Re: Whats a "snubber diode"?

From: John Popelish (jpopelish_at_rica.net)
Date: 11/28/04 

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 12:06:47 -0500

Steve Evans wrote:
>
> On 28 Nov 2004 04:51:28 -0800, dmb06851@yahoo.com (dB) wrote:

> >The voltage isn't "absorbed" it is prevented from developing.
>
> That makes sense. But the diverted engery has to be dissipated
> somewhere. If the diodes simply in antiparallel with the source, itll
> act as a short circuit on the back emf. Why doesn't that (the energy
> of that reverse pulse) destroy the diode?

If the coil were made of superconductor, this might well be the case,
but in the more practical copper wound coils, the wire resistance
consumes most of the energy.

> Someonne else said a cap and
> bleed resitor can be used to store and discharge the pulses
> harmlessly, but no one esle has verfified this. Can we have some
> clarification, please?

http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/appnote_number/848
http://focus.ti.com/lit/an/slup100/slup100.pdf
http://powerelec.ece.utk.edu/pubs/pesc2002_sssi.pdf 

-- 
John Popelish

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