Predictable Characteristics of the Fluorescent Lamp Electrodes With the Constant RMS Voltage Heating Method During the Preheating Phase

This paper presents a new model for electrodes of fluorescent lamps with constant RMS voltage heating, in order to predict the electrodes' characteristic ratio of hot-to-cold resistance (R
_H
/R
_C
) during the preheating phase, which is related to both the preheating time and the RMS value of voltage across the lamp electrodes. In developing this model, we first analyzed a simple test platform, to obtain a functional fit to the measured data, and then verified the model using a prototype laboratory ballast. The experimental results presented here demonstrate the validity of the analysis and confirm its potential as an effective tool for the design of electronic ballasts.