EE 0807312- Electronics Lab

Experiment#3

Diode Rectification

1.1. Objective
1- To construct half- and full-wave rectifiers.

2- To investigate the use of capacitor filters to reduce ripple.

3- To demonstrate how loading of power supplies affects ripple.

1.2. Prelab
Answer the following questions: -

1. What are the needs for rectification?

2. What are the applications of rectifiers?

3. What are the differences between half-wave and full-wave rectifier?

Solve the following problems. Don't just write down the answers. Show all the
calculations clearly.

1. Derive the average voltage and the RMS voltage for half-wave and full-wave
rectifiers
2. Derive the average voltage and the RMS voltage for half-wave and full-wave
rectifiers.
3. In figure (3-6), sketch the output waveform without capacitor and calculate the DC
and AC (RMS voltage) across the resistance (R).
4. In figure (3-7), if the RMS voltage of the secondary winding of the transformer is
12Vrms, Calculate the DC and AC voltage (RMS voltage) and sketch the output
waveform (across the load resistance).

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1.3. Background
In almost every DC power supply a rectifier circuit and a filter capacitor are used to convert
an AC voltage to a pulsating DC voltage and then to smooth out the pulsations over time.
Rectification is the process of turning an alternating signal into one that is rectified to only
one direction .The average value or dc value -which is defined as the integral of the signal
over one period of sine wave is zero, so to get a dc voltage from the ac it must be rectified
The Fourier expansion of the output results in the average value(DC) and other high
frequency components than can be reduced by using a low pass filter.

In half-wave rectifier, either the positive or the negative half of the AC wave is passed.
Figure (3-1) shows a half wave-rectifier circuit, Diode will conduct only for positive input
An AC input with zero average yields a non-sinusoidal output with anon-zero DC
[Link] (3-2) shows the input and the output waveform for the circuit shown in
figure (3-1) but without capacitor.

If we connect a capacitor parallel to the load (R) , the capacitor will charge during the
positive cycle to the peak and during the negative cycle the capacitor discharge through R
which results in a ripple that depends on the rate of discharge (τ=RC) compares with the
periode of the input signal. Figure (3-3) shows the input and output waveform to the circuit
shown in figure (3-1) with capacitor is conncted. % of ripple is a measure of the
effectivness of the filter and is given by:

% ripple= ( rms value of the ripple voltage

average DC voltage )× 100 %

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 Figure (3-1)

Fi
gure (3-2)

Figure (3-3)
Increasing the frequency can decrease the % ripple so we can use the full wave rectifier
circuit like the one shown in Figure (3-4), The full-wave rectifier is an improvement over
the half-wave circuit because the capacitor is charged during both half-cycles.
Consequently, the capacitor does not have as much time to discharge and the output voltage
does not drop as much. For a given capacitor value, the output voltage remains more stable
than with the half-wave circuit, and the ripple voltage is much smaller in magnitude.

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 Figure (3-4)

The dc and rms voltages of both half wave and full wave rectifiers are given by:

Vmax
Vdc ( half −wave )=
π

Vmax
Vrms ( half −wave )=
2

2Vmax
Vdc ( full−wave )=
π

Vmax
Vrms ( full−wave )=
√2

1.4. Experimental Procedure

Half wave rectifier

1. Connect the circuit shown in figure (3-5) knowing that the resistance R 1 is a
variable resistance (Decade Box resistance)

Figure (3-6)

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2- To investigate the effect of the load resistance and the capacitor on the % ripple

a) With the capacitor is disconnected and R1= 2.2 KΩ.

1- By using oscilloscope sketch the input and the output waveform (use DC
coupling).
2- By using DMM, measure the average (DC) voltage and the rms (AC) voltage
across R1.
b) Connect the capacitor (1μF) then vary R 1 to the values in table (1), measure the
DC voltage across R1 (Use DMM) and Vr(p-p) (Use oscilloscope), then
calculate Vrms and % ripple.

R1 Vdc Vr(p-p) Vrms %ripple

1 kΩ
5 kΩ
10 kΩ
30 kΩ
50 kΩ
Table (1)

c) Comment on your results.

Full wave bridge rectifier

1- Connect the full-wave bridge rectifier circuit shown in figure (3-6). Pay careful
attention to the polarity of the bridge rectifier.

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 Figure (3-7)
2- Measure the rms voltage of the secondary winding of the transformer by using DMM.

3- (a) by using Oscilloscope measure and sketch the output voltage across the load
resistance (l0kΩ).
(b) By using DMM measure the DC value of the output voltage across the load
(10kΩ).

4- Modify the circuit shown in figure (3-6) by adding a capacitor (C=1μF) in parallel
with the load resistance (10kΩ) as shown in figure (3-7).

Figure (3-8)

5- Measure the DC voltage (VDC) using DMM and ripple voltage (Vr(p-p)) using the
oscilloscope,and then calculate Vrms, and % ripple, record your data in table (2).

6- Repeat step (5) for (C=4.7μF, C=47μF), record your data in table (2).

C VDC Vr (p-p) Vrms %ripple

1μF
4.7 μF
47 μF
Table (2)

7- Comment in your results.

Voltage Doubler

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1- Connect the circuit shown in figure (3-8)

Figure (3-8)

2- Use the oscilloscope to sketch the signal at point (A) and (B).

3- Use DMM to measure the DC and RMS voltages at point (A) and (B) record your data
in table (3).

Quantity DC voltage rms Voltage (AC)

Voltage at (A)
Voltage at (B)
Table (3)