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To: dagunk; Paul R.
> Parallel a couple of rectifiers. Put a .2 or .5 ohm resistor in series with each to keep the current division reasonably equal. Watch the wattage on the resistors.

Roger that. Any two diodes, even from the same manufacturing batch, will have somewhat different forward voltages for a given current. So while they will tend to share the current, it won't be 50/50.

Placing a very low resistance in series with each diode means there will be a small V=I*R voltage drop across the resistors, which added to the forward voltage of each diode, will tend to equalize the current in each parallel leg.

You can do that with two, three, or more diodes if needed.

I use as a rule of thumb to drop 0.2V across the resistor (assuming silicon diodes with 0.6 to 0.7 forward voltage). And definitely watch the wattage, it can be surprising at high currents.

YMMV.

18 posted on 02/03/2024 6:16:17 PM PST by dayglored (Strange Women Lying In Ponds Distributing Swords! Arthur Pendragon in 2024)
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To: dayglored

Ah, something like emitter resistors on a transistor audio amplifier with multiple parallel transistors on the output?

Here, I figure (equalized + headroom) maybe 5A worst case(!) per diode, so, 5x5x0.2 = 5 watts — hmmm, that handybox be gettin’ pretty warm!

OTOH, the aluminum “curve” sign some driver took out beside my property has been laying in the ditch for over 4 months. I even dragged it out where the highway dept. would not miss it. They put up a new one and left the old one by the ditch. And have been working literally “right there” since. Pretty nice sheet of 1/8”(?) aluminum for a heat sink there...


22 posted on 02/03/2024 6:30:10 PM PST by Paul R. (Bin Laden wanted Obama killed so the incompetent VP, Biden, would become President!)
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