Maintenance of rectifiers on electrochemical installations

Operating experiences and information gained over a period of years from the operation of a large group of mercury arc rectifiers have shown that, while rectifiers provide a very economical means of converting from a-c to d-c power, they are not entirely trouble free. The principal operating difficulty has been the seemingly inherent tendency for a rectifier to arc-back. This peculiarity has challenged both the designer and operator since it has been found that both contribute toward the solution. The present paper presents the features which have been found advisable for the operator to observe and control in order to keep the occurrences of arc-back at a minimum.