[HAM] Converting to a SS rectifier

[Drew Hoelscher]

This is an good approach.  It was done all the time in industrial 
electronics (and some consumer electronics as well).  An added bonus is 
that the PRV (or PIV) (peak reverse or peak inverse) voltage increases
per diode added (i.e., PRVtotal  = PRVd1 + PRVd2...+PRVd3), so that your 
string of 12 diodes would have 12X the PRV of 1 diode.

I might be inclined to put the series diodes in the full wave rectifier 
itself rather than put a series string after the rectifier.

- Drew


Kon Zissis wrote:
> If it turns out that voltage dropping resistors are not the best  way to
> produce the required voltage drop , then another option that I can think
> of ( as long as it is electrically  safe and reliable  to do so )
> would be to wire up a normal full wave diode  bridge rectifier  and then
> wire up several silicon diodes in series  after the output of the bridge
> rectifier until  the correct voltage drop was produced. For example if
> the required voltage drop was 12 volts ,  twenty silicon diodes wired in
> series  ( 0.6 X 20 = 12 volts dropped ) will produce this required
> voltage drop. 
>  
> Does this approach of wiring several diodes in series after the bridge
> rectifier  in order to produce the required voltage drop sound
> electrically OK or would this cause problems or potential harm to the
> valves or the  power transformer ?
>  
> All the best.
> Kon  
>
>