FILTER

• THE FILTER OF THE POWER SUPPLY IS USED TO

KEEP THE RIPPLE COMPONENT FROM APPEARING
IN THE OUTPUT. IT IS DESIGNED TO CONVERT
PULSATING DC FROM RECTIFIER CIRCUITS INTO A
SUITABLY SMOOTH DC LEVEL. THE TWO BASIC
TYPES OF POWER SUPPLY FILTERS ARE THE
CAPACITANCE FILTER (C-FILTER) AND RC FILTER.
 CAPACITANCE FILTER

• IT IS THE SIMPLEST AND MOST ECONOMICAL FILTER AVAILABLE.

• A CAPACITOR IS CONNECTED AT THE RECTIFIER OUTPUT, AND A DC

VOLTAGE IS OBTAINED ACROSS THE CAPACITOR.
• THE FIGURE SHOWS THE
RESULTING WAVEFORM AFTER
THE FILTER CAPACITOR IS
CONNECTED AT THE RECTIFIER
OUTPUT. NOTICE THAT THE
FILTERED WAVEFORM IS
ESSENTIALLY A DC VOLTAGE
WITH SOME RIPPLE (AC
VARIATION).
C-FILTER PARAMETERS
 RIPPLE VOLTAGE

I dc 2.4Idc 2.4Vdc
Vr(rms)   
4 3fC C RLC

The larger the capacitor the smaller the ripple voltage.

Note: 𝑰𝒅𝒄 is in milliamperes, C in microfarads, and 𝑹𝑳 in kilohms

 SAMPLE PROBLEMS

1. CALCULATE THE RIPPLE VOLTAGE OF A FULL WAVE

RECTIFIER WITH A 100 UF FILTER CAPACITOR CONNECTED
TO A LOAD DRAWING 50 MILLIAMPERES.

ANSWER: 1.2 V
 DC VOLTAGE

I 4.17Idc
Vdc  Vm  dc  Vm 
4fC C

WHERE: 𝑉𝑚 IS THE PEAK RECTIFIER VOLTAGE, 𝐼𝐷𝐶 IS

THE LOAD CURRENT IN MILLIAMPERES, AND C ID
THE FILTER CAPACITOR IN MICROFARADS.
 SAMPLE PROBLEMS

2. IF THE PEAK RECTIFIED VOLTAGE FOR THE FILTER CIRCUIT IS 30

V, WITH A 100 MICROFARADS FILTER CAPACITOR CONNECTED TO
A LOAD DRAWING 50 MILLIAMPERES, CALCULATE THE FILTER DC
VOLTAGE. CONSIDER A FWR.

ANSWER: 27.9 V
FILTER CAPACITOR RIPPLE

Vr(rms) 2.4Idc 2.4

%r   100   100   100
Vdc CVdc RLC
 SAMPLE PROBLEMS

3. CALCULATE THE RIPPLE OF A CAPACITOR FILTER FOR A

PEAK RECTIFIED VOLTAGE OF 30V, CAPACITOR OF 100
MICROFARADS, AND A LOAD CURRENT OF 50
MILLIAMPERES.

ANSWER: 4.3%
 SAMPLE PROBLEMS

4. A FULL WAVE RECTIFIED SIGNAL OF 18 𝑉𝑝 IS CONNECTED

TO A 400 MICROFARAD FILTER CAPACITOR. WHAT ARE THE
RIPPLE VOLTAGE AND DC VOLTAGE ACROSS THE
CAPACITOR AT A LOAD OF 100 MILLIAMPERES? CALCULATE
THE RIPPLE FACTOR.

ANSWERS:
𝑉𝑟(𝑟𝑚𝑠) = 0.6 𝑉
𝑉𝐷𝐶 = 16.96 𝑉
𝑟𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 3.53%
 RC FILTER

• THE RC FILTER IS USED TO FURTHER REDUCE THE

AMOUNT OF RIPPLE VOLTAGE ACROSS A
CAPACITOR FILTER. ITS PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO
PASS MOST OF THE DC COMPONENT WHILE
ATTENUATING OR REDUCING AS MUCH OF THE
AC COMPONENT AS POSSIBLE.
DC OPERATION OF RC FILTER SECTION

𝑅𝐿
𝑉𝐷𝐶2 = 𝑉𝐷𝐶1
𝑅𝐿 + 𝑅
 AC OPERATION OF RC FILTER SECTION

• DUE TO THE VOLTAGE DIVIDER ACTION OF THE

CAPACITOR AC IMPEDANCE AND THE LOAD
RESISTOR, THE AC COMPONENT OF VOLTAGE
RESULTING ACROSS THE LOAD IS:

𝑋𝑐 𝑉𝑟 𝑟𝑚𝑠 1
𝑉𝑟 𝑟𝑚𝑠 2 =
𝑅
 SAMPLE PROBLEMS

5. CALCULATE THE DC VOLTAGE ACROSS A 1 KILO OHM

LOAD FOR AN RC FILTER SECTION ( R = 120 OHMS, C = 10
MICROFARADS). THE DC VOLTAGE ACROSS THE INITIAL
FILTER CAPACITOR IS 60VDC.

ANSWER: 53.6V
THANK YOU!