Diode as a Rectifier: Half Wave Rectifier and Full Wave Rectifier
The main application of p-n junction diode is in rectification circuits. These circuits are
used to describe the conversion of a.c signals to d.c in power supplies. Diode rectifier
gives an alternating voltage which pulsates in accordance with time. The filter smoothes
the pulsation in the voltage and to produce d.c voltage, a regulator is used which
removes the ripples.
There are two primary methods of diode rectification:
Half Wave Rectifier
Full Wave Rectifier
What Is Half Wave Rectifier?
In a half-wave rectifier, one half of each a.c input cycle is rectified. When the p-n
junction diode is forward biased, it gives little resistance and when it is reversed biased
it provides high resistance. During one-half cycles, the diode is forward biased when the
input voltage is applied and in the opposite half cycle, it is reverse biased. During
alternate half-cycles, the optimum result can be obtained.
Working of Half Wave Rectifier
The half-wave rectifier has both positive and negative cycles. During the positive half of
the input, the current will flow from positive to negative which will generate only a
positive half cycle of the a.c supply. When a.c supply is applied to the transformer, the
voltage will be decreasing at the secondary winding of the diode. All the variations in the
a.c supply will reduce, and we will get the pulsating d.c voltage to the load resistor.
In the second half cycle, the current will flow from negative to positive and the diode will
be reverse biased. Thus, at the output side, there will be no current generated, and we
cannot get power at the load resistance. A small amount of reverse current will flow
during reverse bias due to minority carriers.
Advantages of Half Wave Rectifier
Affordable
Simple connections
Easy to use as the connections are simple
Number of components used are less
Applications of Half Wave Rectifier
Following are the uses of half-wave rectification:
Power rectification: Half wave rectifier is used along with a transformer for
power rectification as powering equipment.
Signal demodulation: Half wave rectifiers are used for demodulating the AM
signals.
Signal peak detector: Half wave rectifier is used for detecting the peak of the
incoming waveform.
What Is Full Wave Rectifier?
Full-wave rectifier circuits are used for producing an output voltage or output current
which is purely DC. The main advantage of a full-wave rectifier over half-wave rectifier
is that such as the average output voltage is higher in full-wave rectifier, there is less
ripple produced in full-wave rectifier when compared to the half-wave rectifier.
Working of Full Wave Rectifier
The full-wave rectifier utilizes both halves of each a.c input. When the p-n junction is
forward biased, the diode offers low resistance and when it is reverse biased it gives
high resistance. The circuit is designed in such a manner that in the first half cycle if the
diode is forward biased then in the second half cycle it is reverse biased and so on.
Types of Full Wave Rectifier
There are two main types of full-wave rectifiers, and they are:
Two diodes full-wave rectifier circuit (requires a center-tapped transformer
and is used in vacuum tubes)
Bridge rectifier circuit (doesn’t require a centre-tapped transformer and is used
along with transformers for efficient usage)
Advantages of Full Wave Rectifier
The rectifier efficiency of a full-wave rectifier is high
The power loss is very low
Number of ripples generated are less
Applications of Full Wave Rectifier
Following are the uses of full-wave rectifier:
Full-wave rectifiers are used for supplying polarized voltage in welding and for
this bridge rectifiers are used.
Full-wave rectifiers are used for detecting the amplitude of modulated radio
signals.