Full wave rectifiers are types of rectifiers that convert both halves of each cycle of an AC signal into a pulsed DC signal (also called pulsating DC). The full wave rectifier utilizes the full-cycle of the input AC signal, as opposed to half wave rectifiers which utilize only the half-cycle of the input AC signal. Full wave rectifier is of two types i.e. centre-tapped full wave rectifier and full wave bridge rectifiers. We will learn about full wave rectifier advantages and disadvantages in this article.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Full Wave Rectifier
Advantages of Full Wave Rectifier
The advantages of full-wave rectifier over half-wave rectifier are
1. The rectifying efficiency of full wave rectifiers is higher than that of half-wave rectifiers. Consequently, they are more efficient at converting AC into DC.
2. Compared to half-wave rectifiers, full wave rectifiers have a lower ripple factor.
3. In the process of rectification, there is no waste of voltage signal, which allows them to have low power loss.
4. Centre-tapped full wave rectifiers have lower ripples in their output voltage than half wave rectifiers.
5. Full wave bridge rectifiers have the advantage of not requiring a special center-tapped transformer, which allows them to reduce their size and cost.
6. Full-wave bridge rectifiers have the advantage of having a smaller AC ripple value than half-wave equivalents for a given load. Thus, a full-wave bridge rectifier requires a smaller reservoir or smoothing capacitor than a half-wave rectifier equivalent.
Disadvantages of Full Wave Rectifier
The disadvantages of full-wave rectifier over half-wave rectifier are
1. Center-tapped rectifiers are more expensive and occupy more space than half-wave rectifiers.
2. Center-tapped rectifiers require larger transformers with two separate but identical secondary windings in comparison to their full wave bridge equivalents, making rectifying circuits more expensive.
