Battery Backup Ballast Control Circuit for Safe Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery backup ballasts are shipped with batteries disconnected, requiring dangerous and costly assembly procedures, and existing solutions either activate prematurely or degrade lamps due to DC power or rapid voltage fluctuations.
Innovation Solution
A ballast with a battery backup system that can be shipped fully assembled, featuring a control circuit that prevents battery power from being applied to lamps until connected to line voltage, using a controllable inverter and relays to ensure safe and efficient operation, allowing the ballast to switch between line voltage and battery power seamlessly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the battery is connected to the ballast during assembly, then the ballast can be shipped fully assembled, but the ballast will try to strike a non-existent lamp producing dangerous voltage pulses
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit is configured to detect line voltage presence before enabling the battery backup function. This preliminary detection action prevents the ballast from attempting to strike lamps when no line voltage is present, eliminating dangerous voltage pulses during assembly and shipping while allowing full assembly ahead of time.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuit acts as an intermediary between the battery and the lamp striking circuit. It monitors line voltage and only permits battery power to be applied to lamp striking when line voltage is detected, thereby mediating the dangerous interaction between battery power and lamp striking without line voltage.
2Duration of action of moving object
If DC power is applied to the lamp from the battery, then the lamp can be powered during emergency, but the lamp life is seriously degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit changes the power type parameter from DC to AC by enabling the inverter circuit when battery power is used. This parameter change allows the lamp to operate on AC power during emergencies, extending lamp life while maintaining emergency lighting functionality.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the ballast is shipped with battery disconnected, then dangerous voltage pulses are avoided, but expensive bulky connectors and careful plugging in are required
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit merges the battery connection detection function with the lamp striking control function. By detecting whether line voltage is present, the control circuit automatically determines whether to enable battery backup, eliminating the need for separate connector assembly steps and reducing device complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If the ballast is shipped fully assembled, then shipping and storage are simplified, but the ballast activates prematurely before proper installation
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit uses feedback from line voltage detection to determine when to activate the battery backup function. The circuit continuously monitors for line voltage and only enables battery power when line voltage is absent, ensuring reliable activation timing based on actual installation conditions rather than premature activation during shipping.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safe and efficient shipping, assembly, and operation of battery backup ballasts without dangerous voltage pulses, prolonging lamp life by ensuring battery power is only applied when connected to line voltage, thus preventing premature activation and degradation.
Implementation Method 1
the storage or reservoir device is a capacitor. In one configuration, the capacitor is a relatively large capacitor, and in one example a 100 μF capacitor
Implementation Method 2
the at least one circuit is a controllable inverter
Data Source
AI summary
An emergency battery backup ballast is configured so that it can be fully assembled but in a dormant condition. The emergency battery backup ballast commences normal operation when AC power is supplied to the ballast for the first time. Then if the AC power is removed, one or more lamps (56) which are connected to the output of the ballast can be powered by the battery (54).