Abstract: A lamp ignition circuit is provided which can initiate operation of a gas discharge lamp using a driving voltage which is similar in magnitude to the lamp operating voltage. The lamp ignition circuit is useful with a semi-resonant ballast and lamp circuit in which switching operations intrinsic to the lamp shock-excite a series-connected inductor and capacitor into semi-resonant operation corresponding to an energy exchange and transfer during each half-cycle of the alternating current source to drive the lamp to start and maintain operation of the lamp using line voltage. The ignitor circuit has a disabling function following ignition of the lamp which is operable when the operating voltage of the lamp is approximately the line voltage of the power source. The disabling function triggered by an increase in voltage across the ignition circuit following operation of the lamp.

Abstract: A gas discharge lamp assembly is provided wherein the regulator housing and the ballast housing are placed remote from each other. Further, an ignitor and a capacitor are added to the circuitry of the ballast housing to allow for the regulator's remote placement. Such gas discharge lamps are typically between 1000 Watts and 2000 Watts.

Abstract: An ignitor monitoring device is provided which is enclosed within a housing to allow for portability while testing high intensity discharge (HID) luminaires. The device is placed in the lamp socket with the lamp removed, and measures the open circuit voltage across the ignitor, as well as the ignitor's ignition pulse. If the ignitor monitoring device detects adequate voltage to enable ignition of the lamp, the LED illuminates; otherwise, the LED fails to illuminate, and the operator can begin troubleshooting by replacing the ignitor and re-testing the luminaire, or testing the source, among other troubleshooting methods known in the art. A first housing employs a plunging mechanism that allows the operator to insert the monitoring device into the lamp socket with ample pressure to ensure electrical conduction between the device and the luminaire.

Abstract: An ignitor and ignitor monitoring device is provided which is externally and detachably mounted to a high intensity discharge (HID) luminaire. The ignitor monitoring device provides a visual indication of whether or not the ignitor of the lamp in the HID luminaire is functioning. If the lamp is not operating and the indicator is activated, sufficient open circuit voltage is present to operate the ignitor, the ballast in the luminaire is most likely functioning properly, and power is present to operate the luminaire. A service person can assume that the lamp is defective and can replace the lamp as a first attempt to correct the problem with the luminaire. If the lamp is off and the indicator is also not operating, the luminaire is not operating for any of a number of reasons such as a defective ignitor, a defective ballast capacitor, a defective lamp or loss of supply voltage from the power source. A service person can replace the ignitor in a first attempt to repair the luminaire.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing auxiliary power to a lighting system for heavy equipment during interruptions of power from a 250 volt direct current (DC) power supply is provided. The DC power supply is the only power source available to discharge lamps provided on the heavy equipment. The energy storage banks are provided between the power supply and a ballast for operating a gas discharge lamp. The energy storage banks store energy and provide the reserved energy to the ballast when the supply voltage to the ballast decreases below a level necessary for sustaining operating of the discharge lamp. The energy storage banks can comprise capacitors arranged in various series and parallel circuits and a blocking rectifier to prevent non-lighting loads on the heavy equipment from draining the energy storage banks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to retrofit a gas discharge lamp ballast designed for use with a first lamp having a first power rating to be used with a second lamp having a second power rating. The ballast has a core, a coil and a serially-connected ballast capacitance device and is characterized by a first net impedance of the ballast reactance to allow operation of the first lamp in an operating range in which the first lamp is designed to operate. When the first lamp is replaced with a second lamp having a different lamp impedance than the first lamp, the capacitance of the ballast capacitance device is selected so as to change the first net impedance of the ballast to a second net impedance which allows the ballast to maintain proper operation of the second lamp in accordance with its specifications and rating.

Abstract: An ignitor and ignitor monitoring device is provided which is externally and detachably mounted to a high intensity discharge (HID) luminaire. The ignitor monitoring device provides a visual indication of whether or not the ignitor of the lamp in the HID luminaire is functioning. If the lamp is not on and the indicator is activated, sufficient open circuit voltage is present to operate the ignitor, the ballast in the luminaire is most likely functioning properly, and power is present to operate the luminaire. A service person can assume that the lamp is defective and can replace the lamp as a first attempt to correct the problem with the luminaire. If the lamp is off and the indicator is also not operating, the luminaire is not operating for any of a number of reasons such as a defective ignitor, a defective ballast capacitor, a defective lamp or loss of supply voltage from the power source. A service person can replace the ignitor in a first attempt to repair the luminaire.

Abstract: An ignitor is provided to predictably and reliably start a conventional HID lamp, or to start or restart an HID lamp having a hot strike capability such as a high pressure xenon HPS lamp or similar lamp. The ignitor is configured to prevent the premature triggering of a semiconductor switch in a hot restrike circuit due to unwanted high voltage pulses generated by a conventional HID lamp starter circuit in the ignitor. An ignitor is provided that can be used with lag-type ballasts. Another ignitor is provided that can be used with a lead-type ballast which generates a DC bias across the ballast capacitor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for supplying emergency power to a lighting device, in particular, an HID lamp, when a failure occurs in a main power supply. The apparatus can include a rectifier circuit for converting an AC voltage signal provided by the main power supply to a DC voltage signal. A capacitive element can be coupled across the DC output terminals of the rectifier circuit and across a DC coil of a DC relay circuit. The amount of energy stored by the capacitor controls the DC relay to provide the voltage of the main power supply to the lamp circuit under normal conditions, and the voltage of an emergency power supply to the lamp circuit when the voltage of the main power supply falls below a predetermined level. Alternatively, an AC relay can be coupled directly to the main AC voltage power supply or emergency power supply and configured to perform a similar operation.

Abstract: A reduced cycle ignitor circuit for a high intensity discharge lamp incorporating a thermally timed, cycled operation which provides intermittent starting pulses for the high intensity discharge lamp. The ignitor circuit comprises a capacitor and semiconductor connected in series with a ballast transformer. The ignitor circuit further comprises a series connected resistor and thermostat, having thermally operated, normally closed electrical contacts, through which current is conducted to charge the capacitor. The thermostat is thermally coupled to the resistor. During operation, current flows through the series connected resistor and thermostat and charges the capacitor to a breakover threshold voltage level of the semiconductor. At that point, the semiconductor conducts and the energy stored in the capacitor is discharged through the semiconductor and a winding of the ballast which, through auto-transformer action, generates a high voltage pulse to start the high intensity discharge lamp.

Abstract: A hot restart circuit for a high intensity discharge lamp includes a storage capacitor and SCR connected across a tapped portion of a ballast with a breakdown device to start the SCR. A charging circuit for the storage capacitor includes a diode, a pumping capacitor and an RF choke in series from the ballast tap to the AC line, and a further diode interconnecting the capacitors. The pumping capacitor increases the charge on the storage capacitor in a stepwise fashion until breakdown voltage is reached, whereupon starting pulses are applied to the lamp. A positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistor stops the flow of charging current to the capacitors after a predetermined interval, thereby terminating the reignition pulses and protecting the starting circuit from damage in case the lamp fails to reignite. In an alternative embodiment, a MOSFET gated by an RC timing circuit removes charge from the storage capacitor in order to terminate the reignition pulses after a predetermined interval.

Abstract: The light output of an electroluminescent panel is increased by using resonant transformation to increase the operating voltage across the panel to a level greater than the source or input voltage. This is accomplished by connecting the electroluminescent panel into a series resonant circuit whose capacitance value is made up at least in part of the intrinsic capacitance of the electroluminescent panel itself, and by choosing the inductance and capacitance values of the series resonant circuit to produce the desired output voltage across the electroluminescent panel. The resulting circuit is simple and low in cost, does not significantly add to the operating losses of the system, and takes advantage of the intrinsic capacitance of the panel in providing the desired resonant transformation.

Abstract: A hot restart circuit includes a storage capacitor and SCR connected across a tapped portion of a ballast with a breakdown device to start the SCR. A charging circuit for the storage capacitor includes a diode, pumping capacitor and choke in series from the ballast tap to the AC line and a further diode interconnecting the capacitors. The pumping capacitor increases the charge on the storage capacitor in a step-wise fashion until the breakdown voltage is reached, whereupon starting pulses are applied to the lamp.

Abstract: A dimming system for a discharge lamp has a magnetic regulator with first, second and third windings linked by a magnetic core, the first winding being connectable to a source of alternating current. The second winding and a starting circuit are connected to the lamp for lighting the lamp. The third winding is tapped and has a ballast capacitor connected across the winding. An inductive reactor and relay contact set are connected in series between one end of the third winding and the tap so that when the contact set closes, the reactor stores energy from the source and reduces the power to the lamp, abruptly reducing its light output. A motion-responsive detector is used to energize the relay. With a normally closed contact set, the lamp is dimmed until a moving person is detected, opening the contact set and increasing the lamp light output. Multiple lamps can be controlled simultaneously.

Abstract: A starting circuit for a discharge lamp includes a tapped ballast transformer connected at one end to an AC supply and at the other end to a discharge lamp. A capacitor and charging resistor are connected in series across the lamp. A breakdown switch device and a current-limiting resistor are connected in series with each other between the transformer tap and the junction between the capacitor and charging resistor. When the capacitor charges to the breakdown value, it discharges through the breakdown device, current-limiting resistor and transformer, producing an output pulse to start the lamp. The value of the current-limiting resistor is selected to limit and shape the peak of the output pulse.

Abstract: A hot restart circuit includes a storage capacitor and SCR connected across a tapped portion of a ballast with a breakdown device to start the SCR. A charging circuit for the storage capacitor includes a diode, pumping capacitor and choke in series from the ballast tap to the AC line and a further diode interconnecting the capacitors. The pumping capacitor increases the charge on the storage capacitor in a step-wise fashion until the breakdown voltage is reached, whereupon starting pulses are applied to the lamp.

Abstract: A disabling circuit for deactivating a high pressure sodium lamp starting and operating circuit when the lamp exhibits end-of-life cycling includes a normally closed thermal switch connected to the starting and operating circuit is inoperative, the switch having contacts which open in response to an elevated temperature. A heating element is connected in parallel with the lamp so that the voltage across the lamp is applied to the heating element. The heating element is supported in a selected heat conducting relationship with the thermal switch so that a predetermined elevated temperature is reached and the contacts are opened only after the dissipation of an amount of energy resulting from repeatedly high lamp open-circuit voltage accompanying end-of-life cycling.

Abstract: A starting, hot restarting and operating circuit includes a pulse circuit for applying high voltage pulses to an HID lamp for starting or hot restarting. After a set interval of pulses if the lamp has not ignited, the pulse circuit is turned off for a selected inactive interval after which pulses are applied to the lamp again. If ignition does not occur after several active/inactive cycles, the circuit is deactivated until reset by turning the power off and on.