摘要 |
<p>Disclosed herein is a ballast for a high intensity discharge lamp which detects the onset of acoustic resonance instability by detecting an asymmetry in a signal which is otherwise symmetric in the absence of such instability. The AC supply ripple voltage, which is normally present in the lamp current, exhibits symmetry in the absence of acoustic resonance, and becomes substantially asymmetric at the onset of acoustic resonance. By measuring the duration of each half cycle in the ripple voltage, an asymmetry in the ripple voltage can be easily and rapidly detected, and the operating frequency of the lamp current is changed before the resonance produces visually apparent flicker.</p> |