Table of Contents
What is a Half Wave Rectifier?
A half-wave rectifier is defined as the type of rectifier in which only one-half cycle of AC voltage is passed such that the other half of the cycle is blocked. Half-wave rectifiers are used for the conversion of AC voltage to DC voltage. This conversion is done using a single diode.
Operation Of Half Wave Rectifier
The half-wave rectifier uses one of the types of diodes for the conversion of AC to DC. This diode type is the PN junction diode. The principle that is used in the PN junction diode, the same principle is used in the half-wave rectifier. The load resistance of the half-wave rectifier is and the PN junction diode is in series with each other.
There are two phases in which the half-wave rectifier works:
- Positive half-wave process
- Negative half-wave process
Important Points Related To Half Wave Rectifier
- The ripple factor for a half-wave rectifier is defined as the ratio between the RMS value of the AC voltage and the DC voltage. The ripple factor of a half-wave rectifier is equal to 1.21.
- The efficiency is defined as the ratio between the DC output power to the AC input power. For a half-wave rectifier, the efficiency is 40.5%.
- The ratio between the RMS value and the average value is known as the form factor. For a half-wave rectifier, the form factor is 1.57.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Half Wave Rectifier
Advantages:
- The number of components used is less. Therefore, the construction is simple.
- They are not expensive.
Disadvantages:
- The output voltage produced is low.
- The output current has lots of ripples, and we can say that it is not pure DC.
Applications Of Half Wave Rectifier
- It is used for rectification purposes.
- It is used for signal demodulation.
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