Subject: What size diodes?

From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 96 16:36:10 -0500

-=> Quoting Int:chris_delikatny@mindl to ** All ** <=-

 In> Has anyone here done a ac to dc welder conversion using
 In> stud rectifiers. I have a 200A ac welder and wonder if 4
 In> 200A 200V diodes in a bridge configuration would handle
 In> average welding below 200A. There are all kinds of
 In> transients and high frequency harmonics flying around in
 In> the weld circuit that i am wondering about.

They should safely handle about 150 amps if well heatsinked.
Should also be good for about 150Volts PEAK  

Current blows a diode through overheating so a well heatsinked
diode is less suseptable to current surges.  Voltage surges blow
them by breaking down the reverse barrier and in general diodes
are more suseptable to voltage spikes, however, bear in mind that
in a bridge, there are 2 diodes in series.

Regards,
Brad Chaucer
[email-masked]

... Nothing is fool-proof to a sufficiently talented fool.
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