| The left hand
waveform shows the input voltage (50 Hz AC in the
UK).
The voltages at
points A and B on the transformer are changing in opposite
directions. When A is increasing in a positive direction,
B is increasing negatively. It is like the opposite ends
of a see-saw.
During the first
half cycle, A is positive and B is negative.
D1 has positive on
its anode, D2 has negative on its cathode. Both are forward
biased. Current flows around the circuit formed by
these diodes, the load and the transformer winding, as shown in the second
diagram. The current flowing up through the load
produces a pulse of voltage across the load as shown in the right hand
waveform.
During the next half
cycle, A is negative and B is positive. D4 has positive on its anode,
D3 has negative on its cathode. Both are forward
biased. Current flows around the circuit as shown in
the bottom diagram, again flowing in the same direction through the load
and producing another pulse of voltage.
Since the full cycle
is used this circuit is called a FULL-WAVE rectifier.
Since there are two
pulses for each cycle of input, there are 100 pulses per second out (in
the UK).
The pulsating DC can
be smoothed with a reservoir capacitor, as in the half-wave rectifier
circuit. Since the pulse frequency is higher than that
of the half-wave rectifier, it is easier to
smooth. |