Glättungsschaltungen

Glättungsschaltungen, often referred to as smoothing circuits, are essential components in electronics, primarily used to reduce voltage ripple or current fluctuations in an electrical signal. Their main purpose is to convert pulsating direct current (DC) into a more stable and continuous DC output. This is particularly crucial after rectification processes, where AC voltage is converted to pulsating DC, which is unsuitable for many electronic devices that require a steady voltage supply.

The most common type of glättungsschaltung is a filter circuit. These filters typically employ reactive components such as capacitors and inductors. Capacitors are frequently used due to their ability to store electrical energy and release it when the voltage drops, effectively smoothing out the peaks and valleys of the pulsating DC. Inductors, on the other hand, resist changes in current and can also contribute to smoothing by opposing rapid fluctuations.

A simple RC (Resistor-Capacitor) filter is a basic form of glättungsschaltung, often found in less demanding applications. It uses a resistor in series and a capacitor in parallel to the load. A more effective, though more complex, configuration is the LC (Inductor-Capacitor) filter, which utilizes both an inductor and a capacitor for improved smoothing. Multiple stages of these filters can be cascaded to achieve even lower ripple percentages. The effectiveness of a glättungsschaltung is measured by its ripple factor, which quantifies the remaining AC component in the DC output.