EP0011508A1 - Méthode pour déterminer les valeurs de composants d'un circuit de commande pour une lampe à décharge dans un gaz - Google Patents

Méthode pour déterminer les valeurs de composants d'un circuit de commande pour une lampe à décharge dans un gaz Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0011508A1
EP0011508A1 EP79302625A EP79302625A EP0011508A1 EP 0011508 A1 EP0011508 A1 EP 0011508A1 EP 79302625 A EP79302625 A EP 79302625A EP 79302625 A EP79302625 A EP 79302625A EP 0011508 A1 EP0011508 A1 EP 0011508A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
lamp
capacitor
attenuator
gas discharge
control circuit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP79302625A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0011508B1 (fr
Inventor
Stephen Domville Mckie
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
PRACDES Pty Ltd
Original Assignee
PRACDES Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by PRACDES Pty Ltd filed Critical PRACDES Pty Ltd
Priority to AT79302625T priority Critical patent/ATE8953T1/de
Publication of EP0011508A1 publication Critical patent/EP0011508A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0011508B1 publication Critical patent/EP0011508B1/fr
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/02—Details
    • H05B41/04—Starting switches
    • H05B41/042—Starting switches using semiconductor devices

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an improved control circuit for gas discharge lamps.
  • the present invention seeks to eliminate the conventional form of inductive ballast, the replaceable starter switch, the starter socket, and the capacitor used for power factor correction to overcome the lagging effect of the current due to the inductive ballast, and thereby largely avoid the above disadvantages.
  • a former system that has been used is a series resistor operating in conjunction with a low-voltage striking tube.
  • the peak supply voltage is sufficient to strike the lamp.
  • the resistor has to drop 150v after lamp striking. This will dissipate approximately 20w at the lamp and 30w in the resistor, so that the arrangement is consuming approximately 50w for the 20w of illuminating power. This excessive power consumption is, of course, undesirable.
  • ballast circuit for a gas discharge lamp as presently adopted almost invariably has the form of the circuits disclosed in U.S. Patent Specification Nos. 2,575,001 (Bird) and 3,857,063 (Major et al).
  • the operating circuit for the lamp includes a series connection from the applied power through an inductor and a capacitor having a capacitance of about 13pf and a reactance at the line frequency of about twice that of the inductor.
  • the principal function of the capacitor is to increase the starting potential on the lamp.
  • the operating circuit comprises only an inductor for stabilizing the lamp operating current.
  • a capacitor is not readily adaptable as the principal component for ballasting in the operating circuit of a gas discharge lamp, regardless of the fact that a capacitor generates in itself very little heat.
  • the basis of this reasoning is the large peak currents readily passed by a capacitor relative to those passed by an 'inductor.
  • the present invention resides in the realisation that a surprisingly great economy and simplification of circuitry is possible if a series resistor is assigned to the task of limiting the operating current and is associated with a capacitor in the operating circuit whose capacitance is selected solely on the criterion of providing adequate operating current for the lamp.
  • a control circuit for a gas discharge lamp comprising input terminals for connection to a power supply source and output terminals for connection to a gas discharge lamp, a starting circuit for the lamp at least part of which is connected across the output terminals, and a capacitor and an attenuator connected in series with each other and in series between the input terminals and the output terminals, said capacitor having a capacitance no less than and not substantially more than the minimum value of capacitance necessary to pass adequate operating mean current for said lamp from said power supply, and said attenuator having an impedance no less than and not substantially more than the minimum value of impedance which will eliminate excessive peak current flow through said lamp from said power supply.
  • This invention lies in the suitable selection of a capacitor, i.e. one with a capacitance barely sufficient to ensure adequate tube operating power, together with an attenuator having an impedance barely sufficient to ensure adequate limiting of the peak current through the lamp.
  • This attenuator is required to have as low a value as practical otherwise the watts loss in this unit will approach that of a conventional inductive ballast. If the impedance value is too low, permitting excess peak current in operation, a fall in the light output and damage to the lamp will result. If the capacitor is of too low a value there will be insufficient operating power delivered to the lamp. To have minimum losses, the capacitor reactance has to be as high as practical and the attenuator as small an impedance as possible.
  • the circuit shown is designed for a low wattage fluorescent lamp and has its input terminals A and B connectable to a power supply S which in this case is 220/260 AC volts at 50 Hz.
  • Output terminals C and D are connected to the filaments of a fluorescent lamp L and in series therewith is a capacitor C 1 which, as will be explained hereafter, is designed to determine the mean operating current supplied from the source S to the lamp L to ensure adequate lamp illumination, and is assigned a value commensurate with that task.
  • An attenuator in this instance a resistor R 1 , is also serially connected between the input and output terminals A-B and C-D designed to limit the operating current peaks supplied to the lamp L to protect it against damage, and is assigned a value according to this task.
  • the resistor R 1 may be positioned in any part of the circuit providing it is in series between the lamp L and its supply S.
  • a conventional series network of a diode D l and resistor R 2 is preferably used.
  • resistor R 2 By appropriate selection of the resistance of resistor R 2 the positive charge stored in capacitor C 1 during the positive half cycles of the applied AC power from supply S is additive to the voltage at the supply S on appropriate half cycles, thus effectively increasing, and even doubling with the correct choice of resistor R 2' the voltage supplied to the lamp L.
  • the value of resistor R 2 may be between 8,000 ohms and 30,000 ohms and will ensure such a voltage and additionally eliminate flicker from the lamp L, due to the shunt connection of diode D 1 , by effectively disconnecting the shunt circuit of network D 1 and C 2 when the lamp L fires. Upon firing a damaging peak current would flow through the lamp L from capacitor C 1 in the absence of the current limiter resistor R 1 .
  • the series attenuator may be composed entirely of an inductor X instead of resistor R 1 or additionally thereto.
  • the watt loss, and physical size, of the inductor is considerably less than that of a conventional ballast inductor.
  • a typical capacitance for capacitor C 1 for the operation of 4w, 6w, 8w and 13w conventional fluorescent lamps is lpf. Because the lamp characteristics are not identical for each of the above lamps, the value of the peak current limiting resistor R 1 has to be varied and therefore the watts loss therein varies. Typical values for the current limiter resistor R 1 when associated with the 1.0 ⁇ f capacitor C 1 for a 4w and 6w lamp is in the order of 300 ohms, 2 watts. For an 8w lamp the current limiting resistor R 1 is approximately 500 ohms, 3 watts and in the case of the 13w tube is 500 ohms, 5 watts.
  • the current limiting resistor R 1 can be reduced and the watts loss therein is reduced because the average power through the lamp is reduced.
  • the 8w lamp would not have sufficient operating mean current applied to it if an 0.8 ⁇ f capacitor was in series with the supply S. Therefore, a 1.0 ⁇ f capacitor having a reactance of about 3,000 ohms at 50 Hz would be used in series with a 300 ohm peak current limiter therefore the peak current limiter R 1 has a value 10% of the value of the capacitor C 1 reactance at 50 Hz.
  • this resistor R 1 be replaced by a capacitor C 1 and a current limiting resistor R 1 having a 10 to 1 reactance ratio, approximately 10 parts of the voltage will be dropped across the capacitor C 1 and one part across the resistor R 1 for every 11 volts, so that the 30w loss by this method of calculation would give about 3w loss in the current limiter R l .
  • this does not apply because the current limiter R 1 is required to handle excessive peak current and in fact it has been found to dissipate 5 to 6 watts and this could vary between one manufactured tube and another.
  • capacitor C l in the miniature 15 mm diameter lamps (4w, 6w, 8w and 13w with varying lengths) as they all operate satisfactorily with a capacitor between 0.8 MFD and 1.25 MFD.
  • resistor R 1 will be chosen to be within the area defined by the plotted coordinates for high wattage loss and light flicker. The specific part of this area chosen is preferably determined by the light output of the lamp.
  • the light plateau of an 8w lamp may be plotted on the same coordinate as the wattage on the graph of Fig. 2. Therefore, by reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the optimum values for an 8w lamp would be 1 ⁇ f for capacitor C 1 and 280 to 300 ohms, 2 watts for resistor R 1 .
  • the control circuit of the invention enables miniaturisation of components so that the components can be an integral part of a lamp, and also a considerable reduction in the cost of components.
  • Lamps controlled by this circuit are preferably operated near the lower end of their light output plateau and although the illumination is reduced, but not to any marked extent, they, and especially lamps up to 20w rating, operate much more efficiently.
  • the watts loss per lumen output is better than that of the conventional ballast, particularly with the small reduction in light output referred to above.
  • the heat generated by the control circuit is so low as to permit miniaturisation and fittings do not require the contemporary large space for a ballast.
  • This invention permits the majority of the components to be placed in the lamp holder i.e., capacitor and charging circuit.
  • the components may be formed in an end cap of the lamp, or alternatively be a plug-in attachment, or if a lamp manufacturer desires he may incorporate the components actually in the glass envelope permitting the lamp merely to be plugged directly into the supply.
  • the resistor R I is internally connected to the opposite end of the lamp, the fluorescent lamp could have all its terminals at one end, the other end of the lamp merely having a glass dome, or being otherwise sealed off.
  • Fig. 4 shows the actual size of a thermoplastic housing H and components C 1 , R 2 and D 1 housed therein which are used for fluorescent lamps of 4w, 6w, 8w and 13w rating.
  • the connecting leads Y will be connected to terminals in the lamp fitting.
  • the resistor Rl will be connected external of the housing H for better heat dissipation and will be in this instance 300 ohms, 2 watt.
  • Fig. 3 shows the exciting arrangement comprising a piece of electrically conducting material 1 is placed in casual contact with the outer glass envelope of the lamp L at a position approximately 80% of the way along the length of the lamp and is electrically connected to the more remote lamp terminal socket D.
  • This arrangement may be duplicated by having a second contact lA also positioned 80% of the way along the lamp L in relation to the other lamp terminal socket C and electrically connected thereto.
  • the conducting contacts 1 and 1A are accessible, that is not enclosed, it is necessary to meet local and/or International standards by inserting one or more resistors 2, in the connections between the contacts 1 and 1A and the end terminals D and C.
  • This arrangement does not require an earth and its starting efficiency is such that full preheating of the lamps filaments is not necessary.
  • An alternative arrangement (not shown) is applicable where the base support or socket holder of the gas discharge lamp is earthed.
  • the alternative arrangement comprises a generally dome-shaped conducting rubber grommet, or the like, which is attached to the earthed metal lamp support with the tip of the dome just touching the outer surface of the discharge lamp.
  • a conducting rubber contact approximately 20% of the way from each end of the lamp as there is a possibility that the supply voltage polarity may not be known. Both these arrangement are effective for use with those lamps that are known to be more difficult to strike, such as the 13 watt long lamp and the 40 watt 4 ft. lamp, and for prolonging the useful life of older lamps.

Landscapes

  • Circuit Arrangements For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
  • Non-Metallic Protective Coatings For Printed Circuits (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Printed Wiring (AREA)
EP79302625A 1978-11-20 1979-11-19 Méthode pour déterminer les valeurs de composants d'un circuit de commande pour une lampe à décharge dans un gaz Expired EP0011508B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT79302625T ATE8953T1 (de) 1978-11-20 1979-11-19 Verfahren zur ermittlung von bauteilenwerten fuer eine steuerschaltung fuer eine gasentladungslampe.

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU6837/78 1978-11-20
AUPD683778 1978-11-20
AUPD953979 1979-07-11
AU9539/78 1979-07-11

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0011508A1 true EP0011508A1 (fr) 1980-05-28
EP0011508B1 EP0011508B1 (fr) 1984-08-08

Family

ID=25642269

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP79302625A Expired EP0011508B1 (fr) 1978-11-20 1979-11-19 Méthode pour déterminer les valeurs de composants d'un circuit de commande pour une lampe à décharge dans un gaz

Country Status (11)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0011508B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPS55105993A (fr)
DE (1) DE2967166D1 (fr)
FI (1) FI793608A (fr)
HU (1) HU182982B (fr)
IE (1) IE49213B1 (fr)
IN (1) IN153361B (fr)
NO (1) NO793708L (fr)
NZ (1) NZ192162A (fr)
PT (1) PT70469A (fr)
ZA (1) ZA796163B (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2139022A (en) * 1983-04-26 1984-10-31 Gen Electric Ballast circuit for lamps with low voltage gas discharge tubes
US4626745A (en) * 1983-04-26 1986-12-02 General Electric Company Ballast circuit for lamps with low voltage gas discharge tubes
DE3603084A1 (de) * 1986-02-01 1987-08-06 Korte Licht Schaltung zum betrieb einer leuchtstofflampe
EP1057370A1 (fr) * 1995-11-02 2000-12-06 Hubbell Incorporated Systeme de conversion de tension et de protection actionne par lampe

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2693066B2 (ja) * 1991-11-07 1997-12-17 三洋電機株式会社 冷陰極放電管の放電始動装置

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR958142A (fr) * 1950-03-03
FR963793A (fr) * 1950-07-20
FR1557851A (fr) * 1968-01-02 1969-02-21
CH492378A (de) * 1966-02-01 1970-06-15 Gen Electric Elektrische Entladungslampe
DE2321063A1 (de) * 1973-04-26 1974-11-14 Walz Alfred Wechselstrombetriebsschaltung fuer gasentladungslampen, vorzugsweise mit konstantstrom-verhalten und zuendspannungserzeugung durch eine leistungsschwache gleichrichter-schaltung
US3983449A (en) * 1974-12-11 1976-09-28 Thorn Electrical Industries Limited Discharge lamp ballast circuits

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2297257A (en) * 1937-11-25 1942-09-29 Seitz Ernst Otto Alternating current discharge lamp

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR958142A (fr) * 1950-03-03
FR963793A (fr) * 1950-07-20
CH492378A (de) * 1966-02-01 1970-06-15 Gen Electric Elektrische Entladungslampe
FR1557851A (fr) * 1968-01-02 1969-02-21
DE2321063A1 (de) * 1973-04-26 1974-11-14 Walz Alfred Wechselstrombetriebsschaltung fuer gasentladungslampen, vorzugsweise mit konstantstrom-verhalten und zuendspannungserzeugung durch eine leistungsschwache gleichrichter-schaltung
US3983449A (en) * 1974-12-11 1976-09-28 Thorn Electrical Industries Limited Discharge lamp ballast circuits

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2139022A (en) * 1983-04-26 1984-10-31 Gen Electric Ballast circuit for lamps with low voltage gas discharge tubes
US4626745A (en) * 1983-04-26 1986-12-02 General Electric Company Ballast circuit for lamps with low voltage gas discharge tubes
DE3603084A1 (de) * 1986-02-01 1987-08-06 Korte Licht Schaltung zum betrieb einer leuchtstofflampe
EP1057370A1 (fr) * 1995-11-02 2000-12-06 Hubbell Incorporated Systeme de conversion de tension et de protection actionne par lampe
EP1057370A4 (fr) * 1995-11-02 2005-03-16 Hubbell Inc Systeme de conversion de tension et de protection actionne par lampe

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IE792212L (en) 1980-05-20
NO793708L (no) 1980-05-21
HU182982B (en) 1984-03-28
ZA796163B (en) 1980-10-29
FI793608A (fi) 1980-05-21
IE49213B1 (en) 1985-08-21
PT70469A (en) 1979-12-01
IN153361B (fr) 1984-07-07
DE2967166D1 (en) 1984-09-13
EP0011508B1 (fr) 1984-08-08
JPS55105993A (en) 1980-08-14
NZ192162A (en) 1983-02-15

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