Half Wave Rectifier Without Filter

HALF WAVE RECTIFIER WITHOUT FILTER DESCRIPTION: This circuit takes an AC as input with both positive-negative cycles, and outputs only the positive or negative cycles as a pulsating DC depending on how you configure the direction of the diode. It is called a half wave rectifier because it only rectifies the positive or negative half which causes half of the power to be wasted. GRAPHER: Blue = Output = Positive Cycles Purple = Output = Negative cycles FORMULAS: Vdc = Average DC Voltage = (Vpeak - Vdiode) * 0.318 or Vdc = (Vrms_in - Vdiode) * 0.45 Vrms = RMS Output Voltage = (Vpeak - Vdiode) / 2 Idc = Average DC Current = Ipeak * 0.318 or Idc = Vdc / R Irms = RMS Output Current = Ipeak / 2 EXAMPLE: Vrms_in = 120V AC = North America Mains Voltage Vpeak = Vrms / 0.707 = 120 / 0.707 = 169.7V AC Vdiode: The voltage drop of a diode is typically between 0.2 ~ 0.8 volts, we will use 0.7 Vdc = (169.7 - 0.7) * 0.318 = 53.7Vdc or Vdc = (120 - 0.7 ) * 0.45 = 53.7Vdc Vrms_out = (169.7 -0.7) / 2 = 169 / 2 = 84.5Vrms Idc = Vdc / R = 53.7 / 100 = 0.537A Ipeak = Idc / 0.318 = 1.689A Irms = Ipeak / 2 = 0.844A Idc = 1.689 * 0.318 = 0.537A NOTE: Using a really big resistance value will cause the missing cycle to appear again.