1823 — High Vacuum Full-Wave Rectifying Valve

The 1823 is a high vacuum full-wave rectifying valve designed by Philips for power supply applications. As a full-wave rectifier, it contains two independent anode structures sharing a common filament supply, allowing it to rectify both halves of an alternating current (AC) input cycle to produce a direct current (DC) output.

Physical Dimensions and Construction

The 1823 is constructed within a glass envelope with maximum physical dimensions of 116 mm in height and 53 mm in diameter. The internal structure consists of a high-vacuum environment housing a directly heated filament and two separate anodes (plates). This dual-anode configuration is optimized for full-wave rectification in conventional center-tapped transformer power supply circuits.

Filament and Heating Characteristics

The 1823 features a directly heated cathode system. The filament is designed for AC operation, typically connected in a parallel configuration with other heater or filament circuits in the equipment.

The electrical requirements for the filament are:

• Filament Voltage (Vf): 4 V
• Filament Current (If): 1 A

Using these parameters, the calculated power consumption of the filament is:

• Calculated Filament Power: 4 W (derived from 4 V multiplied by 1 A)

This 4-watt filament heating power is typical for rectifiers of this class, providing the necessary thermionic emission from the directly heated filament wire to support the rated rectified output current.

Base and Pin Configuration

The valve utilizes a standard Base A configuration. The base features four pins, which are assigned to the internal electrodes as follows:

The filament connections are brought out to pins 2 and 3, while the two anodes are connected to pins 1 and 4. This layout ensures adequate physical separation between the high-voltage anode connections and the low-voltage filament supply.

Operating Characteristics and Limiting Values

The 1823 is designed to operate under specific electrical limits to ensure reliable performance and prevent damage to the valve's internal structure. The primary operating limits specified for this rectifier are:

• Maximum Transformer Voltage (Vtr): 2 x 500 Veff (root-mean-square)
• Maximum Rectified Current (Io): 60 mA

The maximum transformer voltage rating of 2 x 500 Veff indicates that the valve can safely handle an AC input of up to 500 V RMS per anode when used in a center-tapped transformer circuit. Under these operating conditions, the maximum continuous DC output current (rectified current) must not exceed 60 mA.

Technical Summary

The 1823 is a classic directly heated, high vacuum full-wave rectifier housed in a 116 x 53 mm glass envelope with a Base A 4-pin base. Operating with a 4 V, 1 A filament supply, it is capable of rectifying AC voltages up to a maximum transformer voltage of 2 x 500 Veff, delivering a maximum rectified DC output current of 60 mA. Its simple four-pin layout and robust high-voltage ratings make it a reliable component for moderate-power vacuum tube power supplies.