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A Full Wave Rectifier is a type of rectifier that converts the whole cycle of an alternating current (AC) signal into a pulsing direct current (DC).
- A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current (AC), which reverses direction periodically, to direct current (DC), which only flows in one direction.
- Rectifiers are classified into two types: Half-wave rectifiers and Full-wave rectifiers.
- A half-wave rectifier converts an alternating current signal to a direct current by allowing either the negative or positive half-cycle of the waveform to pass while blocking the other.
- A full wave rectifier converts the complete cycle of alternating current into pulsating DC.
Full wave rectifiers are classified into two types:
- Center-tapped Full Wave Rectifier: A center-tapped full-wave rectifier is a type of full-wave rectifier that takes its input from a center-tapped transformer. The transformer includes a center-tapped secondary winding with two diodes connected to the ends of the winding and the load resistor attached to the other ends of the diodes.
- Bridge Rectifier: A bridge rectifier is a type of full-wave rectifier that uses four diodes arranged in a bridge configuration to convert an alternating current (AC) input signal into a direct current (DC) output signal.
Very Short Questions Answers [1 Mark Questions]
Ques. The efficiency of a center-tapped full-wave rectifier is
- 46%
- 50%
- 81.2%
- 70%
Ans. The correct answer is d. 81.2%
Explanation: The efficiency of a rectifier in converting AC to DC is measured by the ratio of the DC power produced to the maximum AC power given to the load. For a center-tapped full wave rectifier, this ratio is 81.2%.
Ques. If the input frequency is 50Hz for a full wave rectifier, the ripple frequency it would be
- 50 Hz
- 100 Hz
- 500 Hz
- 25 Hz
Ans. The correct answer is b. 100 Hz
Explanation: One of the half cycles is repeated in the output of the center-tapped rectifier. The frequency will be double that of the input frequency. So it's 100 Hz.
Ques. A full wave rectifier can be built using 4 diodes arranged as a bridge along with a standard transformer.
- True
- False
Ans. The correct answer is a. True
Explanation: A full wave rectifier may be constructed from a standard transformer and four diodes arranged in the form of a bridge.
Ques. Which type of rectifier is used in electric welding?
- Full wave rectifier
- Half wave rectifier
Ans. The correct answer is a. Full wave rectifier
Explanation: In electric welding machines, full-wave rectifiers are used to convert the AC power source into a DC welding current.
Ques. The form factor of a full-wave rectifier is given as
- 2.2
- 1.11
- 0.5
- 3.14
Ans. The correct answer is b. 1.11
Explanation: A full-wave rectifier's form factor is a measure of how closely the output waveform resembles the input waveform. It is calculated by dividing the RMS value of the output voltage by the average value of the output voltage. The form factor of the full wave rectifier is approximately 1.11.
Short Questions Answers [2 Marks Questions]
Ques. What is a full wave rectifier?
Ans. An electrical circuit that transforms an alternating current (AC) input signal to a direct current (DC) output signal is known as a full wave rectifier.
It performs this by allowing just the positive component of the alternating current signal to pass through, essentially transforming the signal into a series of positive pulses. A full-wave rectifier generates a more steady DC output voltage with less ripple than a half-wave rectifier, which only allows the positive half of the AC signal to pass through.
Ques. What is a rectifier?
Ans. An electrical circuit that converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) is known as a rectifier. It is widely utilized in power supply for DC-powered devices.
Rectifiers are classified into two types:
- Half-wave rectifiers
- Full-wave rectifiers
Ques. What is the formula to calculate the ripple factor for a full-wave rectifier?
Ans. We measure the ripple factor using a formula that varies depending on the ripple current or voltage.
For ripple voltage: γ = \(\sqrt{(\frac{V_{rms}}{V_{dc}})^2-1}\)
For ripple current: γ = \(\sqrt{(\frac{I_{rms}}{I_{dc}})^2-1}\)
In general, the ripple factor is expressed as a percentage; the lower the ripple factor, the greater the output efficiency. A half-wave rectifier has a ripple factor of 1.21, while a full-wave rectifier has a ripple factor of 0.482.
Ques. What is the formula to calculate the DC Output Voltage of a full wave rectifier?
Ans. The formula to calculate the DC Output Voltage of a full wave rectifier is given by
VDC = IavRL = \(\frac{2}{\pi}\) ImaxRL
Where
- VDC is the DC output voltage of a full wave rectifier
- Iav is the average value of the current
- RL is the load resistance
- Imax is the maximum value of the current
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Long Questions Answers [3 Marks Questions]
Ques. What are the applications of a full wave rectifier?
Ans. The following are the applications of a full wave rectifier
- It determines the amplitude of the modulating radio wave.
- In electric welding, full wave rectifiers are used; polarised DC voltage can be supplied by a bridge rectifier.
- The bridge rectifier circuit is useful because it can convert voltage from high alternating current to low direct current.
- They deliver power to devices that operate on DC voltage, such as LEDs and motors.
Ques. What are the advantages of a full wave rectifier?
Ans. The applications of a full wave rectifier are
- The efficiency of a full-wave rectifier is higher than a half-wave rectifier. In other words, they convert AC to DC more effectively.
- Since a full wave rectifier uses both half cycles of the alternating supply, there is no loss of output power, and no voltage signal is wasted during the rectification process.
- They have a smaller ripple factor. In other words, the output voltage of a full-wave rectifier has lower ripples than a half-wave rectifier.
Ques. What are the different types of full-wave rectifiers?
Ans. Full wave rectifiers are classified into two types:
- Center-tapped Full Wave Rectifier: A type of rectifier that uses two diodes and a center-tapped transformer to convert the whole AC signal to DC. is known as a center-tapped full-wave rectifier. This is known as "full wave center tapped" because one complete cycle of AC voltage contains two full cycles. It means that it generates twice as much DC voltage as a half-wave rectifier from an equivalent AC source.
- Bridge Rectifier: A bridge rectifier is a type of full-wave rectifier that converts an alternating current (AC) input signal to a direct current (DC) output signal by using four diodes in a bridge arrangement.
Very Long Questions Answers [5 Marks Questions]
Ques. What are the disadvantages of a full wave rectifier?
Ans. The following are the disadvantages of a full wave rectifier
- More complex: Full-wave rectifier circuits are more complicated than half-wave rectifier circuits because they require more diodes and a center-tapped transformer or bridge rectifier circuit.
- More expensive: A full-wave rectifier requires four diodes, making it more costly than a half-wave rectifier, which requires just one diode.
- High power loss: The full-wave rectifier loses more power than the half-wave rectifier because it contains two diodes conducting current at the same time, resulting in a larger voltage drop across the diodes.
- High peak inverse voltage (PIV): The PIV of a full-wave rectifier is greater than that of a half-wave rectifier because it utilizes both halves of the input signal cycle to produce a DC output voltage, resulting in more voltage stress on the diodes and transformer.
Ques. What is the working of a full wave rectifier?
Ans. The working of a full wave rectifier is given below
- The full wave rectifier receives a very high input AC voltage.
- The step-down transformer in the full wave rectifier circuit transforms high-voltage alternating current to low-voltage alternating current.
- The anode of the center-tapped diodes is connected to the transformer's secondary winding and the load resistor.
- The upper half of the secondary winding, or terminal 1, will turn positive during the positive half cycle of the AC.
- While terminal two, or the second half of the winding, becomes negative, the center tap remains at zero potential.
- Diode D1 is forward-biased during the positive half cycle, whereas diode D2 is reverse-biased. This is due to the fact that it is connected to the bottom of the secondary winding.
- As a result, D1 will allow current to flow whereas D2 will block it.
- When a negative half cycle occurs, diode D1 is reverse-biased and diode D2 is forward-biased.
- This is due to the fact that the top half of the secondary circuit becomes negative while the bottom half becomes positive.
- As a result, DC voltage is produced in a full wave rectifier for both positive and negative half cycles.
Ques. What is the difference between a half-wave and a full-wave rectifier?
Ans. The differences between a half-wave and a full-wave rectifier are
| Half Wave Rectifier | Full Wave Rectifier |
|---|---|
| A half-wave rectifier converts just one-half of the alternating current input cycle into direct current output. | A full wave rectifier converts both halves of an alternating current input cycle into direct current output. |
| It consists of a simple circuit having one diode. | It consists of a complex circuit having at least two diodes. |
| Its efficiency is less as it only uses half of the AC cycle. | It has higher efficiency since it uses the complete AC cycle, converting more power. |
| A half-wave rectifier has a large ripple factor, resulting in a more fluctuating output. | A full wave rectifier has a low ripple factor, resulting in a smoother DC output with less fluctuation. |
| The output frequency of a half-wave rectifier is equal to the input frequency. | The output frequency of a full-wave rectifier is equal to the twice of the input frequency. |
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