IES DG-8-95

Ballasts are needed by all fluorescent lamps and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps primarily for starting and to limit lamp current flow after ignition. But as this Design Guide reveals, ballasts are often called upon to do much more. Lamp starting characteristics, the power the lamp/ballast system consumes, and the lamp?s operating temperature range are all strongly influenced by ballast design. Therefore, lamps and ballasts must often be regarded as complementary teammates, not generic components. This Guide explains why a particular lamp configuration must be matched with the correct ballast if it is to give top performance and maximum service life. While fluorescent ballasts are often referred to by the starting methods they support (preheat, instant start, and rapid start), there are just two common ballast technologies: 60-Hz electromagnetic (least expensive) and high frequency electronic (best efficacy). This Guide describes both technologies, all three starting methods, and several specialty ballast designs for conserving power or starting lamps reliably under adverse temperature conditions because ballast selection always involves tradeoffs between system performance, initial investment, and power conservation.

Product Details

Published:

01/01/1995

Number of Pages:

36