Fig. 2,109.—Diagram showing connections of General Electric combined unit mercury arc single tube rectifier outfit with remote controlled non-automatic shaking device.
Fig. 2,110.—Diagram showing connections of General Electric combined unit mercury arc double tube rectifier outfit with remote controlled non-automatic shaking device.
Fig. 2,111.—Diagram showing connections of General Electric series mercury arc rectifier.
Figs. 2,112 and 2,113.—Diagram of current waves showing effect of reactance coil. If the alternating current wave could be rectified without the use of the reactance coil, the direct current produced would consist of a series of impulses which would rise and fall from the zero line as illustrated in fig. 2,112. The action of the reactance coil not only maintains the current through the tube while the supply current is passing through zero, but helps to smooth out the pulsations of the direct current which is passing out of the cathode terminal of the tube to the batteries, or other direct current apparatus put in its circuit. The smoothing out effect of the reactance is shown in fig. 2,113. It will be seen from the diagram that the current does not drop down to zero and the pulsations of the direct current are greatly reduced. The waves A, A, etc., are from the positive waves of the alternating current supply, while B, B, are from the negative waves, and together they form the rectified current, flowing in the same direction to the external direct current circuit shown at B in the diagram, fig. 2,108.