Diode Rectifiers

Vm

2T

i )t

4D
Uy = Vm sin wt

(a)Circuit diagram (b)Waveforms

FIGURE 3.1
Single-phase half-wave rectifier.

3.3 PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS

Although the output voltage as shown in Figure 3.1b is de, it is discontinuous and con
tains harmonics. A rectifier is a power processor that should give a dc output voltage
with a minimum amount of harmonic contents. At the same time, it should maintain
the input current as sinusoidal as possible and in phase with the input voltage so that
the power factor is near unity.The power-processing quality of arectifier requires the
determination of harmoniccontents of the input current, the output voltage. and the
output current. We can use Fourier series expansions to find the harmonic contents of
voltages and currents. There are different types of rectifier circuits and the perfor
mances of a rectifier are normally evaluated in terms of the following parameters:
The average value of the output (load) voltage. Vae
The average value of the output (load) current, Ide
The output de power,
Ple = Vacl-c (3.1)

The root-mean-squarc (rms) value of the output voltage, Vms

The rms value of the output current, Irms

Theoutput ac pOWer
P = Vmsrms (3.2)

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 Diode Rectifiers

The efficiency (or rectification ratio) of a rectifier, which is a figure of merit and
permits us to compare the effectiveness, is defined as
Pc (3.3)

The output voltage can be considered as composed of two components: (1) the de
value, and (2) the ac component or ripple.
The effective (rms) value of the ac component of output voltage is
Vac =VVms - Vi (3.4)
The fornm factor, which is a measure of the shape of output voltage, 1S
FF = (3.5)
Vác
The ripple factor, which is a measure of the ripple content, is defined as
RF = Vac (3.6)
Vdc
Substituting Eq. (3.4) in Eq. (3.6), the ripple factor can be expresed as
RF = |VVdc
ms 1=VFF²- 1 (3.7)

The transformer utilization factor is defined as

TUF = Pdc (3.8)
where , and I, are the ms voltage and rms current of the transformer secondary, re
spectively. Let us consider the waveforms of Figure 3.2, where v, is the sinusoidal input
voltage, i, is the instantaneous input current, and i, is its fundamental component.

Input current

+Ip

Input voltage
Fundamental current

FIGURE 3.2
Waveforms for input voltage and current.

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 Dinde Retitters

ix he angle betteen the undamental componcnts of the input current and

llae hik walled the divpetent angle. lhe divplcement fictor is defincd as
(3.9)

Ihe Armh finorE) of the itput curent is defined as

- ( ay'-(()-:
) (3.10)

nhere is the tutdamental component ofthe input current , Both l and 1, are ex
essed lhere inms. 1he input power fuctor (PF) is defined as
PF = cUs COs (3.11)

(hest factor (CF), which is a measure of the peak input current speak) as com
ratings of de
ared with its ms value ,, is oftenof interest to specify the peak current
ViCN and wmponents. CF of the input current is detined by

CF =
stpeak) (3.12)

Noes
and is also known as total har
I, HE iN ameasure of the distortion of a waveform
monic dixtortion (THD).
power factor PF equals
2. Ithe inputcurent i, is purely sinusoidal, l = , and thebecomes the impedance
the displaement lactor DE The displacement angle o
angle0 = tan (oLIR) for anRL load.
power factor (DPF).
3 Displacement factor DF is often known as displacement
V, = 0, RF = 0, TUF = 1, HF =
4 An ideal rectilier should have n =100%,
THD - 0, and PF = DPF = 1.

a Half-Wave Rectifier
Example 3.1 Finding the Performance Parameters of
R. Determine (a) the efficiency. (b) the FF.
Ihe reetitierin Figue 3.la has a purcly resistive loadof of the input current, and (g) input PE
(cl the RE ( he TUE (c) the PIV of diode D,, (O the CF
Solution
Ihe average output voltage V is detined as

T/2 s|sT. Hence, we have

IWe can notice (rom Figure J.lb that ,() = 0 for

V,, sin of dt COS -)

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 Diode Rectifiers

However. the frequency of the source is f = 1/T and o = 2mf. Thus

Vm
V = = 0.318Vm

Vdc 0.318V,, (3.13)

R R

The rms value ofa periodic waveform is defined as

Vms

For a sinusoidal voltage of vo(t) = V, sin wt for 0 s TI2, the ms value of the output voltage is
Vm
(V,, sin wr )² = 0.5V1
Vrms 2
Vrms 0.5V, (3.14)
Irms R R

From Eq. (3.1), Pa = (0.318V,)/R, and from Eq. (3.2), Pae = (0.5V,)IR.
a. From Eq. (3.3), the efficiency n = (0.318V,m)(0.5V,) = 40.5%.
b. From Eq.(3.5), the FF = 0.5V,/0.318V,, = 1.57 or 157%.
c From Eq. (3.7), the RF = V1.57 - 1 = 1.21 or 121%.
d. The rms voltage of the transformer secondary is
1/2 Vm

(V, sin ar)²d = = 0.707V,m (3.15)

The rms value of the transformer secondary current is the same as that of the load:
0.5Vm
1, = R

0.707V,, x 0.5V,/R.
The volt-ampere rating (VA) of the transformer, VA = VJ, =
From Eq. (3.8) TUF = P/(VI,) = 0.318-/(0.707 X 0.5) = 0.286.
e. The peak reverse (or inverse) blocking voltage PIV = Vm:
is CF = 1s(peaky, =
f. (peak) = V/R and 1, 0.5V,/R. The CF of the input current
1/0.5 = 2.

g. The input PF for a resistive load can be found from

Pac 0.52
PF = 0.707
VA 0.707 × 0.5

must be 3.496
Note: 1/TUF = 1/0.286 = 3.496 signifies that the transformer
voltage. This rec
times larger than that when it is used to deliver power from a pure ac
40.5%; and a poor TUE, 0.286. In
tifier has a high ripple factor, 121%; a low efficiency,and
addition, the transformer has to carry a dc current, this results in a dc saturation
problemn of the transformer core.

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 Diode Rectifiers

Key Points of Section 3.3

The performance of a half-wave rectifier that is measured by certain parameters

is poor. The load current can be made continuous by adding an inductor and a
freewheeling diode. The output voltage is discontinuous and contains harmonics
at multiples of the supply frequency.

3.4 SINGLE-PHASE FULL-WAVE RECTIFIERS

A full-wave rectifier circuit with a center-tapped transformer is shown in Figure 3.5a.
Each half of the transformer with its associated diode acts as a half-wave rectifier and
the output of a full-wave rectifier is shown in Figure 3.5b. Because there is no dc cur
rent flowing through the transformer, there is no dc saturation problem of transformer
core. The average output voltage is
pTI2
V sin ot dt = 2Vm = 0.6366Vm
(3.21)

Instead of using a center-tapped transformer, we could use four diodes, as shown

in Figure 3.6a. During the positive half-cycle of the input voltage, the power is supplied

V 4s

V,= Vm sin wt

2T

Vm

+ DI wt
D, 2r
0 wt
2
R

D,
Up = 0 =0
-2V
(a) Circuit diagram (b) Waveforms
FIGURE 3.5
Full-wave rectifier with center-tapped transformer.

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 Diode Rectifiers

D D, 27

wt
R 27

AD4 AD,
-Vm Up3, Vp4 UD], D2
(b) Waveforms
(a) Circuit diagram

FIGURE 3.6
Full-wave bridge rectifier.

to the load through diodes D, and D,. During the negative cycle, diodes D, and D, con
duct. The waveform for the output voltage is shown inFigure 3.6b and is similar to that
only V. This circuit is known as
of Figure 3.5b. The peak-inverse voltage of a diode is applications (1,2].
a bridge rectifier, and it is commonly used in industrial

Full-Wave Rectifier with

Example 3.4 Finding the Performance Parameters of a
Center-Tapped Transformer
determine (a) the efficiency, (b) the
If the rectifier in Figure 3.5a has a purely resistive lóad of R,
FF, (c) the RF, (d) the TUF, (e) the PIV of diode D, and (f) the
CF of the input current.

Solution
From Eq. (3.21), the average output voltage is

2V,m = 0.6366Vm
T

and the average load current is

Vdc 0.6366V,m
R R

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 Diode Rectifiers

The rms value of the output voltage is

Vm = 0.707Vm
Vrms
-

(V sin at)? dt
Irms
Vrms 0.707V
R R

Eq. (3.2) Pae = (0.707Vm)/R.

From Eq. (3.1) Páe = (0.6366V)R, and from (0.6366V,,)(0.707V,n) = 81%.
From Eq. (3.3),the efficiency n = 0.707V,/0.6366V,,= 1.11.
b. From Eq. (3.5), the form factor FF =
V1.112 - 1= 0.482 or 48.2%.
From Eq. (3.7), the ripple factor RF = value
secondary V, = V,/V2 = 0.707Vm. The rms the
C.

The rms voltage of the transformer rating (VA) of

I, = 0.5V,JR. The volt-ampere
d.
of transformer secondary current0.707V,, X 0.5V,JR. From Eq. (3.8),
transformer, VA = 2V,I, = 2X

0.6366 0.5732 = 57.329%

TUF 2 X 0.707 X 0.5

= 2Vm
The peak reverse blocking voltage, PIV
of the input current is CF = lpeak /, =
e.

I(peak) = V/R and , = 0.707V,,/R. The CF

1/0.707 = V2.
The input PF for a resistive load
can be found from
g.

Pac 0.7072 = 0.707

PF = 2 X 0.707 × 0.5
VA

if present, must be
Note: 1/TUF = 1/0.5732=1.75 signifies that the input transformer, sinusoidal voltage. The
power from a pure ac
1.75 times larger than that when it is used to deliver
rectifier has an RF of 48.2% and a rectification efficiency of 81%.

Note: The performance of a full-wave rectifier is significantly improved compared

with that of a half-wave rectifier.

Example 3.5 Finding the Fourier Series of the Output Voltage for a Full-Wave Rectifier
The rectífier in Figure3.5a has an RL load. Use the method of Fourier series to obtain expres
sions for output voltage vo().
Solution
The rectifier output voltage may be described by a Fourier series (which is reviewed in Appen
dix E) as

U(t) = Ve t (a, cos nwt + b, sin not)

=2,4,

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