GB911134A - An electric current-rectifying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

911,134. PN-junction rectifier assemblies. SIEMENS-SCHUCKERTWERKE A.G. Feb. 1, 1960 [Jan. 31, 1959], No. 3567/60. Class 37. In an assembly comprising a plurality of parallel connected PN junction rectifiers, the rectifiers are mounted on the outside of the cylindrical electrically-conductive rim of a hollow-hubbed spoked wheel. One electrode of each rectifier is in electrical contact with the rim and the other electrodes of the rectifiers are connected together. To facilitate cooling the inner surface of the run is finned. Several wheel assemblies may be clamped together on a central bolt which may also be used as a bus-bar. In one embodiment, Fig. 3, three assemblies of the above type with hubs of different internal diameters are superposed and aircooled by fan 13. The wheels 4 which have annular recesses are insulated from each other by pairs of stepped washers 9 which mate with the recesses to locate the wheels coaxially. Alternatively the wheels may be located by dowels and corresponding bores. The rectifiers 2, the housings of which form the electrode, are individually connected in series with cartridge fuses 3 which may, if desired, be disposed obliquely or transversely with respect to the wheel axes to allow the axial dimension of the wheels to be reduced. Each rectifier is mounted in a housing the base portion of which is attached to a nut screwed into a tapped hole in the wheel rim. A central bus-bar 11 fits into the hub of the lowest wheel which is linked to the other wheels by bridging members 18. The other side of each fused rectifier is connected by a radial conductor 12 to one of three coaxial tubular bus-bars 10 insulated from the wheel hubs. Such connection enables the assembly to be used in the circuit of Fig. 3a. In an otherwise similar arrangement (Fig. 5), the wheels are insulated from each other but electrically connected to respective coaxial bus-bars 10, the other sides of the individual fused devices being connected by parallel rods 17 connected to tubular bus-bar 11 by radial conductors 12. In a further arrangement (Fig. 6), comprising four wheel assemblies, the parallel connected rectifier assemblies on the lower two wheels are connected in series and have one pole in common with the series connected assemblies on the upper two wheels. In yet another arrangement (Fig. 7), the parallel rectifier assemblies on all the wheels are connected in series with a centre tap connection to bus-bar 10 via radial conductors 12. Any of the above arrangements may be modified by replacing the chimney 14 by an axially rotatable closed casing, preferably wholly of or with windows of transparent plastic material. The fan in this case blows air through the spokes of the wheels and then in the reverse direction past their rims, which may be hollow and filled with liquid coolant.