US3514667A - Gas-filled discharge tube impulse control and operating apparatus - Google Patents

Gas-filled discharge tube impulse control and operating apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US3514667A
US3514667A US731413A US3514667DA US3514667A US 3514667 A US3514667 A US 3514667A US 731413 A US731413 A US 731413A US 3514667D A US3514667D A US 3514667DA US 3514667 A US3514667 A US 3514667A
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Prior art keywords
tube
voltage
control
discharge tube
rectifier
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Expired - Lifetime
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US731413A
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English (en)
Inventor
Roger Dessoulavy
Francois Riolo
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Bron Elektronik AG
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Bron Elektronik AG
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Priority claimed from DE19671589092 external-priority patent/DE1589092A1/de
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    • 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
    • H05B41/14—Circuit arrangements
    • H05B41/30—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by pulses, e.g. flash lamp

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a feeding apparatus for operating by impulses at least one gas-filled discharge tube, especially a Xenon tube, and a discharge tube for use in connection with such apparatus.
  • Discharge tubes filled with rare gases operate particularly advantageously when operated in an impulse circuit.
  • a condenser is periodically through the intervention of an inductance charged from an electric network, and subsequently the stored charge is discharged through the discharging tube.
  • the discharging tube with each discharging operation has again to be ignited, it is, as a rule, necessary to include a high voltage transformer in the discharge circuit for producing the ignition Voltage.
  • Apparatus built in conformity with this principle has a drawback of being heavy, bulky, and expensive in production, said drawbacks being primarily due to the required condensers and chokes.
  • the high voltage impulses passed through the feeding lines for the tubes transfer with the ordinary radio waves.
  • the discharge tubes in these known circuits either can be only fully turned on or fully turned off and therefore do not permit a control of the light intensity.
  • the light intensity greatly depends on the respective voltage of the electric network.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an electric circuit diagram for a feeding apparatus according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2. shows a feeding apparatus according to the in- Vention adapted to be connected to a three-phase network.
  • FIG. 3 shows a detail of the diagram according to FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating the operation of the feeding apparatus according to FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates an ignition device according to the present invention for a customary discharge tube.
  • the tube is connected to an alternating current network with a rectifier arrangement interposed while the heretofore customary energy storing elements, such as chokes or condensers are eliminated.
  • the rectifier arrangement consists at least in part, of controllable semi-conductors and of a control device adapted to make the semi-conductors conductive, said control device being adapted to vary the time delay relative to the respective zero points of the alternating network voltage.
  • controllable semi-conductors transistors or thyristors are utilized.
  • variable time delay of the control apparatus a phase control can be obtained which permits a variation of the light intensity within wide limits.
  • the ionizing condition of the discharge tube is not completely eliminated. It is rather intended in the discharge tubes to maintain a holding current which fiows in the same direction as the discharge impulses but is considerably less relative thereto.
  • parallel to the rectifier arrangement which contains the controllable semi-conductors there is provided at least one noncontrollable rectifier and one limiting resistor serially arranged with said rectifier while the resistance value of said resistor is so dimensioned that also during the blocking condition of the controllable semi-conductor a holding current can flow which will assure the ionizing condition.
  • auxiliary rectifiers serving for maintaining the holding current and the series resistor for said auxiliary rectifiers will form merely a parallel current path to the controllable semi-conductor elements.
  • FIG. 1 the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is intended for a one-phase operation ou an alternating current network of 220 volts, the phasing conductor of which is designated with the letter R, while its zero conductor is designated with the letter N.
  • the Xenon tube E is connectable directly to the alternating current network through the intervention of a controllable rectifier B while the heretofore customary condensers or chokes acting as energy storing means have been eliminated.
  • FIG. 1 the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is intended for a one-phase operation ou an alternating current network of 220 volts, the phasing conductor of which is designated with the letter R, while its zero conductor is designated with the letter N.
  • the Xenon tube E is connectable directly to the alternating current network through the intervention of a controllable rectifier B while the heretofore customary condensers or chokes acting as energy storing means have been eliminated.
  • the controllable rectifier bridge comprises two thyristors TH1 and THZ which may also be called controlled rectifiers, gated rectifiers, or silicon controlled rectifiers, and furthermore comprises two noncontrollable diodes D1 and D2 which together with the thyristor are connected in a Gratz circuit. They furnish to the diagonal points 10 and 11 of the bridge the feeding voltage for the discharging tube E.
  • Tube E has an igniting electrode Z which will be further described in connection with FIG. 5.
  • Said electrode Z eX- tends parallel to the vessel wall G surrounding the discharging path, and in communication with a high voltage igniting device D which is likewise connected to the alternating current network RN.
  • a control apparatus C which each time after a delaying time following the respective passage through the zero points of the network alternating voltage (said delaying time being indicated by Tv in FIG. 4) furnishes a release impulse to the control electrodes S1 and S2 of the thyristors TH1 and THZ and makes the same current conductive.
  • the alternately conductive thyristors feed impulse light discharge current I to the discharge tube E.
  • the current I flowing through the discharge tube E thus equals an impulse sequence with the frequency of 100 hertz, the thyristors turning off each time when the network voltage periodically reaches the value zero.
  • the control apparatus C for releasing the thyristors may in a manner known per se comprise a uni-junction transistor which is coupled to a monostable multi-vibrator with variable impulse duration which latter furnishes the adjustable delaying time Tv.
  • This delaying time may, in a manner known per se, be controlled by a variable voltage which makes possible a manual or automatic variation in the delaying time, and consequently a variation of the time medium value of the light intensity furnished by the discharging tube.
  • this control voltage may be so varied that the light intensity, also when the alternating voltage of the network is changed or when the light intensity of the discharge lamp decreases in view of age, a light intensity will be obtained which remains constant.
  • the shading apparatus In order to avoid that the discharging tube E will between two current impulses (indicated by shading lines in FIG. 4), lose the ionizing condition which, in turn, would result in the fact for the next current impulse the ionizing condition would have to be renewed by connecting the igniting electrode Z to high voltage, with the shading apparatus according to the invention care is taken to the effect that the ionizing condition between two successive discharging current impulses I cannot collapse.
  • this auxiliary rectifier may be built up by an arrangement according to which parallel to one of the thyristors and in the same passage direction as the latter there is provided a non-controllable rectifier D10, D11.
  • This rectifier together with a series resistor R1, R2 forms a shunt to the thyristor which will assure said holding current as long as said thyristor during the variable delaying time T, remains in its blocking condition.
  • the feeding apparatus is employed which is shown in FIG. 2 and intended for a three-phase circuit.
  • This feeding apparatus furnishes a symmetric load of the three-phase network determined by its three-phase conductors R, S, T.
  • the feeding apparatus comprises three controllable rectiers, namely, the three thyristors TH1, THZ, and THS, which together with the three non-controllable rectifiers D4, D5 and D6, in the form of a threephase bridge are connected with the phase conductors of the three-phase network.
  • Each of the three thyristors may, by means of a control device, not shown in FIG. 2, be released with a variable time delay relative to the phase voltage thereon, and will then yield a discharge current impulse I in discharge tube E as illustrated in FIG. 4.
  • the release of the thyristors may be varied by a direct current or a direct voltage which acts upon three uni-junction triggers respectively connected to a thyristor.
  • the holding current for maintaining the ionizing condition in the discharge tube is, in a simple manner, produced by providing in parallel to each of the thyristors a diode D10, D11, D12, respectively with a series resistor R1, R2, and R3.
  • the employed voltages are sufficiently high to feed two discharge tubes E in series.
  • a high voltage starting device which is shown in FIG.
  • the auxiliary voltage source H may be switched off.
  • the diode D7 will then operate in conductive condition and will be passed through by the same current as the discharge tube E.
  • Such outer igniting system as shown in FIG. 5 can be realized in a simple manner so that the xenon tubes on the market can be employed without -material changes.
  • Tests have shown that the ignition which brings about the ionizing can very well be realized by sending impulses at high voltage of, for instance, from 6 to 8 kv. to a thin electrode which is arranged along its length on the outside of the tube vessel.
  • a thin electrode which is arranged along its length on the outside of the tube vessel.
  • Such vessel of a Xenon pipe which surrounds the discharging path of the tube is illustrated at 20 in FIG. 5.
  • the xenon tube is mounted in a reflector 21.
  • igniting electrode there may be employed a band 22 of stainless steel ywhich at its ends is connected in glass passages 23 and 24 and the central section of which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the Xenon tube.
  • the series diode D7 has its anode connected to one of the electrodes of the discharge tube E, whereas its cathode leads to the interconnected anodes of three rectifiers D4, D5, D6, respectively connected to a phase conductor R, S, T, of a three-phase network.
  • two discharge lamps can be arranged in series with regard to each other without endangering the diodes D4, D5, D6, by the igniting voltage requiring during the starting period and furnished by the auxiliary voltage source H.
  • the auxiliary voltage source may be continuously connected. Inasmuch as the starter always on one side is located to a zero potential, practically no special safety steps and devices are necessary.
  • control element K With reference to the control of the multivibrator, indicated at C in FIG. 1, a control element K is shown connected thereto. As explained, control element K could be in the form of a manually adjustable circuit component of the multivibrator, or it could be under the control of the voltage of the alternating current supply.
  • control element K could be light sensitive so as to respond to the amount of light emanating from the xenon tube or tubes.
  • control element K When control element K is sensitive to the supply voltage or to light falling thereon, it can serve to maintain the emanated light substantially constant.
  • the manual control of the amount of light from the tubes and the automatic control to maintain the adjusted amount of light substantially constant could, of course, be confined into a single control device, if so desired.
  • a circuit for controlling the operation of a gas discharge Xenon tube having terminals; Ian alternating current supply line, rectifier means in series with the terminals of said tube and said supply line, said rectifier means comprising controllable rectifier elements having control terminal means, impulse generating means connected to said control terminal means and operable to supply impulses to said control terminal means, said impulse generating means including control means operable for determining the time delay between a zero point of the alternating current supplied to said rectifier means and the rise of the respective impulse to said control terminal means, and ignition means for said tube.
  • a circuit according to claim 1 in which said rectifier means forms a bridge with the alternating current supply being connected to opposite corners and diagonally paired terminals thereof, and said rectifier means in each of two adjacent legs of the bridge Iare connected to other diagonal corners thereof.
  • a circuit according to claim 2 in which a diode is connected in parallel with each said rectifier means, and a resistor is in series with each diode, the resistor being of such a size as to maintain ionizing current in said tube during off periods of said rectifier means.
  • a circuit according to claim 4 which includes a further diode serially connected to one terminal of said tube, and a source of ignitng voltage connected between said one terminal of said tube and said ignitng electrode.
  • said alternating current supply is polyphase, and has a plurality of phase wires and a neutral wire; said rectifier means comprising a said controlled rectifier element between each phase wire and one of the terminals of said tube, a diode and a resistor in series therewith connected in parallel with each controlled rectifier element, a further diode having one side connected to the other terminal of said tube, another further diode connected between the other side of said further diode and each of said phase wires, said ignitng means comprising an ignitng electrode outside said tube, and a source of ignitng voltage connected between said ignitng electrode andthe said other terminal of said tube.
  • said impulse generating means comprises a monostable multivibrator having its -output side connected to said control terminal means.

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US731413A 1967-05-24 1968-05-23 Gas-filled discharge tube impulse control and operating apparatus Expired - Lifetime US3514667A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19671589092 DE1589092A1 (de) 1967-05-24 1967-05-24 Speisegeraet zum impulsweisen Betrieb wenigstens einer gasgefuellten Entladungsroehre und Entladungsroehre zum Betrieb mit einem derartigen Speisegeraet

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US (1) US3514667A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR1566038A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1228642A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3833761A (en) * 1971-07-12 1974-09-03 Int Scanatron Syst Corp Fluorescent lamp system for facsimile
US3890540A (en) * 1974-02-19 1975-06-17 John Ott Lab Inc Apparatus for operating gaseous discharge lamps on direct current from a source of alternating current
JPS5110681A (en) * 1974-07-16 1976-01-28 Tetsutaro Mori Senkohodenkanno tentokairo
US4004188A (en) * 1975-09-26 1977-01-18 General Electric Company Starting circuit for inverter operated gaseous discharge lamps
US4004184A (en) * 1974-02-19 1977-01-18 John Ott Laboratories, Inc. Apparatus for operating gaseous discharge lamps on direct current from a source of alternating current
US4626746A (en) * 1982-07-26 1986-12-02 Andrew Zaderej Power control circuit

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2117192B (en) * 1982-02-26 1986-01-02 Transtar Limited Lamp control circuit

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3156826A (en) * 1961-06-14 1964-11-10 Engelhard Hanovia Inc Light communication system employing superimposed currents applied to a high intensity light source
US3235769A (en) * 1962-12-27 1966-02-15 Gen Electric Starting circuit for discharge lamps
US3265930A (en) * 1962-05-03 1966-08-09 Gen Electric Current level switching apparatus for operating electric discharge lamps
US3323012A (en) * 1963-04-04 1967-05-30 Caps Res Ltd Superposed high frequeny starting circuit for discharge lamp
US3358186A (en) * 1962-12-30 1967-12-12 Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Dimmer for electric lamps
US3361931A (en) * 1965-01-11 1968-01-02 Mc Graw Edison Co Photocontrol device for gaseous discharge lamps
US3454865A (en) * 1966-09-27 1969-07-08 Charles A Ellert High voltage reducing circuit using low voltage silicon controlled rectifier

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3156826A (en) * 1961-06-14 1964-11-10 Engelhard Hanovia Inc Light communication system employing superimposed currents applied to a high intensity light source
US3265930A (en) * 1962-05-03 1966-08-09 Gen Electric Current level switching apparatus for operating electric discharge lamps
US3235769A (en) * 1962-12-27 1966-02-15 Gen Electric Starting circuit for discharge lamps
US3358186A (en) * 1962-12-30 1967-12-12 Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Dimmer for electric lamps
US3323012A (en) * 1963-04-04 1967-05-30 Caps Res Ltd Superposed high frequeny starting circuit for discharge lamp
US3361931A (en) * 1965-01-11 1968-01-02 Mc Graw Edison Co Photocontrol device for gaseous discharge lamps
US3454865A (en) * 1966-09-27 1969-07-08 Charles A Ellert High voltage reducing circuit using low voltage silicon controlled rectifier

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3833761A (en) * 1971-07-12 1974-09-03 Int Scanatron Syst Corp Fluorescent lamp system for facsimile
US3890540A (en) * 1974-02-19 1975-06-17 John Ott Lab Inc Apparatus for operating gaseous discharge lamps on direct current from a source of alternating current
US4004184A (en) * 1974-02-19 1977-01-18 John Ott Laboratories, Inc. Apparatus for operating gaseous discharge lamps on direct current from a source of alternating current
JPS5110681A (en) * 1974-07-16 1976-01-28 Tetsutaro Mori Senkohodenkanno tentokairo
US4004188A (en) * 1975-09-26 1977-01-18 General Electric Company Starting circuit for inverter operated gaseous discharge lamps
US4626746A (en) * 1982-07-26 1986-12-02 Andrew Zaderej Power control circuit

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GB1228642A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-04-15
FR1566038A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1969-05-02

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