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The use of rectifiers in industrial applications started at the era of mercury converters with the electromechanical contact converter. DC machines are common in day to day use. But the supply that we get from power companies is AC. To use those machines AC supply has to be turned into DC supply by the use of a rectifier. A rectifier is an electrical device that converts the incoming AC (alternating current) from a transformer or any other ac power source to pulsating DC (direct current). Rectifier may be made of diodes, solid states, vacuum tube, mercury arc valves and other components. All rectifier circuits may be classified into one of two categories, i) half wave rectifiers and ii) full wave rectifier. Rectifiers are also used for 3-phase inputs. Rectifiers can further be classified into two categories i. e. controlled and uncontrolled rectifier. The dc output always remain constant if ac input voltage is constant in an uncontrolled rectifier whereas the output voltage can be controlled in a controlled rectifier. Rectifiers are widely used in non linear loads which are connected with distribution systems which plays an important role in power system network.
About the author
Prof B. Ashok Kumar completed his B.Tech from S V H College of Engineering Machilipatnam in the year 2004 and completed M.E from Satyabhama University, Chennai in the Year 2009. At present, he is working as Associate Professor in Department of EEE, Ramachandra College of Engineering, Eluru. He has 14 years of excellent teaching experience.
