bridge-rectifier-spends-two-diode-drops - Electronic Circuits XIII: Power, Rectification, and Regulation Step by Step

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}