Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.

Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage

Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

Experement-4

Capacitor Filter with Half wave and Full Wave Rectifier

4-1 Object:

To investigate the function of the filter capacitor in half wave and full wave
rectifier.

4-2 Theory:

The average output of a rectifier is a voltage of pulsating DC. The use of this kind
of output is limited to load batteries, DC motors, and some other applications. The most
necessary in electronic circuits is the direct voltage, which will be constant in value and
similar to the voltage obtained from a battery. For the conversion of full wave and half
wave signals to a DC constant voltage, we need to use a filter.

Figure (4-1), shows a filter with input capacitor. An alternating voltage source
generates a sinusoidal voltage with a peak value of Vp. During the first fourth part of
the source voltage, the diode is polarized directly. Ideally it is as if a switch was closed
(see figure 4-2a). As the diode connects the source directly through the capacitor, this
is loaded to the peak voltage Vp. Just as the positive peak has passed the diode stops
driving, which means that the switch is open as indicated in figure (3-4b). The diode is
open because the capacitor has a voltage Vp applied to it with the polarity indicated,
and as the source voltage is slightly less than the voltage Vp, the diode is polarized
inversely.

Figure (4-1) half wave rectifier with filter

With the diode open, the capacitor is discharged through the load resistor. Here it
is where the main idea of the capacitor filter takes part: in the design previously
considered, the discharge time constant (the product of R and C) is bigger than the
period T from the input signals. The reason for this is that the capacitor losses just a
small part of its load during the time when the diode is not working as it is indicated in
the figure (4-3).
Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.
Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage
Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

Figure (4-2) a- charge of the capacitor and, b- discharge of capacitor

When the source voltage reaches again its peak, the diode conducts briefly, the
capacitor is recharged to the peak voltage and the cycle is repeated.

Figure (4-3) load voltage in half wave rectifier with filter

After the capacitor is charged initially during the first fourth part of the cycle, its
voltage is approximately equal to the source peak voltage (see figure 4-3) which shows
the voltage in the load.

Now, the voltage in the load is almost a perfect DC voltage. The only variation
from a pure DC voltage is the small ripple, caused by the capacitor charge and
discharge; the smaller this ripple is, the batter. A way of decreasing this ripple is by
increasing the discharge time constant, which is equal to R-C. since we possibly can
not change it, the most logical thing is to increase the capacitor capacity in order to
reduce the ripple.

When we have the capacitor in this way the diode does not conduct 180o, as it has
previously done, but now the flow angle is a bit above 90o. however in the flow interval
the current diode will be bigger, as the load resistor is fed and the capacitor must be
charged.
Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.
Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage
Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

There is a mathematical expression to calculate the ripple voltage, defined as the

peak- peak voltage of the ripple:

𝐼
𝑉𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑒 =
2𝑓𝐶

Where:

I = charge intensity in DC

f = frequency in Hz of the rectified wave

C = capacitor capacity

For example, if the load current is 25mA, the capacitor is 470μF, and the
frequency is 50Hz, the ripple produces will be approximately:

25 ∗ 10−3
𝑉𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑒 = = 0.5
100 ∗ 470 ∗ 10−6
There is another expression to find the ripple factor if you know periodic time interval
for waveform as:

𝑇 𝑇
𝑅𝐹 = 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐻. 𝑊. 𝑅, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑅𝐹 = 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐹. 𝑊. 𝑅
𝑅𝐶 2𝑅𝐶

4-4 procedures:

1. Connect the circuit of half wave rectifier shown in figure (4-4), with make the
switch S1 that connect the capacitor is open.

Figure (4-4) half wave rectifier with capacitor filter

2. With S1 is opened, draw input voltage and output voltage waveforms in the same
scale, and then find output average voltage Voav.
Middle Technical University Electronics Lab.
Electrical Engineering Technical College 2nd Stage
Electrical Power Technical Engineering Dept. Mohammed D. Altamemi

3. Now, change the state of S1 to closed, and draw the output voltage waveform
with capacitor filter, and then find the output average voltage and RF.

𝑉𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑥 + 𝑉𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑉𝑜𝐴𝑉 =
2
4. Connect the circuit of full wave rectifier shown in figure (4-5).

Figure (4-4) Circuit 2 with capacitor connected and supplied by signal generator

5. With S2 is opened, draw input and output voltage waveform in the same scale,
and then find the output average voltage.
6. Close the switch S2, and draw the output voltage waveform with capacitor filter,
and then find the output average voltage, and ripple factor.

4-5 discussion:

1. For half wave rectifier, compare between the output average voltage Vav with
and without capacitor filter, what is your conclusion?
2. For full wave rectifier, compare between the output average voltage Vav with and
without capacitor filter, what is your conclusion?
3. Compare between the ripple factor in case of half wave and full wave rectifier,
what is your conclusion?
4. For half wave rectifier shown in figure (4-4), set the value of R = 3KΩ, and C =
1µF, draw the output voltage, and explain results.
5. For half wave rectifier in step 4 above, try to increase input frequency to (200Hz),
draw output voltage wave form, and explain the results.
6. For the half wave rectifier in figure (4-4), replace shunt capacitor by series
inductor L = 1mH, draw the output voltage and explain the result.