Development of voltage acceptability curves for fluorescent lighting systems

This paper presents the design and construction of voltage acceptability curves for fluorescent lighting systems. It is derived from mathematical representation of actual light output variations of fluorescent lamps (FLs) during voltage sags and a predefined malfunction criterion called the light standard. Light standard may be thought of a standard based on a minimum acceptable light output, below which the operation of the lighting system is unacceptable. The effect of voltage sag on the light intensity is obtained by extensive tests conducted for three 18 Watt FLs with different ballast types. The experiments are conducted on the basis of recent testing standards and utilization of a modern industrial power corrupter. The experimental results of tested FLs show that the lamp with electromagnetic ballast is more sensitive to voltage sags than that of the lamps equipped with electronic ballasts. Hence, the design of voltage acceptability curves for FL with electromagnetic ballast is shown to have more restrictive criterion in accepting the supply voltage disturbances such as voltage sag.