GB551706A - Improvements in or relating to circuit arrangements for gaseous electric discharge devices - Google Patents

Abstract

551,706. Supply to gaseous discharge lamps. WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC INTERNATIONAL CO. Sept. 17, 1941, No. 11910. Convention date; Oct. 1, 1940. [Class 38 (iv)]. A starting and operating circuit for a gaseous discharge lamp with preheating of the electrodes 6, 7 controlled by a glow thermal relay tube 13 consists of a series circuit from the domestic supply through an inductance 10 and capacitator 9, through the electrode 6, the relay 13 and electrode 7 back to the supply: This circuit gives a leading power factor and according to the invention a saturable reactor 14 is' connected in parallel with the lamp, and its constant in association with those of 9 and 10 are so chosen that during the starting period with the relay 13 open it becomes saturated and its inductance,falls to a low value ; a high peak voltage is developed across it sufficient to produce a glow discharge in the relay 13 and cause its closure. The resulting drop of voltage across 14 causes the glow discharge to cease . and when the relay cools down, while the electrodes are being heated, it opens giving the necessary " kick " to start the discharge and leaving the reactance in circuit at a high value in its unsaturated state. An additional lamp in a circuit with a lagging power-factor may be connected between the electrode 6 and the full winding of a high-leakage auto-transformer.