ELEC 1250 - Diodes and

Diode Circuits

Lecture 4

Examples of Diode Circuits:

Rectifier Circuits
 DC Power Supply.
N1 N2

Mains Diode Voltage

v Filter v Load
s Rectifier Regulator o
v
m
Half-Wave Rectifier
vd

mains vi vo RL

rs vd

vs vi vo RL
 Equivalent Circuit using the ‘Constant-
Voltage drop and Resistance’ Model

rs ideal V DO rd

vs vi vo RL
 Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV)
Two important design parameters:

 Maximum diode current.

 Peak Inverse Voltage (PIV). PIV = Vs (peak)

The PIV is the largest reverse bias voltage the

diode will experience in the circuit without breaking
down.
 Half-wave rectifier:
only half (max!) waveform used
200.00m

i
d
I

0v

-100.00m
2.00
V +V
DO b
Axis label

v 0v
s

-2.00
0.00 10.00m 20.00m 30.00m 40.00m
Time [s]
 Full-Wave Rectifier:
both half-cycles used

Two types:

D1 D4 D1

vo
vi - +
vo RL vi
Mains
-v RL
i

D2 D3
D2
 Full-Wave Rectifier

D1

+
+
vi
- vo RL
Mains
+ v
_ i
-

D2
 Operation of Full-Wave Rectifier
D1
v Positive
i + +
vi
vo RL
Mains
vi

-
D2

v Negative D1
i -
-
vi
vo RL
Mains
vi

+
D2
 Operation of Full-Wave Rectifier
D1
v Positive
i + + ON
vi
vo RL
Mains
vi

- OFF
D2

v Negative D1
i OFF
- -
vi
vo RL
Mains
vi

+ ON
D2
 Operation of Full-Wave Rectifier
D1
v Positive
i + + ON
vi
vo RL
Mains
vi

- OFF
D2

v Negative D1
i OFF
- -
vi
vo RL
Mains
vi

+ ON
D2
 Operation of Full-Wave Rectifier
D1
v Positive
i + + ON
vi
vo RL
Mains
vi

- OFF
D2

What is PIV (peak inverse voltage) here?

For bottom diode, will occur when sine wave is max positive
at top
 Steady-State Waveforms
V
i
2.00

~V
DO
1.00
Output voltage [V]

0.00

-1.00
v
L
-2.00
0.00 10.00m 20.00m 30.00m 40.00m
Time [s]

Assuming a constant-voltage-drop model for the diodes.

The Bridge Rectifier.

D4 D1

vo
- +
vi
RL

D2 D3
Operation in Positive half cycle

D4 D1

+ OFF v ON
o
- +
vi
RL
- ON OFF

D2 D3
 PIV for bridge rectifier
D4 D1 Assuming constant voltage
drop model
+ vo
- +
vi RL vo
RL
- V DO
D2 D3

D2 D3
vD 3 (reverse)  vo  vDO
Thus
PIV  vi ( peak )  2VDO  VDO  vi ( peak )  VDO
Operation in Negative Half Cycle

D4 D1

ON vo OFF
-
- +
vi
RL
+ OFF ON

D2 D3
 Centre-tapped transformer vs
bridge rectifier

What are the relative (dis)advantages of each?

CT transfo: more complicated transformer

diodes need higher PIV
Bridge: 4 diodes instead of 2

Which is better?
Are there sustainability / moral issues?
 Transformers

Core made of steel

 need for metal resources
 recyclable – but do we do so?

Wire made of copper

 often mined in poorer countries
 working conditions often bad
 but does earn income & foreign currency
 recyclable – as above
 Steady-State Waveforms
V
2.00 i

2V
DO
1.00
Output voltage [V]

0.00

-1.00

Vo
-2.00
0.00 10.00m 20.00m 30.00m 40.00m
Time [s]
 DC Power Supply: Filter

DC Power Supply

Diode Voltage v
v Filter o Load
s Rectifier Regulator
 Filter Circuit

Filter Capacitor

vi

C v R
o L

CR >> T
Voltage Waveforms for fullwave rectifier

2.00 vi
Output
V 1.00 Ripple
p
V
r
Output

0.00

-1.00

vo
-2.00
0.00 10.00m 20.00m 30.00m 40.00m
Time [s]

T
 Capacitance Filter
At the end of the discharge period
Vo  Vr  Vo e  T / 2 CR
Since CR >> T then
 T / 2 CR T
e  1
2CR
Giving
T Vo
Vr  Vo 
2CR 2 fCR
1
where f is the frequency 
T
 Example

Consider a fullwave rectifier fed by a 50Hz

sinusoid with a peak value output voltage of
100V. If the load resistance is 10Kohms, find
the size of capacitance necessary to give a
peak to peak ripple of 2V.
 Without Filter Capacitor
800.00m
vout

-200.00m
80.00u
rectifier current

-20.00u
0.00 10.00m 20.00m 30.00m 40.00m
Time [s]
 With filter capacitor
800.00m
vout

0.00
2.00m
rectifier current

-1.00m
0.00 10.00m 20.00m 30.00m 40.00m
Time [s]
 Summary - Rectifiers #1

 Rectifier circuits have been shown for a practical dc

power supply.
» half wave rectifier
» full wave rectifier
» bridge rectifier
 Problem for next time:
Battery charger circuit
Determine the peak and average current through
the diode and its Average Power Dissipation
v R
D L

r +
s
+
i V Battery
D b
v
s
-

Supply : vS  10 sin(t ), rS  2
PWL model : VDO  0.7 V, rd  20
RL  100 and Vb  5V