Re: Where to get high voltage diodes?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <FutureT-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 8/27/01 2:42:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes:

> >
>  > This still leaves me without a rectifier and I could just guess around 
as 
> to 
>  > what parts I need, or I could ask here and make sure I get tried and 
true 
>  > parts. (Remember the exploding MMC dabacle?) 
>  >
>  > I remember I need diodes in wheatstone config, but I think I am 
forgetting 
> 
>  > something else. 
>  >
>  > The NST is a 12kv/60ma nst. Has anyone any suggestions on parts to get 
and 
> 
>  > how many of these diodes to  put in series? I would guess I would want 
at 
>  > least 15kv of diodes to make sure I have some buffer, but I don't know 
> about 
>  > current. Maybe I need several in parallel to distribute the current so 
as 
> to 
>  > reduce over-heating. I just don't know and I don't want to guess around 
>  > because I think I would be doomed to guess poorly. 
>  >
>  > Thanks in advance. 
>  >

Garry,

When I did my DC Disruptive Staccato Compound Storage 
Tesla Coil work, I used a bridge rectifier made up from (104)
1N4007 diodes.  Each leg used 26 diodes in series with
420k ohm resistors across each diode.  The power supply
was a 1.5kVA, 14.4kV potential transformer which can
deliver a lot more current than a 15/60 NST.  I had
no failures of the system.  These diodes are rated at
1kV, 2.5A each if I remember correctly.  These diodes
are real cheap from mail order houses such as digikey,
etc.  The NST can give a peak voltage of around 23kV,
depending on cap size, etc.  I designed my system 
for around double that voltage to be cautious.

John Freau