COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMP (CFLs) VERSUS CONVENTIONAL

FLUORESCENT TUBE LIGHTS (FTLs)

Problem statement

Fluorescent tube lights and compact fluorescent lights are extensively

used in the modern indoor lighting applications. The discharge lamps are known
as nonlinear electrical loads. Hence these lamps introduce harmonics in the
electrical circuits. Any discharge lamp requires ballast for its operation. This
paper deals with the effect on the electrical system with CFLs (driven by
electronic ballast) and FTLs (conventional FTLs driven by magnetic ballast).

Objective:

The objective of the paper is to compare electrical and photometrical

characteristics of CFLs driven by electronic ballast and the FTLs driven by
magnetic ballast.

Theory:

Fluorescent lamp:
The fluorescent lamp which was first developed in 1930s consists of a
tube that is coated on the inside with a fluorescent powder, or phosphor. The
tube contains mercury vapor at low pressure with a small amount of an inert gas
to assist ignition of discharge. Two electrodes are placed at either end of the
tube and are designed in such a way so as to operate as either "hot" or "cold"
cathode lamps. Hot cathode lamps contain electrodes made of coated tungsten
filaments and are usually heated to an electron emitting temperature before the
arc strikes. The operation of a fluorescent lamp consists first of establishing a
sustained electric arc between the two cathodes. The impact of these electrons
with the atoms of mercury vapor produces mostly invisible ultraviolet light
which is then converted into visible light by the phenomenon of fluorescence of
the phosphor coating on the tube. The chemical composition of the phosphor
coating is, therefore, mostly responsible for the color of the light produced and
also partly for the efficacy of the lamp.
The Compact Fluorescent Lamp does not differ in its operating principle
from the standard fluorescent lamp, yet the CFL has been designed to address
some of the fundamental objections to the widespread application of the linear
fluorescent tube in many residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
A fluorescent lamp, a device with negative differential resistance. In
operation, an increase in current through the fluorescent tube causes a drop in
voltage across it. If the tube were connected directly to the power line, the
falling tube voltage would cause more and more current to flow, until it
destroyed itself. To prevent this, fluorescent tubes are connected to the power
line through a ballast. The ballast adds positive impedance (AC resistance) to
the circuit to counteract the negative resistance of the tube, limiting the current.

Electrical ballast:
Electrical ballast is a device placed in line with the load to limit the
amount of current in an electrical circuit. It may be a fixed or variable resistor.
A familiar and widely used example is the inductive ballast used in fluorescent
lamps to limit the current through the tube, which would otherwise rise to a
destructive level due to the negative differential resistance of the tube's voltage-
current characteristic. Electrical ballast is a device that limits the current through
an electrical load. These are most often used when a load (such as an arc
discharge) has its terminal voltage decline when current through the load
increases. If such a device were connected to a constant-voltage power supply,
it would draw an increasing amount of current until it is destroyed or causes the
power supply to fail. To prevent this, ballast provides a positive resistance or
reactance that limits the current. The ballast provides for the proper operation of
the negative-resistance device by limiting current. They are of two types,
(i) Magnetic ballast,
(ii) Electronic ballast.
Magnetic ballast: The magnetic ballast is used in the fluorescent lamps
because the tube is fed by an alternating voltage, which rises and falls 120 times
a second (in the USA; 100 times in Europe). Its electrical current sloshes back
and forth, 60 times a second in one direction, 60 times in the opposite one. In
between, 120 times each second, the voltage drops to zero and the tube is
extinguished, since plasmas react very quickly. Somehow, it must be relit!
A ballast coil can do that. In an alternating current, it acts a bit like a
resistance. As the current rises, it absorbs energy from it to build up its magnetic
field, slowing down its growth. Then, when the voltage drops to zero, the stored
magnetic energy produces a voltage surge which relights the tube. You will not
usually see the fast flickering of the light, except maybe if you illuminate a
rotating fan, when (at the right speed) its motion seems to stop. (Note: compact
fluorescent lamps now exist in which the ballast coil is replaced by a more
complex electronic circuit. The flow of electric current is then limited by a
complex circuit with transistors.

FTLs driven by Magnetic Ballast

Electronic ballast: Electronic ballast uses solid state electronic circuitry to
provide the proper starting and operating electrical conditions to power
discharge lamps. Electronic ballast can be smaller and lighter than a
comparably-rated magnetic one. Electronic ballast is usually quieter than a
magnetic one, which produces a line-frequency hum by vibration of the
transformer laminations. Electronic ballasts are often based on SMPS topology,
first rectifying the input power and then chopping it at a high frequency.
Advanced electronic ballasts may allow dimming via pulse-width modulation or
via changing the frequency to a higher value. Electronic ballasts usually supply
power to the lamp at a frequency of 20,000 Hz or higher, rather than the mains
frequency of 50 – 60 Hz; this substantially eliminates the stroboscopic effect of
flicker.

Electronic ballast of a Compact Fluorescent Lamp

Block diagram of electronic ballast fed fluorescent lamp:

Comparision of magnetic and electronic ballast;

The conventional line frequency magnetic ballasts are associated with the
following drawbacks.
(i) Flicker from 50/60 Hz power mains,
(ii) Significant size and weight,
(iii) Low power factor, non-sinusoidal current wave forms, and
(iv) Difficulty for dimming.
This circuit has been the standard electronic ballast for many years despite the
following inherent shortcomings:
(i) Not self starting,
(ii) Poor switching time leading to higher power losses,
(iii) Labor intensive to manufacture (due to torroidal current
transformer, etc.)
(iv) Expensive to manufacture.

Summary:

Electronic ballast can be smaller and lighter than a comparably-rated

magnetic one. Electronic ballast is usually quieter than a magnetic one, which
produces a line-frequency hum by vibration of the transformer laminations.
Even though the electronic ballast injects more harmonics than the magnetic
ballast circuitry, it reduces the flickering of light in FTLs driven by magnetic
ballast and other advantage is that the Electronic ballast can be smaller and
lighter than a comparably-rated magnetic one.
Learning from the activity:

The solid state devices and the power electronics converters had played a
vital role in the evolution Compact Fluorescent Lamps. With the the use of
power electronics converters in the ballast circuitry of fluorescent lightings,
high power loss in the conventional magnetic ballast can be eliminated, and the
flickering can be reduced and size is reduced comparatively.

Reference:
1. Kularatna, Nihal (1998). Power Electronics Design Handbook. Newnes. pp. 232–
233. ISBN 978-0750670739.

Result:

Electromagnetic ballasts have demonstrated good reliability due to their

relative simplicity. Quality is essential but does not necessarily equate to
reliability. There are important dependent relationships between quality and
reliability that include mechanical, electrical and economic considerations.
Reliability can be improved at three levels. First, the use of high quality
components; second, the use of high performance designs, and third, the use of
highly reliable manufacturing techniques. With the current world energy
situation, more and more electromagnetic ballasts will be replaced with
electronic lighting. Thus the need for reliable electronic ballasts will keep
increasing. Hence the Compact Fluorescent lamps are far more better than
conventional FTLs.