What does ripple voltage refer to?

Ripple voltage specifically refers to the AC component that is superimposed on the output of a DC power supply. After rectification, where the AC voltage is converted to DC, the output is not perfectly flat; instead, it contains small variations or fluctuations around the desired DC level. These fluctuations are the ripple voltage, which can affect the performance of electrical circuits, particularly sensitive electronics that require a stable DC voltage.

Understanding ripple voltage is crucial when designing power supply circuits, as excessive ripple can lead to poor performance or damage in electronic devices. This concept ties directly into the effectiveness of smoothing capacitors and other filtering methods used to reduce ripple in power supply outputs.