ANADOLU UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

EEM 102 INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

EXPERIMENT 9:

DIODES AND DC POWER SUPPLY

OBJECTIVE:

To observe how a diode functions and to build a DC power supply.

PRELIMINARY WORK:
Explain the working principles of half-wave and full-wave rectifier circuits. Also explain the
working principle of dc power supply. Prepare the work with your own handwriting using
maximum two A4-size papers.

INTRODUCTION:

Diodes:
Diodes are unilateral devices, that is, they conduct current in one direction but block it in the
opposite direction. They will have a voltage drop of 0.2 0.3 V or 0.6 0.7 V when they are
conducting depending on the materials they are made of, Germanium or Silicon, respectively.
The direction of the current is from anode to cathode. Cathodes are usually indicated with a
painted band.

Figure 1. A diode.

Figure 2. Forward and reverse biased diodes.

Transformers:

These are devices that are generally used to convert an AC voltage to another AC voltage at
the same frequency. Thus, the input to the transformer may be 220 Vrms at f = 50 Hz, and the
output may be 12 Vrms at f = 50 Hz. This is basically accomplished by two windings around an
iron core. The core is made up of laminated sheets of iron. The input winding has N1 turns,
the output winding has N2 turns. The turns ratio is defined as

and this is indicated

as 1 : a.

Figure 3. A transformer.

The relationships between the input and output voltages and currents are as follows (Fig.3).

The Half Wave Rectifier:

Figure 4. Half wave rectifier and input and output waveforms.

When the input signal is positive (between t1 and t2, t3 and t4, etc.), the diode is forward biased
and conducts current. When the input signal is negative (between t2 and t3, t4 and t5, etc.), the
diode is reverse biased and does not conduct current. Hence the output waveform Vout is
obtained. This is called half rectified sine wave.

The Full Wave Rectifiers:

1) The center tapped full wave rectifier.

Figure 5. Center tapped full wave rectifier.

During the positive half cycle of the input signal, the diode D1 is forward biased and the
diode D2 is reverse biased. Hence the current flows through D1 and R.
During the negative half cycle of the input signal, the diode D1 is reverse biased and the diode
D2 is forward biased. Hence the current flows through D2 and R. Thus, the voltage obtained
across R is full wave rectified as seen is Figure 6.

Figure 6. Output of full wave rectifier.

2) The full wave bridge rectifier.

Figure 7. The full wave bridge rectifier.

During the positive half cycle of the input signal, the diodes D1 and D2 are forward biased,
and D3 and D4 are reverse biased. So, the current flows from A to B over diode D1, to C over
R, to D over diode D2, and back to A over the secondary windings of transformer.

During the negative half cycle, the diodes D3 and D4 are forward biased, and D1 and D2 are
reverse biased. So, the current flows from F to D and B over D4, to C over R, to A over D3,

and back to F over the secondary winding. Thus, the waveform shown in Figure 6 is again
obtained.

Since in each case, the current has to go through two diodes, there is a voltage drop in the
bridge equal to two diodes drops.

DC Power Supply:

Figure 8. DC Power Supply

If a capacitor is added to the output of the rectifier circuit, the half rectified or the full rectified
voltage will charge the capacitor. Hence, depending on the load resistor, a voltage which is
almost dc will be obtained.

Figure 9. Output voltage

From a to b, the capacitor is charged, from b to c, the capacitor is discharged, because the load
resistor R draws current.

PROCEDURE:

A. HALF WAVE RECTIFER:

1. Set up the circuit in Figure 4 with R = 1.2 K. Use the 12 Vrms output of the transformer
(the black jack and the red jack next to it).
2. Observe the signal v2(t) on the oscilloscope and measure its peak value Vp and its period T.
3. Observe the signal vout(t) on the oscilloscope, measure its peak value Vpout and its period
Tout. Draw the waveform of vout(t) in your report.
4. Add a C = 220 F capacitor between the output terminals. Observe and draw the waveform
of vout(t) in your report noting the critical values on the waveform.
5. Observe the ripple voltage by switching to AC coupling on the oscilloscope and decreasing
VOLTS/DIV scale. Draw the waveform.

B. FULL WAVE RECTIFIER:

1. Set up the circuit in Figure 7 with R = 1.2 K. Use the 12 Vrms output of the transformer.
2. Observe the signal vout(t) on the oscilloscope, measure its peak value Vp and its period T.
Draw the waveform of vout(t) in your report.

C. DC POWER SUPPLY:
1. Add a C = 220 F capacitor between the output terminals. Observe and draw the waveform

vout(t) in your report noting the critical values on the waveform.

2. Observe the ripple voltage and draw the waveform.
3. Change the load resistor R to 470 . Observe and draw the waveform vout(t) in your report
noting the critical values on the waveform.
4. Observe the ripple voltage and draw the waveform.

EXPERIMENT 9
DIODES AND DC POWER SUPPLY

REPORT
A.
2. Vp2 = .

, T = .

3. Vpout = .

, Tout = .

4.

Name: ..
No :......
Table No:.
Group :..

5.

Vpp, ripple = .
Compare the graphs in A3, A4 and A5. Explain what is happening in A4 (and A5).

B.
1. Vpout = .

2.

, Tout = .

C.
1.

2.

Vpp, ripple = .

3.

4.

Vpp, ripple = .
What is the major difference between the waveforms of C.2 and C.4?

What causes this difference?

Date:
Table No:
Name:
No:

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