1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system for quick restart of sodium discharge lamps, including low pressure, medium pressure and high pressure discharge lamps. The system is a high frequency, high efficiency system which includes ballast features and utilizes a three stage power factor correction microchip in a unique circuit to achieve a diverse, superior device.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following patents represent the state of the art in ballast and lamp lighting systems:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,563 to Andreas Genz describes a metal-halide high-pressure discharge lamp with a discharge vessel and two electrodes which has an inside discharge vessel and ionizable filling, which contains yttrium (Y) in addition to inert gas, mercury, halogen, thallium (Tl), hafnium (Hf), whereby hafnium can be replaced wholly or partially by zirconium (Zr), dysprosium (Dy) and/or gadolinium (Gd) as well as, optionally, cesium (Cs). Preferably, the previously conventional quantity of the rare-earth metal is partially replaced by a molar equivalent quantity of yttrium. With this filling system, a relatively small tendency toward devitrification is obtained even with high specific arc powers of more than 120 W per mm of arc length or with high wall loads. Thus, the filling quantity of cesium can be clearly reduced relative to a comparable filling without yttrium, whereby an increase in the light flux and particularly in the brightness can be achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,701 to Hansraj Guhilot et al. describes a lighting inverter which provides voltage and current to a gas discharge lamp in general and a metal halide lamp in particular with a novel power factor controller. The power factor controller step down converter having the device stresses of a buck converter, continuous current at its input like a CUK converter, a high power factor, low input current distortion and high efficiency. The inverter consists of two cyclically rotated CUK switching cells connected in a half bridge configuration and operated alternately. The inverter is further optimized by using integrated magnetics and a shared energy transfer capacitor. The AC voltage output from the inverter is regulated by varying its frequency. A ballast filter is coupled to the regulated output of the inverter. The ballast filter is formed by a series circuit of a ballast capacitor and a ballast inductor. The lamp is preferably connected across the inductor to minimize the acoustic arc resonance. The values of the capacitor and the inductor are chosen so as to satisfy the firing requirements of the HID lamps. A plurality of lamps are connected by connecting the multiple lamps with the ballast filters to the secondary of the inverter transformer. Almost unity power factor is maintained at the line input as well as the lamp output.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,090 to Guy J. Lestician is directed to an electronic ballast system including one or more gas discharge lamps which have two unconnected single electrodes each. The system is comprised of a housing unit with electronic circuitry and related components and the lamps. The system accepts a.c. power and rectifies it into various low d.c. voltages to power the electronic circuitry, and to one or more high d.c. voltages to supply power for the lamps. Both the low d.c. voltages and the high d.c. voltages can be supplied directly, eliminating the need to rectify a.c. power. The device switches a d.c. voltage such that a high frequency signal is generated. Because of the choice of output transformers matched to the high frequency (about 38 kHz) and the ability to change frequency slightly to achieve proper current, the device can accept various lamp sizes without modification. The ballast can also dim the lamps by increasing the frequency. The device can be remotely controlled. Because no filaments are used, lamp life is greatly extended.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,040 to Guy J. Lestician is directed to an electronic ballast device for the control of gas discharge lamps. The device is comprised of a housing unit with electronic circuitry and related components. The device accepts a.c. power and rectifies it into various low d.c. voltages to power the electronic circuitry, and to one or more high d.c. voltages to supply power for the lamps. Both the low d.c. voltages and the high d.c. voltages can be supplied directly, eliminating the need to rectify a.c. power. The device switches a d.c. voltage such that a high frequency signal is generated. Because of the choice of output transformers matched to the high frequency (about 38 kHz) and the ability to change frequency slightly to achieve proper current, the device can accept various lamp sizes without modification. The ballast can also dim the lamps by increasing the frequency. The device can be remotely controlled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,127 to Georges Lavaud et al. describes a dimming device, with a brightness dimming ratio of 1 to 1000, for a fluorescent lamp used for the backlighting of a liquid crystal screen which comprises a periodic signal generator for delivering rectangular pulses with an adjustable duty cycle. The pulses are synchronized with the image synchronizing signal of the liquid crystal screen. An alternating voltage generator provides power to the lamp only during the pulses. The decrease in tube efficiency for very short pulses allows the required dimming intensity to be achieved without image flickering.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,920 to Jerome Zonis describes a gas-filled tube which is operated by application of a powered electrical signal which stimulates the tube at or near its maximum efficiency region for lumens/watt output; the signal may generally stimulate the tube at a frequency between about 20 KHz and about 100 KHz with an on-to-off duty cycle of greater than one-to-one. Without limiting the generality of the invention, formation of the disclosed powered electrical signal is performed using an electrical circuit comprising a feedback transformer having primary and secondary coils, a feedback coil, and a bias coil, operatively connected to a feedback transistor and to a plurality of gas-filled tubes connected in parallel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,470 to Kenneth T. Zeiler describes a gate driver circuit which is provided for push-pull power transistors. Inverse square wave signals are provided to each of the driver circuits for activating the power transistors. The combination of an inductor and diodes provides a delay for activating the corresponding power transistor at a positive transition of the control signal, but do not have a significant delay at the negative transition. This provides protection to prevent the power transistors from being activated concurrently while having lower power loss at high drive frequencies. The control terminal for each power transistor is connected to a voltage clamping circuit to prevent the negative transition from exceeding a predetermined limit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,485 to Leslie Z. Fox describes an improved ballast that operates an ionic conduction lamp such as a conventional phosphor coated fluorescent lamp. The ballast comprises an ac/dc converter that converts an a-c power signal to a d-c power signal that drives a transistor tuned-collector oscillator. The oscillator is comprised of a high-frequency wave-shape generator that in combination with a resonant tank circuit produces a high-frequency signal that is equivalent to the resonant ionic frequency of the phosphor. When the lamp is subjected to the high frequency, the phosphor is excited which causes a molecular movement that allows the lamp to fluoresce and emit a fluorescent light. By using this lighting technique, the hot cathode of the lamp, which normally produces a thermionic emission, is used only as a frequency radiator. Therefore, if the cathode were to open, it would have no effect on the operation lamp. Thus, the useful life of the lamp is greatly increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,863 to Kenneth T. Zeilier describes a ballast circuit which is provided for the start-up and operation of gaseous discharge lamps. A power transformer connected to an inductive/capacitive tank circuit drives the lamps from its secondary windings. An oscillator circuit generates a frequency modulated square wave output signal to vary the frequency of the power supplied to the tank circuit. A photodetector feedback circuit senses the light output of the lamps and regulates the frequency of the oscillator output signal. The feedback circuit also may provide input from a remote sensor or from an external computer controller. The feedback and oscillator circuits produce a high-frequency signal for lamp start-up and a lower, variable frequency signal for operating the lamps over a range of light intensity. The tank circuit is tuned to provide a sinusoidal signal to the lamps at its lowest operating frequency, which provides the greatest power to the lamps. The ballast circuit may provide a momentary low-frequency, high power cycle to heat the lamp electrodes just prior to lamp start-up. Power to the lamps for start-up and dimming is reduced by increasing the frequency to the tank circuit, thereby minimizing erosion of the lamp electrodes caused by high voltage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,087 to Zoltan Zansky describes a low cost high frequency electronic dimming ballast for gas discharge lamps is disclosed which eliminates the need for external primary inductance or choke coils by employing leakage inductance of the transformer. The system is usable with either fluorescent or high intensity discharge lamps and alternate embodiments employ the push-pull or half-bridge inverters. Necessary leakage inductance and tuning capacitance are both located on the secondary of the transformer. Special auxiliary windings or capacitors are used to maintain necessary filament heating voltage during dimming of fluorescent lamps. A clamping circuit or auxiliary tuned circuit may be provided to prevent component damage due to over-voltage and over-current if a lamp is removed during operation of the system.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
The present invention is a high frequency, high efficiency quick restart system for lighting a particular type of bulb, including the bulb itself, namely, sodium lamps, including low pressure, medium pressure and high pressure sodium lamps. It includes ballast features and other aspects and has a base or housing unit to support circuitry and related components, e.g. one or more circuit boards or a combination of circuit boards, supports or enclosures. The electronic circuitry and components mounted on the housing unit, includes: means for connecting and applying a power input to the circuitry; switch means for switching a lamp on and off, which switch means control is connected to control power to the circuitry; and auto-ranging voltage control circuitry and components, including an auto line supply filter and a line voltage correction EMI to provide an auto-ranging voltage intake/output capability. There is also a three stage power factor correction microchip controller. This microchip controller is a Bi-CMOS microchip. There is a feedback current sensor; a power factor correction regulator; a bulb status feedback means; a bulb voltage controller; a conditioning filter; a half-bridge; a DC output inverter; and, output means and connection for a lamp. The means for connecting and applying a power input to the circuitry may have connection and adaption for receiving AC current and/or DC current. The three stage power factor correction microchip controller includes power detection means for end-of-lamp-life detection, a current sensing PFC section based on continuous, peak or average current sensing, and a low start up current of less than about 1.0 milliamps. In preferred embodiments, the three stage power factor correction microchip contains a three frequency control sequencer. Some of the features of the power factor correction microchip include power detect for end-of-lamp life detection; low distortion, high efficiency continuous boost, peak or average current sensing PFC section; leading edge and trailing edge synchronization between PFC and ballast; one to one frequency operation between PFC and ballast; programmable start scenario for rapid/instant start lamps; triple frequency controls network for dimming or starting to handle various lamp sizes; programmable restart for lamp out condition to reduce ballast heating; internal over-temperature shutdown; PFC over-voltage comparator to eliminate output runaway due to load removal; and low start up current.
In most preferred embodiments the three stage power factor correction microchip includes corrections for each of the following functions:
(1) inverting input to a PFC error amplifier and OVP comparator input;
(2) PFC error amplifier output and compensation mode;
(3) sense inductor current and peak current sense point of PFC cycle-by-cycle current limit;
(4) output of current sense amplified;
(5) inverting input of lamp error amplifier to sense and regulate lamp arc current;
(6) output lamp current error transconductance amplifier to sense and regulate lamp arc current;
(7) external resistor to set oscillator to Fmax and Rx/Cx charging current;
(8) oscillator timing component to set start frequency;
(9) oscillator timing components;
(10) input for lamp-out detection and restart;
(11) resistance/capacitance to set timing for preheat and interrupt;
(12) timing set for preheat and for interrupt;
(13) integrated voltage for error amplifier output;
(14) analog ground;
(15) power ground;
(16) ballast MOSFET first drive/output;
(17) ballast MOSFET second drive/output;
(18) power factor MOSFET driver output;
(19) positive supply voltage; and,
(20) buffered output for specific voltage reference, e.g. 7.5 volt reference.
The power factor correction regulator in the present invention system is a power factor correction regulator with one MOSFET switching circuit, or two MOSFET switching circuits, and the DC output inverter is a DC output inverter with two MOSFET switching circuits, or four MOSFET switching circuits.
The lamp is a sodium discharge lamp, and it may be of low, medium, high or any pressure, within the commonly referred to sodium discharge lamp technologies now available and to be created. Typically, these sodium discharge lamps include a discharge vessel and two electrodes. It contains an ionizable filling, which includes an inert gas, e.g. xeon, a small amount of sodium-mercury amalgam, and sodium. The present invention contemplates utilization of what are conventionally known as sodium lamps, and in some preferred embodiments, high pressure type sodium, in combination with the circuitry features described above and in greater detail below.
The system of the present invention not only illuminates these lamps well, but also provides for heretofore unachieved rapid restart capabilities.
In some preferred embodiments, the electronic circuitry and components switch means further includes dimmer circuitry and components.
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