Rectifier and rotating electric machine including rectifier

A rectifier for a rotating electric machine, the rotating electric machine comprising a rotating shaft, a rotor fixed on the rotating shaft to rotate together with the rotating shaft, and a stator configured to generate multi-phase alternating current therein with rotation of the rotor,

• the rectifier having a rectification circuit formed therein, the rectification circuit being configured as a multi-phase bridge circuit, which has an upper arm and a lower arm, to rectify the multi-phase alternating current generated in the stator into direct current,
• the rectifier comprising:
• a plurality of upper-arm semiconductor switching elements for respective phases included in the upper arm of the rectification circuit;
• a plurality of upper-arm protection diodes for respective phases included in the upper arm of the rectification circuit, each of the upper-arm protection diodes being electrically connected in parallel with one of the upper-arm semiconductor switching elements which is of the same phase as the upper-arm protection diode;
• a plurality of lower-arm semiconductor switching elements for respective phases included in the lower arm of the rectification circuit;
• and
• a plurality of lower-arm protection diodes for respective phases included in the lower arm of the rectification circuit, each of the lower-arm protection diodes being electrically connected in parallel with one of the lower-arm semiconductor switching elements which is of the same phase as the lower-arm protection diode,
• wherein each of the upper-arm and lower-arm protection diodes is configured to have, when a reverse voltage higher than a breakdown voltage of the protection diode is applied to the protection diode, an operating resistance that is higher than three times an operating resistance of any of the upper-arm and lower-arm semiconductor switching elements.