Hi-yah all,
Here’s my views on DC power bi-phase rectification (that’s a two rectifier configuration with the secondary of the power transformer having a center tap). Comments?
During the tube era, DC power bi-phase rectification’s popularity over DC power four rectifier bridge was with tube power-supplies, given that only one tube would be needed.
Wiki tends to confirm: A very common vacuum tube rectifier configuration contained one cathode and twin anodes inside a single envelope; in this way, the two diodes required only one vacuum tube. The 5U4 and 5Y3 were popular examples of this configuration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectifier#Half-wave_rectification
In today's world, it seems to me that DC power solid-state bi-phase rectification has very little (if any) real-world practical advantage over DC power solid-state bridge rectification. Thus the chances of seeing a DC power bi-phase solid-state rectification circuit in the flesh as compared to a DC power bridge rectifier circuit in a modern, popular, solid state DC power supply would be quite unlikely.
My view is that DC power Bi-phase rectification’s main disadvantage over a DC power bridge rectifier circuit is that only 50% of the secondary of the power transformer is used at a given instant, thus if you have a 1000 VA power transformer you can only have a 500 VA (notwithstanding losses) DC power supply. This makes DC power Bi-phase rectification impractical now given the low costs of solid state diodes.
I'm not addressing guitar amps, their tube power supples and sag etc, nor so-called “audiophile” tube amps, nor vintage gear.
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My views on half wave DC power solid-state rectification is also that it has very little (if any) real-world practical advantage over full wave DC power solid-state bridge rectification. Thus the chances of seeing half wave DC power solid-state rectification in a modern, popular, solid state DC power supply would be like unlikely. Comments?
However Wiki has this to say about half wave for voltage-doubling (I'm not sure if it’s still popularly in use though) “The simple half wave rectifier can be built in two versions with the diode pointing in opposite directions, one version connects the negative terminal of the output direct to the AC supply and the other connects the positive terminal of the output direct to the AC supply. By combining both of these with separate output smoothing it is possible to get an output voltage of nearly double the peak AC input voltage. This also provides a tap in the middle which allows use of such a circuit as a split rail supply.
A variant of this is to use two capacitors in series for the output smoothing on a bridge rectifier then place a switch between the midpoint of those capacitors and one of the AC input terminals. With the switch open this circuit will act like a normal bridge rectifier with it closed it will act like a voltage doubling rectifier. In other words this makes it easy to derive a voltage of roughly 320V (+/- around 15%) DC from any mains supply in the world, this can then be fed into a relatively simple switched mode power supply.
Cascaded stages of diodes and capacitors can be added to make a voltage multiplier. These circuits can provide a potential several times that of the peak value of the input AC, although limited in current output and regulation. Voltage multipliers are used to provide the high voltage for a CRT in a television receiver, or for powering high-voltage tubes such as image intensifiers or photomultipliers.”
However with the cheapest modern car battery chargers and other battery chargers, maybe half-wave is still to be popularly found; but given the low cost of bridge rectifier modules and the fact that they are twice as efficient, maybe not?
Here’s my views on DC power bi-phase rectification (that’s a two rectifier configuration with the secondary of the power transformer having a center tap). Comments?
During the tube era, DC power bi-phase rectification’s popularity over DC power four rectifier bridge was with tube power-supplies, given that only one tube would be needed.
Wiki tends to confirm: A very common vacuum tube rectifier configuration contained one cathode and twin anodes inside a single envelope; in this way, the two diodes required only one vacuum tube. The 5U4 and 5Y3 were popular examples of this configuration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectifier#Half-wave_rectification
In today's world, it seems to me that DC power solid-state bi-phase rectification has very little (if any) real-world practical advantage over DC power solid-state bridge rectification. Thus the chances of seeing a DC power bi-phase solid-state rectification circuit in the flesh as compared to a DC power bridge rectifier circuit in a modern, popular, solid state DC power supply would be quite unlikely.
My view is that DC power Bi-phase rectification’s main disadvantage over a DC power bridge rectifier circuit is that only 50% of the secondary of the power transformer is used at a given instant, thus if you have a 1000 VA power transformer you can only have a 500 VA (notwithstanding losses) DC power supply. This makes DC power Bi-phase rectification impractical now given the low costs of solid state diodes.
I'm not addressing guitar amps, their tube power supples and sag etc, nor so-called “audiophile” tube amps, nor vintage gear.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
My views on half wave DC power solid-state rectification is also that it has very little (if any) real-world practical advantage over full wave DC power solid-state bridge rectification. Thus the chances of seeing half wave DC power solid-state rectification in a modern, popular, solid state DC power supply would be like unlikely. Comments?
However Wiki has this to say about half wave for voltage-doubling (I'm not sure if it’s still popularly in use though) “The simple half wave rectifier can be built in two versions with the diode pointing in opposite directions, one version connects the negative terminal of the output direct to the AC supply and the other connects the positive terminal of the output direct to the AC supply. By combining both of these with separate output smoothing it is possible to get an output voltage of nearly double the peak AC input voltage. This also provides a tap in the middle which allows use of such a circuit as a split rail supply.
A variant of this is to use two capacitors in series for the output smoothing on a bridge rectifier then place a switch between the midpoint of those capacitors and one of the AC input terminals. With the switch open this circuit will act like a normal bridge rectifier with it closed it will act like a voltage doubling rectifier. In other words this makes it easy to derive a voltage of roughly 320V (+/- around 15%) DC from any mains supply in the world, this can then be fed into a relatively simple switched mode power supply.
Cascaded stages of diodes and capacitors can be added to make a voltage multiplier. These circuits can provide a potential several times that of the peak value of the input AC, although limited in current output and regulation. Voltage multipliers are used to provide the high voltage for a CRT in a television receiver, or for powering high-voltage tubes such as image intensifiers or photomultipliers.”
However with the cheapest modern car battery chargers and other battery chargers, maybe half-wave is still to be popularly found; but given the low cost of bridge rectifier modules and the fact that they are twice as efficient, maybe not?