Illustration of M. Planté pile
made in France circa 1860
At the beginning the electrical
supply was generated through chemical reactions obtained by
the use of the electrical pile invented in 1860 by A. Volta,
later named as battery.
However, in spite of the technological improvement piles and
later batteries still presented several operational handicaps
such as the polarization or even the maintainance of their
parts and electrodes. Since it was necessary that either the
valve and later the transistor should use direct current as
power supplies, in the later twenties appeared the first rectifying
circuits capable to convert alternate to direct current.
Since then equipments such as: radios, TVs and so on were
supplied with a rectifying circuit later named as power supply.
In this first type of circuit was used the well known rectifying
valves. The first ones were manufactured using gases and later
high vacuum technology. The so- called semi-conductors devices
or diodes replaced them soon.
Half-wave rectifying circuit
in which the capacitor is loaded for the maximum peak
of the line tension. In this circuit the undulation is
great. So, that the positive part of the sinusoide is
used only. This circuit is used for the receivers for
operation in such a way in alternating current as continuous.