PY 81 as power rectifiers?

[ppppenguin]

Before there were TV boost diodes like the PY81 energy recovery in line output stages was a bit tricky. The theory was easy enough - Blumlien developed the idea in the 1930s. The problem was that most topologies had high pulse voltages on the cathode, too much for the valves of the period. So there were clever topologies a bit like Amie's proposal, to keep the cathode near chassis potential.