PASSIVE LC BALLAST AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A PASSIVE LC BALLAST

• US 20130106300A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: City University of Hong Kong
• Original Assignee: City University of Hong Kong
• Inventors: Hui, Ron Shu Yuen, Lin, Deyan, Ng, Wai Man
• Granted Patent: US 8,952,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/187
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/10 Ballasts, e.g. for discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/24 in which the lamp is fed by high frequency ac, or with separate oscillator frequencyH05B41/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/245 for a plurality of lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/295 with semiconductor devices and specially adapted for lamps with preheating electrodes, e.g. for fluorescent lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The present invention provides a passive LC ballast and an associated method of manufacturing a passive LC ballast for use with any one of a plurality of high voltage discharge lamps. The passive LC ballast has an inductance and a capacitance selected in accordance with one of a set of one or more inductance-capacitance pairs. Each inductance-capacitance pair defines a respective inductance and a respective capacitance such that, when the inductance and the capacitance of the passive LC ballast is selected in accordance with any one of the inductance-capacitance pairs and the passive LC ballast is used with any one of the lamps, the lamp operates between respective minimum and maximum lamp powers of the lamp.

Claims

1. A passive LC ballast for use with a high voltage discharge lamp, the passive LC ballast having an inductance and a capacitance in accordance with a non-linear model such that the lamp operates at a predetermined lamp power, the inductance and the capacitance thereby defining an inductance-capacitance pair.

2. A passive LC ballast according to claim 1 wherein the non-linear model is based on the following equations:

3. A passive LC ballast according to claim 1 wherein the non-linear model is based on equations having unknown coefficients, and the unknown coefficients are in accordance with an evolutionary algorithm.

4. A passive LC ballast according to claim 3 wherein the evolutionary algorithm is a genetic algorithm.

5. A passive LC ballast according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of the inductance-capacitance pairs are in accordance with the non-linear model, the inductance and the capacitance being one of the inductance-capacitance pairs such that the lamp operates at the predetermined lamp power.

6. A passive LC ballast according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined lamp power is any one of the lamp powers between a minimum lamp power and a maximum lamp power, a plurality of the inductance-capacitance pairs are thereby in accordance with the non-linear model, the inductance and capacitance being one of the inductance-capacitance pairs such that the lamp operates between the minimum and maximum lamp powers.

7. A passive LC ballast according to claim 6 wherein a plurality of sets of the inductance-capacitance pairs are in accordance with the non-linear model with each set corresponding to one of the lamp powers between the minimum and maximum lamp powers, the inductance and capacitance being one of the inductance-capacitance pairs such that the lamp operates between the minimum and maximum lamp powers.

8. A passive LC ballast according to claim 6 wherein the lamp has a rated lamp power, the minimum lamp power being about 90% of the rated lamp power and the maximum lamp power being about 110% of the rated lamp power.

9. A passive LC ballast according to claim 6 wherein the lamp has a rated lamp power, the minimum lamp power being about 95% of the rated lamp power and the maximum lamp power being about 100% of the rated lamp power.

10. A passive LC ballast according to claim 6 wherein the passive LC ballast is for use with any one of a plurality of the high voltage discharge lamps, the minimum and maximum lamp powers of the lamps defining one or more common inductance-capacitance pairs, the inductance and the capacitance being one of the common inductance-capacitance pairs such that, when the passive LC ballast is used with any one of the lamps, the lamp operates between the respective minimum and maximum lamp powers of the lamp.

11. A passive LC ballast according to claim 1 wherein the passive LC ballast is for use with a plurality of the high voltage discharge lamps interconnected in series, each lamp operating at respective individual predetermined lamp powers, the sum of which equals the predetermined lamp power.

12. A passive LC ballast according to claim 1 wherein the lamp is a T5 fluorescent lamp.

13. A passive LC ballast according to claim 1 wherein the lamp has a rated power of one of 14 W, 21 W, 28 W and 35 W.

14. A passive LC ballast according to claim 1 wherein the lamp is a T5 fluorescent lamp with a rated power of one of 14 W, 21 W, 28 W and 35 W.

15. A passive LC ballast according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of lamps includes lamps having different respective minimum and maximum lamp powers.

16. A passive LC ballast according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of lamps includes lamps each having a different respective rated lamp power and respective minimum and maximum lamp powers proportional to the respective rated lamp power.

17. A passive LC ballast according to claim 16 wherein the different rated lamp powers are two or more of 14 W, 21 W, 28 W and 35 W.

18. A passive LC ballast according to claim 16 wherein the plurality of lamps includes four lamps having rated lamp powers of 14 W, 21 W, 28 W and 35 W respectively.

19. A passive LC ballast according to claim 15 wherein the lamps are T5 fluorescent lamps.

20. A passive LC ballast according to claim 1 including an inductor having the inductance.

21. A passive LC ballast according to claim 1 including a capacitor having the capacitance.

22. A method of manufacturing a passive LC ballast for use with a high voltage discharge lamp, the method including providing the passive LC ballast with an inductance and a capacitance calculated using a non-linear model such that the lamp operates at a predetermined lamp power, the inductance and the capacitance thereby defining an inductance-capacitance pair.

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43. A passive LC ballast for use with anyone of a plurality of high voltage discharge lamps each having a respective minimum lamp power and a respective maximum lamp power, the passive LC ballast having an inductance and a capacitance selected in accordance with one of a set of one or more inductance-capacitance pairs, each inductance-capacitance pair defining a respective inductance and a respective capacitance such that, when the inductance and the capacitance of the passive LC ballast is selected in accordance with any one of the inductance-capacitance pairs and the passive LC ballast is used with anyone of the lamps, the lamp operates between the respective minimum and maximum lamp powers of the lamp.

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55. A method of manufacturing a passive LC ballast for use with anyone of a plurality of high voltage discharge lamps each having a respective minimum lamp power and a respective maximum lamp power, the passive LC ballast having an inductance and a capacitance, and the method including providing a set of one or more inductance-capacitance pairs, each inductance-capacitance pair defining a respective inductance and a respective capacitance such that, when the inductance and the capacitance of the passive LC ballast is selected in accordance with anyone of the inductance-capacitance pairs and the passive LC ballast is used with anyone of the lamps, the lamp operates between the respective minimum and maximum lamp powers of the lamp.

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