Help on Lamp ballast incompatibility

Thread Starter

aacman

Joined May 17, 2020
16
Hello
One of my acquaintances asked/helped me to ask this question here.
I have a Fluorescent lamp whose power rating is 17% less than the electronic ballast wattage rating. Details below. I have searched a lot and could not find an exact rating ballast. Further due to pandemic, there are many logistic and closed business issues. So so thats out of option now.

I need to run a Fluorescent lamp rated for 30W(nominal), Voltage-102V(nominal), Current-0.37A (nominal), T8 Size, Bi-pin (2 pins on each side)
Electronic ballast is rated for 36(TLD)/40W, InputVoltage-220V(nominal), InputCurrent-0.19A. 1 Input pair and 2 output pairs (different colors)

I have scoured the internet and read a lot but it seems ballast technology is pretty complex especially with various types of it and it has to be exactly optimal for the lamp it runs. In case of electronic ballasts, high rating causes larger current to flow, decreasing life of filmanent and lower rated ballast will not run the lamp well thus no optimal light and may decrease life too
I found some link very helpful like http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/flamp.htm but being a basic info guy could not find a proper solution.

So in short 4 questions :
1. Can these 2 products be run some way without damaging lamp? Some say just 5-10% variability shd be used as per ballast rating. Here its 17%
2. I found some users suggesting appropriate resistors/incadescent in series. Some asking for delayed switching. Anyone got experience with this?
3. I found that the resistance across the filament of lamp should be EXACTLY same as other old(defunct) lamp with appropriate ballast and i can canabalize it. is it a Correct statement technically? Is resistance of filament a very good way to measure power it needs?
4. If size/diameter of 2 lamps in question (3) are different and measured filament resistance is same, can i use the electronic ballast of other?
Any other solutions?

Thanks. I would be online and quick to reply with details, if needed :)
 

BobaMosfet

Joined Jul 1, 2009
2,110
Normally the ballast has a manufacturer and part number- can you provide those- we can likely find the exact replacement.

Based on the info you provided, your ballast is a 220V, for a 102V lamp- so the two are not compatible.

Lamp type is T8 - Get a ballast to support T8. Seriously- Google: "T8 ballast" I did, and found these:

1589989686973.png
 

Thread Starter

aacman

Joined May 17, 2020
16
Normally the ballast has a manufacturer and part number- can you provide those- we can likely find the exact replacement.
Based on the info you provided, your ballast is a 220V, for a 102V lamp- so the two are not compatible.
Lamp type is T8 - Get a ballast to support T8. Seriously- Google: "T8 ballast" I did, and found these:
Thanks for reply but as noted in 2nd line of my post, ". I have searched a lot and could not find an exact rating ballast. Further due to pandemic, there are many logistic and closed business issues. So thats out of option now. "

Based on the info you provided, your ballast is a 220V, for a 102V lamp- so the two are not compatible.
220VAC is input voltage of electronic ballast. 102V is nominal input voltage of lamp(same is for official compatible ballast) How would that make them incompatible?

Anyhow,
i found from the datasheet of a compatible ballast (official) the following. Can you help me understand what is the difference between first 4 things especially difference between rated lamp power and lamp power on TL-D (TLD- being T8/slim)
1590000484977.png

Thanks
 

Thread Starter

aacman

Joined May 17, 2020
16
Posting a larger picture of previous post.
Can anyone explain difference between first 4 things especially difference between rated lamp power and lamp power on TL-D (TLD- being T8/slim) ?

Clipboard02asas.jpg
 

Janis59

Joined Aug 21, 2017
1,834
Electrically, any choke type a ballast for "long lamps" may be used for UVC Hg-base ultraviolet element feed. BUT, the normal voltage on long lamp is ca 120-160V but to UVC lamps is 60-80 V. Thus the choke is receiving about double thermal flux. One way to solve it i cooler ribbs with or without a fan to the drossel, or better switch the two coils in series and two such series in parallel.
With electronic transformers are bit more badly, as the element receiving those altered warming are power igbts inside the box. Thus, or open and alter cooling or forget it.

If to feed a long lamp with wrong type of long lamps electronic trafos, its OK if obey the simple rule - trafo is resonance-tuned to certain current, say 0,37A. Voltage on lamps are approx identical. And VoltAmpere characteristic of lamp is full short-circ whilst the Voltage is about 100-160 V on lamp. Thus, the electronic trafo must stabilize the current or other wording it is stablilized current source. Therefore You MAY use for lamp of 40W the trafo with 28W (surprizing but flame still is rather stable however notable darker). But You may not to use 60W trafo for 40 W lamp as the lamp will be damaged rather fast.

PS - First I hear exists a special lamps for 110V. Suspect the voltage is normalized to standard 220 via that electronic tranformer and that is basic reason why Ameicas use so rarely a choke-based balasts. Probably.
 
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Thread Starter

aacman

Joined May 17, 2020
16
Electrically, any choke type a ballast for "long lamps" may be used for UVC Hg-base ultraviolet element feed. BUT, the normal voltage on long lamp is ca 120-160V but to UVC lamps is 60-80 V.
Well, nominal voltage of same brand lamp in its datasheet is written to be as 102V.(0.37A) So i am sure the high voltages would be far higher for filament striking,

Can anyone explain difference between first 4 things especially difference between rated lamp power and lamp power mentioned in picture above? Does it mean ballast can provide 31.1W of power only?

Also just to confirm, can you tell the schematic of flow in AC lamps?
AC supply > ballast converts to high voltage DC > Filters it > Converts to AC that too high frequency> Applies to Lamp . Is that Correct?
 
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