Apparatus for starting and operating fluorescent lamp and auxiliary ballast systems at reduced power levels

摘要

A low cost circuit addition in the form of a capacitor of suitable value provides effective starting and operation of rapid start, preheat, and instant start fluorescent type gas discharge lamps along with their standard A.C. operated ballast transformer auxiliary devices at reduced power levels to achieve energy conservation with a concomitant reduction in light output and can usefully employed in illuminated areas where a reduction in lighting level would not effect the utili­ty of that particular area. The capacitor is connected in series with the ballast primary winding and is of such value as to cause ferro-resonance to occur in the ballast transformer primary circuit, thereby providing a voltage magnification ef­fect to aid the lamp starting, or ignition, process i.e., dur­ing the time interval between circuit energization and produc­tion of a stable arc, and to thereafter operation of the lamp with reduced arc current.