U.S. patent number 3,780,342 [Application Number 05/230,766] was granted by the patent office on 1973-12-18 for ballast apparatus for starting and operating arc lamps.
This patent grant is currently assigned to General Electric Company. Invention is credited to Norman C. Grimshaw, Thomas G. West.
United States Patent |
3,780,342 |
Grimshaw , et al. |
December 18, 1973 |
BALLAST APPARATUS FOR STARTING AND OPERATING ARC LAMPS
Abstract
Ballast apparatus for starting and operating arc lamps includes
a full wave rectifier having its input connected in series with a
ballasting reactor across the terminals of an alternating current
supply. A filter circuit is connected across the output of the full
wave rectifier so that a filtered D.C. voltage equal to the peak
supply voltage appears at the output of the rectifier bridge. A
lamp supply circuit, connecting the bridge output with input
terminals for connection to the arc lamp, includes a series
connection of a choke coil and a first autotransformer. A second
autotransformer has its primary connected in series with the
ballasting reactor across the A.C. supply terminals and its
secondary connected to the lamp supply circuit between the choke
coil and the first autotransformer. A value low capacitance is
connected across the lamp supply circuit at the junction between
the choke coil and the first autotransformer and, with the second
autotransformer, provides a signal of low energy but at a voltage
level substantially higher than the peak supply voltage. A start
capacitor is connected in loop with the primary of the first
autotransformer and a switch for providing a starting pulse to
strike an arc in the arc lamp.
Inventors: |
Grimshaw; Norman C. (Fort
Wayne, IN), West; Thomas G. (Fort Wayne, IN) |
Assignee: |
General Electric Company
(Indianapolis, IN)
|
Family
ID: |
22866489 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/230,766 |
Filed: |
March 1, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
315/173; 315/205;
315/289; 315/176; 315/243 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05B
41/042 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H05B
41/04 (20060101); H05B 41/00 (20060101); H05b
037/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;315/173,176,205,243,289,DIG.5 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lake; Roy
Assistant Examiner: Mullins; James B.
Claims
What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the
United States is:
1. A ballast apparatus for starting and operating at least one arc
lamp from an alternating current source, said ballast apparatus
including:
a. a full wave rectifying means having an alternating current input
and a direct current output;
b. a reactive ballasting device; a power supply circuit for
connecting said alternating current input of said rectifying means
and said reactive ballasting device in series circuit relation
across an alternating current source;
c. an alternating current filter circuit connected across said
direct current output of said rectifying means;
d. a lamp supply circuit for connecting said rectifying means and
filter circuit to lamp connection terminals for at least one arc
lamp, said lamp supply circuit including direct current choke means
for limiting current flow from said filter circuit to said lamp
connection terminals upon the striking of an arc in the at least
one arc lamp;
e. an intermediate circuit connected to said lamp supply circuit,
said intermediate circuit providing a high voltage, low electric
energy level as compared with the output of said rectifying means
and filter circuit; and
f. a lamp starting circuit coupled with the lamp supply circuit for
introducing an electric energy pulse to strike an arc in the at
least one arc lamp.
2. A ballast apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said
intermediate circuit includes an autotransformer; the primary of
said autotransformer being connected in series with said reactive
ballasting device; the secondary of said autotransformer being
connected to a low capacitive value capacitance.
3. A ballast apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lamp
starting circuit includes an autotransformer having a primary and a
secondary, connected in said lamp operating circuit, and a start
capacitance and switch means connected in a loop with said primary
of said autotransformer for providing a pulse of electric energy to
said primary of said autotransformer.
4. A ballast apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said switch
means completes the said loop through said start capacitance and
said autotransformer primary upon the charge on said start
capacitance reaching a predetermined level and interrupts said loop
upon substantial dissipation of energy from said start
capacitance.
5. A ballast apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said switch
means is a spark gap device.
6. A ballast apparatus for starting and operating at least one
direct current arc lamp from a source of alternating current
electric energy, comprising:
a. main input terminals for connection to a source of alternating
current electric energy;
b. full wave rectifying means having a pair of rectifier input
terminals and a pair of rectifier output terminals;
c. a ballasting reactor, said rectifier input terminals and said
ballasting reactor being connected in series across said main input
terminals;
d. an alternating current filter circuit connected across said
rectifier output terminals so that a filtered, direct current
signal will appear at said rectifier output terminals;
e. a pair of lamp supply terminals for connection to at least one
direct current arc lamp;
f. a lamp supply circuit including a choke coil and a first
autotransformer connected in series relationship between one of
said rectifier output terminals and one of said lamp supply
terminals, the other of said rectifier output terminals and the
other of said lamp terminals being electrically connected;
g. a second autotransformer; the primary of said second
autotransformer being connected in series relationship with said
ballasting reactor across said main input terminals; the secondary
of said second autotransformer being connected to said lamp supply
circuit between said choke coil and said first autotransformer; a
low capacitive value capacitance connected in said lamp supply
circuit on one side between said choke coil and said first
autotransformer and on the other side to said other lamp supply
terminal to provide a low energy signal having a voltage
substantially in excess of that of the signal appearing at said
rectifier output terminals; and
h. a start capacitance and switch means connected in a loop with
said primary of said first autotransformer for providing a pulse of
electric energy to said primary of said first autotransformer to
strike an arc in the at least one direct current arc lamp.
7. A ballast apparatus as set foth in claim 6 wherein said switch
means completes said loop through said start capacitance and said
first autotransformer primary upon the charge on said start
capacitance reaching a predetermined level and interrupts said loop
substantial dissipation of energy from said start capacitance.
8. A ballast apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said switch
means is a spark gap device.
9. A ballast apparatus for starting and operating at least one arc
lamp from an alternating current source, said ballast apparatus
including:
a. main input terminals for connection to a source of alternating
current electric energy;
b. full wave rectifying means having a pair of rectifier input
terminals and a pair of rectifier output terminals;
c. first inductive means coupling said rectifier input terminals to
said main supply terminals;
d. an alternating current filter means connected across said
rectifier output terminals;
e. a pair of lamp supply terminals for connection to at least one
arc lamp;
f. a lamp supply connecting said rectifier output terminals to said
lamp supply terminals;
g. a low capacitive value capacitance connected in said lamp supply
circuit; circuit means, including second inductive means, coupling
said capacitance to said main supply terminals for charging said
capacitance to a voltage level in excess of that appearing at said
rectifier output terminals; and
h. a lamp starting circuit coupled with the lamp supply circuit for
introducing an electric energy pulse to strike an arc in the at
least one arc lamp.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to imroved ballast apparatus for operating
arc lamps. More particularly it relates to such an improved ballast
apparatus particularly suitable for operation of electric discharge
lamps utilizing a metal halide filling in a quartz tube. Such
lamps, which often are used for applications such as light sources
in projectors, impose very severe operating and starting
requirements on the associated ballast apparatus. Typiallly such
lamps have a start or breakdown voltage of at least 8000 volts and
in some instances in excess of 10,000 volts. As such lamps begin to
operate, until hot spots are established on their cathodes, they
have a requirement of an intermediate voltage of about 300 volts.
Although this requirement is not completely understood it is known
that it is essentially a voltage or potential requirement and that
the lamps at this time do not necessarily require a large amount of
energy. After the cathode spots are formed, the lamps operate at
much lower voltage quite often in the neighborhood of 35 to 45
volts.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,467,886, issued to Robert P. Alley on Sept. 16,
1969 and assigned to General Electric Co., asignee of the present
invention, illustrates and describes a ballast apparatus for
starting and operating such lamps. The ballast apparatus of the
type disclosed in the aforementioned Alley pattent derive the
initial voltage, the intermediate voltage and the run voltage from
a single alternating current source of electric energy, which may
conveniently be a 120 volt 60 hertz domestic supply. Apparatus of
the type shown and described by Alley start and run the arc lamp
while, at the same time, protecting the lamp against high inrush
currents which could cause failures such as breaking of the seals
of the lamp when a lamp is being started in a cold condition. With
such ballast apparatus it is necessary to use multi-position
switches or relays for connecting one portion of the ballast
apparatus to the lamp for starting and then disconnecting that
portion and connecting another portion for operating the lamp.
Lamps of this general type are operated by direct current
electrical energy and any substantial alternating current ripple
must be removed from the operating signal as the alternating
current ripple may beat with the shutter of a motion picture
projector and cause a flicker to appear on the viewing screen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a
new and improved ballast apparatus for starting and operating arc
discharge lamps.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a ballasting
apparatus for starting and operating arc discharge lamps of the
metal halide type.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a
ballast apparatus in which the need for complicated switching
arrangement is eliminated.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such
an improved ballast apparatus in which the filtering of the
rectified main power for the lamp is accomplished at a relatively
low voltage level and, at the same time, any high voltages required
by the lamp are provided.
In accordance with one form of the present invention there is
provided a ballast apparatus for starting and operating arc lamps
from an alternating current source. The appratus includes a full
wave rectifying means having an alternating current input and a
direct current output. A reactive ballasting device is connected in
a power supply circuit in series with the input of rectifying means
across a alternating current source. An alternating current filter
circuit is connected across the direct current output of the
rectifying means. There is a lamp operating circuit for connecting
the rectifying means and filter circuit to terminals for connection
to an arc lamp. The lamp operating circuit includes a direct
current choke for limiting current flow from the filter circuit to
the lamp connection terminals upon energization of the at least one
lamp. An intermediate circuit is connected to the lamp operating
circuit on the lamp connection terminal side of the direct current
choke and provides a high voltage, low energy signal as compared
with the output of the rectifying means and filter circuit. A lamp
starting circuit is coupled with the lamp operating circuit for
introducing an electric energy pulse to strike an arc in the arc
lamp.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
These and other objects and advantages of the invention and the
manner of attaining them may better be understood from the
following description taken in connection with the accompanying
drawing in which:
The single FIGURE of the drawing is a schematic electric circuit
diagram of a ballast apparatus incorporating one embodiment of the
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawing there is illustrated, in electric
schematic circuit diagram form, a ballasting apparatus 10
incorporating one form of the present invention. Main input
terminals 11 and 12 are provided for connection to a suitable
source of electric energy which may, in the exemplification, be the
normal 120 volt 60 hertz domestic power supply. An on-off switch 13
is connected to one of the main input terminals 11 so to
selectively provide power to the ballast apparatus when the switch
13 is in its closed position. The switch 13 is connected to one
side of a ballasting reactor 14, the other side of which is
connected to one input terminal 15 of a full wave rectifying means
in the form of a bridge rectifier 16. The other input terminal 17
of the bridge rectifier is connected to the other main input
terminal 12. Thus, when the main input terminals 11 and 12 are
connected to a source of a electric energy and the switch 13 is
closed, the ballasting reactor 14 and input terminals 15, 17 of the
rectifier 16 are connected in series across the power supply.
As is well known in the art the bridge rectifier 16 includes 4
diodes or rectifiers connected in a conventional bridge fashion. If
desired a transient supressing capacitor may be connected in
parallel with each of the diodes as shown in the aforementioned
Alley patent. A direct current signal is derived from the bridge
rectifier 16 at its output terminals 18 and 19. Terminal 18 is
connected to a conductor 20 and may be considered to be the
positive terminal. Terminal 19 is connected to a conductor 21 and
may be considered the negative terminal of the bridge.
An A.C. filter circuit including an inductance 22 and capacitors 23
and 24 is connected between the conductors 20 and 21 and thus
across the output terminals 18, 19 of the bridge rectifier 16. The
inductor 22 is connected in series with the capacitors 23, 24 which
are connected in parallel with each other. The parallel connection
of the capacitors is shunted by a series connection of resistors 25
and 26. The resistors serve as a discharge path for the capacitors
in the event the capacitors are charged when the circuit is
de-energized.
The capacitors 23, 24 and inductor 22 are sized so that the filter
circuit is near resonance at 120 hertz, which is the frequency of
the D.C. output pulses of the bridge rectifier 16. Thus the circuit
effectively filters any A.C. ripple so that the D.C. signal
available at the output terminals 18, 19 is sufficiently free of
alternatng current ripple that it will not cause a flicker in a arc
lamp. It will be understood that the inductor 22 could be removed
from the filter circuit and the capacitors 23, 24 made somewhat
larger and proper filtering still would be provided. However, as
will become apparent hereinafter it is desirable that the filtering
be accomplished in a manner which stores as little energy as
possible. Use of the inductor 22 enables the capacitors 23 and 24
to be smaller and thus the stored energy will be less. The inductor
22 also will assist in limiting discharge current from the
capacitors 23, 24 when a lamp arc is struck. It also will be
understood that the capacitors 13, 24 could be combined into a
single unit. However, at the voltage and energy levels involved in
typical applications the use of two separate units is more
economical.
The conductor 20 is connected to one side of a D.C. choke coil on
inductor 27, the other side which is connected to a diode or
rectifier 28. The diode 28 is connected by a conductor 29 to the
primary winding 30 of an autotransformer 31. The autotransformer
also includes a secondary winding 32 which is connected to a lamp
supply terminal 33. The conductor 21 is connected to another lamp
supply terminal 34 and thus, when an arc lamp such as a metal
halide lamp 35 is connected between the lamp supply terminals 33
and 34, a lamp supply circuit is completed.
The lamp supply loop of the lamp supply circuit extends from the
bridge rectifier output terminal 18 through conductor 20, choke 27,
diode 28, conductor 29 and autotransformer 31 to the first lamp
supply terminal 33. From supply terminal 33 the loop extends
through the lamp 35, terminal 34, and conductor 21 to the other
output terminal 19 of the bridge rectifier.
A second autotransformer 36 has its primary winding 37 connected
across the input terminals 15, 17 of the diode bridge 16. Thus the
primary winding 37 of the autotransformer 36 is connected in series
with the ballasting reactor 14 across the main input terminals 11,
12. The distal end of the secondary winding 38 of autotransformer
36 is connected through a diode or rectifier 39 and a current
limiting resistance 40 to the conductor 29. From the conductor 29 a
branch circuit including a serially connected resistance 41,
capacitor 42 and capacitor 43 extends to the conductor 21. A pair
of serially connected resistances 44 and 45 are connected in
parallel with the serially connected capacitors 42, 43 and the
junction between the resistances 44, 45 by a conductor 46. The
autotransformer 36 steps up the supply voltage from terminals 11
and 12 so that a voltage somewhat higher than that of the supply is
impressed on the branch circuit including resistance 41 and
capacitors 42, 43. The diode 39 rectifies the output of the
autotransformer 36 so that a D.C. voltage is applied while the
resistance 40 serves as a current limiting resistance. When a
ballasting apparatus is used in conjunction with an arc lamp
requiring an intermediate voltage of about 300 volts the output of
the autotransformer 36 will be at least 300 volts and may
conveniently be as high as about 450 volts. This voltage will build
up across the series connection of capacitors 42, 43 to provide the
intermediate voltage for operation of the lamp. The resistances 44,
45 are bleed resistances for discharging the capacitors when the
circuit is inactivated. It will be understood that capacitors 42,
43 could be combined into a single film type capacitor, however,
the circuit arrangement shown with two separate capacitances
enables the use of two electrolytic capacitors to provide this
intermediate or backup voltage at a lower cost. The resistance 41
limits the current from the capacitors 42, 43 when a lamp arc is
struck. The capacitors 42, 43 are of low capacitive values so that
while their charge builds to a voltage substantially in excess of
the supply voltage the total amount of energy available is
relatively low. To this end each of the capacitors 42, 43 may be 10
microfarads while the capacitors 23, 24 in the filter circuit
conveninetly may be 200 microfarads.
A start circuit, including a start capacitor 47 and charging
resistor 48, is connected from the intermediate tap of the
autotransformer 31, that is the tap between the primary and
secondary windings, to conductor 21. A switch means, which
conveniently may take the form of a spark gap device 49, is
connected across the start capacitor 47 and primary winding 30 of
the autotransformer 31. When the circuit is completed within the
spark gap device 49 a closed loop is formed including the capacitor
47 primary winding 30 and spark gap device 49.
Assuming the lamp 35 to be off and the main terminals 11, 12 to be
connected to a 120 volt 60 hertz power supply, operation of the
ballast apparatus beings upon closing of the on-off switch 13.
Initially very little current flows and the ballasting reactor 14
has little effect. Essentially 170 volts peak appears across the
output terminals 18, 19 of the bridge rectifier 16. This charges
the capacitors 23, 24 to essentially 170 volts. The 120 volts A.C.
input also is applied to the primary winding 37 of autotransformer
36 and the autotransformer steps this voltage up to 450 volts, by
way of exemplification. The autotransfromer secondary charges the
serially connected capacitors 42, 43 to essentially 450 volts. The
diode 28 enables the capacitors 42, 43 to be charged to a higher
level than the capacitors 23, 24.
The intermediate circuit, including the autotransformer 36 and the
capacitors 42, 43, provides a source for charging start capacitor
47. When the charge on capacitor 47 builds to the breakdown or
spark level of spark gap device 49, which may conveniently be about
300 volts, the spark gap device 49 conducts. This, in effect,
closes a switch completing the loop including start capacitor 47
and primary winding 30 of autotransformer 31. The start capacitor
47 then discharges through the primary winding 30 causing a much
higher voltage about 8000 volts in the exemplification, to appear
at the output of the secondary winding 32. This voltage causes the
lamp 35 to arc.
Upon arcing of the lamp 35 the capacitors 23, 24 and 42, 43
discharge through the autotransformer 31. The inductor 22, choke
coil 27 and transformer 31 limit the current flow as a result of
the discharge of capacitors 23, 24, with the choke coil 27 doing
the major portion of the current lighting. The current flow as a
result of discharge of capacitors 42, 43 is limited only by the
resistance 41 and autotransformer 31, however, these capacitors
have very low energy and cause relatively small current. Limitation
of the discharge current immediately upon lamp arcing is necesary
as an excessive inrush current may damage the lamp, particularly
the lamp seals.
After the lamp hot spots form on the lamp cathodes the voltage drop
across the lamp, that is the lamp run voltage, will drop to about
35 to 45 volts. However, the current through the lamp will rise. At
this time the lamp has a relatively flat characteristic and it is
necessary to limit the lamp current. This function is performed by
the ballasting reactor 14. The lamp current flows through the
ballasting reactor 14 which causes a voltage drop across the
reactor. This limits the voltage available to the A.C. input
terminals of the bridge rectifier 16 and to the primary winding 37
of the autotransformer 36 so that the voltage available to the lamp
supply circuit is essentially the designed lamp run voltage.
Once the lamp has ignited the start circuit and the intermediate
voltage circuit could be completely removed. The supply voltage and
current for the lamp basically is supplied through the bridge
rectifier 16 with the filter circuit, including inductor 22 and
capacitors 23, 24 filtering out the A.C. ripple so that there will
be no flicker of the lamp.
It will be seen that a ballast apparatus incorporating the present
invention provides for A.C. filtering at a relatively low voltage
level so that the energy stored within the filtering circuit is
much lower. Thus supression of the current flow from the filtering
circuit upon the lamp arc first being struck is simplified.
Additionally the higher level intermediate voltage requirement of
such arc lamps is provided by a low energy circuit so that the
starting current associated with it is much lower and requires less
supression. This greatly simplifies the switching functions within
the circuit so that, in effect, all that is required is a single
pole single throw switch for the start circuit. This may
conveniently be performed by spark gap device. It will be
understood that this switching function could be performed by any
number of other forms of switches such as a relay or silicon
controlled rectifier and associated firing circuit for example.
However, the spark gap device is very economical and is quite
satisfactory in performance.
Since both the bridge rectifier 16 and the primary of
auto-transformer 36 are supplied through the ballasting reactor 14,
the single ballasting reactor in the A.C. supply circuit will
provide a complete ballasting function for the lamp. Both the
supply and ballasting functions can be performed by other
arrangements. When isolation is desired, as in medical applications
for instance, the isolated supply and ballasting functions both can
be provided by a high reactance isolation transformer. In such an
arrangement the bridge rectifier can be connected to an
intermediate secondary terminal and the intermediate voltage
circuit can be connected to the high voltage terminal of the
isolation transformer secondary. Alternatively the bridge rectifier
can be connected across the isolation transformer secondary, with
the intermediate circuit connected to an autotransformer having its
primary connected across the isolation transformer secondary.
A ballasting apparatus generally as shown in the figure has been
successfully built and operated with components having the
following value or characteristics:
Ballasting reactor 14 14 millihenries Capacitor 23 200 microfarads,
200 volts Capacitor 24 200 microfarads, 200 volts Inductor 22 4.4
millihenries Choke coil 27 4.8 millihenries Resistors 25, 26 2.5
kilohms, 5 watts Resistor 41 33 ohms, 2 watts Capacitors 42, 43 10
microfarads, 350 volts Resistances 44, 45 470 kilohms, 2 watts
Capacitor 47 2 microfarads, 400 volts Resistance 48 100 kilohoms,
1/2 watt Resistor 40 10 kilohms, 2 watts Autotransformer 31 Copper
foil wound on E-E laminated core Primary winding 6 turns Secondary
winding 123.5 turns Autotransformer 36 Magnetic wire wound, .0113"
diameter wire Primary winding 847 turns Secondary winding 1898
turns
While, in accordance with the patent statutes, the preferred
embodiment of the invention has been described changes may be made
therein without actually departing from the true spirit and scope
of the invention. We intend by the appended claims to cover all
such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the
invention.
* * * * *