BASICS OF BALLAST TECHNOLOGY Created by the U.S. Department of Energy Rebuild America Business Partners and Advanced Transformer

Ballast Design

Design Basics A Rapid Start Ballast Must Perform the Following Four Functions: Electrode Preheat Voltage Lamp Ignition Voltage Regulate Lamp Current Regulate Lamp Voltage

Electrode Voltage “Heater Voltage” Applied Across The Pins of a Rapid Start Lamp Approximately 3.5 Volts For F40T12, F32T8 Not Present For Instant Start Lamps Heats Electrode to Begin Thermal Emission of Electrons Voltage Across Pins Electrode Current Flow Thermal Emission Lamp Ready to Start .5 to 1 Second

Lamp Voltage Requirements Voltage Applied Across The Lamp Ignites The Lamp Begins Lamp Current Flow 200 Volts For F40T12 Higher For F32T8 Higher or Lower Than 120/277 U.S. Line Voltage Ballast Acts as a Transformer Voltage Must Be Reduced After Lamp Ignition 98 Volts for F40T12 137 Volts for F32T8

Fluorescent Lamp Current Lamp Will Draw Excessive Current Unless Regulated Lamp Failure in 1/100 th of a Second Ballast Limits Current Flow 430 ma For F40T12 265 ma for F32T8 Maintains Proper Light Output Maintains Correct Electrode Temperature Too Little Will Decrease Lamp Life Too Much Will Decrease Lamp Life

Starting Methods Rapid Start Rapid Start - Electrode Cutout (PowrKut) Saves 1.5 Watts Per Electrode No Reduction in Lamp Life Rapid Start - Soft Start “Ramps” Up Ignition Voltage Increases Lamp Life Exclusive - Advance Mark V/Mark VII Instant Start No Electrode Voltage, Higher Ignition Voltage Possible Lamp Life Reduction if Heavily Cycled Highest Efficiency

Lamp Starting/Circuiting Rapid Start Ballasts Generally Have Their Lamps Wired in Series When One Lamp Burns Out, all Lamps are Extinguished Instant Start Lamps Generally Have Their Lamps Wired in Parallel When One Lamp Burns Out, the Remaining Lamps Stay On

Lamp Life IES LM-40 Measurement Procedure 3 Hours On, 20 Minutes OFF Rapid Starting of a RS Lamp will Achieve a 20,000 Hour Lamp Life Instant Starting of a RS Lamp will Reduce Lamp Life to 15,000 Hours Lamp Life Equal at 12-16 Hours Per Start 25,000 to 30,000 Hours Occupancy Sensors Up to 50% Lamp Life Reduction Shorter Life, But in Fixture Same Amount of Time Tremendous Energy Savings Potential

Performance Characteristics Ballast Factor Input Wattage Ballast Efficacy Factor Lamp Current Crest Factor Power Factor Harmonic Distortion Electromagnetic/Radio Frequency Interference

Ballast Factor - Light Output Delivered Lumens/Rated Lumens 2700/3000 = .90 BF 2800 rated x .88 BF = 2464 delivered lumens ANSI Standards .925 Minimum for Magnetic .85 Minimum for Electronic Typical Values .95 Magnetic .88 - .92 Electronic Thermal Effects Allow Difference Higher Lamp Bulb Wall Temperature When Operated in an Enclosed Fixture Reduces Light Output (and Watts)

Electronic Ballast Factor Options Higher Ballast Factor - Higher Watts Lower Ballast Factor - Fewer Watts Normal Light Output 85-92 % BF Reduced Light Output 75-84% BF May Cause Lamp Life Reduction High Light Output 110-115% BF Rated Lamp Current Very High Light Output 125- 130% BF Will Cause Lamp Life Reduction

Efficiency Vs. Efficacy Power Out/Power In Ballast Efficiency Watts Loss Magnetic - 20 W EE Mag - 10 W Low Freq. Elec. (Hybrid) - 8 W High Frequency Elec. - 5-8 W

Efficiency Vs. Efficacy Un-like Terms Lumens/Watt (LPW) Miles/Gallon (MPG) LPW of the Lamp of the System

Input Wattage Input Wattage to the Lamp/Ballast SYSTEM Separate Wattages are Meaningless Different Wattages for Same System ANSI Open Fixture Enclosed Fixture ANSI Standard is Only Repeatable Measurement Wattage Decrease Follows Light Output Manufacturer’s Catalogs are Different! ANSI, Open, Enclosed, ???

Input Wattage Comparison Four Lamp F32T8 Electronic Ballast ANSI Input wattage 112 Watts Open Fixture Wattage 109 Enclosed Fixture Wattage 106 Applicable to 1,2,3,4 Lamp Ballasts Two Lamp T8 Electronic Advance RS - 60 w ANSI Competitor - 60 w OPEN ( equiv. to 62/63W ANSI) Same Rated Light Output

Ballast Efficacy Factor Ballast Factor/ANSI Input Watts 95BF/96W = .99 BEF Magnetic T12 90BF/72W = 1.25 BEF Electronic T12 Basis of Legislation 1.06 BEF Minimum for (2) F40T12 Lamps @120V Measurement of Efficacy of Lamp/Ballast System Use Lumens per Watt (LPW) to Compare DIFFERENT Lamp/Ballast SYSTEMS 60 LPW - F40T12 Magnetic System 85 LPW - F32T8 Electronic System

Lamp Current Crest Factor Ipeak divided by Irms Measurement of “Smoothness” of Lamp Current Waveform Sine Wave = 1.414 ANSI Maximum = 1.7 Rapid Start Typical Magnetic - 1.6-1.7 Typical Electronic - 1.5-1.6

Power Factor Determines the Relationship Between the Voltage and the Current Waveforms Normal Power Factor is 50-60% High Power Factor is >= 90% Magnetic Ballasts are Typically 95%-99% PF Electronic Ballasts are Typically 97-99% PF No Discernible Difference Be Careful of Large Load Reductions! Reflectors Delamping

Harmonic Distortion Created by Non-Linear Loads Computer Power Supplies Adjustable Speed Drives Arc-Discharge Lighting Every Device Except a Resistor Magnetic Ballasts Have it Electronic Ballasts Have it Computers and ASD’s Have MUCH MORE!!

Effects of Harmonic Distortion Overheating of Phase Conductors Circuit Breaker Tripping Transformer Overheating Overloading of Neutral Conductor A Properly Designed Lighting System Will Cause None of This!

Linear & Non-Linear Loads Electronic Power Supply

Distortion of the Fundamental Waveform with Harmonic Waveforms

3 Phase Supply Circuit

Fundamental (60 Hz) Current Addition Phase A Phase B - 120 Degrees Phase C - 240 Degrees Fundamental Current Cancels on the Neutral

Harmonic Current Addition Phase B - 120 Degrees Phase A Phase C - 240 Degrees Triplen Harmonics Add on the Neutral

Harmonic Percentages ANSI Standard is 32% IEC Standard is 34.8% Magnetic Ballast Typically 20-30% Electronic Ballast Typically 10-20% Magnetic Ballasts Draw More Current Typical Electronic T8 has 50% Less Harmonic Current Than Magnetic T12

Electromagnetic/ Radio Frequency Interference Electronic Ballasts Designed to meet U.S. FCC Class A Standards Class A Commercial/Industrial Requirements 450 - 2000 KHz 60 dB 2.0 - 30 MHz 71 dB Class B Residential Requirements 450 KHz - 30 MHZ 48 dB Electronic Ballasts are Class A, and Could Interfere with Residential Devices Put on Separate Circuits Place Farther Away From One Another

High Frequency Electronic Application Concerns Power Line Carrier Systems Local RF Transmissions Library Book Security Systems GFI Circuits Infrared Control Devices EMI/RFI Sensitive Locations High Efficiency PowrKut Low Frequency Electronic Ballasts are Recommended in These Applications.

System Performance Comparisons Several Lamp and Ballast Choices T8 vs. T10 vs. T12 Magnetic vs. Hybrid vs. Electronic

Lamp Comparisons F40T12 F40T12/34w F32T8 F40T10 3050Lm/40w = 76.3 LPW

Ballast Choices Magnetic - Operates at 60 Hz Hybrid - Electrode Cutout - Operates at 60 Hz Electronic - High Frequency - Operates >20,000 Hz

Magnetic Ballasts Most Common Steel Copper Core & Coil 60 Hz Lamp Operation Lamp Flicker not Noticed Audible Noise, Sound Rated A Lowest Initial Cost

Hybrid Ballasts Core & Coil Electronic Circuit Provides Electrode Voltage Electrode Heat Removed After Lamp Ignition Saves 1.5 Watts per Electrode Electronic Circuit Provides Stable Voltage Rated Lamp Life or BETTER No Harmful Lamp Effects 1.4-1.5 Crest Factor 97-99% as Efficient as Electronic Rapid Start Lower Initial Cost Than Electronic

Electronic Power Flow Input Rectification High Frequency Converter EMI Filter, Transient Protection Rectification 60 Hz AC to DC High Frequency Converter DC to 20,000 Hz AC Power Factor Correction THD Correction Output to Lamp

Electronic Ballast Operates at High Frequency 6-16% Lamp Efficacy Gain 20,000 Hz to 60,000 Hz 6-16% Lamp Efficacy Gain Combines Electronic Components with Small Magnetic Transformers No “Fully Electronic” Ballast Highest Efficiency Highest Initial Cost No Lamp Flicker 25-75% Less Noise

Electronic Dimming Systems Architectural 100 - 1% Dimming Expensive Energy Management 100%-20% Dimming Code Requirements 100%/50% Step Dimming 5 Level Step Dimming

Energy Management Dimming Daylighting Occupancy Sensing Lumen Maintenance Manual Control Time of Day Lighting Schedule Integrated Building Management System