Post by thread:[EE] Conversion of AC to DC using transformers

I was reading through some of the patents of Nikola Tesla and one of them is about converting AC to DC using transformers. The circuit consist o two transformers. The primaries of both transformers are connected in parallel to the AC source. The secondaries are wired in series between the two transformers and from that he produces the DC current . I'm having a hard time understanding how this works to produce a DC current. The patent application explains it as using one force to oppose another to force the current on a specific path, but his comments are kind of hard to understand. Would appreciate some explanations if someone could. The patent is # 413,353 http://www.google.com/patents/US413353 The circuit is pictured in figure 2. Thanks Mark Hanchey

Note that in each case there is an opposing generator or potential. In figure 2, for instance, there's a DC generator on H and H' that produces the opposition. Later diagams involve the use of moving parts in order to use the AC to generate the DC required to oppose the AC on each branch. I can't say I fully understand it from the quick browse I did, but it's not just using transformers - there is at least one other active part in each diagram. The text starts with the simple case in diagram one, and proceeds to make a more complex change in each succeeding diagram until you get to the last which, it appears, requires a rotating mechanical part, but does not require commutators, forming a rotary transformer of sorts. Interesting stuff, I just don't have the time - perhaps someone else can explain it... -Adam On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 11:06 PM, Mark Hanchey <spam_OUTmarkTakeThisOuTpixeltrickery.com> wrote: {Quote hidden}> I was reading through some of the patents of Nikola Tesla and one of > them is about converting AC to DC using transformers. The circuit > consist o two transformers. The primaries of both transformers are > connected in parallel to the AC source. The secondaries are wired in > series between the two transformers and from that he produces the DC > current . I'm having a hard time understanding how this works to > produce a DC current. The patent application explains it as using one > force to oppose another to force the current on a specific path, but his > comments are kind of hard to understand. Would appreciate some > explanations if someone could. > > The patent is # 413,353 > http://www.google.com/patents/US413353 > The circuit is pictured in figure 2. > > Thanks > Mark Hanchey > >

The key requirement is (or seems to be) a voltage source which can oppose an applied AC voltge on one half cycle and not do so on the otherhalf cycle. It thi=]us actas as a "rectifier" by stopping current flow in a selected circuit during one half cycle. The series element must either pass DC with minimal loss when not opposing current flow or be short-circuit-able every second half cycle or be able to be bypassed in some manner. A diode is, nowadays, liable to be easier and cheaper in many cases. Russel

At 11:06 PM 05/06/2012, you wrote: >I was reading through some of the patents of Nikola Tesla and one of >them is about converting AC to DC using transformers. The circuit >consist o two transformers. The primaries of both transformers are >connected in parallel to the AC source. The secondaries are wired in >series between the two transformers and from that he produces the DC >current . I'm having a hard time understanding how this works to >produce a DC current. The patent application explains it as using one >force to oppose another to force the current on a specific path, but his >comments are kind of hard to understand. Would appreciate some >explanations if someone could. I have not looked at it in great detail, but it looks like he's using the nonlinear characteristics of the cores... sort of like saturable reactors. This kind of thing might have application even today, perhaps at extremely low voltage and extremely high current (0.1V at 10,000A or something like that). >The patent is # 413,353 >http://www.google.com/patents/US413353 >The circuit is pictured in figure 2. > >Thanks >Mark Hanchey >