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1063A

Directly heated Philips mercury-vapour or gas-filled rectifier for industrial power conversion. Rated for approximately 700 V peak inverse voltage, 2 A average current, and 12 A peak current.

Directly heatedCold cathodeCommon cathodeDissimilar

Sections: 1
Base: -
Socket code: -
Base pins: -
Nominal heater: 1.9 V / 7 A

Description

1063A — Three-Anode Mercury Vapour and Gas Filled Rectifying Tube

The 1063A is a mercury vapour and gas-filled rectifying tube designed with three anodes. It is primarily utilized in industrial rectifier applications, capable of delivering up to 6 A per tube and supporting a maximum of 90 lead-acid (Pb) cells.

Mechanical Design and Physical Dimensions

The 1063A features a specialized physical construction consisting of a main bulb with three distinct glass arms housing the anodes. The tube is designed to be mounted exclusively in a vertical position with the base pointing downwards.

Base Type: Edison base
Compatible Socket: E3 000 22
Net Weight: 440 g
Shipping Weight: 2800 g
Maximum Diameter: 125 mm
Body Height: 221 mm
Maximum Overall Height: 255 mm

The Edison base provides the electrical connections for the filament (marked as $f$ ). An auxiliary ignition electrode (marked as $a_h$ ) is located near the base and is connected via an M3 screw terminal.

Filament and Preheating Requirements

The tube incorporates a directly heated, oxide-coated filament designed for operation with an alternating current (A.C.) supply.

Proper operation of the mercury vapour and gas mixture requires strict adherence to preheating times before anode voltage is applied:

Recommended Preheating Time: 1 minute
Minimum Urgent Preheating Time: 30 seconds (permissible only when urgently required)
Post-Transport / Long Interruption Preheating Time ( $T_w$ ): 5 minutes

Electrical Characteristics and Ignition

The typical electrical operating parameters of the 1063A include a low arc voltage drop and a controlled ignition voltage:

Arc Voltage ( $V_{arc}$ ): 15 V
Typical Ignition Voltage ( $V_{ign}$ ): 70 V

To achieve the nominal ignition voltage of 70 V, an auxiliary D.C. supply unit capable of delivering approximately 100 V and 25 mA must be connected via a current-limiting resistor. The positive terminal of this auxiliary supply connects to the auxiliary ignition electrode ( $a_h$ ), while the negative terminal connects to the cathode. The Philips Auxiliary Ignition Unit type E3 108 03 is recommended for this configuration.

If an auxiliary D.C. supply is not utilized, the auxiliary ignition electrode ( $a_h$ ) must be connected directly to the cathode through a resistor with a minimum resistance of 5000 $\Omega$ . In this alternative configuration, the required ignition voltage increases to approximately 120 V.

Limiting Values

The operating limits of the 1063A must be maintained within the following absolute boundaries to ensure reliable operation:

Parameter	Value
Maximum Transformer Voltage ( $V_{tr}$ )	250 $V_{eff}$ (RMS)
Minimum Transformer Voltage ( $V_{tr}$ )	130 $V_{eff}$ (RMS)
Maximum Peak Inverse Anode Voltage ( $V_{a\text{ inv}_p}$ )	700 V
Maximum Anode Current ( $I_a$ )	2 A
Maximum Peak Anode Current ( $I_{ap}$ )	12 A
Operating Temperature Range ( $t_{Hg}$ )	30 – 80 °C

General specifications

Tube and section characteristics

Properties common to every published source and operating point.

Heater and base

Base: -
Socket code: -
Base pins: -
Nominal heater voltage: 1.9 V
Nominal heater current: 7 A
Parallel heater voltage: -
Parallel heater current: -
Series capable: No

Terminal pinout

Electrical assignments shared by every tube using this base designation.

No verified pinout is recorded for this base designation.

Section ratings

1 physical section, each with unique specifications.

Section 1

Rectifier

X-ray radiationInterelectrode capacitances

Rectifier peak inverse voltage: 700 V
Rectifier nominal output current: 2 A
Rectifier peak forward current: 12 A
Rectifier warm-up time: 60 s

Mercury-vapour and gas-filled industrial rectifier with directly heated oxide-coated filament.

Source-dependent data

Operating conditions by source

Each block preserves the test conditions and published values from one reference. Values from different sources are intentionally kept separate.

Data set 01

1999 Philips 0-D

Published operating points and test conditions from this source.

SECTION 1

Rectifier

Other

MinimumSeriesResistance
-

Characteristics

TypicalArcVoltage
15 V
IgnitionVoltage
70 V
With auxiliary ignition supply
AlternateIgnitionVoltage
120 V
Auxiliary anode connected to cathode through >=5 kohm