Lamp ballast with near unity power factor and low harmonic content
First Claim
1. A ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp, comprising in combination:
- means defining first and second line terminals;
means defining first and second load terminals, with said second line terminal connected to said second load terminal;
first, second and third inductances connected at a junction;
a capacitance connected in series with said first inductance between said junction and said second line terminal, with said second inductance connected to said first load terminal and said third inductance connected to said first line terminal; and
first and second fluorescent lamp filament power sources for providing electric power to the respective lamp filaments;
with the magnitudes of said capacitance and the inductance in series with it selected to provide series resonance to produce about a minimum third harmonic line current with a connected load.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A magnetic ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp providing improved power factor, reduced harmonic content and increased efficiency. A ballast circuit with three inductances connected at a junction, preferably with the first and second inductances comprising a tapped autotransformer, with the third inductance connected between a line terminal and the tap, with the first inductance connected in series with a capacitance to the other line terminal, and with the second inductance connected to the load. The first inductance may be provided totally as part of the autotransformer, or may be supplemented with a second inductance in series. In an alternative embodiment, separate inductances may be utilized. Alternative lamp filament power sources and alternative functionally equivalent core and winding configurations are disclosed.
10 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp, comprising in combination:
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means defining first and second line terminals; means defining first and second load terminals, with said second line terminal connected to said second load terminal; first, second and third inductances connected at a junction; a capacitance connected in series with said first inductance between said junction and said second line terminal, with said second inductance connected to said first load terminal and said third inductance connected to said first line terminal; and first and second fluorescent lamp filament power sources for providing electric power to the respective lamp filaments; with the magnitudes of said capacitance and the inductance in series with it selected to provide series resonance to produce about a minimum third harmonic line current with a connected load. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp, comprising in combination:
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means defining first and second line terminals for connection to an electrical power source; means defining first and second load terminals for connection to an electrical load, with said second line terminal connected to said second load terminal; a magnetic core having three parallel legs; first and second coils connected at a junction, with said first coil on one of said outer legs and said second coil on the other of said outer legs; and a capacitance connected in series with said first coil between said junction and said second line terminal, with said second coil connected to said first load terminal; with the air gap at the ends of said three core legs providing a magnetic coupling coefficient between said coils of a polarity to reduce the inductance of the equivalent circuit of the ballast circuit.
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14. A ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp, comprising in combination:
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means defining first and second line terminals; means defining first and second load terminals, with said second line terminal connected to said second load terminal; a magnetic core having three parallel legs; first, second and third coils connected at a junction, with said first coil on the center leg of said core and with said second and third coils on the outer legs of said core, respectively, and with said first and second coils connected at a junction and with said second and third coils connected in series; and a capacitance connected in series with said first coil between said junction and said second line terminal, with said second coil connected to said first line terminal and said third coil connected to said first line terminal. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp, comprising in combination:
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means defining first and second line terminals; means defining first and second load terminals, with said second line terminal connected to said second load terminal; first, second and third inductances connected at a junction; and a capacitance connected in series with said first inductance between said junction and said second line terminal, with said second inductance connected to said first load terminal and said third inductance connected to said first line terminal; with the magnitudes of said capacitance and the inductance in series with it selected to provide series resonance to produce about a minimum third harmonic line current with a connected load; and with said inductances formed in two coils wound on a core having three parallel legs, with one of said coils providing said first inductance and a portion of said third inductance wound on one outer leg and with said the other of said coils providing said second inductance and a portion of said third inductance wound on the other outer leg, and with the air gap at the ends of said three core legs providing a magnetic coupling coefficient between said coils that is of a polarity to reduce the inductance of the equivalent circuit of the ballast circuit.
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17. A ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp, comprising in combination:
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means defining first and second line terminals; means defining first and second load terminals, with said second line terminal connected to said second load terminal; first, second and third inductances connected at a junction; and a capacitance connected in series with said first inductance between said junction and said second line terminal, with said second inductance connected to said first load terminal and said third inductance connected to said first line terminal; with the magnitudes of said capacitance and the inductance in series with it selected to provide series resonance to produce about a minimum third harmonic line current with a connected load; and with said inductances formed in first, second and third coils wound on a core having three legs, with said first coil providing said first inductance and a portion of said third inductance wound on the center leg, and with said second coil providing a portion of each of said second and third inductances wound on one outer leg, and with said third coil providing a portion of each of said second and third inductances wound on the other outer leg, with said second and third coils of unequal inductance providing a subtractive mutual inductance with respect to said first coil.
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18. A ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp, comprising in combination:
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means defining first and second line terminals; means defining first and second load terminals, with said second line terminal connected to said second load terminal; first, second and third inductances connected at a junction; and a capacitance connected in series with said first inductance between said junction and said second line terminal, with said second inductance connected to said first load terminal and said third inductance connected to said first line terminal; with the magnitudes of said capacitance and the inductance in series with it selected to provide series resonance to produce about a minimum third harmonic line current with a connected load; and with said circuit being a balanced-to-common circuit with common-mode-rejection.
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19. A ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp, comprising in combination:
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means defining first and second line terminals; means defining first and second load terminals, with said second line terminal connected to said second load terminal; first, second and third inductances connected at a junction; and a capacitance connected in series with said first inductance between said junction and said second line terminal, with said second inductance connected to said first load terminal and said third inductance connected to said first line terminal; with the magnitudes of said capacitance and the inductance in series with it selected to provide series resonance to produce about a minimum third harmonic line current with a connected load; and with said third inductance divided symmetrically between said first and second line terminals. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp, comprising in combination:
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means defining first and second line terminals; means defining first and second load terminals, with said second line terminal connected to said second load terminal; first, second and third inductances connected at a junction; and a capacitance connected in series with said first inductance between said junction and said second line terminal, with said second inductance connected to said first load terminal and said third inductance connected to said first line terminal; with the magnitudes of said capacitance and the inductance in series with it selected to provide series resonance to produce about a minimum third harmonic line current with a connected load; and with each of said first and second inductances divided symmetrically between said first and second load terminals, with said capacitance connected between the divided portions of said first inductance.
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Specification