On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 06:55:50 -0600, lid wrote
(in article ):



Getting pulsating DC by adding a diode to the circuit chops off either the
upper or lower half of the sine wave, losing that as heat.

Not really, the diode is the electrical equivilent of a check valve. No
current flows back through it so no heat is generated. An ideal diode has
zero forward voltage drop and infinite reverse voltage drop but dissipates
zero energy.