Electronic Circuits and

Measurements
Diode Applications
Rectifiers and Regulators

Dr. A. Ananth
Rectifiers
• Basic circuit that is used for the conversion of AC input to the DC output

• DC supply is used widely in most of the applications like TV, Radio, computers
etc.,

• Diode in rectifiers circuits with power line AC signal to DC signals are large
signal diodes (1N4001) - high power rating

• Diodes in rectifier circuits under high frequency applications small signal

diodes (OA79) – low power rating
• Half wave rectifier
• Full wave rectifier
Half Wave Rectifiers
• Rectifier – electrical device which offers low resistance to the current in one
direction and high resistance to the current in other direction

• Can convert an AC signal with zero average value to non-sinusoidal waveform

with non-zero average value
Half Wave Rectifiers
• The rectifying device is diode

• It has infinite resistance under reverse bias (applied voltage (v) is less than cut-
in voltage vγ)

• Low and constant resistance under forward bias (v > vγ)

• The input to the rectifier circuit is vi  Vm sin t

• Vm – is the maximum/ peak value of the input voltage Vm >> vγ (vγ = 0)

Half Wave Rectifiers

• If the diode is ideal, the current i flowing through the diode or load resistance
RL is

i  I m sin  where 0    
i 0 where     2 

Vm
Im  where   t
R f  RL
Half Wave Rectifiers
DC Ammeter Reading

• The needle deflection in the DC ammeter will indicate the average value of the
current passing through it.
2
1
I dc 
2  i d
0


1
I dc  
2 0
I m sin  d

Im
I dc 

Half Wave Rectifiers
AC Ammeter Reading

• The needle deflection in the AC ammeter will indicate the RMS or effective
value of the current passing through it.

1
2
 1  2
 0 i d 
2
I rms
 2
1
2
 1 2
I
I rms  
 2

0
I m2 sin 2  d   m
 2
Half Wave Rectifiers
DC Voltmeter Reading

• The needle deflection in the DC voltmeter will indicate the average value of
the voltage across the terminals.

Voltage across the diode

• During +ve half cycle, diode conducts and if diode has

a forward resistance rf
• During –ve half cycle, the secondary voltage appears Voltage across the diode
across the diode
Half Wave Rectifiers
DC Voltmeter Reading

v  i R f  I m R f sin  ; 0    
v  Vm sin  ;     2
Average voltage drop across the diode

Vm
Im  where   t
R f  RL

I m RL
Vdc     I dc RL

Half Wave Rectifiers
Wattmeter Reading

• Indicates the average value of the product of the instantaneous current

through its current coil and instantaneous voltage across its potential coil
2
1
Pi 
2  v i d
0
i

vi  i  R f  RL  ; 0    

Pi  I rms
2
 R f  RL 
Half Wave Rectifiers

Peak Inverse Voltage

The maximum voltage to which the diode is subjected

This maximum voltage appears across the diode when it is in reverse biased
condition or non-conducting/ open circuit

VPIV  Vm
Half Wave Rectifiers
Regulation

• The variation of DC output voltage as a function of DC load current

The percentage regulation

Vno Load  Vfull Load
% Regulation =  100%
Vfull Load
• For an ideal power supply, the output voltage does not differ with and without
load (output voltage is independent of load), % regulation = 0

• Expected regulation out of a rectifier circuit is very less or close to zero

Half Wave Rectifiers
• Instantaneous voltage across diode
vd  0 when 0    
vd  Vm sin  when     2 

• DC (average) voltage across diode

Vm
vd , dc 

• No load voltage = DC voltage across diode
Half Wave Rectifiers
Full Load DC voltage
Im
Vdc  I dc RL  RL

Vm RL
Vdc 
 RL  R f  
% Regulation Vm Vm RL

  RL  R f  
% Regulation = 100%
Vm RL
 RL  R f  
Rf
% Regulation = 100%
RL
Half Wave Rectifiers
Ripple Factor

• Function of rectifier  to convert AC to DC

• But, output of half wave rectifier is unidirectional current or periodical fluctuating

component

• Due to this reason, filters are used next to rectifiers

• A measure of the presence of fluctuating component in the output of rectifiers is

measured by ripple factor

• Expected ripple factor value is very less or close to zero

Half Wave Rectifiers
Ripple Factor

RMS value of AC component of output wave

Ripple Factor =
Average value of wave
I ac
r
I dc
• The output current in a half wave rectifier has
DC component and AC component
I rms  I ac2  I dc2
Irms  RMS Value of total output
Iac  RMS value of only AC component
Idc  DC component present in the output
Half Wave Rectifiers
RMS value of output current

I ac  2
I rms  I dc2

2
I rms
r 2
1
I dc
Im
I rms I dc 
Form factor = 
I dc

r 1.21
Half Wave Rectifiers
Rectifier Efficiency
D.C output power Pdc
 
A.C input power Pac

Pdc  Vdc I dc  I dc2 RL Pac  I rms

2
 RL  R f 
2 2
 Im   Im 
Pdc    RL Pac     RL  R f 
   2 

4  RL   RL 
  2   0.406   %  40.6% ; RL  R f
  RL  R f   RL  R f 
Half Wave Rectifiers
Power Supply Specifications

• The required output DC voltage

• The regulation

• The average and peak currents in diode

• Peak inverse voltage across the diode

• Ripple factor
Full Wave Rectifiers

Full wave rectifier with Center tap transformer

• Comprises of two half wave rectifier

• During +ve half cycle, diode D1 rectifies the signal, D2 acts as open circuit

• During –ve half cycle, diode D2 rectifies the signal, D1 acts as open circuit
Full Wave Rectifiers
DC Ammeter Reading

1
I dc 
  I
0
m sin  d

Im
I dc  2
 Vm
AC Ammeter Reading Im 
1
R f  RL

1 2 2  2
I rms    I m sin  d 
 0 
Im i  I m sin  where 0    
I rms 
2
i   I m sin  where     2 
Full Wave Rectifiers
Percentage Regulation

Vno Load  Vfull Load

% Regulation =  100%
Vfull Load

2Vm
Vno Load  2Vm

2Vm RL
   RL  R f   100%
% Regulation =
2 I m RL 2Vm RL 2Vm RL
Vfull Load  I dc RL  
 RL  Rf   RL  R f  

Rf
% Regulation = 100%
RL
Full Wave Rectifiers
Peak Inverse Voltage

• Maximum voltage that drops across the diode under reverse biased
condition

• When diode D1 is forward biased, D2 is reverse biased

• The maximum drop across resistance is Vm and maximum voltage at anode of

D1 is –Vm

PIV = 2Vm
Full Wave Rectifiers
Ripple Factor

RMS value of AC component of output wave

Ripple Factor =
Average value of wave

I rms  I ac2  I dc2

Im
I rms 
2
2
I rms
r 2
1
I dc Im
I dc  2

r  0.482
Full Wave Rectifiers
Rectifier Efficiency
D.C output power Pdc
 
A.C input power Pac

Pdc  Vdc I dc  I dc2 RL

Pac  I rms
2
 RL  R f 
2
2
I 
 2I m 
Pdc   RL Pac   m   RL  R f 
  2
  
4 Vm2 RL
Pdc  2
 RL  R f 4 2 RL
 
 2
RL  R f %  81.11% ; RL  R f
Full Wave Bridge Rectifiers
• Uses a step down transformer

• Entire AC voltage is used for the conversion of AC to DC

Full Wave Bridge Rectifiers
• During +ve half cycle, D1 and D3 are foward biased, D2 and D4 are reverse
biased

• During -ve half cycle D2 and D4 are forward biased , D1 and D3 are reverse
biased
Full Wave Bridge Rectifiers
Output Waveform
Full Wave Bridge Rectifiers
• The peak inverse voltage of bridge rectifier is Vm

• Since two diode conducts during each half cycle the maximum DC current
flowing through the circuit is

Vm
Im 
 RL  2 R f 

• Bridge rectifiers are suited for high voltage applications since PIV is Vm and not
2Vm as like center tap full wave rectifier
Zener Diode as Voltage Regulators
• A special diode that has the ability to dissipate adequate power and operate
in breakdown region

• Voltage - reference or constant – voltage devices

• Avalanche or breakdown or zener diodes

Zener Diode as Voltage Regulators
• The voltage V and resistor RL are chosen to operate zener diode under reverse breakdown

• The diode voltage is equal to the output voltage drop across load resistamce

• Diode regulates the load voltage against changes in load current and supply voltage

• When load current or supply voltage changes the current flow through diode will regulate
the voltage drop across the load

• The regulation of voltage is possible only if the operating region is close to knee voltage

• The upper limit of current flow through diode can be calculated from the power rating of
the diode
Zener Diode as Voltage Regulators
Avalanche Breakdown
• Thermally generated electrons and holes acquire energy from applied
potential to break the covalent bond and create new electrons and hole pairs

• These electrons out of the bond will collide with atom, break the bond and
create new charge carriers

Zener Breakdown
• When initial available charge carriers do not gain sufficient energy to disrupt

• Applied potential/ electric field can disrupt bonds to create new charge
carriers
Diode Breakdown
• Zener breakdown occurs at low applied potential and avalanche at high
potential

[Link]
References

• Jacob Millman, Christos C Halkias, Satyabrata Jit, Millman’s Electronic

Devices and Circuits, 3rd Edition Tata Mc Graw Hill.