An uncontrolled half-wave rectifier is a type of rectifier circuit that uses a single diode to convert AC power into DC power. It is called an "uncontrolled" rectifier because it does not use any external control signals to regulate the output DC voltage or current.
The operation of an uncontrolled half-wave rectifier is simple. When the input AC voltage is positive, the diode conducts and allows current to flow through the load. When the input AC voltage is negative, the diode is reverse-biased and does not conduct, so no current flows through the load. This results in a pulsating DC output voltage with a magnitude equal to the peak value of the input AC voltage.
Uncontrolled half-wave rectifiers have some limitations compared to other types of rectifiers. They have a low power conversion efficiency due to the fact that only half of the input AC waveform is utilized. They also produce a pulsating DC output voltage that may not be suitable for some applications.
Despite these limitations, uncontrolled half-wave rectifiers are still used in some simple power electronic systems due to their simplicity and low cost.
HWR Resistive load
Figure (1) show a single phase uncontrolled half wave rectifier with resistive load circuits and its input output voltage wave forms relations.
