The debates between the supporters of DC and AC have long ago disappeared. At the dawn of electrification, the issues of electricity transportation were discussed quite seriously. I wonder how would modern electronic circuits look if there was a constant voltage in the socket? But the supporters of the alternating current have won, and for its transformation now it is necessary to use various schemes. Many of them have already become classical and are widely used in the design of various devices.
One of the pillars in electrical and electronics is a DC rectifier. The advantage of using it is hard to overestimate, a constant voltage is needed to power almost all devices. This power supply is necessary for normal operation of household appliances. It is widely used in manufacturing.
The classical scheme of the connection of diodes, proposed in due time by Hertz, for a long time was unclaimed. This can be found in a logical explanation, using four diodes to rectify the AC voltage was at least impractical. At that time, the properties of semiconductors were little studied, and the electron tubes were very expensive. The DC rectifier looked different, and its characteristics were far from ideal.
The situation has radically changed with the advent of semiconductor devices. There were various schemes of rectifiers, each with its own merits and demerits. But the DC rectifier based on the Hertz scheme still remains the most reliable source. The disadvantages of such a device include its dimensions and low efficiency. It is believed that such sources are collected according to the so-called linear scheme.
A completely different picture is observed in rectifying devices assembled by a nonlinear circuit. The most successful, as practice showed, were pulsed power supplies. They lack all the drawbacks inherent in linear rectifying devices, but they have a high level of interference at the output and lower reliability in operation. Such a DC rectifier is more often broken, since their production is associated with a large number of used elements.
Powerful semiconductor diodes assembled in a diode bridge can be used to assemble a DC rectifier. Such a device is easy to manufacture with your own hands. Diodes from 250 Amperes and above are attached to the heat sinks. They are mounted on a rigid textolite base. The cathodes of the devices are connected together, this will be a plus. Anodes are also connected by means of copper plates together, it will be a minus device. Two pairs of diodes were obtained. The ends of each pair are also connected together by copper strips designed for the flow of a large welding current. They are supplied with an alternating voltage from the welding transformer. You have assembled a device capable of feeding a large direct current into the load. The rectifier for the welding machine used in the circuit is sufficiently reliable to ensure a long operating time for the entire device.