bridge-rectifier-spends-two-diode-drops - Electronic Circuits XIII & XIV: Power Supplies and Switching Energy Step by Step

A bridge-rectifier-spends-two-diode-drops scan holds the diode drop and bridge path fixed and varies the source peak across three rows, checking that V_out = V_source - n * V_D spends two diode drops row by row. The arithmetic is exact only for the stated source voltages, diode counts, diode forward drops, output voltages, and rows in the ideal fixed-drop diode and ideal transformer model. Real supplies add winding resistance, leakage flux, diode forward variation, ripple, heating, probe/calibration limits, finite precision, and measurement uncertainty.

A fixed-drop bridge rectifier has an explicit loss ledger. Exact arithmetic here means exact results for the stated model inputs; measured inputs still carry uncertainty and significant-figure limits.

highlighted = computed this step

A bridge path subtracts conducting diode drops

The source peak is transformer-bound. During a bridge conduction path, exactly 2 diode drops are charged against that peak.

V_{\text{out,peak}}=V_{\text{source,peak}}-nV_D

A larger source peak leaves a larger rectified peak

The diode drop and bridge path stay fixed, so every row spends the same voltage before the reservoir sees the peak.

\begin{array}{c|c|c|c}V_{\text{source}}&n&V_D&V_{\text{out}}\\8\ \text{V}&2&1\ \text{V}&6\ \text{V}\\12\ \text{V}&2&1\ \text{V}&10\ \text{V}\\16\ \text{V}&2&1\ \text{V}&14\ \text{V}\\\end{array}

A bridge path spends two diode drops

The bridge path cites the transformer source and subtracts exactly two fixed training diode drops.

12\ \text{V}\mathbin{-}2\cdot1\ \text{V}=10\ \text{V}