US1769092A - Metallic vapor rectifier - Google Patents

Description

July l, 1930. s. wlDMER METALLIC VAPOR RECTIFIER Filed Dot Patented July 1,1935@ o ritenga rrr g*Fris g sTErHENwrni/rnnf, orBaDn'N, swnrzEnnaNn'essmNon 'ro e. nnoWN no'vnnr ein., or BADEN, swrrznnLANn, A JorNT-/sfrocx COMPANY, or SWITZERLAND'.

METALLIC varon Rnc'rrrinn .Application led October 8, 1826, Serialy No.

This invention .relates to power rectifiers of the metallic vapor type. y y l The general vpurpose of the invention is Vthe provision of ak construction which will contribute to the capacity of the rectiier for handling heavyv currentsy at high voltages, and to the certainty, reliability and continuityl of operationoi suoli apparatus. A specific object or the invention is the prevention of back-fires or reversals inthe operation of apparatus of this type.

, Another specific object is the provisionof an improved construction for the handling and disposal'of metallic vapor within the rectifier incident to its operation. Y

Other and further objects will bepointedv out or indicated hereinafter, or will become apparentv to yone skilledin vvthe art upon an understandingof the inventionfor its em-k ployment in practice.` v For the purpose othis applicationl disclose herein, inydiagrammatic fashiomitwo arrangements of apparatus illustrative of the invention, but it is to be understood that these are presented for the purpose of illustration only, and are not. to be construed in any fashiony as having the eifect of limiting the claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the yinvention in the art.

In the drawing forming a part of this' specication Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation in the nature of a sectional elevation of amercury vapor power rectifier; and v p Fig. 2 is a similar illustration of an al-v ternative construction. o

During the operation of mercuryvapor rectiiiers a stream of heated mercury vaporv is given oil` from the cathode and ,tends to spread out or expand upwardly throughout the rectifier oylinder'or casing. rlhis vapor Veventually is condensed on the cooled walls and cover kof the rectilier, forming dropsv of` liquid mercury which flow back to the cathode pool. lt is desirableithat as `low a vacuum as possible be maintained within the rectiiier cylinder, as thelower the vacuum, the less the likelihood of the occurrence ,l

.The-natureof the invention will be understood byreferenceto the illustrative dia- 140,404, and in Germany October 1'?, 1925.

cury vapor, however, tends to produce a certain pressure in diminution of the vacu" um. The stream of mercuryvapor, nioreover, tends to carryany particles of dust or particles of mercury which may be in the rectifier toward the anodes,v the impingement of which upon the anodes is sometimes productive of back-fires. The fallingA (drops of condensed mercury also may cause `splashes vwhich may project particles of the liquid against the anodes, withlilre result.

to the cathode'pool in such fashionfas `to avoid the contingencies above mentioned.

grams wherein the reference character 10 designates4 the cylinder or casing of the rectifier, the same being surmounted byand in communication'with a condensing .dome 11, to the upper portion of. which is connected a vacuum pump 12. The cathode pool is indicated by the reference character 14, and the anodes bythenumeral 15,- `There is a plurality of these anodes, distributed about the vertical axis kof the cylinder. Spaced from the bottom of the cylinder is a dish-like shield1 6ssupportedvv on ,insulaters 17;,` Extending down from the top or the cylinder and encompassing the opening therefrom into the condensing` dome 11 is an upwardly flaring frustro-conical receiver 18, which' isopen at its lowerend f overthecathodepool 14. Inside the lower vlVithin the receiver `18A Land adjacent Vthe Vwalls thereof, is a cooling .coil 21 which ,is

suppliedwithcooling liquid lfroman en teriorg source through the connection 23.v Mounted on the bottom shield 16 and opening therethrough over the cathode pool 14' isa guide funnel 24 which extends upwardly in flaring contour into close association with the opening in the lower end of the receiver 18, the lower end of said guide funnel terininating close to the receptacle in which the cathode pool is contained. l

The walls of the cylinder 10 and of the condensing dome 1l may be cooled by liquid circulated in the water jacket portions 25 andv 26.

In the operation of the device, the niercury vapor which rises from the cathode 1d at a. moderately high pressure is directed through the guide funnel 24 into the receiver 18. As the funnel 24.- and receiver 18 flare upwardly, they afford the necessary volumev for the expansion of the mercury vapor. The vapor is condensed on the coil 21 and the adjacent `Wall of the receiver 18 and Within the condensing dome 11, thus preventing the building up of a pressure in the receiver Which might tend to force some of the mercury vapor out into the space about the anodes, and the operation of the vacuum pump 12 likewise functions to prevent the building up of a pressure within the receiver. As a result, the mercury vapor is effectively guided and confined away from the anodes, in such fashion that the latter are not subjected to the blast thereof. The

mercury which condenses on the cooled surfaces is caught in the gutter 19 and conducted back by the pipe 20 'below the shield 16, and returned to the cathode pool without opportunity for itsv being iinpinged on any surfaces Where it may be splashed or partly vaporized and particles impelled against the anodes. The pipe 2O may be so arranged that it will draw off from the gutter 19 only the mercury, leaving all the iinpurities behind in the gutter.

VIn the construction illustrated in Fig. 2 the arrangement is substantially the same excepting that the receiver 18 is cooled by liquid circulated Within a Wat-er jacket l27 which encompasses it, instead of through a condensing coil as in the first instance.

By virtue of the invention, various occurrences productive of back-fires are' eliminated or minimized, and the ability of the apparatus for the handling of heavy currents over extended periods of time with certainty and reliability, is thereby in@ creased.

What I claim is: i 1. In rectifying apparatus of the character described, a casing, anodes spaced with respect to each other and disposed in said casing, a vapor-emitting cathode disposed in said casing, means providing a vaporcondensing chambeigmeans operable to diinto said chamber out of direct 'contact With said anodes, said directing means including ment, one VofV said elements being supported with its larger end in direct communicating relation with said chamber, and means associated with one of said elements and ,operable vto provide for return How from the saine back to said cathode of operating fluid emitted from said cathode incident to operation of said apparatus.

2. Inrectifying apparatus of the character'described, a casing, anodesspaced. Wit-h respect to each other and disposed in said casing, a vapor-.emitting cathode disposed in said casing, means providing a vaporcondensing chamber, means operable to direct the vapor stream from said cathode' into said chamber out of direct contact with said anodes and including a funnel-shaped Yelement increasing in cross-sectional area from substantially one end to the other end thereof and supported with its larger end in direct communicating relation with said chamber, said element being provided at substantially its smaller end with a vaporcondensate collecting trap opening` into said element, and means providing a return vapor-condensate connection from said trap at a point elevated from the bottom thereof to said cathode. l j

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name. at Zurich, Switzerland, on the'22 day of September, A. D. 1926.

1 STEPHEN VVIDMER.

Vrect the vapor stream from said cathode

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