Nowadays, quite a few different high-pressure arc lamps have appeared. But the highest efficiency among them is distinguished by HPS, i.e., a sodium arc tubular lamp. Its design is almost similar to the DRL - mercury arc, only the glow is much brighter, it is more economical and durable. The power of HPS can range from 30 W to 1 kW, depending on the area in which it will be used.
As for its service life, it is about 25 thousand hours - few lighting devices can boast of this. But more on the benefits later. Now it makes sense to consider the power supply circuit for such a gas-discharge lamp. After all, although such a light source is somewhat similar in design to DRL, its connection still has its own characteristics.
Ballasts for sodium lamps (HPS)
To ignite gas-discharge lamps, including sodium lamps, you will need specialized ballast equipment (ballast control equipment), because direct connection of HPS lamps to the network is excluded.
Ballasts for sodium lamps (HPS) include:
- IZU (pulse ignition device), which ensures the start of a gas-discharge lamp. At the moment it is turned on, the IZU transmits powerful high-voltage pulses to the electrodes, due to which a breakdown occurs in the gas mixture of the flask and the arc is ignited. After this, the issuance of explosive pulses stops, however, as does the influence of the pulse ignition device on the operation of the lamp;
- Throttle. Although electronic ballasts are considered more productive, their cost is much more expensive than pulsed ones. Therefore, the most common and in demand for connecting a HPS lamp is an inductive choke. The electric choke is presented in the form of a small block, which must correspond to the power consumption of the lamp. It limits and stabilizes the current supply, strongly resists any changes, maintains a decreasing current and prevents its increase, thereby ensuring long-term performance properties of the lamp and high luminous efficiency.
Thus, the ballast provides standard heating and efficient operation of sodium lamps for the entire period stated by the manufacturers.
Main conclusions
IZU for DNAT is an important part of the kit for high-quality and uninterrupted operation of the lighting device.
In addition, you will need ballasts and a capacitor, which stabilize the current and relieve voltage from the wiring.
Select the ignitor and ballast based on the lamp power.
When assembling the kit for connecting the lighting device, strictly follow the diagram.
Among all the lamps for artificial lighting of plants, the sodium lamp, which is very popular, is most suitable.
This light source is highly efficient, and is the most economical and durable. The lamp power can range from 30 to 1000 W, depending on the area of use. As for the service life, the lamp life is designed for 25,000 hours of operation. For most greenhouses, this is a profitable option in terms of savings, since the plants need to be illuminated for quite a long time, especially in winter.
Design
Lamps and lamps DNAT
When considering the design of a HPS lamp, we see the following elements:
- glass flask;
- cylindrical tube with aluminum holder.
The cavity of the tube is filled with mercury vapor (as in luminescent sources) and sodium vapor, forming a sodium amalgam. But these are not all gaseous substances: xenon is used to start the product.
Xenon is located inside the burner, which ensures a smooth start-up of the equipment. To increase service life, two burners can be used simultaneously.
Burner
The same cylindrical tube mentioned above. Made from transparent ceramics, resistant to high temperatures and chemically active substances. It was first manufactured by General Electric in 1960 and patented under the name “lucalos” (we know it as “polycor”). Its creation is based on the technology of sintering aluminum oxide at high temperatures. Tungsten electrodes are soldered to the two ends of the tube.
Inside it there is a mixture of inert gases and sodium amalgam under a pressure of 100 kPa and above, which makes it easy for an electrical discharge to occur due to the higher density of the medium, and also expands the region of the visible spectrum.
Base
To connect to the power lines, an Edison type E threaded socket is used. For HPS lamps with a power of 50, 70 and 100 watts, size E27 is used, for more energy-intensive models of 150, 250 and 400 watts - E40. The number indicates the diameter of the cartridge in millimeters.
Connection diagram for a HPS lamp with a two-pin IZU
The connection diagram for the HPS lamp, which is shown in the first figure, is designed to contain a compensating capacitor connected in parallel to the power source. This is a dry type C capacitor, which is designed to compensate for the inductive component of the system - reducing reactive power consumption, reducing overall electricity consumption, as well as extending the service life of the finished product.
For example, to connect a HPS lamp with a power of 250 W (3A), a compensating capacitor capacity is provided (operating voltage indicators are 250V) of only 35 μF. This capacitance can be formed using several capacitors connected in parallel.
Sometimes capacitance indicators may be provided by the manufacturer, but an extremely large increase can lead to resonance in the circuit, and, consequently, to ineffective operation of the finished product.
If the HPS connection occurs independently, the permissible value of the location of the IZU should be taken into account. It should be located as close as possible to the base of the product, while the length of the connecting wires in this area should be minimal (the maximum permissible value is 1.5 m).
To ensure a high-quality and safe connection, high-voltage ignition wires for special purposes are used.
Compensating capacitor
Most lighting installations, along with active power, also consume reactive power, because they have windings with quite high inductance. The presence of reactive power leads to the need to use more powerful transformers and cables than is required for a resistive load. The magnitude of the reactive load is characterized by the cos F value in the network. It should be noted that the consumed reactive power is not spent on performing useful work, but is actually wasted.
The appearance of a reactive load in the network has the following negative consequences:
increase in power consumption; reducing the power available to secondary transformers; increase in voltage drops and heating losses in cables; reduction of equipment service life; an increase of 30-60% in the amount of payment for consumed electricity.
Each inductor has its own capacitor capacity. These capacitors are not indicated either on the choke, or on the IZU, or on the lamp switching circuits. These capacitors are connected in parallel to the 220 volt network before the choke and serve to increase the cos F of the network, i.e. for reactive power compensation.
Initially, the electromagnetic choke has a very low cos F. The parameter on the throttle body is indicated as “lambda” 0.42 (0.44), 0.55 is the modern designation cos F, i.e. foreign electrical engineers, and ours too, have recently introduced a new concept for lighting calculations - “power factor”; it should be taken in calculations as cos F. Roughly speaking, the efficiency of the inductor is initially within 50%. This is very little, almost 50% of the electricity consumed is wasted, and you have to pay for false current.
When using an input capacitor (in parallel with the network), the inductor inductance is compensated by the capacitance and the current consumed by the lamp-choke set is reduced by almost 2 times. It is believed that with electromagnetic ballasts it is possible to obtain cos Ф, in the best case, no more than 0.92.
Recommended containers
Choke DNaT-250 (3A) – 35 µF. Choke DNaT-400 (4.4A) – 45 µF. Choke DRL-250 (2.15A) – 18 uF. Choke DRL-400 (3.25A) – 25 uF.
To obtain the required capacitance, capacitors can be connected in parallel, for example, 2 capacitors of 16 microfarads each, connected in parallel, give a capacitance of 32 microfarads, the operating voltage remains the same - 250 volts.
You should not hope that by installing a larger capacitance, you will get cos Ф greater than 1. If the capacitance is larger than necessary, the lamp will start blinking, if less, then the current consumption will decrease slightly. That is, increasing the capacitance of the capacitors will lead to a decrease in efficiency and the occurrence of resonance in the circuit.
Below are the capacitance values in the MCF (all capacitors must be designed for alternating voltage
Advantages and disadvantages
Spare lamps
Among the advantages of HPS lamps, the following items should be highlighted:
- High energy efficiency - the amount of light received from each watt of electricity consumed exceeds mercury arc sources and boldly competes with LED sources.
- Good efficiency - despite the high heating temperature, in comparison with halogen lamps and DRL lamps, HPS do not spend so much electricity on heating the space.
- The service life exceeds most gas-discharge and fluorescent lamps and is not inferior in duration to LEDs.
- They have a stable flow with a yellow spectrum of light that is pleasant to the eye, which makes the perception of the illuminated space comfortable.
- When recalculating the cost of a HPS light bulb per lumens produced, the price of the device is even cheaper than LED ones.
- Effective in street lighting in foggy conditions, since the light still provides fairly good visibility.
- The weight of the finished HPS lamp in comparison with other types of equipment is 10 - 15% lower.
However, in addition to the advantages, a number of disadvantages of this type of lighting equipment should be noted:
- Long acceleration time to rated power - on average it takes from 6 to 10 minutes for the tube to warm up to the stated parameters from the initial discharge.
- Low color rendering - in the lighting area you will hardly feel the difference between adjacent colors.
- They are explosive and toxic to humans - unlike low-pressure devices, they can easily fly apart and injure others, and mercury vapor in the tube can cause poisoning.
- They are not suitable for all tasks - for example, in some technological processes due to the pulsation coefficient or for growing certain types of crops.
- Over time, they can burn out, which is why the light changes its spectrum and the power of the bulb.
Domestic products
Russian Reflex lamps, which are equipped with a built-in reflector, are in great demand on the market. Due to this, the light is directed directly at the plants. The reflector of Reflux lamps has a high efficiency of 95%, which is maintained throughout the entire period of operation. Typically, one Reflax lamp with a power of 70 Watt, suspended at a height of half a meter, is capable of illuminating an area of about 1.6 m2. And since the use of other light sources implies high energy costs, the use of Reflux lamps is more rational. As for the dimensions, Reflax has dimensions of 76x200 mm. Thanks to this, Reflex lamps are best suited for greenhouse owners.
Advantages and disadvantages
Development of methodological material on the topic: “gas discharge lamps”
If you can’t decide whether to buy HPS or LED lamps, then you need to consider the pros and cons of sodium devices. Then you can weigh the pros and cons to make the right choice.
The positive properties of sodium light sources include their high luminous efficiency, long service life, and low energy consumption. In addition, they have a high efficiency and are resistant to temperature changes.
However, HPS requires time to start (5 - 10 minutes), they have poor color rendering and distort colors, which cannot be said about LEDs. The disadvantages of the lighting element include frequent flickering of the lamp, which leads to eye fatigue.
The advantages and disadvantages of HPS lamps will be discussed in more detail below.
pros
Experts highlight the following positive characteristics of HPS lamps:
- Sodium light sources emit a powerful luminous flux (up to 160 Lm/W for high-pressure lamps, approximately 200 Lm/W for low-pressure modules). These figures are higher than other types of sodium devices and ice lamps.
- Long service life - from 10,000 to 30,000 hours. At the same time, the quality of lighting does not decrease.
- HPS consume a minimal amount of electricity, which consumers cannot help but rejoice at. According to this indicator, DNAT is ahead of DRL.
- Light sources operate correctly at temperatures from -60 to +40. The lamp starts even at low temperatures.
- The efficiency of the HPS lamp reaches 30%.
Depending on the level of internal pressure of saturated sodium vapor, HPS with high and low pressure is isolated. The former show higher indicators, and the latter – low.
A low pressure sodium lamp (LPNS) has all the advantages described above. It is used only for background lighting of streets, as it emits a pungent orange color.
High-pressure sodium lamps (HPS) have better color rendering, which allows them to be installed in gyms and industrial premises. In addition, the lighting element has high luminous efficiency with minimal voltage and a long service life. High pressure sodium lamps start up faster than low pressure sodium lamps.
Minuses
In addition to the positive characteristics, HPS lamps have negative properties:
- Low color rendering, especially for low pressure modules. They distort colors, which prevents their use in residential areas.
- Temperature limitation. Despite the characteristics declared by the manufacturer, the operating temperature of DNAT is in the range from -20 to +30°. If this condition is violated, the device will fail faster and the light output will decrease.
- Sensitivity to changes in electricity. Such light bulbs are recommended for use in networks with stable voltage. Although a high-quality throttle can correct this shortcoming.
- Long on time. After starting, the light glows weakly, maximum light output is observed after 5 - 10 minutes.
- Strong current ripples (up to 50Hz). For this reason, the device is not recommended for lighting homes and industrial premises. Frequent flickering tires the eyes.
HPS lamps contain toxic mercury, so they must be disposed of in a special way. A failed device must be taken to special organizations that deal with hazardous waste.
Features of operation
HPS 250 gets very hot during operation, so you need to follow some rules when using the lamp:
- Do not touch the housing for 15 minutes after turning off the lamp.
- Do not touch the light bulb with bare hands; grease will remain on the bulb, which will turn into dark spots after heating the device. Then the risk of damage to the hull in these areas increases.
- Provide ventilation to the light source and ballast as they need to be cooled. Install them at a considerable distance from flammable devices.
Protect the lighting element from impacts, as when it explodes, fragments fly over a long distance. If the burner is damaged, mercury will enter the room, then it will need to be disinfected.
Operating principle and connection diagram of a HPS lamp
An arc discharge is maintained inside the torch. For its appearance, IZU is used. This abbreviation stands for pulse ignition device. When the circuit is turned on, the lamp receives a pulse from 2 to 5 kV. It is needed to start the lamp - electrical breakdown of the burner and the formation of an arc discharge. The ignition voltage is significantly higher than the combustion voltage. Typically, three to five minutes of energy are spent to heat up the burner. At this moment the brightness is still low. Returning to normal operating mode takes no more than 10-12 minutes, while the brightness increases and normalizes. In the diagram, L is phase (line), N is zero.
The circuit contains an IZU and an inductor as a ballast element. Usually the connection diagram is present on the body of the throttle and/or pulse ignition device.
Sometimes a non-polar capacitor may be added to the circuit. Typically a capacitance of 18-40 µF is used. It is not necessary; adding it will not make the lamp shine brighter. Its task is phase compensation. The fact is that the circuit consumes active and reactive power, since there is a choke. There is no benefit from the reactive component, but the harm is obvious - interference in the power supply and reduced energy efficiency. However, adding capacitance to an electrical circuit will not improve energy efficiency. Adding a capacitor will somewhat reduce inrush currents and prevent irreversible degradation of the electrodes.
The capacitor used is selected based on the power of the lamp. Recommendations are presented in the table.
| HPS lamps | |
| Lamp power, W | Parallel connected capacitor 250 V, µF |
| DNAT-70 1.0A | 10 µF |
| DNAT-100 1.2A | 15-20 µF |
| DNAT-150 1.8A | 20-25 uF |
| DNAT-250 3A | 35 µF |
| DNAT-400 4.4A | 45 µF |
| DNAT-1000 8.2A | 150-160 uF |
When assembling a lamp using HPS lamps yourself, it is not advisable to use a wire longer than one meter between the socket and the igniter.
NLVDs are very sensitive to the quality of the power supply. When the voltage drops by 5-10 percent, the luminous flux can drop by a third. Increased voltage significantly reduces service life.
The IZUs for dnat (pulse ignition devices) themselves can have either two or three contacts. There's no difference. Not one of these options is worse or better than the other - both provide the same operating conditions for the lamp.
There is also a type of lamps that do not require an IZU. This is DNAS. They can be recognized by the starting antenna near the burner. It is usually made from one or two turns of wire that wraps around the burner.
Technical comparison with analogues
To understand why sodium lamps are still used, it is recommended to compare their technical characteristics with those of their analogues.
| Lighting lamp type | Duration of operational life, h | Created luminous flux, lm | Nameplate power of the product, W |
| DNAT-100 | 6 000 | 9 400 | 100 |
| DNAT-150 | 10 000 | 14 000 | 150 |
| DNAT-250 | 15 000 | 24 000 | 250 |
| DNAT-400 | 15 000 | 47 500 | 400 |
| DRL-125 | 12 000 | 6 000 | 125 |
| DRL-250 | 12 000 | 13 000 | 250 |
| DRL-400 | 15 000 | 24 000 | 400 |
| LED analogue of DRL-125 | 10 000 | 2 500 | 40 |
| LED analogue of DRL-250 | 10 000 | 5 000 | 80 |
High Pressure Arc Lamps
Increasing the pressure of the medium in which the electric charge propagates and a luminous arc occurs makes it possible to obtain a more intense luminous flux, spending less energy. For example: the light output of low-pressure sodium lamps does not exceed 100 lumens per watt, while for high-pressure sodium lamps this value is more than 200 lumens per watt. Therefore, they are used for outdoor lighting or in large areas - greenhouses, hangars, production workshops.
The fundamental design of mercury and high-pressure sodium arc lamps has many similarities, but there are also differences, due to which the connection diagram of a sodium lamp is different from that of a mercury lamp. And they are not interchangeable. These lighting devices can be distinguished from each other both by designation and appearance. DRL – mercury arc lamp, DNaT – sodium arc tube lamp. And the external differences will become clear to you from analyzing their structure. So, they consist of the following elements:
- Gas burner.
- Set of electrodes.
- External flask.
- Base.
Gas-burner
In both cases, it is made in the form of a tube made of heat-resistant quartz glass. But in DRL its dimensions are larger than in DNAT. Due to the high chemical activity of sodium, aluminum alum – Al2O3 – is added to the burner glass. An inert gas - argon - is pumped into the burner at a pressure of 100-150 kPa. There is also mercury or sodium amalgam (an alloy of Na and Hg).
Electrode set
DRL lamps have four of them: two main and two ignition. The pairs are located at opposite ends of the flask and connected to different poles of the supply line. But DNAT has only two electrodes. This causes differences in the starting method and the construction of the lamp connection diagram.
With mercury light sources, the arc lights up from a small spark that occurs between electrodes of opposite sign. And sodium requires an igniting impulse. Moreover, the DRL of the first releases (until the mid-60s of the last century) had two electrodes and used the same switching principle, but later it was abandoned.
External flask
This is the main visual distinguishing feature of lamps. There is a vacuum inside the flask, which ensures the chemical and thermal stability of the burner glass. But with DRL it is white or matte, and the HPS flask is transparent.
A layer of phosphor is applied to the inner surface of the mercury lamp bulb. The fact is that the combustion of mercury vapor causes a deathly green or blue glow, which extremely distorts the perception of reality by the human eye. The phosphor shifts its spectrum into the region of dazzling white light, which is quite acceptable for street lighting.
Sodium lamps glow red or bright orange. Light rays of this frequency are practically not refracted by water suspension that can hang in the air (snow, fog, drizzle, splashes), so it is used to illuminate highways. There is no need for a spectral shift, so the bulb is transparent.
Base
Both lamps use a so-called Edison threaded base, designated by the letter E, to connect to the supply line. Since the power of high-pressure arc lamps usually exceeds 250 W, E40 models with a diameter of 400 mm are used. For the same reason, it is recommended to use ceramic cartridges that can withstand high heat.
Precautionary measures
Due to the design features of the 250 sodium discharge lamp, extreme caution must be used when operating these light sources. It is unacceptable to turn off the lamp immediately after turning it on. It should remain on for at least 1 or 2 minutes. Otherwise, the lamp will stop turning on altogether and then it must be de-energized and wait a while. In the room where lamps operate, it is necessary to have high-quality ventilation. Its temperature during operation can rise to 100 degrees or more. And according to some sources, all 1000. Therefore, good ventilation is the key to long-term and safe operation of lighting sources. Do not touch high-pressure lamps with your hands during operation to avoid burns. The same goes for its reflector. When installing lighting sources, you do not need to handle the bulb with bare hands; it is best to use cloth gloves. Or you can wrap it in some paper or cardboard to avoid leaving greasy fingerprints on the glass. Since the heating temperature is very high, any grease deposits or even drops of water can cause the lamp to explode. You can find a lot of information about this on the Internet. But not only high-pressure lamps can get very hot, this also applies to the ballast used. Its temperature can rise to 80-150 degrees. Therefore, as a precaution, this element of the circuit should be insulated, hidden under a fireproof and durable casing. This will prevent dry leaves, pieces of fabric or paper, and other objects from getting inside. Don’t forget about basic safety precautions when working with electricity. That is, eliminate any possibility of water getting into the ballast, and monitor the integrity of the electrical wiring. It is always worth remembering that at the moment when the HPS lamp starts, the IZU generates high voltage pulses. Therefore, it is best to use special wires that are designed to work in extreme conditions. They are just designed for high heat.
Operating principle and connection diagram of DNAT
The principle of operation of sodium sources is the breakdown of the gas gap between two electrodes inside the discharge tube.
Rice. 2. Operating principle of a HPS lamp
To do this, a high voltage is applied to the spark gap - in the range from 2 to 5 kV, which should be sufficient for instant breakdown. However, it is impossible to ensure breakdown from a household network, so starting, as in other gas-discharge lamps, occurs using a ballast (ballast). Today, in practice, two types of ballasts are used for arc sodium and mercury gas-discharge lamps - electronic and electromagnetic.
The ballasts for gas-discharge lighting sources include three components:
- choke-transformer - to limit a sharp increase in the current curve flowing in the circuit, it allows you to build the parameters of electrical quantities in accordance with the characteristics of the HPS lamp;
- pulse ignition device (IZU) - designed to briefly increase the voltage to a value sufficient to produce a discharge that ignites a tubular lamp;
- capacitor - is not a mandatory component, but allows you to compensate for the voltage vector biased by the inductor.
Today you can find several options for HPS connection diagrams, which differ both in the characteristics of the components and in the factory features of the lighting devices. Therefore, all circuits for switching on a lighting source can be with or without a capacitor; the IZU can have a two-pin or three-pin connection. Let's look at them in more detail.
Rice. 3. Connection diagram with a two-pin IZU
As you can see, this method of starting sodium light bulbs involves parallel connection of the IZU in relation to the load. But at the same time, a high potential is also supplied to the inductor, which over time will lead to deterioration in performance and subsequent breakdown of the insulation. Moreover, modern single-winding chokes have only weak impregnation without a paper layer. Therefore, this HPS connection scheme is relevant for low voltage sodium tubular models.
Rice. 4. Connection diagram with a three-pin IZU
This circuit does not have the disadvantages of two-pin IZUs, since the HPS lamp has a separate high-voltage output from the IZU, which is separated from the connection point to the inductor. Please note that in any circuit the inductor must be connected to the phase conductor, otherwise the sodium lamp will fail in the event of a short circuit.
With a three-pin circuit, it is important to correctly observe the polarity of the IZU markings:
- B – connects to the ballast (throttle);
- Lp – phase output to the high pressure lamp;
- N – to the zero terminal of the lamp and network.
In addition, a circuit with a capacitor connection can be used:
Rice. 5. Connection diagram with capacitor
As you can see in the diagram, together with the use of an IZU, a capacitor located before the ballast transformer is connected in parallel to the consumer in the HPS lamp circuit. This circuit compensates for reactive losses that do not relate to the quality of the light flux.
In addition, to protect the HPS lamp in its power supply circuit, you can install protection with a fuse or circuit breaker.
Disposal
Sodium, by its nature, is a volatile substance and, in contact with air, can ignite rapidly. For this reason, sodium light sources should not be disposed of as regular waste. Like any energy-saving lamp that contains mercury, they also need to be disposed of in special containers
If you cannot dispose of HPS sodium lamps yourself while observing safety precautions, you should call a special service
Gas-discharge arc sodium lamp DNaT is used to illuminate large areas, city streets, and greenhouses.
Do not confuse low and high pressure sodium lamps. They have different designs and operating principles.
The emission spectrum of both is dominated by orange light. For low-pressure products, the radiation is almost monochrome; they shine with a bright golden light.
If they are used for lighting in rooms, the colors will be practically indistinguishable.
In high-pressure lamps the spectrum is more diverse.
In those models that are used in greenhouses for growing plants, a little blue light is specially added to the light spectrum.
The kit for connecting a high-pressure lamp includes several components, without which you simply cannot start it. That is, simply by applying 220 volts to it, it will not light up.
To do this, you need a special device - a choke or ballast, which in turn is connected according to a certain circuit.
This diagram is often depicted directly on the body.
Here is a more detailed drawing of it.
Painted on it:
- the inductor itself (ballast), to which the phase is supplied
- then this phase is supplied to the pulse ignition device - IZU
Through it you can connect instances of different power, from 70 to 400W.
The IZU creates a starting impulse for the breakdown of the burner contents in the flask and the formation of an arc. The voltage reaches several thousand volts!
And the burner itself heats up to 1300 degrees during operation.
Only after the IZU is the gas-discharge lamp itself connected.
The same connection diagram can be depicted on the walls of the ignition device.
In addition, it is recommended to use a capacitor in the connection kit. Although it is not present in all schemes.
Why is it needed? As is known, circuits using power chokes consume both active and reactive power. From the second, you will not get any beneficial effect.
This will not make the lamp shine brighter, but the losses will increase. It is in order to remove this reactive component that a phase-compensating capacitor is used.
A visual comparison of the current consumption of a HPS lamp with and without a capacitor:
As you can see, more than double the difference. In the first case, the compensated current (active) is shown, and in the second case, the full current (without a capacitor in the circuit).
Some people think that by doing so they also reduce energy consumption, but this is not entirely true.
Your meter is not designed to count reactive or apparent energy, and the actual cost savings can be a maximum of 3-4%.
But you will eliminate unnecessary losses due to heating of wires and iron.
Here is a compact shield assembled with your own hands, according to the connection diagram.
You can, of course, assemble all this in the overall body of the lamp, if the dimensions allow.
It is very important, before assembling such a circuit yourself and using any components, using a conventional multimeter in the maximum resistance measurement mode, check the insulation of the inductor and capacitor. Is there a hole in the body?
Is there a hole in the body?
To supply and disconnect 220V power, use a two-pole input circuit breaker.
For one lamp with a power of up to 400W, a machine with a nominal value of 5-6A is quite suitable. In addition to on-off switching operations, it will also play the role of a protective device.
A circuit breaker is mounted at the very beginning of the circuit. Do not forget to also ground the entire panel body.
Two neutral wires come out of the machine. According to the diagram, one of them is connected directly to the lamp, and the second one is connected to the corresponding terminal labeled “N” on the starter.
Otherwise, you can accidentally burn the product if during operation the neutral wire after the ballast choke accidentally shorts out.
And connect the wire from the output contact to terminal “B” (Balast) of the ballast.
After that, connect the middle terminal Lp (Lampa) to the light bulb socket.
Please note that there are two-pin and three-pin IZUs. The first ones are connected in parallel with the lamp itself.
Device
According to the established abbreviation DNaT, these are (D - arc, Na - sodium, T - tubular) devices. Based on their operating principle, they belong to high-pressure lighting equipment. Structurally, HPS lamps are a glass bulb with a base, usually E27 or E40.
Rice. 1. Design of a HPS lamp
The internal structure consists of:
- discharge tube - made of aluminum oxides and designed to burn an arc inside the lamp;
- electrodes - designed to start the discharge, which is why they are made of molybdenum;
- gas mixture - acts as a medium for generating light radiation, the main percentage here is occupied by sodium vapor, but argon is included as an impurity to accelerate combustion, and mercury to ensure high light output.
The flask is made of heat-resistant glass, since the gas in the tube can heat up to 1300ºС, as a result of which the HPS lamp itself on the surface will have from 100 to 400 ºС. A vacuum is installed inside the lamp for better light output.
Throttle
About the quality of bottlenecks and why they do not work in new technology.
Modern compact ballast chokes are mostly made by winding the coil in bulk without interlayer insulating spacers. In addition, they are somewhat impregnated with varnish, without protecting the winding with a protective compound.
You should climb into a wet case with a circuit and expect problems. Large Soviet chokes were wrapped with only a two-rod double coil, each of which had cardboard insulation between layers.
Hence their almost eternity. But modern marketers and manufacturers, unfortunately, are not interested in this.
Advantages and disadvantages
DLR is a high-pressure mercury arc fluorescent lamp, to which a special type of phosphor is added. Available in power ratings from eighty to one thousand watts. It has a color temperature of 3800 K. Efficiency is estimated at 40 lumens per watt. Works for 10 thousand hours. Has low color rendering.
DRL 250
Widely used for general street lighting, industrial workshops and any uncrowded places. That is, its main use is where color rendering is low and energy saving is high. The main advantage of such lamps is their high efficiency. Among the disadvantages, we can note the fact that ozone is released very intensively, ignition when turned on takes 7 minutes, re-ignition is possible after twenty minutes. In addition, in this lamp it is necessary to turn on the ballast choke, and the concentration of mercury vapor is sufficient to poison a person if the bulb is damaged.
The high pressure sodium tube arc lamp is an economical luminaire that is used for outdoor lighting. It is found on the street, highway, tunnel, train station, airport and industrial area.
The advantage lies in its efficiency, high luminous efficiency (efficiency is 30%) and a long service life - from 12 to 25,000 hours. One of the disadvantages is the rather long ignition time.
Note! In addition, such a lamp does not work well in bad weather conditions. High efficiency of light flux from DRL lamps
High efficiency of light flux from DRL lamps
Scope of application
Since the color rendering of HPS is quite low, they are not used for lighting residential premises and workplaces. Most often, sodium light sources are used on the streets; they emit bright, contrasting light, increasing visibility on the roads even in fog and snow.
Areas of application of HPS lamps:
- Lighting systems for large areas, wide streets, highways, highways.
- Background lighting in tunnels, sports complexes, airports, railway stations.
- Illumination of monuments and other architectural structures.
- Lighting of workshops and warehouses where the level of color rendering is unimportant.
- Artificial lighting in plant nurseries, greenhouses, flower beds.
Lighting systems using sodium light sources demonstrate high-quality performance, weather resistance and high energy efficiency.
