Module Summary

• A rectifier is a power electronic converter which converts ac voltage or current sources to

dc voltage and current.
• In a rectifier, electrical power flows from the ac input to the dc output.
• In many rectifier circuits, power can also flow from the dc side to the ac side, where
upon, the rectifier is said to be operating in the “inverter mode”.
• Rectifiers can be classified based on the type of device they use, the converter circuit
topology, number of phases and the control mechanism.
• All rectifiers produce unwanted harmonies both at the out put and the input. Performance
of a rectifier is judged by the relative magnitudes of these harmonies with respect to the
desired output.
• For a given input voltage and load, the output voltage (current) of an uncontrolled
rectifier can not be varied. However, the output voltage may vary considerably with load.
• Single phase uncontrolled half wave rectifier with resistive or inductive load have low
average output voltage, high from factor and poor ripple factor of the output voltage
waveform.
• Single phase uncontrolled full wave rectifier have higher average output voltage and
improved ripple factor compared to a half wave rectifier with resistive and inductive load.
• With highly inductive load the output voltage waveform of a full wave rectifier may be
independent of the load parameters.
• With a capacitive load the output voltage form factor approaches unity with increasing
capacitance value for both the half wave and the full wave rectifiers. However, THD of
the input current also increases.
• A full wave bridge rectifier generates higher average dc voltage compared to a split
supply full wave rectifier. However it also uses more number of diodes.

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