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IhtORY OF OPFRATION
LAIVPCONSTFUCTION . . . . .
Bubs.
Phosphors
Electrodes
..
l l
2 3 3
..
FLUOqFSCI-NT IAIVPS Ballasts Class P Bal asts ........ f ectronic Ba lasts Preheal Circurs....
. .
10
12 3 13 3 4
Bases ..
LLUIVINATION CHARACTERISTICS OF LAMPS
I
.3 .3 .4 .4
Glow Switch Starters ..... Manual Reset Cutout Starters ...... Automatic Resel Slane's Instant SranC rcuits ... Trigger Start Circl s Rapio Sran C rcLits Interchangeab Iity of 40 Watt Lamps La.rpho ders
. .
Starlers.......
14 14
t5
15
t6
16
I6
17
.,,,
.6
6
Preheat I amps Twin Tube I a^lps Sllmline (lnstant Start) Lamps Fapid Stan Lamps Bapid Start High Output Lamps Rapid Start Very High Output Lamps VHO Or,tdoor Larps . SuperSaver I amps SuperSaver P/us I amps The Ocrror Lamp . Wealle-Shielded Lamps Circ ire lamps Curva u-e Lamps .. Reflector Lamps
.6
7
lsrpLfe
18
1B
.
.1
7
Life . . .
.7
.B
8
Lurren Mairle^ance
fect o'Ie-nperdl-re Eflecto'Hurr d ry .....
Ef
18 19 19 .t 9
20
2A
21 21
.B
9 9
..
.
I I
Blac<lrghlLarrps.. ...
Germic dal
Laaps
10 10 10 10
St oboscopic L'{ect Direcl Currenl Operatior lnverter Bal asl ... ..... Di'nming Flas'r'ng
.
21
Radiolnterlerence
....
22 22 22 23 23
THEORY OF OPERATION
The pr nciple of rght product on n the f uorescent amp was known to sc ence for many years before rt was applied in a practical ight source just as the principle of the incandescent lamp was known for many years before the rnvention by Thomas Edison of a practica lamp of that type. The first practcal fuorescent amp was introduced in 1938 The fluorescent larnp is an electr c dlscharge devlce which utllizes a ow pressure mercury vapor arc to generate u tra v olet (plus a ittevisb e) energy The u tra vio et energy s absorbed by a phosphor coat on the inslde of the glass tube and converted by the phosphor to visible wave engths, the wavelengths of the ight generated are determ ned by the compos tion of the phosphor. ln addltion to the small amount of mercury vapor the fuorescent tube contans an atmosphere of an inert gas usua ly argon, krypton, neon, or a m xture of two or more of these gases.
The pressure of the gases contarned in the amp is very 1ow, usua ly f rom 2 to 3 torr Atmospher c p ressu re is 760 torr
electrons settle back to their normal orbits and release energy they have absorbed in the collision. The energy re eased s primar 1y in the form of ultra-violet rad ation at a wavelength ot 253.7 nanometers. Sma amounts of b ackl aht plus visible wave engths of vrolet, blue green and yeilow are a so re eased. This ultravio et energy is converted into vis b e light by the phosphors which have the abi ity to absorb the ultrav olet energy and re-radiate it at longer wavelengths that can be seen as vrsible light. In other words, the phosphors are excited to fluorescence by u travio et energy of the proper wave ength. The co or of the vis b e light produced depends on the chemical composition of the phosphor coatlng on the nside of the glass tube.
ULTRAVIOLET RADIAT ON
HOTCATHODE ELECTRON
Figure
1
MERCURY ATOM
A tungsten coi (cathode) coated wrth an e ectron em ss ve mater al s sea ed rnto each end of the amp. F g. 1 shows the construction and lustrates the operation of a typica f uorescent amp
When a fluorescent lamp s first turned on start ing vo tage passing an e ectric current through the e ectrodes heats thenr caus ng their emrs slve coat ng materia to release electrons. ln add tion to the thermally re eased e ectrons, there are a so e ectrons re eased by the f eld dif ference between e ectrodes. These e ectrons travel at high speed from one eectrode to the other, estab ishing an e ectrc discharge or arc through the mercury vapor. The amp is qurckly heated, ncreasing the mercury vapor pressure to the most eff cient value.
LAMP CONSTRUCTION
The basic parts of a typ ca hot cathode fluorescent lamp are shown in Figure 2 A though there are rnany s zes and several shapes of fluorescent amps the most common y used types have a tubu ar glass envelope w th an electrode and base at each end. n addltion to mercury, the tube contains a sma I amount of argon or a m xture of lnert gases, and has a phosphor coating. BULBS The bulb shape and size of a fluorescent lamp are expressed by means of a code consist ng of the etter "T" (which designates that the bulb ls tubular in shape) fo lowed by a number whlch expresses the d ameter of the bu b in e ghths of an inch. They vary n diameter f rom T-5 (5/B inch) lo T-17 (211a inches). 1n nom na overallength, fluorescent amps range from 6 to 96 inches, which s a ways measured from back of lamp-
An arc of this nature enclosed in a g ass tube has certaln character stics that vary with the type of gas used, the nternal gas pressure and the voltage applied to the e ectrodes. The malor characteristc rs the producton of vsibe lght and u tra-violet energy. Col is ons between the fast-moving electrons from the electrodes and the mercury atoms knock mercury atom e ectrons out of the r orb ts. Part of these d sp aced
PHOSPHOR Usually straight g ass tube May also be circular or U shaped Coating insrde the bulb lransiorrrs ullravio et radialion inlo
CATHODE
Hot
EXHAUST TUBE Air is exhausted through th s tube during rnanufacture and nerl gas nlroduced nlo the bulb.
visible lighl. Co or
oi
lamp is coated wllh em ssive malerialwh ch em ls -oLeclrons Usually made ol co ed coil or srngle coiltungsten w re
GAS
STEM PBESS
IN W BES
aced
ihe bu b to
Usually argon or a mixture ol nert gasses at low pressure. Kryplon s sometrmes used.
Thelead-nwres
have an air lrght sea here and are made ol Dumel wire to assure about lhe same coef|cient of expansion as the g ass.
Connect io the base pins and carry the currenl lo and from lhe calhodes and lhe mercury arc
actua overa ength of the 40 walt rapid start T12, 48 inch lamp s 47-% nches Circ ine lamps, which are c rcular, are avallable in flve sizes: 6r/z rnches B inches, l0 inches, 12 inches and 16 lnches outside dlameter. There are a so U shaped f uorescent types(Curva ume'.)with T-B and f 12 tubes. U shaped types are measured for the distance between the ends. The overall ength ls measured from the face of lhe bases
to the ouls de of the glass bend.
Some of the newer tluorescent colors are ach eved w th the use of expensrve rare earth phosphors. By blend ng the pr mary co ors of blue, green and red one can obta n near y any desirab e shade of 'while" with good color rendering and hlgh eff cacy Roya Wh te Llte White DeLuxe Warm lite DeLuxe and lhe Octron colors are arnong those us ng th s new techno ogy ln order to utilize t.hese expens ve rare earth phosphors econornicaliy, Sy vania developed and ntroduced double coat phosphor techno ogy which al ows the achlevement of desirable character stics of the rare earth phosphors at a reasonab e cost Figure 3 ll ustrates these coating methods.
PHOSPHORS The color or wavelengths of the ight produced by a fluorescent Lamp depends on the chemlca composition of the phosphor coating used on the inside of the bu b. By comblning drfferent phosphors in varyrng proportlons, it s possib e to produce amps rn a wide variety of colors. Lamp colors currently avai able nclude many shades of white as we I as blue green, p nk and red. Other fluorescent amps are designed with phosphors that generate the co ors of ight that are most stimulating to p ant growth. Stll others have a phosphor known as 35OBL whlch produces near uitrav olet in the b acklight band for activating f uorescent and phosphorescent mater als. Sim ar-s ze amps of al colors are basrca y the same except for the coating, and they al appear white when not lghted. Exceptions: god, red and incandescent fuorescent amps which are coated wlth co ored p gments on the inside of the bu bs before the phosphors are app ed. Blacklight blue lamps are made with a special glass which fllters the visible ight that regular blacklight lamps emit.
?
SINGLE COAT
DOUBLE COAT
HALOPHOSPHOR
HALOPHOSPHOR
ELECTRODES
The electrode at each end of a f uorescent lamp
BASES
The bases used on fluorescent lamps are shown in Frgure 4. For Preheat and Fapid Start amps. four e ectr cal contacts are requ red, two at each
rs generally a coated corled-cot or triple coil tungsten wire. The coat ng on the tungsten w re ls an em ss ve rnater a (bar um, stront um and calcium ox de) wh ch emits e ectrons when healed to an operat ng temperature of about 950'C At th s temperature e ectrons are g ven off f ree y w th on y a sma wattage oss at each cathode. (See SuperSaver P/us) Th s process is ca led thermionic emission because the heat is more respons b e for the em sslon of e ectrons than s the vo tage. An e eclrode of th s des gn s called a 'hot cathode" (see F gure 2). Th s type of cathode lowers the starting vo tage required lo str ke the arc.
end of the lamp This is accomp shed in the standard lne of amps by uslng a b p n base at
each end. There are three sizes: minlature b p n for the T 5 buibs, medium b p n for the T-B and T12 bu bsand mogul b p n for theT-17 bu bs ln Circ ine lamps, the cathodes are connected to a four-p n base ocated between the lunctio r of the two ends of the amp High Output and Very H gh Output amps have recessed double contact type bases. S m ne (lnstant Start) amps require on y two e ectrica contacts, one at each amp e^d ard l-d\tr s rg e p r oa)eb
SINGI E PIN
(T 6
E?
SLIMLINE)
(MINIATURE T 5
(T B SLIMLINE)
B PN
LAMP)
lIVIEDIUM T 12 LAMP)
power consumed (watts). it s abbrev ated LPW (lurnens per watt). lt is common practice to com pare f uorescent and incandescent amps n this way, but to make a more accurate compar son the fluorescent amp should inciude ba ast watt age. Standard bipin amps have efficacies (not nclud ng bal ast osses) that range from 24 to 103 umens per watt dependlng on bulb size co or and amp current f requency. S imllne amps range f rom 48 to 84 umens per wattr H gh Output types from 40 to 84 and Very High Out put from 45 to 75 umens per watt. For the same color and amp type, umens per watt produced are greater for a long amp than for a short amp This s true because the power consumed at the electrodes ls the same regardless of the length of the lamp.
RECESSED
4.PIN (clRCLrNE)
ENERGY DISTRIBUTION
Approximately 60 percent of the lnput energy n a cool white f uorescent lamp is converted directly into ultraviolet, with 38 percent going tnto heat and 2 percent into visib e light, as shown rn Figure 5. The standard phosphor changes about 21 percent of the u travio et into vlsible I ght with the remaining 39 percent converted to heat. The 23 percent conversion of energy into light Jor a 4O-watt fluorescent amp is approx mately twice the percentage of a 300-watt incandescent larnp, which changes only 1l percent of the input energy into light. The production of 36 percent infrared compares with 69 percent for a 30O-watt incandescent.
INPUT ENERGY
100%
ln F gures 7-12 the power n each 10 nanometer band is shown plotted aga nst wave ength for Sy vania 40 watt fluorescent lamps. For convenence in representatlon the power in the mercury ines are shown as bands I0 nanometers wide
centered about the actual wavelengths involved. The power n the mercury lines is small compared to that from the continuous rad atron. The area under the curves, p us the mercury ines represent the tota power output of the amps. By div d ng the spectrum nto arbitrary color bands, as in Table l, the power in each band can be calculated. Mercury Ines have been inc uded in this calculation. For spectra power d stribut on curves for other f uorescent colors refer to Engtneering Bulletin 0-238. should be remembered that ne ther the curves nor Tab e I indicate how oblect co ors w ook when ighted by the varous sources. A ght source may ook wh te and make wh te olljects ook white yet render co ors poorly Coo White, Warm Wh te, White and Day ight are standard white co ors, they have high efficacy and color rendrtion suitable for most appl cations in ndustry, genera office areas and schoo s. Where t s desirable to give co ored oblects and complexions a more natural and compl rnentary appearance Coo Wh te Deluxe, Warm White De uxe Naturai, Roya Wh le or Octron colors (31K and 41K) should be used When a close approxrmation of the incandescent amp co or ls wanted, the incandescent fluorescent amp color s recommended. Since the human eye s ess sens tive to red energy, whtch makes up a higher percentacle of the power from De uxe amps, such amps produce about 30 percent less v sib e ght than the standard lamps A quick reading of F-igure 6 (the eye sens t vity curve) shows that the eye s more sensitve, or responds better, to some colors (green, ye1 ow) than oth-ors (b ue. red); therefore, more energy must be expended to lum nate the color red than to I luminate the co or ye ow for equal br ghtness (ll uminat on). Thrs iumen d fference, however does not usua y appear as drast c because of the increased vividness of the colors u nder De uxe lamps.
It
I ". I
I
INFBAF]ED 36%
HEAT 77o.
:o zw
/
LIGHT 9.3W
+
Convected & Conducted HEAT
414/"
SPECTRAL POWER DISTRIBUTION CURVES The spectral power emission from a f uorescent lamp is of two krnds: (1) the continuous spectrum which is emitted by the f uorescent power and (2) the narrow bands of energy g ven off by the mercury arc itse f at 365.0 (black ight) 404.7 (violet), 435 8 (bue),546 1 (green) and 5780 (ye low)
TABLE
34W T-12
Llte White
40w T12
RoyalWhite
40w T12
Cool Wh te
Del!xe
40w T12
Daylight
Nanorneters
et
watts
24
watts
watts
watts
watts
"/,
1.5
,{atts
"/"
/vatts
25
28
"/"
,vatts
llllrav o
<
380
30
3B
?2
41
Voet
Bue
(ireen
Ye low
0 ra nge
380-430
3l 147
27 49
45
52 0 16
33
119
25.8 9.2
1l
7.6
21 .A
013 046
019
21
34
3B
14.2
29
a7?
l.98
52
r31 206 ?35
24.3
0B/
?54
132
1?A
s6
280
4
29 42
153
19 6
430 490 490 560 560 590 590 630 630 700
Total
132
160
r93
21 6 13 u
103
15
104
r90
2i5
13.7
?29 108
223
BO
235 174
180
249 2l
I tl
266
l8
17
206
Bed
55 11 76 88 0 Bl 52 69 94 B6 L03 118 447 B] 8 10 00% 8.29 00% 866 00% 9.45 00% 8.76 00% 908 00"" 734 00% 7.80 00%
3.1 0
35B
r69
213
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BL
L]E I GFEEN I
YFL
L]J
3
Lrl
08 o7
0.6
CURVE
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r.o
3 z 3
O
[] o z
I
r n
-1
oe oo
o.+
\ \
f F
o+ E ul ffos F
oz
? -
02
OT
V
650
650
X3 841
3909
3050
0I tl !lENS
p
ir o z
Lll
0B u/
0.6
9
LU
os
0.4
II
'l
A
\
fi F
k
oe 02
0.1
1- v
650
l_ U
Ju '!-_
NAI']OMETEBS
0.3
x=.4
98Y
.4062
15
(-)
>
a.2
10
o q
I 'a
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A JIJ
NANOMETERS
^J
.4129
\^A750
o
CE
01
x=
)07
I
0.0 300
ft
JUI.
500
600
NANOMETERS
desk lamps, in which the start ng is done by depressing a manual start button for a lew seconds and releasing it to start the amp.
2AA
300
400
rL Jl., t"*
500
700
NANOMETERS
All Preheat amps have b p n bases They range in power from 4 to 90 watts and rn ength from 6 nches to 60 nches. The amp order ng abbre viat on rdentlfies preheat lamps by wattage bulb dlameter (e ghths of an inch) and color. For ex ample, the F20T12/CWX is a 20 watt 1 r/z inch diameter Cool White Deluxe lamp
l\,4in
n4
The or oinal fluorescent amps introduced in 1938 wertr of rl-e prehedl lype .eqL.irg scparate starters. The starter suppi es several sec onds of current fow through the cathodes to preheat them between the t me the amp is turned on and the time the amp ights. The
cathodes are preheated to em t e ectrons to aid in the strlking of the arc at a lower voltage. The starter is usua y of an automatic type which applies current to the cathodes to preheat them; then automatically opens to stop the current flow. Th s al ows f ull vo tage to be applied across the two cathodes, thus strking the arc. There are some preheat systems, such as f uorescent
6
6 , 8 and 13-watt sizes. They are used as inspec tion lights on benches and machines and tn make-up mirrors and other appl cat ons where smal , high-efficacy lamps are desired Lamps w th T-B bulbs are employed n showcase I ghl ng equlpment, portab e desk lamps and reprographic systems
TWIN TUBE
An advanced compact fluorescent lamp, the Twin Tube, s a sma I sing e-ended ow-wattage type made with a bent tube conf guration. Th s new f uorescent type contains a starter in the
base, and ls made in 5-, 7-, 9- and l3-watt sizes. The Twln Tube lamp's correlated color tempera ture of 2700K makes it comparable to ow wattage ncandescent types used for the same app ications (its color render ng index is 81).
with preheat amps These lamps operate without sta(ers. The ba ast prov des a high enough vo tage to strike the arc nstant y. Since
starters are not requ red, the light ng system and ma nlenance are s mp fied. Because Slim ne lamps do not require preheat ng, only a s ngle p n base s required for each end.
Co or Rapid Start amp HoweveT the 30 watt Rap d Start amp has a comp ete order ng abbreviation such as F30I12iCWX1RS Standard Rap d Start amps are avai able | 25-,32- 34 and 40 watt sizes, wlth engths of 36 inches (25 , 30 , 32 and 34 watt slzes) and 48 nches (40 watt s ze) with spe cia ty lamps avallab e in sma er sizes. A si icone coatrng s app ied to a Rapid Start amps to prov de re iab e startlng condit ons of h gh humidity.
ter Natura
Slim ne amps range in power from 21 to 75 watts and in length from 24 inches to 96 inches Because S m ne amps can be operated at more than one current and wattage the lamp order ng abbreviat on ident f es them by amp ength instead of wattage. For examp e the F96Tl2/CW is a 96 inch ong 1 r,,2 inch dlanieter Cool Wh te S lml ne fluorescent amp. The fact that it ls rated 75 watts for norma operatron does not appear in the ordering abbrev at on.
The 4o-Watt nstant Start amps use a med um bipin base whrch has a connect on between the p ns at each end grving the same effect as a sing e pin for each cathode The instant start lamps with b p n bases w I not operate ln preheat or raprd start circuits, a though they may be nadvertently put into fixtures with ba lasts of these types
Instant start amps w th brpin bases are dentlfied wth the etters S at the end of the order ng abbrev ation. For nslance the F40T12lDi S s a 4o-watt 1 r/:, nch d ameter Dayl ght Inslant Starl
f uorescent lamp
watts per foot w th a amp current of 430 ma High Output lamps for ndoor app rcat ons general y operate at 800 rna., a oadlng of about 14 watts per foot At 800 ma., they prov de approxi mate y 45 percent more lumens than Slim ine lamps of comparab e sizes For outdoor app icat ons, such as street ightrng and f ood ighting, High Output lamps are usua ly operated at 1000 ma to prov de h gh ight output at lower Iemperatures
S arda'd p gl- OJtoL on oc .a^ge n power f rom 32 to 105 watts and in engthfrom24 nches
START- HIGH OUTPUT LAMPS Preheat, Sl mline and Standard Rap d Start amps with T-12 bulbs general y operate at 10
RAPID
to 96 nches The orderng abbreviatrons, lke those for S ml ne amps, nd cate amp ength, bu b d ameter and co or but have the suffix "HO" for High Output, such as F60T12i DSGN50/HO for the 60 nch, 1 '/z lnch d ameter Design 50 ligh Output lamp. Spec a ty amps are ava Lab e n sma er sizes
RAPID START LAMPS
d Start lamps, wh ch first reached the market ln 1952 start smooth y and qulckly
Rap
wlthout starters. They start a most as quick y as Sl m ne amps and n a much shorter t me than Preheat lamps uslng ba iasts that are more effl c ent and smaller than lnstant Start ba lasts. They depend upon cathode heat ng, provided by heating wlnd ngs in the ba last, to reduce the start ng vo tage requirement below that neces sary for S im ine amps of the same s ze Th s is exp ained in greater deta I in the section on Rapid Start Circuits Because of the popu ar ty of the 4O-watt lamp in the T-12 bu b size, the order ng abbrev at on s s mpl fied by the om ssion of the bulb s ze for examp e F4ON means a 4O-watt. 1 lrr nch d ame
Very High Output (VHO) amps operate at I500 ma. and approxlmate y 25 watts per foot of tube
ength. When fluorescent lamp current exceeds I ampere (1000 ma ) eve , lamp watts per foot become high enough to create a heat prob em that requires des gn ingenuity for proper control The heat resutlng from 1500 rna. in a T'12 bu b, lf left uncontrolled, may cause the mercury vapor temperature to run too high wrth a resultlng increase ln pressure that wi reduce
the
is
obtained w th mercury vapor pressure of about 6 to 1O m crons, wh ch s the vapor pressure of mercury between 40" and 45"C. This pressure range s obtained in VHO Lamps by employing circu ar meta I c ref lect ng sh e ds mounted
between the electrodes and the arnp ends. These shields break up the convection currents in the heated gas near the cathodes so that proper temperatures are obtained at lamp ends beh nd the cathodes. Th s, in effect, produces a 'pressure contro center'as shown in Figure 13 that operates at the desrred 40'C region under amp ratrng condit ons. The excess mercury condenses in the contro center, and optimum mercury vapor pressure is ma ntained throughout the tube. VHO lamps also use a m xture of rare gases to g ve long cathode ife and high lumen maintenance in the conventional T-12
bLrlb
SuperSaver lamps must be operated at tem peratures of 60 degrees F or higher. Al ower temperatures. the Krypton-fi led amp becomes U"S'able d^O w .O'Olr, bp alnO|rg LO Or-r- I pants of the space butw i give poorserv ce and may n fact damage the ba ast on wh ch lt s operat ng (due to current,rvo tage surges). SuperSaver amps should a ways be used wlth Rapid Start bal asts which meet ANS spec fica t ons. SuperSaver amps are not intended for use (l ) at amblent temperatures be ow 60'F or in drafty iocations, (2) on ow power factor ba lasts, (3) reduced current/reduced iictht output bal asts, (4) d mming ba lasts or (5) on nverter operated emergency ighting systems
SUPERSAVER PLUS The fewest retrofl arnp now ava able is caled the SuperSaver P/us lamp. This energy-saving lamp is bas cal y a SuperSaver amp as desclbed n the precedrng sectton. Added to this bas c product des gn is a pair of therma ly-activated sw tches whrch open afler the amp has com p eted its normal rap d-start slart ng sequence. Norma ly each cathode co dtss pates about one
All VHO amps have recessed doub e contact bases They range in power f rom 1 10 watts to 215 watts and in length f rom 48 rnches to 96 nches. Lamp ordering abbreviat ons are the same as those for High Output lamps except for the suffix "/VHO" nstead of '/HO"
SUPERSAVER LAMPS
SuperSaver fluorescent lamps were originally deve oped to be used to retrofit existing lightino nstal ations in order to reduce energy consumpt on. Wattage ratings of these lamps are f rom 10% Io 20% lower than the standard lamps they replace. The energy reduction of SuperSaver lamps is accomp ished primar y by changlng the gas f ill to a hlgh percentage of Krypton.
watt of power. n a hot cathode fluorescent lamps, this power s consumed durrng the ent re t me the amp circurt is operating. The therma y activated swtches n the SuperSaver P/us amp provide the means lo automatlca ly disconnect
the e ectrical power that heats the col s, thus savings two watts per amp ln addition the eLectr ca
A Krypton lamp has a ower vo tage drop when operating at a spec f ed current than one fi led with argon. Since typica " ead'type fluorescent bailasts are essentially constant current devices, the vo tage of the Krypton f i led lamp is actua ly lower and consequent y the vo tage is a so lower when compared with a standard argon filled lamp. Light output from SuperSaver amps is reduced by amounts ranglng f rom 12%
to 18%.
osses wrthln the ballast are reduced by about another haif watt. The average tota sav ng is theref ore aboul 2r,: watts per amp more than standard 34-watt energy saving lamps. Super Saver P/us amps should on y be used on Rapid Start c rcuits. They shouid never be used n f x tures equipped with starters. These amps are not intended for use on high frequency e ectron c bal asts nor with Thr ftlMate amps or other
irpedelce'noorly -g
oev icp5
Because the swrtches are thermally-act vated, they do require a reset t me of approx mate y one mlnute after the amp s turned off . Dur ng normal operation the amp w I start lust as any rap d start amp. lf a power nterruption of less than one minute does occur however, it may take up to 60 seconds for the sw tches to reset and the SuperSaver P/us amp to restart.
The unique bimetal therma switch which was developed {or the SuperSaver P/us amp s inserted into one of the internal ead w res when the lamp is made N,4ounts are then sea ed into
each end of the lamp rn the normal manner. Figure 14 shows this construction.
Supersaver P/us
WEATHER-SHIELDED LAMPS
|-'_I @
,z\/.--::------. -\.
r-aJ-'.--),)
Br-MetalSwrtch
uorescent iamps encased ln glass jackets operate efficiently over a wide range of climatic conditlons. inc ud ng extremes of cold and strong w nd, in which unlacketed lamps are noperab e or highy ineff c ent. Jacketed, weather-shieldod amps are availab e n several T l2 slzes of S iml ne, H gh Output and Very High Output amps. The lacket itse f s T141,/: (lr3iro" Drameter) glass. They are recommended for use in open fixtures n a -weather outdoor app ications, and ln certain indoor app cat ons such as freezer warehouses subways and tunnels where co d andi or windy cond t ons prevai
F
.
CIRCLINE LAMPS
Another recenI Syvanra engineerng development s the Octron f uorescent amp. As ts name mplles the Octron lamp ut zes a T-B (1") diam eter bu b rather than the common f 12 | 1i?") diameter bu b. Th s advanced amp was des gned us ng a system approach. Th s un que amp s designed to prov de fu1 lght output as compared to an F40 fluorescent amp n the same frxture whl e consum ng 24% ess power.
ln order to ach eve h gh eff cacy Octron amps take advanlagc of the two-coat phosphor technology d isc usscd ear ier An addit onal benef t of the T I d ameter s a higher opt ca effrc ercy when the uminaire s des gned specrf cal y for this amp
When operated on the standard 60 hertz power supp y thc four toot Oclron 32 watt amp pro
ine amps are Rapid Start Types for operation on Rapid Start Circ ine ba asts, they will a so operate wei on preheat ba lasts. Standard s zes range f rom 22 to 40 watts, with 61/z to I6 inch outs de d ameters. The 22-watt Circl ne amp s also avai able with a medium base adapter for immediate incandescent retroflt conversion to fiuorescent. The amp s circular desrgn is more suitab e for sma ler or more symmetr ca areas.
A though Crrc
CURVALUME LAMPS
duces
9l
h gh frequency (typ
thaf
103
umens per wall on an nstant starl c rcuit Octron lamps are made in 17-,25 32 and 40watt sizes. in 2', 3',4' and 5' enqths, respective y. A new fam y of Curva ume Octron amps has a so been ntroduced. Th s fam ly of amps has a eg spacing of 15/a" and are avai ab e ln 16 24 and 3l -watt sizes. They are designed to operate on exist ng Octron ba asts and use standard sockets designed for other Curva ume lamp types. Al Octron lamps are avai able in both a warm 3100K and a coo 4100K color ternperature Refer to Engineer ng Bu1 etrn 0 362 for a complete Octron product descrlption
Curvalume f uorescent lamps are essent a y standard 40 watt amps bent tnto a 'U' shape with a norma ength of 24 nches measu red f rom the p n base face to the outslde bend This cu rved shape permits the use of lwo amps (equlva ent to two 48 inc h of four 24 nch straight amps) in a 24 nc]n square f xture. Curvalume arnps operate on standard 40 watt Rapld Start bal asts. Another advantage is that it allows the w rinq and lampho ders to be lnsta led at one end o{ the fixture This design olfers arch tects and engineers a compacl shape to be used in modu ar cejl no deslqns.
REFLECTOR LAMPS
These lamps have a partia internal ref ective coat ng between the glass tube and phosphor coating. Ths refector provdes a direct onal contro w th approx mate y 60 percent more iight beneath the lamps than is produced by regular amps without ref ectors They have the same physica and e ectr ca characteristrcs as stand ard amps and are therefore interc hanqeable.
lector Lamps are availab e w th ref lectors f rom 135 to 235 degrees ln var ous amp sizes. These
Ref
rather than n the vis b e range. Since the Black lrght lamp a so em ts some v sible b ue radlat on it is often used with an externa deep-b ue f ilter to suppress the vis b e radlation. Black ight Blue f uorescent amps are ke B ackl ght lamps except that they have a special dark-blue bu b which absorbs a most a I visible ight while f reely transm tt ng u traviolet radiatlon, ellm natlng the
APERTURE LAMPS
The Aperture lamp is sim ar to the Reflector lamp, but there is a small clear w ndow in the ref ective and phosphor coating. This aperture,
whrch runs the
fu
surface brightness up to elght times that of a standard f uorescent lamp. These lamps are ava lable with apertures ranging f rom 15 to 60 degrees in various lamp sizes When used wlth rei ectors or lenses, Aperture lamps provide a very concentrated beam, projected ln one direcr on. Appllcations include br dge lghting from the rarls, aircraft land ng strlps, highways and approach ramps, billboard and sign lighting, wall washing and reprographic equipment GRO-LUX'LAMPS
Gro-Lux fluorescent iamps are designed to pro duce radiant energy in the waveength bands that stlmu ate p ant growth. They provide h gh evels of red and blue radiatlon, which are beneficial for plant propagation, and enhance vegat ve growth of many plants, tn home and commercia use. There are bas ca ly two types of Gro-Lux amps; both are made in various sizes. The Standard Gro-Lux amp, known for its pur plish light, promotes p ant growth, enhances the appearance of flowers and imparts a dramatlc appearance to tropical fish in aquar ums. For commercia growers, the type recommended is the Gro-Lux Wide Spectrum f uorescent lamp wh ch is espec a y ta lored to meet their needs. The output of the G ro LuxA/VS lamp is strong in the wavelengths of rad ation wh ch promote two major photochemica reactlons photosynthesis and chlorophyl synthes s. BLACKLIGHT AND BLACKLIGHT BLUE LAMPS
Blacklight fLuorescent amps d ffer from standard fluorescent lamps in the composltion of the phosphor used. This phosphor radiates the major portron of its energy n the near ultravlolet region (peaklng at a nomlna 350 nanometers)
10
TABLE
Lamp,
Designation
Prheat
F4T5 F6T5 FBT5 4 6
B
II
Lamp 0peratlrg
Base
Amps.
Voits
6 12
21
I
l5
18 18
Mn.Bipn
Mn Mn
Med. Med. Med. Med.
Bipn Bipn
Bip n Bip
Mn.Bipn
F]3T5
13
F14r12
F15TB
t4
15 15 2A
I I
Ft5Tl2
F2Ar12
24 33 36 60 60
4B
Bip n Bip
29 42 57 95 39 56
,16
F25r12
F3OIB F90Tt 7 F90T17/SS
25 30 90
B5
56 64 100 62
Rapid
F40
Start
Mo0. Blpil
Preheat'
40 34 30 25
Med Bipin
N,4ed.
0.430
142
F4OT]2/8S1SS
48 36 36
Bip
Rapid Start
F30T12
Med Bipin
Med. Bip n
0.430
7B
F30Tl2/BS/SS
F025
F032
F040
High 0utput
F24I12tHA
F36Tl2/H0
F4BT12/NO
32 44 60
B5
24 36
4B 72 72
F72112tNA
F72r12hA
F96Tt2iH0
F96T12/N(]/SS Very High 0utput
F48T12,1VHO
100 110 95
D C. D C. D C. D C. D C.
42
79
116 105
96 96 48 72 96 96
RC DC
0 800
152
Rec D.C.
Rec. D C Rec. D C.
|5
165
F72112NtA F96Tl2r!H0
F96T12/VH0/SS
r.500 L500
1.500
83
124
161
215
195
Rc D C.
Rec. D C
Circline
FC6T9
FCBT9
22 32 40 40
B"DAM
12" Diarf
4--Pn
0.380
0 430
60
82
FCl OT9
FCl2T10
FC] 6T]
Cu
O
l6"
Diam 24
4 4
lMed
Pif
Pin
0 415 0 430
r08
100
rvalume FB40/6"
FB40/6/SS
Bpn
lnstant Starti
F40Tt2/ S F40T1//lS
40 40 25
3B 3B
51
48
4B
Ir4ed. Bip
Moo
B pln
4.420 0 420 0.200 0.200 0.200 0.200 0.425 0 425 0 425 0 440
Slimline'
F
4216
42
Sirgl Pln
Single Pin
F64T6
64
72
F72IB
F96TB
96
4B 12
t4Br12
F72112 F96Tt2
F96T12/SS
39 55
75
294 r00
149 197 157
96
96
60
rRated nitlal lmens mean umensandrated learenot nc ucled bur elin beca!se lreq!enl mprovemenls in iamp-p1!]1T:"
I
5
eclncal
'?
llbe neghths
6T-6andT-8S mlnerampsareasooperale.lat0l00amp
BALLASTS
Wh le limit ng the current in a fluorescent lamp s the most important function of a ba ast, the ba last must a so supply low vo tage to heat the
ballast includes an inductive dev ce such as a choke corl or an autotransformer to irnit the current. Use is also made of the series comb natron on inductrve corl and capacrtor.
TABLE III
Approximate Watts Loss in Typical Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts
llB
Larnp
Des Vo ls'
217 Ualls
Iwo
Nom nal Watts
SnOe
LamD Ser es
Lamp LeadLao
Il.'i o
onaton
Sin0 e Lamo
LamD
Ll]adLal]
Ser es
Preheat
F4T5 F6T5 F8T5 4 6 2 2 2 6 6 5
5
I
l3
14
F]3T5 F14112
F15T8
l5
15
II
t0
20
25
6
6
F40T12
30 40 90 30 40 32 60
B5
10
1t
16
l0
2A
l0
F90Tl7
Bapid Stail F30Tr2 F40112 High 0utput
33
52'
52',
75' 94'
100,
52' 52.
65, 85, 135 100,
76
94'
F24r12
F48Tr 2
74,
B5,
135,
154' 214.
150' 210,
110
140,
246'
247, 360' 450,
I40,
r
246
247. 360' 450'
|5
165
r38,
200 23s.
29. 45,
40,
Ft2Il2iUtA
F96Tl2iVf0
Crrcline
FC8T9
FCr
2AA.
215
22
230,
21
FCt6T10
32 40 40 40 25
3B 3B
51
56'
2A
2D
56,
2A
2D
25 25
16
23 23
16 12
21 21
24 24
16
Slimline
F42T6' F64T6, F72I81
16 17 17
30 30 25 30
21
F96IB' F4BT]2.
F72112" F96T12'
t9
20 26 26
39
55 75
a
27 27
30 25 33
33
]B
23 25 25
24 27 27
26
26
" Operal
ng amp
al 200 ma
An "A ba last w Jl usua y have the least hum and shou d be used n quiet areas, such as off ces
PREHEAT CIRCUITS
The s mple bas c preheat circuit is shown in Fig
and homes. The most audible hum is produced by an F' ba last, wh ch shou d be sat sfactory for street I ghting and no sy factory areas.
Because of the osses withln the ba ast, they consurne a smal amount of wattage which must be added to the amp wattage to obta n the total wattage of the lghting system. Approxrmate watts oss in typ cal fluorescent lamp ballasts are lsted n Table lll lncreasing energy costs have encouraged the use of energy saving ba lasts. Designed to have ower copper and ron losses. these ba asls operate amps while consum ng less system
power.
ure 15. When the amp on/off switch is closed, the preheat circurt ls completed and the heatlng current flows through the e ectrodes at each end of the lamp. Afte{ the short preheat tinre (usua ly about one second) the switch is opened. This impresses a h gh vo tage pulse across the lamp and causes an arc to strike between the cathodes. The switch can be operated manual y, as ln some desk lamps where a button is pushed to c ose the starting c rcu t and then released to open the starting c rcuit and str ke the arc. More commonly, the switch is an automatic switch ca ed a starter. Starters will be described in more detail ater in thls bu letin.
CLASS P BALLASTS
C ass P Ballasts, rneet ng Underwriters'Labora
tories requirements, have a therma protector n the ballast. This s an autornatic resetting (thermostatic) type, des gned to rernove the bal ast from the circuit whenever the ba ast case temperature reaches I 10"C + 5"C. After the bal ast has cooled, the protector recloses the circuit for norma operatron, and the lamps wi I rellght.
There are four general types of operatrng c rcu tts for f uorescent lamps: Preheat, lnstant Start, Trlg qer Start and Fapid Start.
ELECTRONIC BALLASTS
ectronrc bai asts are now avai ab e to operate some types of f uorescent lamps. These devices substllute so d state c rcuitry for some of the magnet c components used n convent ona bal asts Electronic ballasts usua ly operate the amps at an e evated frequency rather than the 60 hertz avai able f rom the ut lty. Operating f uoresen d'rpS al l^igl-e' r'aque,le re n d\ in pro\ a lamp efficacy by severa percent while reducing interna ballast wattage osses compared with magnetlc bal asts.
E
Except for a few special appllcations pre-heat amps are now seldom used ln sizes over 20 watts (24 inches length). The pre-heat tamp operated on a s mple choke type ba last is economica ly desirable in the sma I sizes slnce rt is read ly started on 120 volts wlthout the necessity for an auto{ransformer as a part of the ba last crrcu t.
Eariy fluorescent ighting instal at ons made wlde useof the f ou r-foot, 4o,watt, ead- ag bal ast circuit for general lightlng. Today, use of this c r cuit is found only in older installations.
STARTERS The principal functions of a starter are to close the starting circuit of a preheat amp whlle the cathodes heat up, and then to open the circuit to start the lamp. lf the arc iai s to strlke, the starter keeps lrying unti the lamp stafts. A further function in protectlve starters is to disconnect a lamp from the startlng circuit when lt falls to start after several attempts. Starters may be of the thermal or the g ow-switch type, with the latter belng more common. GLOW-SWITCH STARTERS
A sma I g ow amp, cal ed a giow switch, is used as the heart of a glow-switch starter. ln one type,
operate the g ow swltch. Thus the glow-switch starter consumes no power when the amp s operatlng and ls availab e for immedrate restarting when the amp s turned olf
.
MANUAL-HESET CUTOUT STARTERS When a f luorescent lamp reaches the end of its ife, repeated attempts wil {ai to start lt. With elther a therma -sw tch starter or a g ow-switch starter. the cathodes wi I continue to flash on and off unti the starter fai s or the amp rs replaced. This type of operatlon may a so damage the ba last from overheating. A manual reset starter prevents thls repeated cycl ng. F gu re I 7 shows a sketch of the mechanism of such a starter, and Figure 1B dep cts the circult d agram.
one electrode is a stlff w re and the other ls a bimeta strip, both enclosed ln a sma I glass bot tle filled with an inert gas such as argon or neon. When a vo tage is applied across the lamp, the same vo tage is impressed across the starter, as shown in Flgure 16. This causes a glow dis charge and a smal current fow between the electrodes. The heating efJect of the current causes the bimetal strip to expand and to make contact wlth the other electrode. Thts momen tary delay allows the preheating current to ilow through the lamp cathodes for the short time while there is enough residual heat in the switch to keep it c osed. As the bimetal strlp coo s, it bends in the other directlon opening the contacts with a resu tant hlgh-voltage pulse that should start the lamp.
CEBAMIC SHIELD
NICHROI\,4E WIBE HEATER
BASE
MANUAL.RESET
lI the lamp fails to start, the starting cycle ls repeated. Once the fluorescent lamp has started, the voltage across the lamp and the
starter drops to a point where t is not suif lcrent to
Figure 18. Manual-Reset Slarier and lamp circuit
14
In addition to a g ow switch, the stafrer c rcuit includes a sma n chrome-wire heater enc osed in a ceramic shield which tn turn, is surrounded by a brass c ip. The clip is fastened to a bimetal strip which serves as a atch over a spring. The ceramic shre d s ows down the transf er of heat from the n chrome-wire to the brass clip so that the brmetal latch does not receive enough heat to affect lt when the starter needs on y a few attempts to start the amp. However, f the amps fai to start after repeated attempts enough heat will reach the bimetai strip to pu I t away from the latch, thus open ng the circuit The clrcuit wll then remain open and the iamp off unti the reset button is pushed. This type of starter not only protects the bal ast but prevents the annoyance caused by a cycllng lamp.
AUTOMATIC.RESET STARTERS
The manual-reset starter offers protection to the circuit n cutting out a fai ed lamp, but t is poss ble for a manual-reset starter to cut out when the lamp has not farled. ln an ndustria p ant, for
eliminale the possibllity of an electricai shock w th thls circuit design. When the amp is removed, the base pin acts as a switch, breaktng the circuit to the ba last as shown n Figure 19. In order to get a lamp rnto the lampholders, tt must flrst be pushed into a spring lampholder at the high-voltage end and then inserted rnto the rigid lampholder at the low-voltage end. Both lamp ends must be in place to close the circurt, perm tting the flow of current through the prrmary ballast winding.
l.I I
wt'f\
ravD ts
REi.4ovED
I I
T
A C L]NE
-'I
I I
L--________J
circuit.
example it is possible that a perlod may occur when the ine voltage s abnorma ly ow or the voltage is somewhat low and the hum dity s
h gh, and some lamps will not start. These lamps
wi
Most instant start lamps are operated wlth ser es sequence ba lasts in the circuit shown in Figure 20. The two lamps are actual y started in sequence, a few thousandths of a second apart and operate in series.
which holds the contacts open as long as voltage is supplied to the lamp. The heater draws power on the order of 1 watt. lf the lamp
has not failed but has been cut out by a condition such as the one lust descrbed, the amp wl start aoain as soon as the starter has cooed. This coo ing takes about one m nute. n the usual case, however, the lamp wou d start the next time the circuit was switched on after an off oeriod
circuit.
Sequence instant-sbn
15
i iary winding supplies the voltage to start Lamp No. 1. Before the first amp lights, the voltage of the auxrl ary windlng substracts trom the primary and secondary voltages, thus resultlng in lnsuffi-
cient stadlng vo tage for Lamp No. 2. However, when Lamp No 1 llghts, the current flow through the capacitor shlfts the phase relat onship between the aux lary wlnding and the secondary wind ng, causrng the two vo tages to add. This causes the vo tage to be suff icient to start Lamp No. 2. The lamps then operate in series with the auxi iary wlnding contr but ng nothing to the circuit.
start Lamp No.2. The two lamps then run n series with rapidly rncreasing current untilstable operation at rated current is achieved. lt is essentia that proper cathode heat be majn tained during lamp operation to nsure normal amp life.
To nsure dependab e starting,
lt s mportant that lamps operated on rapid start ba lasts be mounted withln one rnch of an electrically grounded metai strip extend ng the ful ength of the amp for HO and VHO types and oneha f inch for lamps be ow 500 ma. ln most cases
There s a so a lead-lag ballast crrcu t avai ab e for speclal applicatlons. Because it is heavier, and more expensive, its use s gener ally imited to low temperatures or other special
applications. TRIGGER START CIRCUITS The tr gger start clrcuit is sometimes used for operating preheat { uorescent lamps up to 20 watts n slze. This clrcuit was developed pnor to the rap d start clrcuit and is quite similar in that it provides contlnuous heatlng of the cathodes and does not requlre a starter. To minimlze the power oss of the cathodes during amp operatron, the rapid start circu t was introduced.
RAPID START CIRCUITS
shou d always be operated wlth the proper ba last type Table lV descnbes the lamp perform
y nterchanqed.
L-------------J
Figure 21. TypicalTwo Lamp Series
circuit.
I first by momentarily app ying neary all of the ballast secondary voltage across Lamp No. 1. Slnce the voltage drop across Lam p No. '1 is very low after start ng, practica ly all of the ba last vo tage is avallab e to
2 ards in starting Lamp No.
th
TABLE IV
Lamp Performance When 40-Watt Bipin Fluorescent Lamps Are lnterchanged with Typical Ballasts
Bailast
TvPe
B pin-Lamp Type
Lamp Performance
OK NG
Preheat
Norma rated life. WOf't starl. F lement is shod c rcuited fside arnp base. Starter w I keep trying t0 slrike an arc until failure occurs 0r
the lamp is d sconnecled.
lnstant Sta
Preheal
Rapid Sla
Preheat
OK NG
sh0
hslant-Slart
lnstanlStart
Rapid Start
OK
NG
Normal
rated le short le
because
,rg,
sla wlth best grounding and high tage but starting s doubtful and unreliable under usua fie d condit ons.
NOt recommended. N/ight ne v0
Rapid-Start
lnstanl-Starl
NG
Will n0t start. Short-circltited lilarnent across heater winding wil overheat ballast and cou d cause burno!t. Norma rated life.
Bap d-Slart
OK
LAMPHOLDERS
BIPIN LAI\/PS
Many types of f uorescent ampholders are available for the varlous types of f uorescent lamp bases and to meet dlfferent mount ng requirements. Lampho ders are required to support fluorescent lamps and to prov de electrical connectlons. The one that is most commonly used for Preheat and Rapid Start b pln amps is the twist{urn type. Also avai able for b pin base amps are spring pressure push-pu I ampholders. Specia circult-interrupting blpin lampholders are used with single lamp ba lasts and d mming bal asts.
For the support of the Sl ml ne sing e p
&
[ilEDlUM
SLIN,4LiNE LAMPS
I\4ED IUM
BUTT,ON
MINIATURE
&
@
MOGUT
n amp,
the spr ng ls in the hlgh voltage ampholder, while the low voltage s rigid and has a circuit interrupting feature. This type prevents voltage from being applied to the pins of the lamp unti the lamp rs firm y seated in both lampho ders, thus reduc ng the possibil ty of shock when the lamp is being nsta ied. Typlca lampholders for fluorescent arnps are
pictured in Fiaure 22.
VOLTAGE
s0
HIGH END
SLI[,4LINE LAMPS
HIGH VOLTAGE END LOW VOLTAGE END ..PLUNGER TYPF" BUTT-ON MOUNTING
CIBCLINE LAMP
CONNECTOR
17
longer burning cycles (ess f requent starts) increase life. Figure 24 shows typica morta ity curves for the 4o-watt rapid start lamp on different burning cycles.
100
Compared with incandescent amps, fluorescent amps have extremely ong average rated lives, but the shape of the ll{e expectancy curve is quite similar, as shown in Figure 23. Because of slight variatrons in lamp mak ng operations and lamp materla s, it is impossib e to have each lamp operate for exactiy the life for which it was designed. For this reason, lamp li{e is rated as the average life of a arge group of lamps, oper ated under contro led aboratory condttlons. Average rated i{e is the point at whlch approximately 50 percent of the lamps in a large test group have burned out and 50 percent remaln burning as shown by the llfe expectancy curve.
During the operation of a fluorescent lamp, the emissive material s gradually depleted from the
o9o 4aa
q60 cD 50
?zo
>40
3so Etn
r
10
180
200
lor
,\
cathodes. The norma end of life is reached when there ls insu{f cient emissive material
remaining on either cathode to strike the arc.
100
Hiq
&t (urc{
published average rated lrfe figures are general y based on a three hour burning cycle, these ratrngs reflect the effects of both starting and burnrng. Changes in the burning cycle will affect life in servrce. Shorter burning cyc es (more f requent starts) shorten life and
S nce
Figure24. Typical Mortality Curves as a function of burning cycles tor o-watt Bapid Start lamps with a raled lile ot 20,000.r hours.
Tab e
V ists the average ife n hours of fluorescent amps at varlous burning cycles.
TABLE V
Average Life in Hours of Fluorescenl Lamps at Various Burning Cycles
Hours Per Start
Lamp Type 3 6 10
12 18
ContinLro!s
1/,500
21.250
22.500
28.860 18,000
r
28.125
24.420
14.000 12,500 14.000
2t 150
17 000 14.990 17,000
37./00
22.500
24.980 22,500
5.980
18,000
18
I
GROUP RELAMPING
Fluorescent amps in a lightlng system can be replaced either individual y as they burn out or in a group at one ttme, thereby sav ng considerab e abor. The mortal ty curve in Frgure 25 indicates that fluorescent lamps begin to fail faster after reachrng 70 percent of rated lfe. ln addition, light output fal s off as the total burning hours of the lamp increases. For most fluorescent instal ations, the best time to group reiamp ls between 65 percent and 75 percent of average service ife. However, the most economlca relamping schedu e should be determined by considering the lamp and labor coslc'or eacn spec'ic nsialiar 01.
100
lamp. The sma ler diameter amps, with T-5, T-6 and T-8 bulbs, show greater end darkening because the cathodes are closer to the bulb wa Lumen maintenance s not appreciably aflected by the number of burning hours per
start.
The lumen maintenance is better wrth standard T-12 Rapid Start and Slimllne lamps than with High Output and Very High Output types. What's more, some phosphors have better main tenance than others. Figure 25 depicts the lurnen maintenance of three types of cool white fluorescent lamps.
EFFECT OFTEMPERATURE The light output of a f luorescent lamp varies considerably w th the temperature of the bulb wa L The temperature affects the mercury vapor pressure, which depends upon the coolest point on the bulb wa L Variations in the mercury vapor pressure change the light output of the lamp.
z80
Lr.l
.E
VHO
HO
r60 t z ;40 z
O
frao I
4000 0 2000 8000 12.000 16.000 6000 10 000 rr',000 18,000
HOUBS BURNED
Since changes n ambient temperature are accompanied by simi ar changes in bulb wal temperature, the light output is affected by valations n ambrent temperature, as shown in Figure 26. Rated umen output values are measured at
a standard industry test ambient temperature of 77"F (25.C)
Figure 25. Approximate lumen maintenance ol various types ol Cool White fluorescent lamps.
LUMEN MAINTENANCE
5 d
F l
100 HO
Since a fluorescent larnp drops n ight output much more rapid y during the f irst 100 hours of ife than it does ater, the pub ished "initia umens" value is the figure measured after the '100 hour f trst I O0 hours of burning. Dur ng th s per od the lumen depreclat on may be as much as 1O percent. The drop off is much more gradual durng the rest of amp life The two princ pal causes of th s deprecration are (1) a gradual deter oration of the phosphor coating and (2) a blacken ng on the nnersurfaceof the bu b from the emissive material given off by the cathodes. This is particularly noticeab e at the ends cf the
o
(t
0-
+80 I
Xoo LJ
z
O
cc
L]J
7
F40
\ \
0 20
20
40
60
80
100
12A
AMBIENT TEMPEBATURE-DEGREES F
Figure 26. Changes :n light output with ambient temperature tor bare fluorescenl lamps in stillair
Fluorescent lamps used indoors at normai room temperature provide the most ight when they are operated in Lightlng equipment which ls designed to allow proper ventiliation and to prevent overheating. lt wi I be noted in Figure 26 that the Light output decreases as the ambient temperature increases above 77'F. Heat-removal air-handling troffers lmprove light output by controlling lamp bulb wall temperatures. lt should also be noted that bare iamps exposed to excessive cooling from air conditioning may show reduced light output.
EFFECT OF HUMIDITY To assure rellable startlng under condltions of high humidity, the surface of Rapid Start and Instant Start lamps are coated with a si icone materla. When the bulb is dry, there ls an elec-
When fluorescent lamps are used outdoors, starting may be a problern at ow temperatures, and higher starting vo tage may be required. Standard ballasts wi I start lamps reliably down to 50"F Low temperature bal asts are avai able for certain lamp types to provide starting down to 0'F and also down to -20'Fonothers. Afier the amp has been started, the effective light output depends on the temperature the bu b reaches. Slnce this optlmum temperature varles with the lamp type, the selection oi the proper amp for the appllcatron (ambient) temperature range to be experienced is quite impor tant. The relative light output versus ambient temperature curves for several types of fluorescent lamps cornmonly used outdoors are shown in Figure 27. The ambient temperature at whrch peak light output occurs depends on the amp type, the design of the fixture and the wind speed.
F l I F f o F I
RELATIVE LIGHT OUTPUT
VS.
trostatic charge on the outside of a f uorescent amp which reduces the starting voltage requirements. High humid ty can produce a f lm of morsture on the bulb that makes much h gher startlng voltages a necessity. The s licone coating causes the moisture to form in minute droplets instead of a continuous fi m, thus ensur ng re iab e startlng even when the hum dity ]s high. Wlth preheat clrcu ts, starting s no problem under any hum dlty cond tion since the preheat circuit furnishes a hlgher starting voltage pu se.
EFFECT OF VOLTAGE
Although the fluorescent amp is not as sensitlve to voltage changes as the ncandescent amp, the voltage at the fixture should be kept within the specifled bal ast rating shown on the abe. Both hroh voltaqe and low vo tage wi I shorten ife and reduce effrciency. Wh le standard incandescent amps, operated under rated vo tage, wi extend ife but, reduce efficacy, ow voltage may cause starting dlfiicultles wlth fluorescent lamps as well as reduce efficiency. The effect of variations in line vo ts on lamp vo ts, amperes watts and lumens is shown in Figure 28.
I
A ru e o{ thumb is that a 1% variation n the line voltage changes the lumen output by about 1%.
F
AMBIENT TEIMPERATURE
-----
vHo
z
LT
VHO
lr..l
E (l
o
Lll
0-
tI o F
z
O
,f I ./
20 0
2A
rt"tc,a, srx FouF LArvo l Ncr osED rrx IJRF - i5 ANGLE FBo[.4 HoR /oN rAl I - ]
5I\,4'I F PEF]
t I L ] l-I
FOLR
-1.-
I
t
rzo
110 LAI\4P VOLTS
./
l-1.:
100
a !
ut
/,/
LUI\4ENS
LAIVP WATTS
LIJ
E
LIJ
WIND
roo
10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
AMBIENT TEI\,4PERATUFE ( F)
9eo t!
l -r F
80
z ul
Lrl
LAN,4P
CURRE NT
100
870
o-
110
115
Figu.e 28, Eftect of voltage on lamp volts, amperes, watts and lumens with 2-lamp series rapid start ballast.
20
Low ine votage may reduce the preheat current with Preheat lamps and this may result in frequent flashing of the lamps during starting. Sho"e' a'np r'e w I resu,L DecaLSe mo.e e'niss ve material is dr ven f rom the cathodes. Rap d
STROBOSCOPIC EFFECT
The mercury arc in a Jluorescent lamp operated on a 60 hertz alternat ng current goes on and off 120 times per second (every half cycle). The llght f rom the lamp wou d go out completely except that the phosphors have some phosphorescent or 'carry-over" action. That is, they continue to g ow {or a short per od of time after the existing radiations are cut off. However, there sti I is a raprd variat on in ight output which rs unnoticed by the human eye, except possib y as fllcker at
Start lamps operated at low voltage will be bothered with reduced cathode heater current whlch can adverse y affect starting, ncrease ear y end d sco orat on and shorten lamp ltfe. Even dur ng burning, Rapid Starting amps must
have adequate cathode voltage.
lf sublected to a iarge drop in line voltage, fluorescent amps may go out, momentarily or onger depending on the durat on of the reduct on. The maximum al owab e voltage drop varies with the amp type and the characteristics of the
baliast.
sorne circum. stances, th s variation in light output may pro duce what is ca ied stroboscopic effect. Because of the stroboscopic effect, an object
that is moving at a unifoi'm speed may appear to move jerk ly. Under the rrost extreme conditions, a rotat ng object, such as a f y wheel, may seem to be standrng sti lor even rotating Ln a reverse
lhe erds
Approximate percentage of ine vo tage d rops that wi cause 4o-watt T-12 lamps to go out are
as fol ows:
Preheat.
Rapid Start Series Sequence. lnstant Start Serles Sequence ...... lnstant Start Lead-Lag
EFFECT OF FREQUENCY
....
.25"/.
20%
direction. Today stroboscoplc effect rarely causes any difflculty with fluorescent amps
because modern phosphors have relat vely long carry-over perods. Sirould this stroboscopic effect be a prob em, the staggered use of ba asts on three phase circu ts will reduce the stroboscop c e{iect by operating the lamps out of phase, so that they reach their maximum ight output at different times.
DIRECT CURRENT OPERATIONS
50% 40%
The effectiveness of a bal ast in im t ng current depends on the frequency of the power supp y. For th s reason, a bal ast shou d be operated only at the f requency for whrch it is designed. lf a 60 hertz ba last, for examp e, s used on a 50
hertz c rcuit, the current to the lag lamp is ncreased Thls causes shorter amp life and an overheated ballast A frequency higher than that for which the bal ast was desrgned wi I reduce the current to the lag amp. With the lead lamps,
changes in frequency have an oppos te effect
Fluorescent lamps can be operated on direct current, provided a resistance is used in series wlth an induct ve ba last and there ts a sufficient y high vo tage. A sing e lamp d c circuit is shown in Figure 29. The choke type of ballast must sti I be used n a d-c circuit to supply the induct ve "kick" needed to start the lamp when the starting switch is opened. Since the choke has no imiting effect on the direct current f lowing through the arc, a resistance must be used in series with the amp and choke to limit the current. The number of ohms resistance depends on the size of the amp and the clrcuit voltage. The eff icacy s reduced, as compared w th alternating current operation, because the resistance consumes approximately as much energy as the lamp. Lamp life wrl also be reduced.
(THERN,4AL OR MANUAL)
RESTSTOR
INDIICTANCE ;-=-- =-
Figure 29. Typical c ircu it lor diject currenl operalion ol tluorescent lamPs.
Another problem results f rorn the steady Ilow o{ direct current in one directton. This causes the mercury to drift toward the negatlve end of the tube. As a result the posit ve end becomes dim after several hours of operation A po arityreversing switch is recommended for all lamps of 6 watts and over to reverse the functlons oi the electrodes every few hours and thus eliminate the tendency to burn dim at one end. For the shorter lamps, which are not bothered with mercury migrat on, it is a good Ldea to use a reversrng sw tch to even the wear on the cathodes by reversing the direct!on o{ the current Thecontrol switch should be the type that will automatically reverse the current each time the lamp ls turned
on.
med. The dtmming e ement that contro s the arc current may be either a variab e vo tage autotransf ormer, adjustable reactor, thyratron, silicon controlled rectifler or other solid-state devrce. Some dimming systems offer smooth control without f icker trom fu brightness to nearly total darkness with a d mm ng rat o of approximate y 500 to 1. Rated amp I fe is not usuaily affected by normal dimmlng servlce provided the lamp current crest factor s not increased or coil heater voltage is not decreased. Figure 30 shows a typical dimming circuit for a 4o-watt Rapld Start lamp
CIBCUIT INTERRUPTING LAMP HOLDER
L--J
Figure 3O.Typical dimming circuitlor 4o-Watt Rapid Start
LamP.
FLASHING INVERTER BALLASTS Sometimes it is desirable to convert direct current to alternating current {or using fluorescent lamps with battery powered equipment' such as automobiles, boats, campers, hand lanterns and other portable applications This can be done with an inverter ballast, which is a compact, solid-state devlce that converls low voltage d-c to high frequency a-c. lts use opens up a field to f luorescent larnps that was former y reserved exclusively for incandescent lamps DIMMING
The dimming of Rapid Start {luorescent lamps is When fluorescent lamps on ordinary bal asts are switched on and off f requently, the ife s great y reduced (Refer to Effect of Burn ng Periods on
practical when they are operated on dimming ballasts and specifically designed clrcuits The dimmrng ballast keeps the lamp cathodes supplied with the proper heating current regardless of lhe extent to which the lamp may be dim-
Life, page 1B). However, the use of a special flashing ba last permlts Bapid Start lamps to be flashed mi lrons of times with normal ife expec tancy. Flashing ballasts are similar to dimming ba lasts in that they provide continuous heating current for the lamp cathodes, even when the lamp is in the off section of the f ash cycle. The flashing does not turn ofJ the entlre circuit but opens the lamp arc circuit on y The flashing clrcu it is like the dimming clrcult in Figure 30 except that the dimming element is replaced with a special flashing device. F ashing fluorescent lamps are widely used by plastic sign manufacturers.
?2
RADIO INTERFERENCE
TROUBLESHOOTING
S nce this bul etin is not intended to be a service manual, it does not rnclude any troubleshooting
Electromagnet c radratron that may cause a buzzing sound n nearby radro receivrng sets s emitted by lhe mercury arc of a fluorescent lamp. This interference is usually lmrted to the standard AM broadcast band because of the frequenc es generated by the arc. Radio interference is greatiy suppressed by the use of capacitors in rapid start and instant start ballasts and in starters for preheat crrcuits.
procedures. For comp ete information on this, see Engineer ng Bu letin 0-330, Troub eshoot ng Fluorescent Lighting
OTHER BULLETINS ON FLUORESCENT LAMPS
It is possib e for a f uorescent lamp to cause rad o nLer'o'erce in ll ree ways 1) through broadcasting" rad ation d rectly
f
2) throuoh radiation from the electrlc w res near the fixtu re and 3) throuqh "feedback' alona the electric wlres to the rad o.
the rad ation is d rect mov ng the radio at least 1O f eet away f rom the amp w l general y e iminate the noise. lnterference that s conducted to the radjo nnay be suppressed by connect ng a f lter in the llne at the fixture This type of fi ter s ava lable from radlo parts stores.
lf
For more deta led information on some of the types of f uorescent lamps descr bed ln th s bu etin see the fo lowing engineer ng Bul etins: a 262 Ihe Standard Gro-Lux Fluorescent Lamp 0-285 Gro-Lux Wide Spectrum F uorescent Lamp 0 315 Sy vania 96" VHO L f el ne Lamps 0 328 VHO Outdoor Fluorescent Lamp 0-333 F uorescent Lamp Performance Data 0-338 Contro led Fluorescent Light ng 0-342 Germicidal Lamps 0-362 Octron Lamps
SYLUAN'A
Location
Sales
(TO OBTAIN SALES AND
Offices
Distribution Centers
Zip Code
TECHNICAL INFORMATION)
zip Code
21 15
Atlanta, Ga.
Boston, Mass,
404 762-1781
30344
60 Boston Street, Salem, MA 617 777 lgOO 716 668 7559 7o4-334-4671
800 Devon Ave., Elk Grove Village, lllinois 25 Dewberry Lane, Gardenville lnd. Park
381 1 North Davidson St.. P.O. Box 5246
X3473
01970
14224 28225
60007
312,59s-3400
5480 creek Road
Cincinnati. Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
513-793-6440
4848 West 130th Street
45242
P O.
216-267-6800
2040 l\4cKenzie Dr., 4675 Holly Street
i-c"li"rit..i-oenver, Colorado
D"ll""J"r*
214-247-'1800
8ox 501 8,
Ca
rrollton,
75011
44135 TX
5018
303-399,1760
10800 Ford Road, Dearborn, 313 542-4754 100 Constitution Plaza
IMI
80216
44126 06103 96813
'l05 Andover Street, PO. Box 377, Danvers, MA 01923 617-777-1900-X2A66 25 Dewberry Lane, Gardenville lnd. Park 14224 716,668-7555 381 1 North Davidson St., P.O. Box 5246 28225 104-334 4671 8O0 Devon Ave., Elk G rove Village, lllinors 60007 312-593-3400 5480 Creek Road 45242 513-793 6440 4848 West 130th street 44135 216-267-6800 2040 McKenzie Dr, P O. Box 501 8, Ca rrollton, TX 75011-5018 214-247 4675 Holly Street
78oo
303 399-1760
10800 Ford Road, Dearborn, Ml
8021 6
4A126
203-249-5423
01923 94010
808,536-5267
1440 Greengrass Dr
17008
66115
77008
ie.'Jr"'i'
Minneapolis.
Minn.
6505 East Gayhart St.eet, P.O. Box 2795 soo51 213-726-1666 5330 lndustrial Blvd. N.E., Fridley, Minn. 612 55l0Jefferson Highway
s0040
55421 70183 07608 32859
571-9400
55421 612'571-9400
70183
10017
504-733-6970
237 Park Avenue, gth Floor 212-503-1010 7492 chancellor Dflve. P.O. Box 13327A.
212-244-4420 305-859-6220
idillil'""'-'
philadelphia,
465 DevonPa rk Drive, 8ox 500, Devon, - iriegs zis-zgs'gsgo iii-ze3:ei3o'- '-' - --'---'-P.
32859
--
O.
PA
tssgs
Pittsburgh. Penn.
15223
lH"t"t*obO)
San Francisco, Calil.
gt+-zgt-s5ts
206-763-2660
6soaz
98108
07608
450 Eutler Street, P.O. Box 9544 412 7A1-4533 5656 Campus Parkway, Hazelwood, MO
:t+
ugt-ssts
re,iiri.",-.i
94010 415-697-3500
206,763 2660
1000 Huyler Street
201-288-9484
6610 Electronic
Mshinoton-D.C. rspiinsilh.vi.t
703-354.3100
Dr
ive, Sprinqfield,
VA
22151 703-354'3100
Lighting Center
Danvers, Massachusetts
617 -777 -1gOO
01
923