|
A ballast is a device used to start a gas discharge lamp, and, once the lamp is started, to limit the flow of electric current. Gas discharge lamps are sometimes described as having negative resistance and, as such, are unable to limit the flow of current through themselves. More generally the term ballast is sometimes used to refer to any passive component intended to reduce the current in a circuit. Electric current is the flow of electric charge. ...
In electrical circuits, static resistance is the ratio of the voltage across a circuit element to the current through it. ...
A passive component is an electronic component that does not require a source of energy to perform its intended function. ...
A ballast can be as simple as a series resistor; this approach is commonly used with small neon lamps. For high-power lamps, though, too much energy would be wasted in a resistive ballast, so more complex circuits are used. These frequently depend upon the reactance of inductors, capacitors, or both. In a theoretical (perfect) reactance, no power would be lost while limiting the current flow. Resistor symbols (US and Japan) Resistor symbols (Europe) A pack of resistors A resistor is a two-terminal electrical or electronic component that resists an electric current by producing a voltage drop between its terminals in accordance with Ohms law. ...
Lighting neon lamp, two 220/230 volt and 110 V neon lamps and a screwdriver with neon lamp inside A neon lamp is a gas discharge lamp containing neon gas (or in types with different colors also other noble gas) at low pressure. ...
In the analysis of an alternating-current electrical circuit (for example a RLC series circuit), reactance is the imaginary part of impedance, and is caused by the presence of inductors or capacitors in the circuit. ...
An inductor is a passive electrical device employed in electrical circuits for its property of inductance. ...
A capacitor is a device that stores energy in the electric field created between a pair of conductors on which equal but opposite electric charges have been placed. ...
Electromagnetic ballasts
An electromagnetic lamp ballast uses electromagnetic induction to provide the proper starting and operating electrical condition to power a fluorescent lamp, neon lamp or high intensity discharge (HID) lamp. The electromagnetic ballast used in an electric circuit limits the current flow to the lamp. It does not change the frequency of the power; the connected lamp illuminates on each half-cycle of the mains power so it flickers at 100 or 120Hz depending on the frequency of the power system in that country; see alternating current). Some ballasts that connect to two or more lamps vary the phase relationship between the multiple lamps to mitigate the flicker of the lamps. These ballasts are often called lead-lag ballasts because the current in one lamp leads the mains phase and the current in the other lamp lags the mains phase. Electromagnetic induction is the production of an electrical potential difference (or voltage) across a conductor situated in a changing magnetic flux. ...
A compact fluorescent lamp with an integrated electronic ballast A fluorescent lamp is a type of lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor in argon or neon gas, resulting in a plasma that produces short-wave ultraviolet light. ...
Lighting neon lamp, two 220/230 volt and 110 V neon lamps and a screwdriver with neon lamp inside A neon lamp is a gas discharge lamp containing neon gas (or in types with different colors also other noble gas) at low pressure. ...
High-intensity discharge (HID) lamps include the types of electrical lights: mercury vapor, metal halide, high-pressure sodium and less common, xenon short-arc lamps. ...
An electrical network or electrical circuit is an interconnection of analog electrical elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, diodes, switches and transistors. ...
Electric current is the flow of electric charge. ...
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the SI unit of frequency. ...
City lights viewed in a motion blurred exposure. ...
Prior to 1980 in the United States, PCB-based oils or asphalt were used for ballast insulation (see transformer oil). These ballasts tend to be large and heavy. Labelling transformers containing PCBs. ...
Transformer oil is a highly-refined mineral oil that is stable at high temperatures and has excellent electrical insulating properties. ...
Electronic ballasts An electronic lamp ballast uses solid state electronic circuitry to provide the proper starting and operating electrical condition to power one or more fluorescent lamps and more recently HID lamps. Electronic ballasts are generally smaller, lighter, and more efficient (and thus run cooler) than magnetic ballasts. Electronic ballasts usually change the frequency of the power from the standard mains frequency to 20,000 Hz or higher, substantially eliminating the stroboscopic effect line frequency (50 or 60Hz) flicker associated with fluorescent lighting (see photosensitive epilepsy) and lamps actually operate at about 9% higher efficiency above approximately 10KHz. Lamp efficacy increases sharply to about 10KHz and continues to improve until approximately 20KHz*(IES Lighting Handbook 1984) Image File history File links Integrated electronic ballast (starter) of a fluorescent lamp. ...
Image File history File links Integrated electronic ballast (starter) of a fluorescent lamp. ...
Spiral compact fluorescent light bulb A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also known as a compact fluorescent light bulb or an energy saving lightbulb, is a type of fluorescent lamp that screws into a regular light bulb socket or plugs into a small lighting fixture. ...
In physics, the solid state is one of the three phases of matter (solid, liquid, and gas). ...
An electrical network or electrical circuit is an interconnection of analog electrical elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, diodes, switches and transistors. ...
Temporal aliasing is the technical term for a phenomenon also known as the stroboscopic effect or the wagon-wheel effect. ...
Photosensitive epilepsy is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by flickering light or other visual stimuli, such as bold or moving patterns. ...
There are three starting methods available for electronic ballasts.
- Instant Start
- Starts lamps without heating the lamp end heaters at all using a high voltage (around 600V). It is the most energy efficient type, but gives the least number of starts from a lamp. This is the best type for installations where lamps are not turned on and off very often.
- Rapid Start
- Applies voltage and heats the filament simultaneously. Provides superior lamp life and more cycle life, but uses slightly more energy for lamp end heaters.
- Programmed Start
- More advanced version of rapid start. Applies filament power first, then applies voltage to the lamps. Gives the best life and most starts from lamps. This is the preferred type of ballast for applications with very frequent power cycling such as vision examination rooms and restrooms with a motion detector switch.
They are often based on inverter/converter style power supplies, rectifying the input power and then chopping it at a high frequency, much like the first part of a switch-mode power supply. A switched-mode power supply, or SMPS, is an electronic power supply unit (PSU) that incorporates a switching regulator - an internal control circuit that switches the load current rapidly on and off in order to stabilise the output voltage. ...
See also Resistor symbols (US and Japan) Resistor symbols (Europe) A pack of resistors A resistor is a two-terminal electrical or electronic component that resists an electric current by producing a voltage drop between its terminals in accordance with Ohms law. ...
Leakage inductance is that property of an electrical transformer that causes a winding to appear to have some pure inductance in series with the mutually-coupled transformer windings. ...
Three-phase pole-mounted step-down transformer A transformer is an electrical device that transfers energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling with no moving parts. ...
An inductor is a passive electrical device employed in electrical circuits for its property of inductance. ...
Transformer oil is a highly-refined mineral oil that is stable at high temperatures and has excellent electrical insulating properties. ...
For specific application information, see Lighting neon lamp, two 220/230 volt and 110 V neon lamps and a screwdriver with neon lamp inside A neon lamp is a gas discharge lamp containing neon gas (or in types with different colors also other noble gas) at low pressure. ...
A compact fluorescent lamp with an integrated electronic ballast A fluorescent lamp is a type of lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor in argon or neon gas, resulting in a plasma that produces short-wave ultraviolet light. ...
A Mercury-vapor lamp is a gas discharge lamp which uses mercury in an excited state to produce light. ...
A sodium vapor lamp is a gas discharge lamp which uses sodium in an excited state to produce light. ...
High-intensity discharge (HID) lamps include the types of electrical lights: mercury vapor, metal halide, high-pressure sodium and less common, xenon short-arc lamps. ...
Sources for electromagnetic and electronic ballasts |
Feeds |
Contact