Electronic Ballast

Electronic Ballast End of Life : Economical Electronic Ballasts : For small tube diameter and high tube voltage, T5 Fluorescent Lamps have to be driven by a really compatible electronic ballast which would get advantage to achieve energy saving. In another word, the compatible electronic ballast must comply with EMC and necessary protection function for abnormal conditions to ensure the safety.

Standard electronic Ballasts : Cut-Off technology Before the lamp is really ignited, to warm up the cathode is an advantageous process of preheating. That helps the electronic powder to not be over-sputtered when light being started. That would also prevent excessively turning black at the end of tube and can extend lamp life through increasing tunes if starting cycles. The filament warm up current sometimes can not be completely cut off after lamps started. As a result, the filament load is increased. The CUT-OFF technology can efficiently reduce filament load more than 20%, extend the lamp life. It also improves lumen of fluorescent lamp and efficiency of lighting.

Professional Electronic Ballasts : Electronic ballast of constant power, within the range of rated supply voltage, can ensure the constant output characteristics, maintain steady brightness and ensure the continuity and stability of lighting. Multi-power electronic ballast refers to that one type of electronic ballast can automatically fit tubes of different power. For various kinds of luminaries nowadays, that is a technical change to “one for one” electronic ballast. The professional ballast adopts professional integrated circuit to automatically adjust output parameters and ensure the nominal luminaries operated in the best state. The fool type brings convenience for customers from difficult choosing in multi types of ballast. At the same time, customers can save much cost on purchase, logistics, equipments as well as stock. This product is especially suitable for the place replacing luminaries frequently, such as light manufacturer and conditions for testing different lights. This professional electronic ballast, a multi-power product of programmed preheating, cut-off, EOL and constant output power, whose designed life can reach over 50,000 hours, is suitable for high-end customers.

The electronic ballasts have protection circuit for abnormal operating conditions, when lamps do not start or completely rectification effect occurs, the inner protection circuit of ballast can automatically turn into a state of protection. But in the event of “end of life effect”. Most ballast do not have such protection. The EOL technology has avoided any security failures of lights and ballasts.

In practical application, the end of a lamp results from that electron emission from one cathode is deficient while another one is still in order, which leads that electric arc is often inconsistent in successive semi cycle. Tubes need a continual higher voltage to be lit up, thus cause lamp flicker and flicker. At the same time, the super-energy of power output of electronic ballasts mostly takes effect on tubes, on account of that this energy focuses on the cathode of small volume – especially for the tube T5 of smaller diameter. So that filament and funnel-shaped glass burn out, temperature rise of lamp going up leads lamp holder intenerating. What’s worse, the glass wall of lamp would suddenly heat and crack. The above phenomenon is likely to make tube fall off and injure persons. Pre-Heating Technology : In the process of lamp starting, that precise controlling technology for tube voltage and filament current, provides appropriate starting energy for lamps. After a certain period of ignition, lamps can not discharge by the reason of no electron emission on cathode. Concretely speaking, that is caused by lamps of end of life, the electronic power has almost used up, therefore lamp life is short because the electronic power consumes quickly, and the consumption of electronic power is cue to positive ion sputtering in the process of lamp starting. Before modern electronic ballasts starting lamps, electronic power from cathode suffers differently sputtering with different pre-heating technology. By testing, a large number of electronic ballasts have consumed the electronic power from cathode after switching 6,000 times. However, the programmed preheating technology will not damage the cathode even switching 20,000 times, what’s more, the electronic ballasts for railway and bus can switch 30,000 times. Through precise frequency control and module control, could preheat filament completely, impact on filament in the process of starting can be reduced and preheating energy completely comply with IEC60929 and lamp life has significantly extended.

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Save Energy and Money, More Efficient and More Reliable : Compared to traditional ballasts, in addition to having all the functions of magnetic ballasts, the electronic ballasts have more outstanding characteristics. Low power consumption, increasing light output and improving light efficiency. Under a frequency of 50Hz/60Hz on AC, light impedance has been changing constantly in the cycle of AC supply, resulting in non-sine voltage, current wave from and harmonics. When using electronic ballast, the ionized state in the lamp will not change rapidly with the lamp current, thus almost constant plasma density and light impedance are formed in the entire cycle. The light efficiency of fluorescent lamp driven by electronic ballast, is 10%~20% better compared with magnetic ballast. The power factor of magnetic ballast is only 0.5~0.6, while that of electronic ballast can reach 0.98, and professional series even reach 0.99 Can be easily started, having good start function, no flicker and repeated starting, which extends lamp life.

Dimmable Electronic Ballasts Undertaking the reliable and stable quality of non-dimming electronic ballast, the series of this dimmable electronic ballast designed according to IEC61347-1, IEC61347-2-3, EN60929, IEC61000-3-2, EN55015, EN61547, not only integrate programmed preheating, EOL protection, Cut-off technology, lamps adoption function and etc., but also have features of comfortable light and controllability.

Electronic Ballast in Multiple Unit Train, Bus and Boats : The rail transportation of urban in the future will consist of “metro+light rail+MU train of suburb”, forming a three-dimensional traffic network from inside to outside, diffluenting layer upon layer. That population and MU at suburb. The merits of this network are : the crowd time and can deal with uncertain flow; fast MU can greatly short travel time to remote outskirts. MU can run in small groups of high density, with advantages of good safety performance, large capacity, less pollution, energy saving, needs not change head out and home and has its own power, which enjoys a favor home and abroad and takes prise of “the new darling” of transportation at 21st century.

Emergency Lighting Controllers Applied for fluorescent luminaries, such as, grille lamp, frame lights, ceiling lamps, tri-proof light and etc., which is the best choice of emergency lighting in public. When the normal lighting stop working, emergency lighting is provided for substitute.

Common Malfunctions and Disposal Methods of Electronic Ballasts Ballasts are installed in fixtures to drive the lamps, and should be in the state of power-off while obviating malfunctions or replacing lamps. Malfunction : rolling light in lamps Reason and disposal method : it is normal phenomenon which usually happens when the environment or lamps temperature are lower, and it can be obviated after lamps working for a longer time. Malfunction : bright in both ends but dark in the middle of tube Reason and disposal method : it is normal phenomenon which usually happens when the environment or lamps temperature are lower, and it can be obviated after lamps working for a longer time. Malfunction : glare in lamps Reason and disposal method: that is for the lamps having not been aged completely before leaving the factory. At this time, we should switch on and off several times to activate lamp completely. If glare still remains, the lamps should be replaced immediately, or electronic ballasts will be damaged Malfunction : lamps not working at all Disposal method : please take the five steps as follows, 1. Power off 2. Replace lamp -> if still no working 3. waiting for 2 minutes and then re-connect power on 4. Check to make sure that every contact between lamps and socket are not loosing off 5. If those are, re-set those contacts 6. Check whether the connection between ballast and lamps socket are correctly mounted 7. If neither above disposals are not workable, replace ballast is recommended

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Malfunction : large numbers of lamps not working Reason and disposal method : Examine fixture input power in installation site carefully.

Caution for installation and Operation of Electronic Ballasts ＊

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Stability of supply voltage : examining whether temporary power is supplied to lights. And whether high-power construction equipment – such as electric welder, cutting machine, motor etc are loaded in the same lighting wire. If the temporary power is supplied in the construction sites without surge voltage protector, higher instant surge current produce by high-power equipments would damage the electronic ballasts. Checking supply voltage’s normally (power distribution) : measuring the supply voltage and examining the connecting wires of switchboard. Lighting electricity shares one phase from dynamic electricity, when the neutral line (zero line) invalidly, one of three phases power loads much larger than the other two, which resulting in an imbalance phase and the lighting power voltage power voltage up to 380V, thus damaged the ballast. Checking whether the lights are grounded reliably : testing the surface of ballast shells by electrical pen whether it has electricity on that, if not grounded reliably, the interference signal would lead to ballasts working abnormally and bring safety problem for human.

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The wiring ways of input and output include terminals and wires, and the wires should be chosen according to wire diameter range printed on the electronic ballasts labels, which should be of safety marking. Lamp should be chosen according to lamp type and number indicated on electronic ballast label. Wires should be connected correctly in the light of wiring diagram of electronic ballast label. For the view of safety, the electronic ballasts should be earthed reliably. On taking dielectric strength test in lights assembly plants, that should be done from output side to input side in order to avoid damaging the electronic ballasts for output lines and lights short circuited. In the lights fabricating yard, lights power line and large scale equipments – electric welder, motor etc should abstain to share one power line, otherwise the higher instant surge current produced by on/off of large scale equipments would damage the electronic ballasts. When using electronic dimming ballasts, the new lamps in advised to operate at least 100 hours under the condition of 100% light output. The warranty is not applicable to any electronic ballast which has not been installed and operated in accordance with its specifications and connection diagrams.

Electronic Ballast

Economic Electronic Ballasts for T5 Fluorescent Lamps Introduction & Wire Diagram : General information about Economic Electronic Ballasts for T5 Fluorescent Lamps : Rated voltage : AC 220-240V 50/60Hz Starting type : Pre-heat Power Factor 0.98 THD