Look these things are very robust. It is dangerous and bad thing if it broke to pieces, still used so many places today, like DC metro train power stations. You cannot easily broke it by current, normal silica diode you can. It's interesting why they inputting 3 phases two times almost all cases, but I don't understand reason, just make guesses. That light is crossing uv spectrum too, not good to look it close very long times, no matter that isn't look very bright. Much of that reflection is out of what eye can see.
In fact there's really nothing to wear out or fail in these. Only external corrosion of the electrical connections thru the glass are an eventual point of failure. And if that can be prevented, these mercury rectifiers could last thousands of years and more. Essentially they could run for eternity if kept in an ideal operating environment.
I just saw one of these in a video from underground bunkers under London. The one in the video looked identical to this one and was made in the 1940's. Fired right up, first try.
When I was in trade school in the early 1990s there was one of these, drained of its mercury, hanging on display in the halls. A decade later I worked on a job site where a pair of these were still in service in a pipe mill and as far as I know are still active today.
I’ve seen a pair of these, new in circa late 1940s, still in use in a pipe production facility in the 2000s. The mains power circuitry is older than I am but still works very well to this day.
STUFF semiconductors -- here you can actually see & hear the action! Apparently these things also last longer even when churning out several hundred amps.
Probably costs a lot less as well, as it's just glass, mercury and electrodes, not to mention it will likely last 30 more years if the elevator is still in service then. Diodes are the right choice in most situations due to higher deficiency and lower heat generation, but if it's not broken don't fix it. I'v always found mercury arc rectifiers to be very interesting.
The alternative to this was a motor/generator set with an AC motor driving a DC generator. For the younger people watching, DC motors were easier to control speed wise and were in use in factories and elevators into the early 1970's. Variable speed drives for AC motors made this somewhat obsolete. Mercury rectifiers were especially useful when only one DC motor was in use, although they made some large ones too.
When I worked for RAL here in New Zealand they had an old motor DC generator running one of the oldest chairlifts think it was the national or Delta Chair motors, When that Bad Boy spun up you knew about it as it was massive.
If the holding clamp belt comes more up, the rectifier will fall into the fan. Beside cleaning from dust this must be corrected. It's simple to lift the rectifier when switched off while adjusting the clamp. So it won't start a distaster when mercury and it's vapour is running out a broken rectifier.
there are objects that are born with dust on em i actually thougth about the "dust spray can" or the "anti swearing spray"... more effective than bolt loosener, contains aerial xanax
The ones that vaporize and ionizes the mercury with a heater plasma core section part and then the one cycle plasma conducts positive offset DC and the other cycle doesn't conduct so is a half wave rectified DC if I understand correctly. That's if they didn't make a full bridge design tube or rectifier. I don't really know my tubes... yet.
Not seen this Bad Boy up and running in person yet, They have hidden the ones at MOTAT for the most part now probably because of the UV emissions belching out under load, I could watch the skimmer starter spark till my eyes burn out LOL, Regards and 73,s Kris 🤩P.S one of these days I will finally add one of these to my Valve collection.
@@FixItStupid Only a few hundred Volts, much too low for x-rays. Some UV-C would be produced by the arc, but most of it would be absorbed by the class. Germicidal lamps use a special glass which transmits the UV.
I am guessing the transformer is connected in a wye configuration. A Delta would not allow a negative return. Am I correct the the positive side would be the transformer common?
@@asbestosfibers1325 Here in NZ power is suppied to most homes as a single phase of 240 volts from one of three runing down the street. 3 phase with 400 volts between phases to businesses. I understand that in the US (and other 110 volt countires?) the "two phases" is in fact 220 volts centre tapped (180 rather than 120 out of phase from each other.) Info #ElectroBOOM ruclips.net/video/OiwWaIvIeao/видео.html
@@asbestosfibers1325 most likely 2 sets of 3. I have never seen 6 phases, that would need a special generator. As far as I know the 3 phases are centre tapped, that way you get 6 "phases" for rectification
@@TheRailroad99 You can get six phases from three using three single phase transformers with split secondaries. You wire the three primaries into a delta to your power source. And then for each transformer you take one set of secondaries and put the three into a Y. Then you do the same thing for the second set, but with the coil phase flipped on each transformer. This gives you 2 Y phasors 180 degrees out-of-phase. You can then connect the two neutrals of the Y (and earth it if you want or leave it floating). So you've got six phases 60 degrees apart and a neutral at a potential of your choice wrt earth.
Why did these get switched to rotary converters on DC relay logic elevator installations build around the 70's? Did they just need more power for those units? Do the rotary converters simply supply more stability from the 3 phase AC supply? Old OTIS systems were rotary converters but they came way later than these systems did. Maintenance? The rotary converters did require a lot of work also.
Better speed control, I'd guess. Rotary converters allow for smooth adjustment of DC voltage fed to the main motor, allowing for precise start/stop control.
@@oscar_charlie This, it also became more obvious that they allow for some regenerative braking 'sinking' of current back into the AC 3 phase system all without using silicon so the load dumping resistors don't have to take the full brunt, as the rotary converter will always run in sync with grid rpm at 60hz.
There's probably some on ebay or something. You also likely have 3 phase power if you can access where it comes into your house so if you know what you're doing you could do it.
Yes, electrons like to fly from the tips of the graphite electrodes into the mercury cloud inside, but they rarely fly in reverse cause the mercury ions always fall into the pool of mercury below. The pool of mercury is the cathode and the branches are the anodes. There is probably a special autotransformer somewhere which turns 3 phases into 6 phases. The ground is usually the (+) terminal and the pool of mercury is the (-) terminal. It’s quite mesmerising to see the ion streamer going in circles from one anode to the next to the next, all anchored in the pool of mercury at the bottom.
Guariscimi tutto passa per tutto il sangue trasfuso dalla chiesa di madre teresa di calcutta per tutta la generazione mi chiamo Biagio di balsamo e famiglia e amici.
@@jacknedry3925 No idea but i know of a transport museum in the UK has one that runs and has done for over 70 years, they are very simple, reliable devices.
@@dave-j-k, They don’t seem to be common,and making one would be VERY hard or maybe impossible without the schematics. Regardless, they’re absolutely stunning!
Does the job just fine for im guessing 70+ years of use. Thats a pretty solid return on investment. Nothing on it looks refurbished either and its supposedly doing its job properly.
![Diggy Graves - Red Vineyard [Official Lyric Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8Ro085T0mnQ/mqdefault.jpg)
One thing you can say is this may be old tech but its still working perfectly.
@@bobrobrudolf1243,
In the UK?
Look these things are very robust. It is dangerous and bad thing if it broke to pieces, still used so many places today, like DC metro train power stations. You cannot easily broke it by current, normal silica diode you can. It's interesting why they inputting 3 phases two times almost all cases, but I don't understand reason, just make guesses. That light is crossing uv spectrum too, not good to look it close very long times, no matter that isn't look very bright. Much of that reflection is out of what eye can see.
In fact there's really nothing to wear out or fail in these. Only external corrosion of the electrical connections thru the glass are an eventual point of failure. And if that can be prevented, these mercury rectifiers could last thousands of years and more. Essentially they could run for eternity if kept in an ideal operating environment.
the fobidden bong
That's really cool seeing it in operation!
You need to shoot ave's rounds and your everywhere !
Taofledermaus likes his mercury....
I need one of theese
Hello there.
I just saw one of these in a video from underground bunkers under London. The one in the video looked identical to this one and was made in the 1940's. Fired right up, first try.
Same 😁
shiey is the best
@@titasadomavicius7594 the kid has balls
@@deliciousfishes massive balls
Shiey ducko
When I was in trade school in the early 1990s there was one of these, drained of its mercury, hanging on display in the halls.
A decade later I worked on a job site where a pair of these were still in service in a pipe mill and as far as I know are still active today.
I’ve seen a pair of these, new in circa late 1940s, still in use in a pipe production facility in the 2000s. The mains power circuitry is older than I am but still works very well to this day.
Wow. It's almost supernatural...I don't know how to describe it ..
Nice to hear of one still in opperation not seen one in the flesh yet
Came here from shiey’s bunker ‘generator’
I love the asbestos sheet under the giant hose clamp that holds the bulb on the "head" of the "octopus".
STUFF semiconductors -- here you can actually see & hear the action! Apparently these things also last longer even when churning out several hundred amps.
Probably costs a lot less as well, as it's just glass, mercury and electrodes, not to mention it will likely last 30 more years if the elevator is still in service then. Diodes are the right choice in most situations due to higher deficiency and lower heat generation, but if it's not broken don't fix it. I'v always found mercury arc rectifiers to be very interesting.
The alternative to this was a motor/generator set with an AC motor driving a DC generator. For the younger people watching, DC motors were easier to control speed wise and were in use in factories and elevators into the early 1970's. Variable speed drives for AC motors made this somewhat obsolete. Mercury rectifiers were especially useful when only one DC motor was in use, although they made some large ones too.
When I worked for RAL here in New Zealand they had an old motor DC generator running one of the oldest chairlifts think it was the national or Delta Chair motors, When that Bad Boy spun up you knew about it as it was massive.
If the holding clamp belt comes more up, the rectifier will fall into the fan. Beside cleaning from dust this must be corrected. It's simple to lift the rectifier when switched off while adjusting the clamp. So it won't start a distaster when mercury and it's vapour is running out a broken rectifier.
It won't fall, all the weight is held up by the C-shaped rack at the bottom. The band around the top is only to prevent it from tipping sideways.
Good eye! I bet the fan would spread droplets and glass shards enough to make a mess!
Wouldn't look out of place in Dr Frankenstien's lab!!
Stephen Williams no, it would not
where's mrmattandmrchay? mr.matt would love this!
This one is 6 phase rectified dc output I could watch it all day lol 😂
Hey, it is Mr Handy from Fallout!
Oh thats soo cool dident know that the lift was powerd by an Mercury arc rectifier Awsome
This has so much classical supervillain "MWOEHAHAHAHA" vibes...
Somebody, please clean it off dust...
***** You're quite welcome to clean it yourself, but I wouldn't stick my hand anywhere near it. It bites! :)
I'd be happy to clean it. It will only 'bite' if you mistreat it!
there are objects that are born with dust on em
i actually thougth about the "dust spray can" or the "anti swearing spray"... more effective than bolt loosener, contains aerial xanax
Saw the thumbnail and thought it was a Mr handy from fallout giving the finger 🤣
Is this in any way like a common tube rectifier that you’d find in a audio tube amplifier? Conceptually at least?
not so much like a 5u4 or 80 but more like an 82
It's a mercury vapor rectifier, period. They all work pretty much the same way. This is just a rather large one capable of very large current demand.
The ones that vaporize and ionizes the mercury with a heater plasma core section part and then the one cycle plasma conducts positive offset DC and the other cycle doesn't conduct so is a half wave rectified DC if I understand correctly. That's if they didn't make a full bridge design tube or rectifier. I don't really know my tubes... yet.
Not seen this Bad Boy up and running in person yet, They have hidden the ones at MOTAT for the most part now probably because of the UV emissions belching out under load, I could watch the skimmer starter spark till my eyes burn out LOL, Regards and 73,s Kris 🤩P.S one of these days I will finally add one of these to my Valve collection.
Wtf! 🤯 That's Amazing!
I'd recommend UV eye protection, mercury lamps emit a lot of it.
Xray Too
@@FixItStupid
Only a few hundred Volts, much too low for x-rays. Some UV-C would be produced by the arc, but most of it would be absorbed by the class. Germicidal lamps use a special glass which transmits the UV.
glass envelope not made of quartz so the UV isn't actually coming through, only the dim amount of visible blue.
Is that what"s inside a Dalek? Doooc tooor!!!!
Never seen one of these before. Creepy looking!
I am guessing the transformer is connected in a wye configuration. A Delta would not allow a negative return. Am I correct the the positive side would be the transformer common?
Now that is a spinning death machine
more phases was the solution to smooth out bumpy DC. This one is 6 phase. The typical household only has 2.
@@asbestosfibers1325 Here in NZ power is suppied to most homes as a single phase of 240 volts from one of three runing down the street. 3 phase with 400 volts between phases to businesses. I understand that in the US (and other 110 volt countires?) the "two phases" is in fact 220 volts centre tapped (180 rather than 120 out of phase from each other.) Info #ElectroBOOM ruclips.net/video/OiwWaIvIeao/видео.html
@@asbestosfibers1325 most likely 2 sets of 3. I have never seen 6 phases, that would need a special generator.
As far as I know the 3 phases are centre tapped, that way you get 6 "phases" for rectification
@@TheRailroad99 Got The Xray Too
@@FixItStupid the hell is with you and XRAYS
@@TheRailroad99 You can get six phases from three using three single phase transformers with split secondaries. You wire the three primaries into a delta to your power source. And then for each transformer you take one set of secondaries and put the three into a Y. Then you do the same thing for the second set, but with the coil phase flipped on each transformer. This gives you 2 Y phasors 180 degrees out-of-phase. You can then connect the two neutrals of the Y (and earth it if you want or leave it floating). So you've got six phases 60 degrees apart and a neutral at a potential of your choice wrt earth.
Why did these get switched to rotary converters on DC relay logic elevator installations build around the 70's? Did they just need more power for those units? Do the rotary converters simply supply more stability from the 3 phase AC supply? Old OTIS systems were rotary converters but they came way later than these systems did. Maintenance? The rotary converters did require a lot of work also.
Better speed control, I'd guess. Rotary converters allow for smooth adjustment of DC voltage fed to the main motor, allowing for precise start/stop control.
@@oscar_charlie This, it also became more obvious that they allow for some regenerative braking 'sinking' of current back into the AC 3 phase system all without using silicon so the load dumping resistors don't have to take the full brunt, as the rotary converter will always run in sync with grid rpm at 60hz.
my home town Wanganui.lived in Wanganui East..
What I would Give to own one of those beauties...
There's probably some on ebay or something. You also likely have 3 phase power if you can access where it comes into your house so if you know what you're doing you could do it.
I'm wondering how efficient these were and voltage drop and current capability if anybody knows.
I love getting to explain to people that this is just a giant AC adaptor
Familiar with the mercury light bulbs? -Same inventor, who was looking for a brighter light, but found a cool way to ac -> dc (rectifier).
seems like a lot of trouble to operate the brake coil in dc.
I'm certain it's for the motor... they like DC very much.
i dont know whats cooler syncro motors or arc rectifiers
Anybody care to explain the physics in play here?
Yes, electrons like to fly from the tips of the graphite electrodes into the mercury cloud inside, but they rarely fly in reverse cause the mercury ions always fall into the pool of mercury below.
The pool of mercury is the cathode and the branches are the anodes.
There is probably a special autotransformer somewhere which turns 3 phases into 6 phases.
The ground is usually the (+) terminal and the pool of mercury is the (-) terminal.
It’s quite mesmerising to see the ion streamer going in circles from one anode to the next to the next, all anchored in the pool of mercury at the bottom.
It looks a bit like a robot giving you the finger.
I want one. I don't know that I'd do with one, but I want one. Including the 10,000 RPM death fan.
That's a Flux-Compensator.
WhooWhoo 🤩
Way cool,thank You!
One in old bunkers to.
I'm confused😵. Looks like something from Frankenstein movie.
Back in the day shit looked dope.
Stage two emitters activating.. now 0:13
Looks like the robot from Fallout 4
Very cool
Very smart using the fan a little shroud around it would make the airflow more efficient
used mostly in bunkers
Guariscimi tutto passa per tutto il sangue trasfuso dalla chiesa di madre teresa di calcutta per tutta la generazione mi chiamo Biagio di balsamo e famiglia e amici.
Ah yes. A mercury arc rectifier, I just used one of these the other day... Cause... I mean you know, I had to rectify some mercury arcs
somebody bloody clean the damn thing dust ...killer...
"Shiey brought me here."
I wish I can own one,
you can make one...
@@cezarcatalin1406 how would i be able to get so much mercury
Mekong type mercury arc rectifier.
Scary.
Time machine material.
Are These reliable?
Very.
@@dave-j-k,
How long do they last?
@@jacknedry3925 No idea but i know of a transport museum in the UK has one that runs and has done for over 70 years, they are very simple, reliable devices.
@@dave-j-k,
They don’t seem to be common,and making one would be VERY hard or maybe impossible without the schematics.
Regardless, they’re absolutely stunning!
@@jacknedry3925 Very rare these days, replaced by semiconductors etc. The mercury is hazard as well.
Fascinating! I was describing one of these on this old 1905 elevator video - ruclips.net/video/bpluwj-rXiU/видео.html
It scares me.
...focus, please. Thank you. Otherwise very interesting.
on the positive side, it doesn't have vertical video syndrome, albeit it must have been insanely tempting given the format of the enclosing ;)
It does not convert AC to DC; it converts good into evil. Only the Devil himself could design anything so beautiful.
How are Anna and El, are they on TikTok now?
Yea well God created the devil
This is not real. This is from some sci-fi movie
Incredibly inefficient
Does the job just fine for im guessing 70+ years of use. Thats a pretty solid return on investment. Nothing on it looks refurbished either and its supposedly doing its job properly.
"Dr. Who" ? What an inane and ignorant comment.
Fammi un prelievo di sangue e poi mi guariscimi tutto passato presente e futuro mi chiamo Biagio di balsamo e agro nocerino sarnese.