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Single-phase, full-wave and three-phase, full-wave bridge are two common bridge rectifiers and their working principles are discussed in the following sections.

Single-Phase, Full-Wave Bridge Rectifiers

The single-phase, full-wave bridge rectifier circuit is shown in Figure 1. The AC line voltage is applied directly to the diagonally opposite pairs of diodes. This bridge arrangement allows current flow in both directions over the bridge, resulting in a true rectified waveform. A feature of the bridge arrangement is that the rectified waveform is independent of the polarity of the applied voltage. The transformer and filter capacitors can be designed specifically to achieve the desired DC output voltage and ripple.The maximum efficiency of the single-phase full-wave bridge rectifier achieved with the proper selection of components is ~89%, the power factor is ~63%.

Three-Phase, Full-Wave Bridge Rectifiers

The three-phase, full-wave rectifier, which is shown in Figure 2, is also popular for powering DC equipment from a three-phase AC system. A major advantage of the three-phase bridge rectifier over the single-phase bridge is that the output voltage of the three-phase bridge rectifier is proportional to the phase voltage, while the single-phase bridge produces only half of the phase voltage. This can result in a significantly higher output voltage than the single-phase bridge.The three-phase, full-wave bridge rectifier circuit is also relatively efficient, with a maximum possible efficiency of over 97%. And its power factor is about 77%.The bridge rectifier is one of the most commonly used AC-DC converters and its use is widespread in the industrial and electronics fields. High efficiency and power factor are the two major advantages of the bridge rectifier over other rectifier circuits.

Conclusion

This paper has discussed the working principle and field application of the full-wave bridge rectifier. The major advantages of the full-wave bridge rectifier are its high efficiency and power factor. The single-phase, full-wave bridge rectifier has an efficiency of up to 89% and a power factor of 63%, while the three-phase, full-wave bridge rectifier has an efficiency of up to 97% and a power factor of 77%. As such, the full-wave bridge rectifier is well-suited for applications that require robust, high-efficiency and high-power conversion from AC to DC.