[NewCandle] Avramenko Rectifier

[Keith Nagel]

Hi All,

George and Jones convinced me to try to articulate a clear explaination
of the Avramenko Rectifier. I did some experiments
with the rectifier yesterday, but after writing some of it up I realized
I would basically be talking to the trees ( well maybe the wind, happens I'm
listening to that venerable King Crimson song as I write ). So let me
try the one paragraph executive summary instead.

The key to the whole system is stray capacity. That won't come as a
surprise to many of you, but in the rectifier part it's not clear
how that comes into play. Here's the deal. The true circuit diagram
is not as is shown by Avramenko or others on the web. YOU MUST
INCLUDE THE CAPACITY TO GROUND. In the case of the rectifier, this
would be modeled as a capacity from the negative free end of
the rectifier to ground, and a capacitor from the positive free
end to ground. Draw the circuit that way, and it will immediately
become obvious how the whole is nothing more than the ordinary
voltage doubling circuit, with the capacities charging either
positive or negative depending on which diode they are hung from.
A load between the two points will now see a mix of DC and AC
depending on much capacity/how low the load resistance is.
At high frequencies and impedence, even a pF or two is sufficient to provide
the return path and complete the circuit. With my experment,
I was able to change these capacities and make differential
voltage measurements to see the various effects. My experimental
arrangement was designed to work at low frequencies and an
impedence around 3KOhms, so as to be easy to measure and modify without
interfering with the circuit operations.

I can post more about this if anyone is interested in the gorey details, but I
hope if you draw the circuit as I suggest it will become a lot clearer
to you how the rectifier plug works. Remember, just because you disconnect
a wire, doesn't mean you get rid of it's capacity. 

K.