PHYSICS

Investigatory
On Project
Session: 2017-18

on

Full Wave Rectifier

Submitted By: Submitted To:

Anuj Kumar Prajapati
(AnujAksp)
 Acknowledgement

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my

teacher………………………, who gave me the golden
opportunity to do this wonderful project of Physics on “Full Wave
Rectifier”. Who also helped me in completing my project. I came to
know about so many new things. I am really thankful to them.

Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and friends who

helped me a lot in finalizing this project within the limited time
frame.

Anuj Kumar Prajapati

 Index

Contents Remarks
1. Acknowledgement
2. Introduction
3. Full Wave Rectifier
 Full wave rectifier
 Types of FWR
 Connection details
 Working process
4. Conclusion
 Introduction

A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current

(AC),which periodically reverses direction, to direct current (DC),
which flows in only one direction. The process is known as
rectification.

The electrical power is generally transmitting and distributed as

A.C. for economical reason. As such as alternating voltage is
available at the main. But mot of the electrical circuit need D.C.
voltage for their operation.
Therefore now-a-day almost all electronic equipment include a
circuit A.C. voltage of mains supply into D.C. voltage.
The rectifier circuit is the heart of a power supply. The
following two rectifier circuit are generally used:
1. Half wave rectifier
2. Full wave rectifier

In the multi staged rectifiers, more than two diodes are used and
these are used in the above-mentioned devices. The singled staged
rectifier has only two diodes, the one we are to discuss in this
project. The multi diode rectifier has only 2 diodes, the one we are
to discuss in this project. The multi diode rectifiers have efficiency
~94.6% while that of the single is only 81.2%.
 Full Wave Rectifier

A full wave rectifier is a device which is used to rectify all

the alternating current components in an alternating supply and
make it purely a direct current. The two alternating halves of an
alternation current are rectified in a full wave rectifier which is
an advantage over a half wave rectifier. Most electronic devices
cannot withstand very high voltage or alternating current due to
its intense high power. The use of batteries in all devices is not
practical as their replacement and durability is a huge problem as
the device has to be dismantled each time for such a replacement.
So these rectifiers are used in most of the electronic devices like
TV’s, Radios, Chargers, and Lightings etc. There are several stages
in a rectifier. Based on their rectification they are classified into
two. The single staged & multi staged.

Full wave rectifier advantages and disadvantages:

Although the full wave rectifier circuit requires more diodes

than a half wave rectifier circuit, it has advantages in terms of
utilising both halves of the alternative waveform to provide the
output.
Full wave rectifier advantagesutilises both halves of the AC
waveformEasier to provide smoothing as a result of ripple
frequency.

Full wave rectifier disadvantages more complicated than

half wave rectifier. The twice frequency hum on an audio circuit
may be more audible.
Types of full wave rectifier circuit:

There are two main forms of full wave rectifier circuit that
can be used. Each type has its own features and is suited for
different applications.

Two diode full wave rectifier circuit: The two diode full
wave rectifier circuit is not so widely used with semiconductor
diodes as it requires the use of a centre tapped transformer.
However this rectifier circuit was widely used in the days of
thermionic valves / vacuum tubes. As a rectifier circuit using four
valves would be large, the two diode version was much more
preferable. Full wave rectifier using two diodes and a centre
tapped transformer. (Figure: 1)
Full wave rectifier using a bridge rectifier circuit: The full
wave bridge rectifier circuit configuration is far more widely used
these days. It offers a more efficient use of the transformer as well
as not requiring a centre-tapped transformer. The additional cost
is two additional diodes - not an expensive addition these days.
Often four diode bridges can be bought as single items, making
construction of the overall circuit much simpler.
In view of their advantages, full wave rectifier circuits are
virtually always used in preference to half wave circuits. The
increased efficiency coupled with the better smoothing ability
arising from the shorter time between peaks means that their
advantages outweigh the disadvantages by a long way. Only
occasionally, often for low requirement supplies would a half
wave rectifier be used in preference to the full wave rectifier
circuit.(Figure: 2)
Figure: 1

Figure: 2
Controll of Full-wave Rectifiers:

A versatile method of controlling the output of a full-wave

rectifier is to substitute controlled switches such as SCRs for the
diodes. Output is controlled by adjusting the delay angle of each
SCR, resulting in an output voltage which is adjustable over a
limited range.
Controlled full-wave rectifiers are shown in Figure 5.5. For
the bridge rectifier, SCRs S1 and S2 will become forward biased
when the source becomes positive but will not conduct until gate
signals are applied. Similarly, S3 and S4 will become forward
biased when the source becomes negative but will not conduct
until they receive gate signals. For the center-tapped transformer
rectifier, S1 is forward biased when vs is positive, and S2 is
forward biased when vs is negative, but each will not conduct
until it receives a gate signal.(Figure: 3)

The delay angle α is the angle interval between the forward

biasing of the SCR and the gate signal application. If the delay
angle is zero, the rectifiers behave exactly as uncontrolled
rectifiers with diodes. The discussion that follows generally
applies to both bridge and center-tapped rectifiers.
Figure :3 (a) Controlled full-wave bridge rectifier,
(b)Controlled full-wave center-tapped rectifier,
(c) Output for a resistive load.
Full Wave Rectifier Circuit:
The full wave rectifier circuit consists of two power diodes
connected to a single load resistance (RL) with each diode taking
it in turn to supply current to the load resistor. When point A of
the transformer is positive with respect to point A, diode D1
conducts in the forward direction as indicated by the
arrows.When point B is positive in the negative half of the cycle
with respect to C point, the diode D2 conducts in the forward
direction and the current flowing through resistor R is in the same
direction for both half-cycles of the wave.
The output voltage across the resistor R is the phasor sum of
the two waveforms, it is also known as a bi-phase circuit.The
spaces between each half-wave developed by each diode is now
being filled in by the other. The average DC output voltage across
the load resistor is now double that of the single half-wave
rectifier circuit and is about 0.637Vmax of the peak voltage by
assuming no losses. VMAX is the maximum peak value in one half
of the secondary winding and VRMS is the root of mean square
value.
Working of Full Wave Rectifier:
The peak voltage of the output waveform is the same as
before for the half-wave rectifier provided each half of
the transformer windings have the same rms voltage. To obtain a
different DC voltage output different transformer ratios can be
used. The disadvantage of this type of full wave rectifier circuit is
that a larger transformer for a given power output is required
with two separate but identical secondary windings makes this
type of full wave rectifying circuit costly compared to the Full
Wave Bridge Rectifier circuit.
 Working of Full Wave Rectifier

Given Circuit gives a overview on working of full wave

rectifier. A circuit that produces the same output waveform as the
full wave rectifier circuit a is that of the Full Wave Bridge
Rectifier. Single phase rectifier uses four individual rectifying
diodes connected in a closed loop bridge configuration to produce
the desired output wave. The advantage of this bridge circuit is
that it does not require a special center tapped transformer, so it
reduces its size and cost. Single secondary winding is connected to
one side of the diode bridge network and the load to the other
side.(Figure: 4)
The four diodes labelled D1 to D4 are arranged in series
pairs with only two diodes conducting current during each half
cycle duration. When the positive half cycle of the supply goes,
D1, D2 diodes conduct in a series while diodes D3 and D4 are
reverse biased and the current flows through the load. During the
negative half cycle, D3 and D4 diodes conduct in a series and
diodes D1 and D2 switch off as they are now reverse biased
configuration.
 Full Wave Rectifier IC

Current flowing through the load is unidirectional mode and

the voltage developed across the load is also unidirectional
voltage, same as for the previous two diode full-wave rectifier
model. Therefore the average DC voltage across the load is
0.637V.During each half cycle the current flows through two
diodes instead of just one doide, so the amplitude of the output
voltage is two voltage drops 1.4V less than the input VMAX
amplitude, ripple frequency is now twice the supply frequency
100Hz for a 50Hz supply or 120Hz for a 60Hz supply.
Filtered Full Wave Rectifier:

The filtered full wave rectifier is created from the FWR by

adding a capacitor across the output.

Filtered full wave rectifier

The result of the addition of a capacitor is a smoothing of

the FWR output. The output is now a pulsating dc, with a peak
to peak variation called ripple. The magnitude of the ripple
depends on the input voltage magnitude and frequency, the filter
capacitance, and the load resistance.
 Conclusion

One of the important applications of the P-N junction diodes is in

converting alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). Half-wave
rectifiers can be used, but they are highly inefficient in converting AC power
to DC power. Additionally they have high contents of harmonics, which are
difficult to filter out and to smooth out the ripple in the rectified AC power.
On the other hand, full-wave rectifier improves on the conversion efficiency of
AC power to DC power. It will also reduce the harmonic contents of the
rectified waveform and reduce the requirement on the smoothing filter needed
to reduce the ripple in the rectified waveform.

A full-wave rectifier converts the whole of the input waveform to one

of constant polarity (positive or negative) at its output. Mathematically, this
corresponds to the absolute value function. Full-wave rectification converts
both polarities of the input waveform to pulsating DC (direct current), and
yields a higher average output voltage. Two diodes and a center
tapped transformer, or four diodes in a bridge configuration and any AC
source (including a transformer without center tap), are needed. Single
semiconductor diodes, double diodes with common cathode or common anode,
and four-diode bridges, are manufactured as single components.
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