Electrical Engineering ⇒ Topic : Single-phase Mercury Arc Rectifier

Single-phase Mercury Arc Rectifier

Half-wave Rectification. Fig.(b)shows a half-wave rectifier having one anode only to which one end of the secondary of the transformer is connected. The current in the external load flows only when the an-ode is positive, i.e., during the first-half of the cycle, no current flows during the second-half when anode is negative.

                                                       Fig.(a) Single-phase half wave glass bulb mercury arc rectifier

Full-wave Rectification. Fig.(b) shows a full wave rectifier. It has two anodes A₁ and A₂ and the load is connected between the cathode C and the centre of the secondary oft he transformer

                                                            Fig. (b) Single-phase full wave glass bulb mercury arc rectifier

When the current in the secondary is + ve, say from right to left, the anode A₁ will conduct. During the secopd half of the cycle the current in the secondary of the winding is from left to right.So now anode A₂ will conduct while the direction of the current in the load remains same. The period of conduction of each anode is 2Π/2 = 3.t. Such a rectifier which utilises both halves of the alternating wave is called a full-wave rectifier