Why is the power supply for a fluorescent lamp called a 'ballast'?
Ballast is used to modulate bouyancy in submarines. What does it have to do with a lamp?
-- Rich
lamp ballast
Dec 12, 2006
12 Replies
formatting link
"Ballast" means all kinds of things ... but it often means "load." In electrical terms, it means a current limiting resistor, inductor, or electronic circuit.
** Desperate Groper Alert !!!
** Ballast ( ie dead weight ) is added to a boat or ship to improve its stability in sea and wind.
The "ballast" used with a fluro stabilises the current flow in the tube.
Voila.
....... Phil
So, the inductance of the ballast causes the rate of change of
current through the tube, once the tube ionizes and starts looking
like a short, to a safe value from cycle to cycle?
That works for me! :-)
Because the old ones were so heavy you could have used them as ballast ?
Graham
Wow !!! what a great thesis on ballast! U think that people will gulp Ur non-sense? I just searched what U are crowing abt being here on this site and found such gems! Get ur BASIC foundation first and then crow something.
** Desperate Groper Alert !!! TWO
----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
formatting link
The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----
Hey, monkey-boy, I see you finally left sci.electronics.misc and
found out where some of the bigger boys play, huh?
Well, good luck and I hope you don\'t fall as flat on your face here
as you did over there.
Anyway, there are no stupid questions here, so there\'s no need for
you to feel embarrassed, no matter what you ask! :-)
But the load is the gas in the bulb. Why would the current regulator be considered the load?
-- Rich
I thought it was against regulations for engineers to have a sense of humor. Compromise of national security and all...
-- Rich
Because the load determines current flow (given a fixed source voltage). So, one has a gas-filled tube in series with an inductor. The circuit is turned on and for a moment there is no current flow. Then, the gas in the tube ionizes and lots of current would flow, but the inductive ballast (in series with the gas-filled tube and thus a part of the load circuit) limits the current flow. By the way, some folks call inductors "chokes" because they "choke-off" ac. Ain't language a beautiful thing?
That's only when the PHB is watching (or listening, or has spies...) ;-)
Cheers! Rich
"RichD" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@l12g2000cwl.googlegroups.com...
Generally speaking the word "ballast" is used for any load not being payload. More about it can be found in a dictionary or wikipedia.
petrus bitbyter
Join the Discussion
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Didn't find your answer?
Ask the community — no account required