har80679_ch03_065-110.

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94 C H A P T E R 3 Half-Wave Rectifiers

the period of the input voltage, resulting in little decay of the output voltage. For an
effective filter capacitor, the output voltage is essentially the same as the peak voltage
of the input.

3.9 THE CONTROLLED HALF-WAVE RECTIFIER

The half-wave rectifiers analyzed previously in this chapter are classified as
uncontrolled rectifiers. Once the source and load parameters are established, the
dc level of the output and the power transferred to the load are fixed quantities.
A way to control the output of a half-wave rectifier is to use an SCR1 instead
of a diode. Figure 3-13a shows a basic controlled half-wave rectifier with a resis-
tive load. Two conditions must be met before the SCR can conduct:
1. The SCR must be forward-biased (vSCR  0).
2. A current must be applied to the gate of the SCR.
Unlike the diode, the SCR will not begin to conduct as soon as the source becomes
positive. Conduction is delayed until a gate current is applied, which is the basis for
using the SCR as a means of control. Once the SCR is conducting, the gate current
can be removed and the SCR remains on until the current goes to zero.
Resistive Load
Figure 3-13b shows the voltage waveforms for a controlled half-wave rectifier
with a resistive load. A gate signal is applied to the SCR at t  , where  is the
delay angle. The average (dc) voltage across the load resistor in Fig. 3-13a is

1 V
Vo  Vm sin (t) d(t)  m (1  cos  ) (3-52)
2 L

2

The power absorbed by the resistor is V2rms/R, where the rms voltage across
the resistor is computed from
2
1
Vrms  v 2o(t)d(t)
E 2 L
0

1
 [Vm sin (t)]2 d(t)
E 2 L


Vm  sin (2 )
 1 
2A  2 (3-53)
1
Switching with other controlled turn-on devices such as transistors or IGBTs can be used to control the
output of a converter.

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3.9 The Controlled Half-Wave Rectifier 95

+ vSCR −

iG +
+
vs = Vm sin(ωt) Gate R vo
Control
− −

(a)

vs

ωt

vo

a ωt

vSCR

a ωt

(b)

Figure 3-13 (a) A basic controlled rectifier; (b) Voltage

waveforms.

EXAMPLE 3-10

Controlled Half-Wave Rectifier with Resistive Load

Design a circuit to produce an average voltage of 40 V across a 100- load resistor from
a 120-V rms 60-Hz ac source. Determine the power absorbed by the resistance and the
power factor.
■ Solution
If an uncontrolled half-wave rectifier is used, the average voltage will be Vm/ 
120 12/  54 V. Some means of reducing the average resistor voltage to the design
specification of 40 V must be found. A series resistance or inductance could be added to
an uncontrolled rectifier, or a controlled rectifier could be used. The controlled rectifier of
Fig. 3-13a has the advantage of not altering the load or introducing losses, so it is selected
for this application.
Equation (3-52) is rearranged to determine the required delay angle:
2
  cos 1
c Vo a
b 1d
Vm
2
 cos 1 e 40 c d 1 f  61.2°  1.07 rad
12(120)

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96 C H A P T E R 3 Half-Wave Rectifiers

Equation (3-53) gives

22(120) 1.07 sin [2(1.07)]
Vrms  1   75.6 V
2 A  2
Load power is
V 2rms (75.6)2
PR    57.1 W
R 100
The power factor of the circuit is
P P 57.1
pf     0.63
S VS, rms I rms (120)(75.6>100)

RL Load
A controlled half-wave rectifier with an RL load is shown in Fig. 3-14a. The
analysis of this circuit is similar to that of the uncontrolled rectifier. The current
is the sum of the forced and natural responses, and Eq. (3-9) applies:
Vm t>
i(t)  i f (t)  i n(t)  sin (t  )  Ae
Z
The constant A is determined from the initial condition i()  0:
Vm >
i()  0  sin ( )  Ae
Z
(3-54)
) d  e
Vm
A c sin ( >
Z

Substituting for A and simplifying,

C sin (t D for 

Vm t)>
) sin ( )e( t
Z
i(t)  d (3-55)
0 otherwise

The extinction angle is defined as the angle at which the current returns to zero,
as in the case of the uncontrolled rectifier. When t  ,

C sin ( D
Vm
i( )  0  ) sin (   )e( )>
(3-56)
Z

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3.9 The Controlled Half-Wave Rectifier 97

vSCR
+ −
+
i +
+ vR
vs vo −
− +
vL
− −
(a)

vR
0 ωt
α π β 2π 2π + α
vs

vL
0 ωt
α β 2π + α

vSCR
0 ωt
α β 2π 2π + α

(b)

Figure 3-14 (a) Controlled half-wave rectifier with RL load;

(b) Voltage waveforms.

which must be solved numerically for . The angle  is called the conduc-
tion angle . Figure 3-14b shows the voltage waveforms.
The average (dc) output voltage is
1 Vm
Vo  Vm sin (t)d(t)  (cos  cos ) (3-57)
2 L 2

The average current is computed from

1
Io  i(t)d(t) (3-58)
2 L

where i(t) is defined in Eq. (3-55). Power absorbed by the load is I2rmsR, where
the rms current is computed from

1
Irms  i 2(t)d(t) (3-59)
E 2 L


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98 C H A P T E R 3 Half-Wave Rectifiers

EXAMPLE 3-11

Controlled Half-Wave Rectifier with RL Load

For the circuit of Fig. 3-14a, the source is 120 V rms at 60 Hz, R  20 , L  0.04 H,
and the delay angle is 45 . Determine (a) an expression for i(t), (b) the average current,
(c) the power absorbed by the load, and (d) the power factor.
■ Solution
(a) From the parameters given,
Vm  120 12  169.7 V
Z  [R2  (L)2]0.5  [202  (377*0.04)2]0.5  25.0 
  tan 1(LR)  tan 1(377*0.04)20)  0.646 rad
  LR  377*0.04/20  0.754
  45  0.785 rad
Substituting the preceding quantities into Eq. (3-55), current is expressed as
t>0.754
i(t)  6.78 sin (t 0.646) 2.67e A for  t
The preceding equation is valid from  to , where is found numerically by
setting the equation to zero and solving for t, with the result  3.79 rad (217 ).
The conduction angle is     3.79 0.785  3.01 rad  172 .
(b) Average current is determined from Eq. (3-58).
3.79

C 6.78 sin (t D d(t)  2.19 A

1 t>0.754
Io  0.646) 2.67e
2 L
0.785
(c) The power absorbed by the load is computed from I2rmsR, where
3.79

C 6.78 sin (t D d(t)  3.26 A

1 t>0.754
2
Irms  0.646) 2.67e
E 2 L
0.785
yielding
P  I 2rmsR  (3.26)2(20)  213 W
(d) The power factor is
P 213
pf    0.54
S (120)(3.26)

RL-Source Load
A controlled rectifier with a series resistance, inductance, and dc source is shown
in Fig. 3-15. The analysis of this circuit is very similar to that of the uncontrolled
half-wave rectifier discussed earlier in this chapter. The major difference is that
for the uncontrolled rectifier, conduction begins as soon as the source voltage

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