What does a ballast capacitor do?
Capacitors, available in both oil-filled and dry-film technologies, are used with some HID ballasts in order to improve their power factor, light output, and even efficiency by regulating the inrush current that occurs when the light is initially started.
How does a DC ballast work?
It uses a constant steady positive voltage in a circuit. This type of the current is distributed unevenly on the electrical components. The DC ballast moves the positive ions to the negative side only.
How does a ballast regulate current?
In a fluorescent lighting system, the ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides sufficient voltage to start the lamps. Once the arc is established, the ballast quickly reduces the voltage and regulates the electric current to produce a steady light output.
What are the components of ballast?
Ballasts vary greatly in complexity. They may be as simple as a resistor, inductor, or capacitor (or a combination of these) wired in series with the lamp; or as complex as the electronic ballasts used in compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and high-intensity discharge lamps (HID lamps).
Does a ballast have a capacitor?
The ballast units are generally composed of a transformer to reduce the incoming voltage, a small capacitor (that may contain PCBs) and possibly a thermal cut-off switch or safety fuse.
What is the function of a capacitor in a fluorescent fitting?
Fluorescent lamps form an inductive load on the AC mains supply. As a result large installations of such lamps suffer a poor power factor and resultant voltage drop. Adding a capacitor to each lamp corrects the power factor bringing it back close to unity (1.0).
What is the difference between AC and DC ballast?
AC vs DC, 35W vs 55W Ballasts Both types of ballasts take the DC power from vehicles and power the HID bulbs for light. The difference in these ballasts is in the type of electricity being outputted to the HID bulb. AC ballasts output AC power, while DC ballasts output DC power.
What is ballast factor?
Ballast factor efficiency refers to the actual lumen output for a specific lamp and ballast system as compared to its rated lumen output. Or, commercial ballast lumen output divided by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard ballast output.
What does a capacitor do in a fluorescent light?
What voltage does a ballast put out?
Fluorescent lamps use a ballast which transforms line voltage to a voltage to start up and operate the lamp(s). Newer fluorescent ballasts are usually rated for both 120 volts and 277 volts. Some are rated for only 120 volts, others for only 277 volts (used in commercial environments).
Which ballast is used in sodium lamp?
Operation. The inductive ballast is made up of a coiled wire. The coil creates a magnetic field inside when a current is applied. It stores the energy of the current in the magnetic field it creates.
What is the difference between a ballast and a capacitor?
A transformer changes the amperage and / or voltage. It literally “Transforms” electrical energy. A ballast is like a capacitor. Because the electrical ballast stores far more power than the device it regulates requires, it too provides a kind of electrical stability.