EcoRenovator - View Single Post - Harmful effect on power systems from using big VFDs or tons of computers at home

jeff5may · 08-31-14, 07:05 AM

Mercury arc valve rectifiers? Really? Those devices are so 1922.

Arc discharge tubes are an eco-nightmare. They contain large amounts of mercury by design, and they all leak. They are very finicky and fragile. While in operation, they emit a wide band of radiation, from rf all the way to ultraviolet. One cannot be near them in operation without protective gear for fear of being cooked or sunburned, much like being near a welding arc. To try to mitigate these risks, the high power designs use a steel tank enclosure. This also prevented them from melting down under maximum load. Not a popular device, too many risks, even then.

However, they do work with whatever "dirty" AC power source you throw at them. Mercury doesn't care how hard it's being fried, it vaporizes the same either way.

Fast forward to today. The electric and electronic sectors are doing their best to eliminate toxic heavy metals from their end products and processes. Mercury and lead are at the top of the list to be eliminated from everything at all cost. Metal halide and fluorescent tubes are being replaced by high power LED arrays everywhere. Much like the R410a situation, cold cathode and cfl bulbs replaced the "evil" tungsten incandescent bulbs with another design containing "less" heavy metal as a short-term solution. Now, the high-density diode emitter has come of age, and is replacing the fluorescent bulbs and arc-discharge tubes for nearly every lighting application known to exist.

These ancient technologies you sell went away for good reasons. The arc discharge rectifiers themselves were not overly inefficient while operating, but they were designed for fairly constant loads. Too little or too much load, and they either die violently or cannot sustain operation, needing a jump start for the arc. The inductors attached to these tubes to smooth the waveforms generated were somewhat lossy to say the least. The equipment reminds me of a Frankenstein movie or anything Nikola Tesla in nature. Not an easy sell to the public or a pool of silent investors by any stretch of the imagination.

08-31-14, 07:05 AM	#42
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,428 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	Mercury arc valve rectifiers? Really? Those devices are so 1922. Arc discharge tubes are an eco-nightmare. They contain large amounts of mercury by design, and they all leak. They are very finicky and fragile. While in operation, they emit a wide band of radiation, from rf all the way to ultraviolet. One cannot be near them in operation without protective gear for fear of being cooked or sunburned, much like being near a welding arc. To try to mitigate these risks, the high power designs use a steel tank enclosure. This also prevented them from melting down under maximum load. Not a popular device, too many risks, even then. However, they do work with whatever "dirty" AC power source you throw at them. Mercury doesn't care how hard it's being fried, it vaporizes the same either way. Fast forward to today. The electric and electronic sectors are doing their best to eliminate toxic heavy metals from their end products and processes. Mercury and lead are at the top of the list to be eliminated from everything at all cost. Metal halide and fluorescent tubes are being replaced by high power LED arrays everywhere. Much like the R410a situation, cold cathode and cfl bulbs replaced the "evil" tungsten incandescent bulbs with another design containing "less" heavy metal as a short-term solution. Now, the high-density diode emitter has come of age, and is replacing the fluorescent bulbs and arc-discharge tubes for nearly every lighting application known to exist. These ancient technologies you sell went away for good reasons. The arc discharge rectifiers themselves were not overly inefficient while operating, but they were designed for fairly constant loads. Too little or too much load, and they either die violently or cannot sustain operation, needing a jump start for the arc. The inductors attached to these tubes to smooth the waveforms generated were somewhat lossy to say the least. The equipment reminds me of a Frankenstein movie or anything Nikola Tesla in nature. Not an easy sell to the public or a pool of silent investors by any stretch of the imagination. Last edited by jeff5may; 08-31-14 at 07:30 AM.. Reason: perspective