Ballasts

Description

Ballasts are devices, which provide the necessary starting voltage and limit and regulate the current during a lamp’s operation. They are also termed as control gears. Fluorescent lamps comprise a glass tube filled with neon, argon or other inert gases. When electrical current are supplied by ballasts, an arc is produced which emits an ultra violet radiation; this excites the phosphor present in the lamp wall which causes them to radiate light.

Types

The two basic categories of ballasts are

• Electronic ballasts
• Magnetic ballasts

Other ballasts types are

• Digital ballasts
• Metal halide ballasts
• High frequency electronic ballasts
• Partial output ballasts
• Fluorescent ballasts
• High intensity discharge (HID) ballasts

Advantages

Generally, ballasts contribute to energy savings

• Electronic ballasts’ advantages are: greater efficiency, better control and design flexibility, ability to drive more than one lamp, reduced cooling load, reduced lamp flicker, lower weight; noiseless operation
• Magnetic ballasts’ advantages are: bulbs run hotter and consequently produce more pars
• Electronic ballasts are more efficient

Features

• System efficacy improves if one ballast powers more than one lamp
• Some ballasts have dimming capabilities

Applications

Ballasts are used in fluorescent light fixtures and capacitors as they provide enough voltage and current for operation. Magnetic ballasts are the best choice for recording studios, during extremely cold or hot conditions, in sensitive electronics environment and in locations near radio frequency security systems. In the areas where color quality is essential, high frequency electronic ballasts are the better choice such as hospitality industry, high end retail space, schools and health care facilities. HID ballasts are essential in industrial lighting systems. Electronic ballasts are employed in restrooms, which employ motion detector switches, and in vision testing rooms. Metal halide ballasts are designed for use in metal halide lamps.