US2186215A

US2186215A - High voltage rectifier or inverter

Info

Publication number: US2186215A
Application number: US176261A
Authority: US
Inventors: Slepian Joseph
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1937-11-24
Filing date: 1937-11-24
Publication date: 1940-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1957-01-09

Description

Jan. 9, 1940.

'J. SLEPIAN HIGH VOLTAGE RECTIFIER OR INVERTER Filed Nov. 24, 1957 WITNESSES: I

RM Y. a N R WY 0 mbjvm J m Patented Jan. 9, 1940 PATENT. OFFI E HIGH VOLTAGEBIECTIFIER OR INVERTER Joseph Slcpian, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to- Westv inghouse Electric &: Manufacturing Company, m East Pittsburgh, Pa=., a corporation of Pennsyl vania ApplicationNovember 24, 1937, Serial No. 176,261

12 Claims. (c1: 250 27.5) I My invention relates to electric dischargedevices, and particularly to high voltage rectifiers or inverters. v An object of my invention is to provide a discharge device for heavy duty having reliable operation and freedom from backfires.

' Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawing, in which the single'figure is a cross 'sectional view illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In particular my invention contemplates utilizing a blast of ionized vapor to establish the arc to the anode and likewise contemplates utilizing 'ablast of fresh un-ionized vapor to extinguish the arcand to insure that there are no backfires. In the figure is disclosed a casing ll) of the metallic type having an anode ll therein insulated from the casing by any suitable insulation 2.0 such as l2 sealed to both the anode and the casing. This anode is preferably cooled by a medium such as the liquid l3 illustrated, which passes through the inlet l4 and the outlet Hi. In the bottom portion of the casing is a liquid cathode 16 such as mercury. The interior of the casing has a gaseous atmosphere at preferably several atmospheres pressure, preferably by means of a gas such as argon, helium or hydrogen.

I prefer to restrict the striking area on the liquid cathode exposed to the anode and for such restriction I prefer to utilize insulating means. ll having a funnel shaped throat or hollow portion l8 extending towards the liquid cathode surface and preferably extending below the surface therea of. The insulating means may also have an extended surface l9 to normally prevent the arc from striking other portions of the liquid cathode except for the bottom portion 20 in the throat l8.

In order to establish the arc, I utilize a make- 40 alive 2! constructed ofhigh resistance material such as boron carbide and having a portion immersed into the liquid mercury. The connection 22 extends through the liquid cathode and casing by means of any suitable insulation 23. This 45 make-alive electrode 2| is more particularly described in Patent No. 2,069,283, issued February 2 1937, to L. R. Ludwig and myself as joint inventors. The make-alive is so connected as described in this patent that a cathode spot is cre- 50 ated on the mercury surface adjacent the makealive at the beginning of the conductive portion of each cycle of alternating or pulsating current.

I prefer to have an extension 24 extending over the make-alive which is placed at one side of the 55 throat N3 of the refractory insulating means H in order to protect, the make-alive from the direct arc path from thean'ode to the exposed surface 20 of the liquidcathode and also for the purpose of further restricting the throatlB'.

In operation a cathode spot is formed at the surface of the mercury cathode at '20 and the mercury boils vigorously, thus producing a strong blast of mercury vapor at several atmospheres pressure. This strong blast of mercury vapor will carry the are which was struck to the makealive up to the anode l l and establish the break down of the tube. When' it is desired'that the tube stop operating,'the current to the make alive is cut off and when the current comes to zero, the boiling of the mercury at the surface 26 will carry a fresh'bla'st of un-ionized vapor that extinguishes and prevents the reignition of the arc. Because of the fact that a strongblast of vapor is always travelling up in the throat, there will be no tendency for the arc to backfire against 30 this blast.

My invention, accordingly, provides a very reliable structure for very heavy duty. It is apparent, however, that many modifications may be made in the preferred embodiment which I have disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and, accordingly, I desire only such limitations on the following claims as are necessituated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: 30

1. An electric discharge device comprising a casing having a mercury cathode, an anode, stationary funnel shaped insulating means at the surface of the mercury cathodehaving its wideropen end facing said anode and stationary means 35 for igniting an are at the surface of said mercury cathode within said funnel shaped insulating means.

2. An electric discharge device comprising a casing having a gaseous atmosphere of several at- 40 mospheres, a mercury cathode, an anode, funnel shapedinsulating means at the-surface of the mercury cathode and means for igniting an are at the surface of said mercury'cathode within said funnel shaped insulating means.

3. An electric discharge devicecomprising a casing having a mercury cathode, an anode, funnel shaped insulating means at the surface of the mercury cathode having its wider-open end facing said anode and means for creating a new cathode spot at the beginning of each conducting portion of the cycle of current within the funnel shaped portion of saidinsulating means. 7

4. An electric discharge device comprising a casing having a mercury cathode, an anode, fun- 66 nel shaped insulating means at the surface of the mercury cathode having its wider-open end facing said anode and. means for creating a new cathode spot at the beginning of each conducting portion of the cycle of current within the funnel shaped portion of said insulating means, said insulating means having a portion protecting said cathode spot creating means from the direct arc between said anode and cathode.

5. An electric discharge device comprising a casing having a gaseous atmosphere at several atmospheres pressure, an anode and a liquid cathode therein, tubular insulating means forming a restricted column extending above the surface of the liquid cathode and means for creating a cathode spot at the surface of the liquid cathode at the base of said restricted column.

6. An electric discharge device comprising a casing having a gaseous atmosphere at several atmospheres pressure, an anode and a liquid cathode therein, tubular insulating means forming a restricted column extending above the surface of the liquid cathode and means for creating a cathode spot at the surface of the liquid cathode at the base of said restricted column, said last mentioned means being protected from the direct are between said anode and cathode.

'7. A vacuum-tight container enclosing an v anode and a vaporizable cathode, an unobstructed straight path from said cathode to said anode,

means to intermittently excite said cathode, guide walls near the surface of said cathode for directing the vapor produced by said excitation toward said anode.

8. A vacuum-tight container enclosing an anode and a vaporizable cathode, means to intermittently excite said cathode, guide walls near the surface of said cathode for directing the vapor produced by said excitation toward said anode, a gaseous atmosphere of a pressure greater than an atmosphere within said container.

9. A vacuum-tight container enclosing an anode and a vaporizable cathode, means tointermittently excite said cathode, guide walls near the surface of said cathode for directing the vapor produced by said excitation toward said anode, a shield covering the surface of said cathode outside the path of said vapor.

10. A vacuum-tight container enclosing an anode and a vaporizable cathode, means to intermittently excite said cathode, guide walls near the surface of said cathode for directing the vapor produced by said excitation toward said anode, a shield covering the surface of said cathode outside the path of said vapor, a gaseous atmosphere of a pressure greater than an atmosphere within said container.

11. A vacuum-tight container enclosing an anode and a vaporizable cathode, an igniter electrode acting to intermittently excite a spot on said cathode, guide walls near the surface of said cathode for directing the vapor produced by said excitation toward said anode, and means tending to produce flow of pulsating current between said anode and cathode.

12. A vacuum-tight container enclosing an anode and a vaporizable cathode, an igniter electrode acting to intermittently excite a spot on said cathode, guide walls near the surface of said cathode for directing the vapor produced by said excitation toward said anode, and a gaseous atmosphere of a pressure greater than one atmosphere in said container.

JOSEPH SLEPIAN.