Mounting a Bridge Rectifier

I need a little advice on how to mount a bridge rectifier.

I've been learning about electronics by reading the book Understanding Electricity and Electronics. The first project is to build a lab power supply that can be used to power other circuits. The book steps you through the project in each chapter and builds the supply in stages. I'm to the point where it explains diodes and how AC power is turned to DC power through bridge rectifiers.

So now I have to install the bridge rectifier. The instructions only say, "Assuming there were no problems with the bridge rectifier module, mount it, close to the T1 and T2 secondaries, with the appropriate hardware."

The bridge rectifier looks like this. I have several sizes of boards to mount it to, but I discovered that none of them had holes big enough to accept the terminals of this rectifier. I stopped into Radioshack but all the boards they had were the same size as I already had. I asked a salesperson and they said that what I needed was a heat sink. So I bought this one but now that I've gotten home with it, I'm not quite sure what to do with it.

So any advice? Maybe I can I flip it over, screw it to the case, and just solder my wires to each terminal? Or is there some better way? The case I'm using is an old DVD player so the bottom is all metal.

Thanks
Joel

You mount the back side of the rectifier (opposite the leads) to the heat sink or the metal bottom of the case with thermal grease (also available from Radio Shack). You can just solder the transformer and other wires directly to the rectifier wires.

How much current will the rectifiers carry?

going by the link its 8A

cobra1 said:

going by the link its 8A

Click to expand...

I was aware of that. I meant how much will it carry (in the application), not how much can it carry.

crutschow said:

How much current will the rectifiers carry?

Click to expand...

There are two transformers in series each producing 2 amps so that would be 4 amps right?

Also, I wasn't completely clear. The bridge rectifier I'm using isn't exactly the one I gave the link for, it looks like it. The bridge rectifier is 250v/6a.

You mount the back side of the rectifier (opposite the leads) to the heat sink or the metal bottom of the case with thermal grease (also available from Radio Shack). You can just solder the transformer and other wires directly to the rectifier wires.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Thats what I'm going to do then.

jmricker said:

There are two transformers in series each producing 2 amps so that would be 4 amps right?

Click to expand...

No. Two identical transformers in series would provide 2A at double the voltage of one transformer. Two identical transformers in parallel would provide 4A at the voltage of one transformer.

Then its 2A.

Thanks for explaining that. I haven't quite gotten the hang of calculating voltages and amps beyond basic resistor circuits.

Understand that the series windings of double the voltage of one transformer, same current of one transformer and ...
parallel connections giving same voltage as one transformer, double the current of one transformer should have this note:

For the current, we're talking about the maximum the circuit is CAPABLE of producing. Just as with batteries, the actual current will only be as much as the load demands. That 500 cold-cranking-amp battery in your car will only have a few amps flowing from it if all you have connected is the headlights. The 500 amps thing is under near-dead-short conditions where the internal resistance of the battery begins dropping the bulk of the battery's voltage leaving very little at the terminals.

Dean