What is the role of inductor characteristics in smoothing rectified AC current?

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In summary, the inductor characteristic primarily utilized in smoothing rectified AC current is its inductance, which resists any change in current flow. Other characteristics such as DC resistance, parasitic parallel capacitance, and saturation current may also need to be considered when choosing an inductor for this purpose.
  • #1
Matt Carver
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hi I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me out; which inductor characteristic is utilised in the smoothing of rectified ac current
 
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  • #2
Inductance, Not sure what other characteristics there are?
 
  • #3
Inductors tend to resist any change in current flow. That's why, at the output of the rectifier, besides the parallel mounted filtering capacitor you can use a series inductor (choke) for a better filtering.
 
  • #4
Integral said:
Inductance, Not sure what other characteristics there are?

Probably he was referring to their parasitic parallel capacitance and their DC resistance (DCR). Those other characteristics often need to be taken into account. In the case of the OP, probably only the DCR would matter, since you don't want to throw away too much power in the current ripple smoothing function, so you need to use a physically large enough inductor to handle the ripple current without dropping much voltage across the DCR.

Oh yeah, and the inductor has to be physically large enough not to saturate due to the current. So I guess that makes 4 total characteristics of the inductor:

Inductance L
DCR
Parallel Capacitance Cp
Saturation Current Isat
 

FAQ: What is the role of inductor characteristics in smoothing rectified AC current?

What is an inductor?

An inductor is an electronic component that stores energy in the form of a magnetic field. It consists of a coil of wire wound around a core material such as iron, ferrite, or air. Inductors are commonly used in electronic circuits to control the flow of electrical current.

What are the main characteristics of an inductor?

The main characteristics of an inductor include its inductance, which is a measure of its ability to store energy in the form of a magnetic field, and its resistance, which is a measure of the opposition to the flow of electrical current. Other characteristics include its capacitance, self-resonant frequency, and maximum current rating.

How does inductance affect an inductor's performance?

Inductance affects an inductor's performance by determining the amount of energy it can store and the rate at which it can change the current flowing through it. Higher inductance values result in a stronger magnetic field and slower changes in current, while lower inductance values result in a weaker magnetic field and faster changes in current.

What is the relationship between inductance and frequency?

The relationship between inductance and frequency can be described by the formula XL = 2πfL, where XL is the inductive reactance, f is the frequency, and L is the inductance. This formula shows that as frequency increases, inductive reactance and therefore inductance also increase.

How do you measure the inductance of an inductor?

The inductance of an inductor can be measured using an LCR meter, which applies an AC voltage to the inductor and measures the resulting current and phase shift. Another method is to use a resonant circuit, where the inductor is connected in series with a known capacitor and the resonant frequency is measured. The inductance can then be calculated using the formula L = 1/((2πf)^2C), where f is the resonant frequency and C is the capacitance.

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