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Even though, nowadays, piezoelectric transformers (PTs) are only available with low power rating, there exist several low-power applications of ozone generation in which the use of this novel technology could be advantageous. Hence, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the possibilities of using PTs in the implementation of high-voltage power supplies for ozone generation. First, the possible topologies that can be used to drive the PT are identified. Then, the half-bridge inverter operating under zero-voltage switching (ZVS) is investigated, and the effect of the silent discharge generator (SDG) on the converter operation is analyzed. A new control circuit that allows the ZVS operation is proposed. The control circuit operates in dosed loop by measuring the phase between the PT's resonant current and the switching pattern and adjusting the switching frequency to the optimum value to assure ZVS. A laboratory prototype for a 6-W SDG was tested, and obtained experimental results are shown. Index Terms--Control method, half-bridge inverter, high frequency, ozone generation, piezoelectric transformer (PT), Rosen-type PT, zero-voltage switching (ZVS).

Nowadays, there are few commercial types of ballasts that are able to control fluorescent lamps with different power ratings. One of the main issues is how to get optimum operation for each lamp in this condition. This paper tries to demonstrate how to accomplish this objective using a magnetic regulator, i.e., using a variable inductor. This variable inductor is controlled by a dc current delivered by a forward converter directly supplied from the ballast dc bus voltage. This control current allows changing the resonant tank and adapting it to the working parameters imposed by each lamp, ensuring near-resonance working conditions. Design criteria and practical verifications are included to confirm this new technique. Theoretical predictions are verified with the experimental results for three TLD Philips fluorescent lamps, from 18 to 58 W. Index Terms--Fluorescent lamps, half-bridge inverter, magnetic regulators, resonant tank, universal ballasts, variable inductance.

This paper presents a comparative analysis and experiments of resonant tanks for magnetically controlled electronic ballasts, focusing on their behavior and performance when driving hot cathode fluorescent lamps. Four different resonant tanks are analyzed: LC, LCC, capacitive impedance inverter, and CLL. The analysis is performed using a 36-W fluorescent lamp, which has been previously tested and modeled experimentally. The lamp model is used to derive the dimming characteristics of the different resonant tanks when using the resonant inductance as a control parameter. Analysis and experiments showed that instabilities appear when the lamp power is decreased below a minimum value, which effectively limits the dimming range of the ballast. Nevertheless, the proposed control method can be used to control lamp power in an adequate range provided that the resonant tank should be selected and designed properly. Index Terms--Dimming, electronic ballast, fluorescent lamp, magnetic regulator, resonant tanks, variable inductance.

In this paper, a novel single-stage electronic ballast with a high power factor is presented. The ballast circuit is based on the integration of a buck converter to provide the power factor correction, and a flyback converter to control the lamp power and to supply the lamp with a low-frequency square-waveform current. Both converters work in discontinuous conduction mode, which simplifies the control. In spite of being an integrated topology, the circuit does not present additional stress of voltage or current in the main switch, which handles only the flyback or buck current, depending on the operation mode. To supply the lamp with a low-frequency square-wave current to avoid acoustic resonances, the flyback has two secondary windings that operate complementarily at a low frequency. The design procedure of the converters is also detailed. Experimental results from a 35-W metal halide lamp are presented, where the proposed ballast reached a power factor of 0.95, a total harmonic distortion of 30 % (complying with IEC 61000-3-2), and an efficiency of 90%. Index Terms--Acoustic resonance (AR), electronic ballast, high power factor (HPF), integrated buck flyback converter, metal halide lamp (MHL), single stage (SS).

This paper investigates the integrated buck-flyback converter (IBFC) as a good solution for implementing low-cost high-power-factor ac-dc converters with fast output regulation. It will be shown that, when both buck and flyback semistages are operated in discontinuous conduction mode, the voltage across the bulk capacitor, which is used to store energy at low frequency, is independent of the output power. This makes it possible to maintain the bulk capacitor voltage at a low value within the whole line voltage range. The off-line operating modes of the IBFC are also investigated to demonstrate that the control switch of the proposed converter handles lower root-mean-square currents than those in similar integrated converters. The off-line operation of the IBFC is analyzed to obtain the design characteristics of the bulk capacitor voltage. Finally, the design and experimental results of a universal input 48 V-output 100 W ac-dc converter operating at 100 kHz is presented. Experiments show that the IEC-61000-3-2 input current harmonic limits are well satisfied and efficiency can be as high as 82 %. Index Terms--Fast output regulation, integrated buck-flyback converter (IBFC), low cost, low current stress, power factor correction, single-stage (SS) ac-dc converter.

In this paper, a new control strategy that allows zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) operation of power converters using piezoelectric transformers (PTs) is proposed. The control circuit operates in a closed loop by measuring the phase between the PTs resonant current and the switching pattern and adjusting the switching frequency to the optimum value so that ZVS operation is assured. An innovative nonlinear regulator based on an analog multiplexer is presented. The regulator automatically swaps the signs of the sensed signal and the reference signal to allow generation of the adequate control action. A laboratory prototype for a 6 W resonant inverter was tested; obtained experimental results are also shown. Index Terms--Control circuit, half bridge converter, piezoelectric transformer (PT), power supply, zero-voltage-switching (ZVS).

In this paper, a new control method for electronic ballasts based on the use of a variable inductor is presented. The main goal is to perform the complete control of the electronic ballast by maintaining the switching frequency constant and without using other parameters of the power converter, such as input voltage or duty cycle. The magnetic regulator is controlled by means of a dc current, which allows performing both lamp soft starting and lamp dimming. Apart from the important advantage of keeping a constant frequency during full electronic ballast operation, the proposed method presents additional advantages when compared to other control methods, such as inherent isolated control, more linear control characteristics, constant electrode power, and higher efficiency. Experimental results from a 36-W linear fluorescent lamp prototype are presented. Index Terms--Dimming, electronic ballast, fluorescent lamp, high frequency, magnetic regulator, soft start, variable inductor.

This paper proposes a metal halide lamp electronic ballast based on the integration of Zeta and Flyback converters, which are used to achieve power factor correction and lamp current stabilization, respectively. The proposed integrated converter allows to reduce the nmnber of ballast components without increasing the current stress in the shared switch. Thus, the lamp is supplied with a low-frequency square waveform that avoids the acoustic resonance phenomenon. The proposed topology has been implemented and validated by experimental results. Index Terms--Acoustic resonance (AR), ballast, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, integrated circnits, power electronics.

Discharge lamps present a negative dynamic characteristic that makes necessary to use a current limiting element. In high-frequency resonant ballasts, current limitation is performed by the output resonant tank; but in low-frequency square-wave electronic ballasts, arc stabilization is accomplished by the stage feeding the square wave inverter. Therefore, the design of the input converter must be made taking into account the lamp dynamic characteristic. In the present paper, a new procedure to obtain the small-signal dynamic characteristic of metal halide lamps is proposed. Using the proposed methodology, the small-signal characteristic of a 70-W lamp is obtained. This characteristic is then used for the design of an electronic ballast based on a buck-boost converter followed by a full bridge inverter. The limits for stable operation obtained are verified using a laboratory prototype. Index Terms--Arc stabilization, electronic ballasts, metal halide (MH) lamps.

In this paper, a study about acoustic resonance (AR) in low-wattage metal halide lamps is presented. The lamps are supplied with a typical low frequency square waveform on which a high frequency sinusoidal ripple is superposed. The goal is to emulate the same waveforms generated by a low frequency electronic ballast. In this way, the ARs that appear in the lamp can be characterized against ripple amplitude and frequency. Different lamp's manufacturers and burning hours are used. The obtained results are intended to be employed in further reliable designs of low-frequency square-waveform electronic ballasts. An example of application of the accumulated AR signatures in this type of electronic ballasts is carried out, and a standard proposal is presented. Index Terms--Acoustic resonance (AR), electronic ballast, metal halide (MH) lamp, square waveform operation.

In this paper, a simple method to obtain the small-signal model of discharge lamps, and particularly metal halide (MH) lamps, is proposed. A dc voltage source with a series resistor is used to supply the lamp at the required power level. Then, the lamp response against an input voltage step transient is analyzed. From this analysis, the parameters of the equivalent lamp model can be calculated. The proposed method allows obtaining the lamp model in a straight manner from a single test. With this technique, a 35-W MH lamp is modeled at two different power levels. A validation circuit, which includes a resistive ballast and a capacitance, is analyzed to evaluate the possibilities of the proposed modeling technique. The obtained experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis. The derivation of a time domain lamp model for SPICE-based computer simulators is also introduced. Finally, an example of application in low-frequency square-waveform electronic ballasts is presented. Index Terms--High intensity discharge (HID) lamp, low-frequency square-waveform (LFSW), metal halide discharge (MHD) lamp.

In this paper, a detailed study and experimentation on acoustic-resonances (AR) in low-wattage metal-halide lamps is presented. In order to excite the AR without extinguishing the electric arc, the lamps were supplied by means of a dc current with a superposed variable-frequency ac signal. By using this methodology, theoretical and experimental resonances were compared in terms of frequency, amplitude, and threshold-power level for their excitation. The experiments were carried out on four 35-W samples from each manufacturer (Osram and Philips), each of them with burning times of 100, 2500, and 5000 h, in order to cope with the full life of this type of lamps. AR maps for each lamp were obtained. These maps show not only the frequencies at which AR appear but also the amplitude of the resonances. The obtained AR maps are intended to be used by designers in order to know if a particular instantaneous lamp power waveform would be suitable to supply the lamp without generating AR. An application example on how to use these maps is also presented. Index Terms--Acoustic-resonance (AR) characterization, AR maps, electronic ballast, high frequency, metal-halide (MH) lamp, power harmonics.

A non-resonant electronic ballast based on one power switch and on one reactive element-one inductance-is described in this paper. The special current mode control implementation provides an intrinsic short-circuit protection and a very simple control circuitry. Filament heating time, current during the heating period, and protection against broken tube can be easily implemented with the proposed circuitry. A greenhouse application with a 120-V dc bus power distribution is presented in this paper. The dc bus voltage is easily obtained (in this particular application) from a classical series-connected 12-pulse rectifier in combination with a transformer with two secondary windings (one in Wye connection and other one in Delta connection). An additional advantage of this configuration is the high power factor obtained at the input stage. Index Terms--Boost inverter, current mode control, electronic ballast, fluorescent lamp, greenhouse lighting.

Nowadays, Permanent Emergency Lighting Systems (PELSs) are widely used in many applications, including emergency exit indication and lighting in critical or strategic points. Limitation in operation hours in classical lamps (10 000-20 000 h for fluorescent lamps) implies short lamp replacement times and, therefore, high maintenance costs. This paper shows an alternative solution based on high-efficiency LEDs. The long operation life (above 100 000 h) of high-efficiency LEDs with a very simple electronics circuitry implies an interesting solution for these types of applications. A 30-lm and 1-h PELS has been built and tested. A low-cost power supply has been built and used as a battery charger and LED driver. Index Terms--Emergency lighting system, LEDs, lighting systems.

The use of supply frequencies above 50-60 Hz allows for an increase in the power density applied to the ozonizer electrode surface and an increase in ozone production for a given surface area, while decreasing the necessary peak voltage. Parallel-resonant converters are well suited for supplying the high capacitive load of ozonizers. Therefore, in this paper the current-fed parallel-resonant push-pull inverter is proposed as a good option to implement high-voltage high-frequency power supplies for ozone generators. The proposed converter is analyzed and some important characteristics are obtained. The design and implementation of the complete power supply are also shown. The UC3872 integrated circuit is proposed in order to operate the converter at resonance, allowing us to maintain a good response disregarding the changes in electric parameters of the transformer-ozonizer pair. Experimental results for a 50-W prototype are also provided. Index Terms--High voltage, ozone generation, parallel-resonant inverter, power supply.

This paper deals with the use of microprocessor-based control circuits in automotive and railway lighting applications. Thus, the design and implementation of an electronic ballast for fluorescent lamps using a low-cost microcontroller ([micro]C) is presented. The ballast has been especially developed for lighting applications in railways, where the International Union of Railways (UIC) 555 Code must be fulfilled. The [micro]C is used to optimize the lamp ignition and supply, and to regulate lamp power against line voltage, thus fulfilling UIC 555 requirements. Also, protection features such as lamp soft reignition, overcurrent, and undervoltage are included using the [micro]C. Index Terms--Electronic ballast, fluorescent lamps, microprocessor, railways.

In this paper, a low-cost electronic ballast for high-pressure sodium vapor lamps is presented. The proposed ballast is a two-stage circuit that requires only one switch and one inductor for each stage. The power-factor-correction stage is a buck dc-to-dc converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode to meet the IEC-61000-3-2 Class C requirements. The inverter stage is a low-cost nonresonant topology, based on a buck-boost inverter controlled by means of a specific current-mode control implementation. In addition, a novel and simple circuit, compatible with the presented inverter, is proposed to ignite the lamp. Furthermore, this circuit implementation provides protection against broken lamps. Index Terms--Electronic ballast, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, power-factor-correction (PFC) stage, square-wave inverter.

In this paper, a novel topology to supply metal halide (MH) lamps using sinusoidal waveform with superposed third harmonic is proposed. By employing this technique, the lamp is supplied with an approximated square waveform, but it reduces the harmonic content and, therefore, electromagnetic interference and radio-frequency interference. The proposed topology is analyzed and designed for a 35-W MH lamp with ceramic discharge tube. Experimental results prove that lamp operation is stable at operating frequencies where acoustic resonances were previously observed when supplied with purely sinusoidal waveforms. In conclusion, the proposed technique could be a feasible solution for stable operation of MH lamps. Index Terms--Acoustic resonances, electronic ballasts, high frequency, metal halide (MH) lamps, sinusoidal plus third harmonic.

A low-cost high-frequency power supply for ozone generation is presented in this paper. The paper addresses two important issues. Firstly, the ozone reactor is tested at high frequency and a new model of this type of load is proposed. Secondly, the power supply stage is presented and analyzed, obtaining some important characteristics that allow the correct design of this power converter. Simulation and experimental results are also provided to evaluate the possibilities of the proposed converter. Index Terms--Disinfection, high frequency, high-voltage power supply, low power, ozone generation.

A novel single-stage high-power-factor electronic ballast obtained from the integration of a buck dc-to-dc converter and a half-bridge resonant inverter is analyzed in this paper. The buck converter is operated in discontinuous conduction mode and at constant frequency providing an input power factor high enough to satisfy present standard requirements. The operation of the proposed ballast is also investigated in detail in this paper, obtaining the important equations and characteristics in order to allow interested readers to perform an easy design. A ballast prototype supplying two 36 W fluorescent lamps has been both simulated and implemented at the laboratory. The results predict good market possibilities for the proposed topology in terms of reliability, cost, efficiency, and lamp life. Index Terms--dc-to-dc converter, discontinuous conduction mode, electronic ballasts, half-bridge resonant inverter.

This paper proposes a single-stage electronic ballast for high-intensity discharge lamps. The ballast consists of the integration of a boost converter in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) and a full-bridge LCC resonant inverter. The boost semi-stage working in DCM functions as a power factor corrector and the inverter semi-stage operated above resonance is employed to drive the lamp. The sine-wave approximation is used to design the inverter at steady-state. The proposed electronic ballast can save a controller, reduce size and possibly increase system reliability compared to conventional two-stage system. The proposed ballast is analyzed, simulated and experimentally verified with a 125 W HPS lamp. Index Terms--Electronic ballast, high-intensity discharge lamps, power factor correction, resonant inverter.

This paper presents some design issues and experimental results regarding the use of the input current shaper (ICS) technique to implement high power factor electronic ballasts. The ICS is placed between main rectifier and bulk capacitor to increase the conduction angle of the main rectifier diodes up to a minimum value to obtain low current harmonics injected to the mains. Two possibilities to implement ICS-based ballast are considered in this paper: the forward-based ICS and the flyback-based ICS. Experimental results obtained from two 40-W fluorescent lamp ballasts are also presented. Index Terms--Fluorescent lamp, high-frequency operation, input current shaper, power factor correction, single-stage ballast.

A complete study of the clamped-mode (CM) series-parallel (LCC) resonant inverter together with some of the control-to-output characteristics are presented in this paper. Also, a new control method for the CM LCC resonant inverter is introduced. With this method, the inverter is forced to operate with optimum commutations and without handling reactive energy, thus minimizing both switching and conduction losses. The corresponding design procedure is illustrated with a design example. Finally, some experimental results obtained from a prototype at the laboratory are also shown to validate the analysis and evaluate the proposed control method. Index Terms - Clamped-mode series-parallel resonant inverter, high-intensity-discharge lamp ballast, lighting, low-losses control method, optimum commutations, soft switching.

This paper presents a new emergency ballast for fluorescent lamps. The fundamental block is the microcontroller-based control circuit, which performs the supervision and control function. High-frequency electronics techniques are proposed for the high power factor battery charger and the lamp driver, which provides high luminous efficacy. In this way, size and weight have been minimized for the whole system. With the introduction of the microcontroller, the system has the capability of testing itself, checking its functional state, and displaying internal faults. Thus, the reliability of the system is improved and, concurrently, maintenance cost is decreased. Index Terms - Battery charger, fluorescent lamp ballast, high luminous efficacy, microcontroller, power factor correction, self-test, smart lighting system.

In this paper, a new distributive control system for indoor fluorescent lighting based on LonWorks technology is presented. The system features the following elements: microprocessor-controlled fluorescent lamp electronic ballast, communication system using the power line as communication media, and control software for Windows 95 environment. The electronic ballast has been especially designed to be operated under the proposed distributive control system. Thus, it features high-input power factor, high-frequency lamp supply, lamp power regulation against line voltage variations, dimming capability, and lamp failure detection. With this scheme, a low-cost distributive control system for lighting applications has been achieved, allowing energy and maintenance savings and increase in the reliability of the fluorescent lighting systems. Index Terms--Dimming, distributive control systems, fluorescent lighting application, high-power-factor electronic ballast, lamp failure detection, local operating networks, LonWorks technology, power-line communications, soft ignition.

A novel single-stage high-power-factor electronic ballast is presented in this paper. The ballast is obtained from the integration of a buck-boost converter and a half-bridge LC resonant inverter. The ballast features lamp power regulation against line voltage fluctuations together with high power factor and dimming capability. The steady-state analysis of the ballast is performed and a low-frequency model of the input stage is derived. A design example, including closed-loop circuitry, is also presented. Finally, some experimental results from a laboratory prototype are shown. Index Terms-- Constant-wattage feature, fluorescent lamps, high-frequency operation, power-factor correction, single-stage ballast.

A new single-stage high-power-factor electronic ballast based on a flyback converter is presented in this paper. The ballast is able to supply a fluorescent lamp assuring a high-input power factor for the utility line. Other features are lamp power regulation against line voltage variations and low lamp current crest factor, both assuring long lamp life. The ballast is analyzed at steady-state operation, and design equations and characteristics are obtained. Also, a procedure for the ballast design is presented. Finally, simulation and experimental results from a laboratory prototype are shown. Index Terms-- Dimming, electronic ballast, high frequency, lamp power regulation, power factor correction, single-stage converter.