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

2. Ballast Design

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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 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

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

11. 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
Electronic
Thermal Effects Allow Difference
Higher Lamp Bulb Wall Temperature When Operated in an Enclosed Fixture Reduces Light Output (and Watts)

12. Electronic Ballast Factor Options
Higher Ballast Factor - Higher Watts
Lower Ballast Factor - Fewer Watts
Normal Light Output % BF
Reduced Light Output 75-84% BF
May Cause Lamp Life Reduction
High Light Output % BF
Rated Lamp Current
Very High Light Output % BF
Will Cause Lamp Life Reduction

13. 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 W

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

15. 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, ???

16. 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 w OPEN ( equiv. to 62/63W ANSI)
Same Rated Light Output

17. 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
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

18. 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
Typical Electronic

19. 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

20. 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!!

21. 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!

22. Linear & Non-Linear Loads
Electronic Power Supply

23. Distortion of the Fundamental Waveform with Harmonic Waveforms

24. 3 Phase Supply Circuit

25. Fundamental (60 Hz) Current Addition
Phase A
Phase B Degrees
Phase C Degrees
Fundamental Current Cancels on the Neutral

26. Harmonic Current Addition
Phase B Degrees
Phase A
Phase C Degrees
Triplen Harmonics Add on the Neutral

27. 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

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

29. 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.

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

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

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

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

34. 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
Crest Factor
97-99% as Efficient as Electronic Rapid Start
Lower Initial Cost Than Electronic

35. 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

36. 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

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

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