A basic diode can be used for a variety of things, including rectifiers. The AC signal can be converted into DC, whether it be current or voltage. This blog explains the fundamentals of Rectifiers, including its working theory, functionality, types, circuit diagram, and applications.
RECTIFIER
A rectifier is a four-terminal semiconductor that allows current to flow in one direction. Rectifier diodes are used to convert AC voltage to DC voltage and are an important component in power systems.
Rectifiers can handle currents ranging from a few mA to a few kA, as well as voltages up to a few kV. A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current to direct current using one or more P-N junction diodes. Rectifiers have a wide range of applications, but they are most commonly seen as components of DC power supplies and high-voltage direct-current power transmission systems.
Silicon is used to made rectifiers, and they are capable of carrying large amounts of electric current. Rectifiers are the heart of a power system, providing solutions for each application. Rectifiers modify your power supply without having to rebuild every component. Rectifiers are used even in our cell phone chargers to convert the AC from our home outlets to DC.
TYPES OF RECTIFIERS
Rectifiers are very important components of any network system, but we must delve deeper to understand the various types. Different rectifiers are used depending on the situation and the system they are used in. Rectifiers are usually categorized according to their output. Rectifiers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Depending on their input/output characteristics there are many types of Rectifiers such as
- Single Phase Rectifiers
- Three Phase Rectifiers
- Controlled Rectifiers
- Uncontrolled Rectifiers
- Half Wave Rectifiers
- Full Wave Rectifiers
- Bridge Rectifiers
Single Phase Rectifier
Single-phase rectifiers have an input of one-phase AC power. The construction is very simple, using only one, two, or four diodes (depending on the type of system). This means that the single-phase rectifier produces less power and has a lower transformer utilization factor (TUF). For conversion, a single-phase rectifier uses the secondary coil of a single-phase transformer with only one single phase, and diodes are linked to the secondary winding of the single-phase transformer. This results in a high ripple factor.
A rectifier can be classified based on how it works with various input types. Solid-state devices are used as the primary AC-to-DC converting device in all single-phase rectifiers. Because the output is highly influenced by the reactance of the connected load, single-phase uncontrolled half-wave rectifiers are the simplest and possibly the most extensively used rectification circuit for small power levels.
Some common examples of single-phase rectifier
These rectifiers are available in small packages for PCB
| Rectifier | Input Voltage | Output Current |
| BR1010 | 50-1000V | 10A |
| BR68 | 50-1000V | 6A |
| KBPC2510 | 50-1000V | 25A |
| DB107 | 50-1000V | 1A |
| 2W10 | 50-1000V | 1.5A |
Three Phase Rectifier
Three-phase rectifiers have an input of three-phase AC power. Three or six diodes are required for each phase of the transformer secondary winding, and they are connected to each phase of the transformer secondary winding. To lower ripple factors, three-phase rectifiers are used instead of single-phase rectifiers. When using big circuits, three-phase rectifiers are preferable over two-phase rectifiers. This is due to the fact that they can supply a lot of power and don't need any extra filters to lower the ripple factor. Three-phase rectifiers are more efficient and have higher transformer utilization factors.
Some common examples of Three-phase rectifier
| Rectifier | Input voltage | Output current |
| MDS 100A | 100-1600V | 100A |
| MDS 75A | 400-1600V | 75A |
| MDS 100(8) | 1200-1600V | 100A |
| MDS 150 | 400-1600V | 150A |
| MDS 200 | 400-1600V | 200A |
| SQL 50A | 100-1000V | 50A |
| SQL 40A | 100-1600V | 40A |
| SQL 60A | 100-1600V | 60A |
| SQL 100A | 100-1600V | 100A |
| SQL 150A | 100-1600V | 150A |
| SQL 200A | 100-1600V | 200A |
| SQL 250A | 100-1600V | 250A |
Single phase and three phase are further classified as Controlled Rectifier and Uncontrolled Rectifier.
Controlled Rectifier
A controlled rectifier is a type of rectifier whose output voltage can be modified or changed. We use current-controlled solid-state devices like SCRs, MOSFETs, and IGBTs to turn an uncontrolled rectifier into a controlled one. We have complete control whether or not SCRs are turned on or off based on the gate pulses we apply. In general, these are preferred over their uncontrolled equivalents. It can be made up of one or more SCRs (Silicon Controlled Rectifier).
A three-terminal diode, often known as a thyristor, is an SCR. Anode, Cathode, and Gate control input are the terminals. As a result, the gate input can be used to adjust the output voltage. Thyristors are used to control the DC output in controlled rectifier circuits.
Uncontrolled Rectifiers
An uncontrolled rectifier is a type of rectifier whose voltage cannot be controlled. This device can't be operated since it only works if it's connected in a forward-biased configuration. It does not allow the power to adjust depending on the load's requirements. As a result, this type of rectifier is most commonly seen in fixed or stable power supplies. This type of rectifier simply employs diodes to produce a constant output voltage based on AC input.
Controlled Rectifier and Uncontrolled Rectifier are further classified as Half- Wave Rectifier, Full wave Rectifier and Bridge Rectifier.
Half-Wave Rectifier
Most electrical devices, such as televisions, audio systems, and computers, require DC electricity to work properly. Because the line voltage is alternating, we must convert it to a DC output voltage that is generally constant. Rectifiers are circuits that convert alternating voltage (AC) to continuous voltage (DC). A half-wave rectifier is the most basic of all rectifiers.
When an alternating voltage is supplied across a diode, the diode is forward-biased by the positive half-cycle of the source voltage. The diode will look like a closed switch in this situation, with the positive half-cycle of the source voltage appearing across the load resistor.
The diode is reverse biased during the negative half-cycle. The diode will look like an open switch in this situation, and no voltage will flow across the load resistor. The diode conducts during the positive half-cycles but not during the negative half-cycles in a half-wave rectifier. Negative half-cycles are clipped out by the half-wave rectifier as a result of this. Such waveforms are called half-wave signals.
The Full-Wave Rectifier
Although half-wave rectifier is useful in low-power applications like signal and peak detection, it is rarely employed in power rectification. The full-wave rectifier is the most often utilized rectifier in the power rectification area.
Full-wave rectifier is more complicated than a half-wave rectifier, it has certain advantages. It utilizes both half cycles of the sine wave to produce a DC output voltage that is higher than the half-wave rectifier's. Another benefit is that the output waveform has less ripples, making it easier to produce a smooth waveform.
The full-wave rectifier utilizes two diodes, one for each half of the cycle, to rectify both half cycles of a sine wave. A transformer with a center-tapped secondary winding is also used. The full-wave rectifier is similar to two half-wave rectifiers. D1 is forward biased, whereas D2 is backward biased. During this half-cycle, just the upper half of the transformer's secondary winding carries current. A positive load voltage is created across the load resistor as a result of this.
The source voltage polarity reverses on the next half-cycle. D2 is forward biased this time, while D1 is reverse biased. Only half of the secondary winding of the transformer carries current. This results in a positive load voltage across the load resistor. As a result, we receive a Full-wave signal across the load since the rectified load current flows during both half-cycles.
Bridge Rectifier
More popular full-wave rectifier design exists and is built around a four-diode bridge configuration. The benefit of this design over the center-tapped variant is that it does not require a specific center-tapped transformer, reducing its size and cost significantly. In addition, the entire secondary voltage is used as the input to the rectifier in this configuration. As a result, bridge rectifiers are far more commonly utilized than full-wave rectifiers.
The bridge rectifier employs four diodes coupled in a "bridge" configuration to rectify both half-cycles of a sine wave. The transformer's secondary winding is connected to one side of the diode bridge network, while the load is connected to the other.
One half-cycle at a time, the operation of this circuit can be clearly understood. Diodes D1 and D2 conduct during the positive half cycle of the source, while D3 and D4 are reverse biased. A positive load voltage is created across the load resistor. The source voltage polarity reverses on the next half-cycle. D3 and D4 are now forward biased, whereas D1 and D2 are backward biased. As before, this results in a positive load voltage across the load resistor. The load voltage has the same polarity as the input and the load current flows in the same direction regardless of the input polarity.
Some common examples of Bridge rectifier
These rectifiers are available in small packages for PCB
| Rectifier | Input Voltage | Output Current |
| BR68 | 1000V | 6A |
| BR3510 | 1000V | 35A |
| RS207 | 1000V | 2A |
| W10M | 1000V | 1.5A |
| BR1010 | 1000V | 10A |
| MB10F | 200-1000V | 800mA |
| MB10s | 50-1000V | 0.5A |
| KBPC2510 | 1000V | 25A |
MB10F
The MB10F is a surface mount glass passivated bridge rectifier from diodes incorporated with a low voltage drop of 1.1V and a forward continuous current of 800mA. The MB10F is a bridge rectifier diode in a small surface-mount package and is commonly used for single-phase applications. The maximum input AC voltage of this IC is 700V hence, can be used for a broad range of applications. The maximum DC current that this IC can handle is 800mA. This IC has a reverse breakdown voltage of 1000V and a low forward voltage drop of 1.1V. It has high efficiency and a high surge current capability of 30A.
BR1010
The BR1010 is a bridge rectifier diode commonly used for single-phase applications. The maximum input AC RMS voltage of this IC is 700V. The maximum DC current that this IC can handle is 10A. This IC has a reverse breakdown voltage of 1000V and a low forward voltage drop of 1.1V. It
has high efficiency and a high surge current capability of 200A.
BR68
The BR68 is a bridge rectifier diode commonly used for single-phase applications. The maximum input AC RMS voltage of this IC is 560V. The maximum DC current that this IC can handle is 6A. This IC has a reverse breakdown voltage of 800V and a low forward voltage drop of 1.0V. It has high efficiency and a high surge current capability of 125A.
DB107
The DB107 is a bridge rectifier diode commonly used for single-phase applications. The maximum input AC RMS voltage of this IC is 700V. The maximum DC current that this IC can handle is 1A. This IC has a reverse breakdown voltage of 1000V and a low forward voltage drop of 1.1V. It has high efficiency and a high surge current capability of 50A.
KBPC2510
The KBPC3510 is a bridge rectifier diode commonly used for single-phase applications. The maximum input AC RMS voltage of this IC is 700V. The maximum DC current that this IC can handle is 25A. This IC has a reverse breakdown voltage of 1000V and a low forward voltage drop of 1.1V. It has high efficiency and a high surge current capability of 300A.
MB10s
The MB10s is a bridge rectifier commonly used for single-phase applications. The maximum input AC RMS voltage of this IC is 700V. The maximum DC current that this IC can handle is 0.5A. This IC has a reverse breakdown voltage of 1000V and a low forward voltage drop of 1V. It has high efficiency and a high surge current capability of 30A.
W10
The W10 is a bridge rectifier diode commonly used for single-phase applications. The maximum input AC RMS voltage of this IC is 700V. The maximum DC current that this IC can handle is 1.5A. This IC has a reverse breakdown voltage of 1000V and a low forward voltage drop. It has high efficiency and a high surge current capability of 40A.
KBPC3510
The KBPC3510 is a bridge rectifier diode commonly used for single-phase applications. The maximum input AC RMS voltage of this IC is 700V. The maximum DC current that this IC can handle is 35A. This IC has a reverse breakdown voltage of 1000V and a low forward voltage drop of 1.0V. It has high efficiency and a high surge current capability of 400A.
APPLICATION
Rectifier circuits are the most commonly utilized circuits in electronics since practically every electronic appliance runs on DC (Direct Current), but DC is not always available. Electrical outlets in our homes offer AC, but sources are limited (Alternating current). The rectifier is the ideal contender for converting AC to DC in enterprises and at home. Rectifiers are used in even our cell phone chargers to convert the AC from our home outlets to DC. Rectifiers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with its own set of applications.
- A rectifier is employed for powering appliances
Each electrical equipment, as we all know, runs on a DC power source. The use of a rectifier within the power supply helps in the conversion of AC to DC power. Bridge rectifiers are commonly employed in large devices that must convert high AC voltage to low DC voltage. These type of rectifiers are used in applications requiring high voltage.
- These are used with transformers
Using a rectifier in combination with a step-down or step-up transformer can help us attain the desired dc voltage. The motor and led, which operate on DC voltage, are both powered by full-wave rectifiers.
- Uses of rectifier while soldering
A half-wave rectifier is used in circuits for hand tools, and it's also used in mosquito repellent to power the lead for the fumes. Bridge rectifier circuits are commonly used in arc welding to provide consistent and reliable power.
- It is also utilized in AM radio
the output of an AM radio is an audio signal, a half-wave rectifier is used as a detector. Because the current is weaker, it is of little or no value to the more complex rectifier.
- Uses of Rectifier in circuits
In firing circuits and pulse producing circuits, a half-wave rectifier is used.
At last, if you wish to buy any of the Diode then you may click on their names present down.