EEE 307

POWER ELECTRONICS

DIODE RECTIFIERS (UNCONTROLLED)

Dr. M. Rukonuzzaman
Associate Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
United International University
Rectifier is a circuit that converts an AC signal to a DC signal

Rectifier

AC supply Transformer

Block diagram of an uncontrolled diode rectifier circuit

Note: In a diode rectifiers, the power flows only from the AC source to the DC
side.
Applications of Uncontrolled Rectifiers
• DC power supply for consumer electronic products such as radios, TVs,
DVD players, mobile phone chargers, computers, laptops and so on (low
power)
• DC motor drives (high power)

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Depending on the type of input source, rectifiers are classified into two main
groups:

Half-wave
Single phase
Full-wave
Uncontrolled
rectifier
Half-wave
Three phase
Full-wave

Important
equations
1
= ( )

1
= ( )
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Single-phase half-wave rectifier (R load)

Circuit diagram

Waveforms

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The average value of output voltage =

The average value of load current = =

The rms value of output voltage =

2

The rms value of load current =

Peak inverse voltage across the diode =

The efficiency of rectification η= =

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The effective (rms) value of the ac component of output voltage

= −

The form factor (a measure for the shape of output voltage)

FF =

The ripple factor (a measure for the ripple content)

−
RF = = = −1

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If Φ is the angle between the fundamental component of the input current
and the voltage, the displacement factor

= cos ∅

The input power factor

cos ∅ cos ∅
= =

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 Single-phase half-wave rectifier (RL load) without
freewheeling diode
Due to inductive load, the conduction period of the diode D1 will extend
beyond 180 degree until the current becomes zero.

Circuit diagram

Waveforms

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The average value of the output voltage

= 1 − cos( + )
2

Where the angle θ can be calculated as:

= , = 2

The average value of the load current

The average value of the output voltage (and hence the current) can be
increased by making θ=0, which is possible by adding a freewheeling diode
Dm across the load.

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10
 Single-phase half-wave rectifier (RL load) with
freewheeling diode

Circuit diagram

Waveforms

The effect of the freewheeling diode Dm is to prevent the negative voltage

appearing across the load, and as a result, the magnetic stored energy is
increased. At t=π/ω, the current from D1 is transferred to Dm and this process
is called commutation of diodes. Depending on the load time constant, the
load current may be discontinuous.
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Single-phase center-tap full-wave rectifier (R load)

Circuit diagram

Waveforms
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 2
The average value of output voltage =

2
The average value of load current = =

The rms value of output voltage =

2

The rms value of load current =

Peak inverse voltage across each diode =2

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Single-phase bridge full-wave rectifier (R load)

Circuit diagram

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The average value of output voltage
2
=
The average value of load current

2
= =

The rms value of output voltage

=
2
The rms value of load current

Peak inverse voltage across each diode

=
Waveforms

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 Single-phase bridge full-wave rectifier (RL load)

With a resistive load, the load current

is identical in shape to the load
voltage.
In practical applications, most loads
are inductive. The load current shape
and magnitude depend on both the
load resistance R and inductance L.

Circuit diagram

Waveforms
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Single-phase bridge rectifier with very large inductive load

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Three phase bridge rectifier

Circuit diagram

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Waveforms
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