These are the bridges I use in my turbine. I use three of them, using two inputs from each and have installed them in a box with big heat sinks (an automatic fan is being added now). Originally, the alternator had two of these rectifiers and used both inputs of one and one input of the other. However, since I have seen a maximum of 34.95 Amps at peak according to my Doc Wattson meter (at 1170 rpm), using three rectifiers and doubling the inputs seems safer.
While I'm here, I have a question. At the moment I am using one rectifier for each phase. Would it be safer to "stagger" the outputs from the turbine? I mean connect phase A to one input of rectifier 1 and one input of rectifier 2, phase B to rectifier 2 and 3 and phase C to rectifier 3 and 1? I'm thinking that would reduce the peaks through each rectifier, but maybe it wouldn't matter much since the same amount of current would be flowing and the same amount of heat generated.
OwenIf you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.[ Parent ]
So you want them: - To be at the same temperature. - To be from the same batch of diodes to minimize process variations. - To have equal wiring resistance.
Using both sets of diodes in a bridge (thus probably from the same lot or even on a common chip, certainly on a common heatsink, which tends to equalize the temperature) for ONE phase and soldering the incoming AC line for that phase to the midpoint of a wire running between the two AC terminals of that bridge (to provide a tiny and equal series resistance) tends to do this. Splitting the phases between two different bridges specifically AVOIDS doing this (and tempts you to use different wire lengths, further {and drastically} increasing the imbalance.)[ Parent ]
