riktare

Riktare, in electronics, is a device that converts alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). In English-language terminology, the device is called a rectifier. The simplest forms are diode-based rectifiers; a half-wave rectifier uses a single diode to pass only the positive or negative half-cycle, producing a pulsating DC with significant ripple. A full-wave rectifier uses two diodes with a center-tapped transformer or four diodes in a bridge configuration to convert both halves of the AC cycle to pulsating DC, which reduces ripple.

Controlled rectifiers employ thyristors (SCRs) or similar devices to regulate output voltage or current; they are used in DC power supplies, battery charging, and motor drives. Rectifiers are typically paired with smoothing components, such as capacitors and sometimes inductors, to produce smoother DC. The performance of a rectifier is described by parameters including ripple factor, rectification efficiency, and peak inverse voltage (PIV).

Common types include half-wave, full-wave center-tap, and bridge rectifiers; in higher-power applications, diode or thyristor modules handle large currents. Historically, rectification began with vacuum-tube rectifiers and copper oxide diodes. Modern systems rely on silicon diodes, Schottky diodes, or silicon-controlled rectifiers. In Swedish usage, riktare is the term used for these devices.

Applications of rectifiers span power supplies in consumer electronics, battery charging, and industrial DC power systems. In power electronics, controlled rectifiers enable phase-controlled conversion of AC to DC, allowing regulated DC output for a range of equipment and processes.