EEE 2308 POWER ELECTRONICS LECTURE 3: DIODE RECTIFIERS II

Application of a half wave diode rectifier as a battery charger

A half-wave rectifier circuit can be used as a battery charger as shown in Figure 1. R is the internal
resistance of the battery while E is the battery voltage.

Fig. 1: Half wave rectifier battery charger circuit

The single-phase supply voltage is given as
V s =V m sin(ωt )
The diode begins to conduct only when it is forward biased. This condition happens at V s ≥ E. To obtain
the angle α when the diode starts conducting, we let:
V m sin α =E
−1 E
α =sin
Vm
The diode will continue to conduct until v s < E i.e., ωt= β, where β=π−α .

Fig. 2: Waveforms
Example
The battery voltage in Fig. 1, (E) is 12V , while its capacity is 100Wh. The average charging current (Idc)
is 5A. The primary input voltage Vp = 120V, 60Hz and the transformer has a turns ratio of 2:1. Calculate:
i. The conduction angle δ of the diode

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 ii. The current limiting resistance R
iii. The power rating of resistance R
iv. The charging time in hours
v. Rectifier efficiency
vi. PIV of the diode
Solution
i. Conduction angle
V p 120
V s=
= =60 V V m=V s √2=60 √ 2=84.85V
n 2
At ωt=α , V m sin α =E

α =sin
−1
( ) E
Vm
=sin
−1 12
84.85 (
=8.13
0
)
β=180−8.13=171.87 0
0 0 0
Conduction angleδ=β−α =171.87 −8.13 =163.74
ii. Current limiting resistance R
V dc
R=
I dc

( ) [∫ ]
β β β
1 V sin ωt−E 1
R= ∫ m dωt= V m sin ωt−∫ E dωt
2π α I dc 2 π I dc α α

[∫ ]
π −α π−α
1 1
R=
2 π I dc
V m sin ωt− ∫ E dωt =
2 π I dc
{ π −α π−α
[−V m cos ωt ]α −[ Eωt ]α }
α α

1
R= [ {−V m ( cos ( π −α )−cos α ) }−Eπ +2 Eα ]
2 π I dc
We use the identity :cos ( π −α )−cos α =−2cos α
1
R=
2 π I dc
( 2V m cos α +2 Eα−πE )
1
R=
2 π I dc
( 2V m cos α +2 Eα−πE ) α∈rad
1
R= ( 2 x 84.85 cos 8.13+2 x 12 x 0.1419−π x 12 )=4.26Ω
2πx5
iii. Power rating of R
2
P R=I rms R

( )
β 2
1 V sin ωt−E
I rms
2
= ∫ m dωt
2π α R

[∫ ]
π −α π−α π−α
1
V m sin ωt dωt− ∫ 2 E V m sin ωt dωt+ ∫ E dωt
2 2 2 2
I rms = 2
2π R α α α

2
 [ ]
π −α 2 π −α 2 π −α
Vm V sin 2 ωt
∫V m
2 2
sin ωt dωt =
2
∫ (1−cos 2 ωt ) dωt= m ωt−
2 2
α α α

[ ]
2
Vm 1
¿ ( π−2 α )− ( sin 2 ( π −α )−sin 2 α )
2 2
We use the identity :sin 2 ( π −α )−sin 2 α =−2 sin 2 α
Thus
π −α 2
Vm
∫ 2
V m sin ωt dωt =
2
2
[ ( π −2 α ) +sin 2 α ](1)
α
π −α

∫ −2 E V m sin ωt dωt =2 E V m [ cos ωt ] α

π −α
=2 E V m ( cos ( π−α )−cos α )
α

We use the identity :cos ( π −α )−cos α =−2cos α

Thus
π −α

∫ −2 E V m sin ωt dωt =−4 E V m cos α (2)

α
π −α

∫ E2 dωt=[E 2 ]πα −α =E2 ( π −2 α ) (3)

α

Combining (1 – 3) gives

[( ) ]
2 2
2 1 Vm V
I rms = + E 2 ( π −2 α )+ m sin 2 α −4 V m E cos α =67.4
2 π R2 2 2
P R=I rms2 R=67.4 x 4.26=286.4 W
iv. Charging time
Power delivered to the battery
Pdc =I dc E=5 x 12=60 W
Energy (capacity) = Pdc T charging =100 Wh
100 Wh
T charging = =1.667 h
60 W
v. Rectifier efficiency
¿ P dc 60
η=power delivered ¿ the battery = = =17.32 %
total input power Pdc + PR 60+286.4
vi. PIV of the diode
PIV =V m+ E=84.85+ 12=96.85 V

Assignment 1 Due on 18th January 2019

A DC battery of a constant emf of 150V is charged through a resistor. For source voltage of 230V, 50Hz
and a current limiting resistor of 8Ω, find the:
i) Value of average charging current

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 ii) Power supplied to the battery
iii) Power dissipated in the resistor
iv) Charging time, given the battery capacity is 1000Wh
v) Rectifier efficiency
vi) PIV of the diode.
Half wave diode rectifier with RL load
Consider a half wave diode rectifier circuit with an RL load as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3: Circuit diagram

The diode conducts during the positive half cycle of the source voltage i.e. 0< ω t< π . At ωt=π , the
current in the circuit is not zero since there is some energy stored in the inductor. The diode continues to
conduct till the energy stored in the inductor becomes zero, say at ωt=π + σ . After that, the diode blocks
conduction. The waveforms are shown in Fig. 4.

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 Fig. 4: Waveforms
Task: Draw the waveform of Vdc.

An expression for the current through the diode can be obtained by solving the differential equation
describing the circuit. Current only flows for 0< ωt< β , where β=π +σ (β is the conduction angle). The
following differential equation defines the circuit:
di
L + Ri=V m sin( ωt) , 0 ≤ ωt ≤ β (1)
dt
The total solution to the first order DE comprises of two parts – complementary and particular solution:
1. The complimentary solution (natural or transient response I n) to equation (1) is obtained by setting
Vs to 0 i.e.,
di
L + Ri=0 (2)
dt
The solution to equation (2) is given in equation (3):
−R
ωt
ωL
I n (ωt)=A e (3)
2. A particular solution to the steady-state response (forced response I f ). This is the current that would
flow in a circuit that contains only a source and the impedance shown in the circuit.

I f ( ωt )= ( VZ ) sin ( ωt−ϕ )
m

where ϕ=tan
−1
( ωLR ); Z=√ R +(ωL )(4)
2 2

The total solution becomes:

−R
Vm ωt
i ( ωt )= sin(ωt−¿ ϕ )+ A e ωL (5) ¿
Z
Equation (5) can be written as:
−ωt
Vm
i ( ωt )= sin(ωt−¿ ϕ )+ A e tan ϕ ; tan ϕ=ωL/R (6)¿
Z

The value of A can be obtained using initial conditions. Since the diode starts conducting at ωt=0 and
the current starts building up from zero, i(0) = 0. A is obtained from (6) as:
Vm
A= sin(ϕ¿)¿
Z
An expression for the instantaneous value of current through the load is:

( )
−ωt
Vm
i ( ωt )= sin ( ωt−ϕ )+ sin(ϕ )e tan ϕ (7)
Z

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Starting from ωt=π , as ωt increases, the current would keep decreasing. For some value of ωt , say β ,
the current would be zero and the diode stops conducting. β can be obtained by substituting i ( ωt ) =0|ωt =β
into (7):

( )
−β
Vm
i ( β )= sin ( β−ϕ ) +sin(ϕ) e tan ϕ =0(8)
Z
The value of β can be obtained from (8) using numerical analysis.

The average voltage across the inductor is zero, therefore the average voltage across the resistor is:
Vm β V
V dc = ∫ sin ωt dωt= m (1−cos β)
2π 0 2π

√
β
1 Vm
V rms = ∫
2π 0
(
2
V m sin ωt ) dωt=
2√π
√ β−0.5sin 2 β ¿ ¿
Example
The half wave diode rectifier shown in Fig. 5 has a voltage supply V S =220 √ 2sin 314 t , R=10Ω,
L=20mH.
i. Obtain an expression for the instantaneous load current
ii. Determine the conduction angle β
iii. Obtain values of average and rms voltage

Fig. 5
Solution
The expression for instantaneous value of current through the load is:

( )
−ωt
Vm
i ( ωt )= sin ( ωt−ϕ )+ sin(ϕ )e tan ϕ (1)
Z

ϕ =tan
−1 ωL
R
=tan
10 (
−1 314 x 20 m
) 0
=0.561rad (32.129 ) , tan ϕ=0.6283

Z=√ R + ( ωL ) =√ 10 + ( 314 x 20 m ) =11.808 Ω

2 2 2 2

220 √ 2
i ( ωt )= [ sin ( ωt−32.129 ) +0.532 e−1.5915 ωt ]
11.808

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 −1.5915ωt
i ( ωt )=26.3479 sin (ωt−32.129)+14.0171 e

β can be obtained by substituting that i ( ωt ) =0|ωt =β in (1):

0=26.3479 sin(β−32.129)+14.0171 e−1.5915 β

The simplest method to determine β is using iteration technique. We substitute different values for β in
the region π < β <2 π till we get the minimum value of change.

We assume:
Δ=26.3479 sin(β−32.129)+14.0171 e−1.5915 β

The following table shows the relation between β and Δ:

β β β 26.3479 sin(β−32.129) 14.0171 e
−1.5915 β
Δ
(degrees) (radians)
1.1π 198 3.4558 6.4316 0.05729 6.4889
1.12π 201.6 3.5186 4.8146 0.05184 4.8664
1.14π 205.2 3.5814 3.1785 0.04691 3.2250
1.16π 208.8 3.6442 1.5299 0.04245 1.5724
1.18π 212.4 3.7071 -0.1247 0.03841 -0.0863
1.2π 216 3.7699 -1.7789 0.03475 -1.7441

We can approximate β=2120

The average voltage across the inductor is zero, therefore the average voltage across the resistor is:
β
1 Vm
V dc = ∫ V m sin ωt dωt= ( 1−cos β )=91.5V
2π 0 2π

√
β
1 Vm
V rms= ∫
2π 0
(
2
V m sin ωt ) dωt=
2 √π
√ β−0.5sin 2 β ¿ ¿=158.24 V

Half wave diode rectifier with RL load and freewheeling diode

The average voltage (and current) can be increased by making σ =0, which is possible by adding a
freewheeling diode Dm as shown in Fig. 6 with dashed lines. The effect of this diode is to prevent a
negative voltage appearing across the load.

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 Fig. 6: Circuit diagram

During the positive half-cycle, the diode D1 is forward biased while the freewheeling diode D m is reverse
biased. The output voltage is the same as the source voltage. At ωt=π , the current from D1 is transferred
to Dm. Thus during the negative half-cycle, Dm is forward biased while the diode D1 is reverse biased. The
output voltage is zero. The waveforms are shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 7: Waveforms
π
1 −V m V
∫
π
V ave(dc )= V m sin(ωt )dωt = [ cos( ωt)] 0 = m
2π 0 2π π

@pkhinga PhD(Eng.), FIET