Half wave rectifier and diode conduction angle
A half wave rectifier is a simple electronic circuit that converts AC (alternating current) to DC (direct current) by allowing only one half of the input waveform to pass through. It uses a diode as a rectifying element that conducts current only in one direction.
Diode conduction in half wave rectifier
The diode in a half wave rectifier conducts current only during the positive half-cycle of the input waveform. During the negative half-cycle, the diode remains reverse-biased and does not conduct any current. This results in a pulsating DC output waveform with only the positive half-cycles present.
The conduction angle of the diode in a half wave rectifier is the portion of the input waveform during which the diode conducts current. It is given by:
Conduction angle = (TON/TPERIOD) x 360
where TON is the time for which the diode conducts current during one half-cycle, and TPERIOD is the time period of the input AC waveform.
Duration of diode conduction
The duration of diode conduction in a half wave rectifier depends on the input voltage waveform and the properties of the diode. Typically, the diode conducts for about 120 degrees of the input waveform. This corresponds to a conduction angle of:
Conduction angle = (120/360) x 360 = 120 degrees
This means that the diode conducts for one-third of the input waveform period, corresponding to the positive half-cycle.