. Hence io becomes zero at β. Thus
freewheeling diode conducts from π and β. Hence Vo = 0
whenever freewheeling diode conducts. This is shown in fig
(c). During freewheeling T1 is off. Hence no supply current
flows. Therefore Is = 0 during freewheeling period. T1
conducts from α to π. Hence io = is from α to π as shown in
figure.
Expression of the output voltage:
If the V = Vm sin wt, the average output voltage is :
Output Power:

Po ( avg )  Vo ( avg )  Io ( avg )

OR

Po ( avg )  Io ( avg )  R2

OR
2
Vo ( avg )
Po ( avg ) 
R
Example
Calculate the output voltage, Vo for the rectifier circuit below if α = 30°.

Vin = 170 sin132t

Solution :
Exercise:
Calculate the average output voltage, Vo for
the circuit below if α = 90°.

Vin = 240 V

Ans : Vo = 54.02V
END OF TOPIC
TOPIC 2 (A)