IMPROVEMENTS IN DESIGN OF LOCAL FLUORESCENT ELECTRONIC BALLASTS IN

COMPLIANCE TO THE RELATED LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

ZULKEFLI BIN YAACOB

PEIPUSTARA N ~US.AT, JP. J. l . I.

No. Kelaa

Tartth

MASTER NCE UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA

2000

Abstract of thesis presented to the Senate ofUniversiti Putra Malaysia in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

IMPROVEMENTS IN DESIGN OF LOCAL FLUORESCENT ELECTRONIC BALLASTS IN COMPLIANCE TO THE RELATED

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

By

ZULKEFLI BIN Y AACOB

November 2000

Chairman: Jr. Dr. Md. Yusof Ismail

Faculty: Engineering

The fluorescent electronic ballast had long been in the market but had not created

any great impact in the illumination industry due to its high initial cost of

investment as compared to the conventional magnetic ballast. With the

advancement in power electronics and utilization of power semiconductor

commercially available today, it is now able to implement almost every type of

desired conversion of current, voltage or frequency and availability of electronic

components with higher power ratings . Thus, it is now possible to manufacture an

economically priced, light weight, lower watt-loss and high quality with maximum

perfom1ance electronic ballast which is compatible with all types of fluorescent

luminaries.

The study is undertaken to improve the design of existing locally manufactured

electronic ballasts. The study indicated that many of these commercial electronic

ballasts are either do not have or only having partial or minimum compliance

requirements as to the related local and international standards, namely MS IEC

928, MS IEC 929 and EMC requirements as required by SIRIM Berhad. From the

study made on the 1 7 samples collected from nine different local ballast

manufacturers, only seven manufacturers conducted the two tests on MS IEC 928

and MS IEC 929 and only two manufacturers conducted a complete list of tests .

This is crucial because electronic ballast is listed as one of the electrical controlled

items by the Department of Electricity and Gas Supply of Malaysia (DEGSM)

although the EMC test is still not imposed by the department for the ballast

approval.

The study commences with the emphasis of the Malaysian government on the

implementation of energy conservation and promoting the use of energy efficient

equipment specifically on lighting luminaries and lighting control systems witrun

the context of this study. The directive by DEGSM on the limitations of fluorescen t

ballast watt-Joss was issued on 3rd Jul 1998 and with the implementation of energy

conservation regulations/act in the near future, hence the study.

The study also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of electronic ballasts,

their operation and performance characteristics and problems encountered during

their normal operations, for instance surges, starting current, power factor, watt-

loss, ambient temperature and environmental effects, lamp/ballast premature

failures, ham1onics and electromagnetic (EM) disturbances, efficiency and

dimming.

Various samples of electronic ballast were collected and tested for compliances

based on the requirements and it is found that many samples failed the tests on total

harmonic distortion (THD) which exceeded the 25% limit. From the test data

collected on the study, analysis on the operation, performance, design and

construction of the typical electronic ballast were utilised in the construction of two

improved version of electronic ballast prototypes. They were tested in a similar

manner as the collected samples and both passed all the tests conducted on them

with the second prototype giving a better result.

At the end of the study, data collected from the tests conducted were tabulated for

overall discussion and comparison in order to identify whether the samples and

prototypes comply fully to the requirements of the related standards or not. A

conclusion on the study was later made. Further research and recommendations

were suggested based on the new design approach, topologies and techniques on

electronic ballasts construction with reference to research conducted by various

electronic ballast designers.

Abstrak tesis yang dikemukakan kepada Senat Universiti Putra Malaysia sebagai memenuhi keperluan untuk ijazah Master Sains.

PEMBAIKAN DALAM REKA BENTUK BALLAST ELEKTRONIK PENDAFLUOR TEMPATAN DI DALAM MEMENUHI PIAWAI-PIAWAI

TEMPATANDAN ANTARABANGSA YANG BERKAITAN

Oleh

ZULKEFLI BIN Y AACOB

November 2000

Pengerusi: Ir. Dr. Md. Yusof Ismail

Fakulti: Kejuruteraan

Ballast elektronik bagi kelengkapan larnpu pendafluor telah lama berada di dalarn

pasaran tetapi tidak dapat menberi sebarang impak yang ketara di dalarn industri

pencahayaan disebabkan oleh kos pelaburan awal yang agak tinggi jika

dibandingkan dengan ballast konvensional jenis magnetik. Dengan kemajuan di

dalarn bidang elektronik kuasa dan penggunaan semikonduktor kuasa secara

kommersil yang terdapat sekarang ini ianya berupaya untuk melaksanakan hampir

setiap jenis penukaran yang diinginkan bagi arus, voltan atau frekuensi dan

kedapatannya komponen-komponen elektronik yang berkadaran kuasa tinggi.

Maka dengan itu, buat masa ini adalah berkemungkinan besar untuk menghasilkan

ballast elektronik pada kos yang lebih ekonomik, ringan, berkehilangan watt rendah

dan berkuaJiti tinggi pada perlaksanaan yang maksima bersesuaian dengan semua

jenis kelengkapan lampu pendafluor.

Kajian ini adalah bertujuan untuk memperbaiki reka bentuk bagi ballast elektronik

buatan tempatan sedia ada. Kajian menunjukkan bahawa kebanyakan ballast

elektronik kommersil sama ada tidak mempunyai, hanya mempunyai sebahagian

atau pematuhan minima ke atas keperluan berdasarkan piawai-piawai tempatan dan

antarabangsa berkaitan saperti MS IEC 928, MS IEC 929 dan keperluan bagi

kesesuaian elektromagnetik (EMC) sapertirnana yang diperlukan oleh SIRIM

Berhad. Daripada kajian yang telah dibuat ke atas 17 contoh yang dikumpulkan

daripada sembilan pengeluar ballast elektronik yang berlainan, hanya tujuh

pengeluar melakukan dua ujian bagi MS IEC 928 dan MS IEC 929 dan hanya dua

pengeluar sahaja telah melakukan senarai lengkap ujian. Ini adalah penting kerana

ballast elektronik adalah merupakan salah satu daripada barangan elektrik terka al

oleh Jabatan Bekalan Elektrik dan Gas Malaysia (JBEGM) walaupun pengujian

bagi EMC masih belum lagi disyaratkan oleh JBEGM sebagai syarat kelulusan ke

atas ballast tersebut.

Kajian ini bermula dengan penekanan oleh kerajaan Malaysia ke atas perlaksanaan

bagi penjimatan tenaga dan promosi bagi penggunaan barangan yang mempunyai

kecekapan tenaga tinggi khususnya bagi kelengkapan lampu dan sistem kawalan

lampu yang mana merupakan konteks kajian ini . Araban JBEGM ke atas tahap bagi

kehilangan watt bagi ballast yang dikeluarkan pada 3hb. Julai 1998 dan

perlaksanaan peraturan/akta penjimatan tenaga pada masa terdekat ini, juga

meliputi kajian ini.

Kajian ini juga membincangkan tentang kebaikan dan keburukan tentang ballast

elektronik, ciri-ciri operasi dan perlaksanaan dan juga masalah-masalah yang

dihadapi semasa ianya beroperasi secara normal saperti penerpaan, arus mula,

faktor kuasa, kehilangan watt, suhu sekeliling dan kesan keatas alam sekitar

kegagalan pra-matang bagi lampulballast, harrnonik dan kesan gangguan

elektromagnetik (EM), kecekapan dan pemalapan.

Pelbagai contoh ballast elektronik telah dikumpulkan dan diuji -kaji bagi

memastikan pematuhan berdasarkan kepada keperluan dan telah didapati bahawa

kebanyakan contoh yang diuji telah gagal bagi ujian "Jumlah Herotan Harmonik'

yang mana melebihi tahap 25%. Daripada data ujian yang dikumpulkan di atas

kajian yang telah dibuat, analisa ke atas operasi, perlaksanaan, reka bentuk dan

pembinaan bagi ballast biasa telah digunakan di dalam pembinaan dua versi contoh

sulung ballast elektronik yang telah diperbaiki . Ianya telah diuji sebagaimana yang

telah dilakukan keatas contoh-contoh yang telah dikumpulkan di mana kedua­

duanya telah didapati lulus kesemua ujian berkenaan dengan contoh sulung yang

kedua telah memberikan keputusan yang lebih baik.

Pada bahagian akhir kajian, data-data telah terkumpul telah dijadualkan untuk

perbincangan dan perbandingan secara keseluruhan dalarn menentukan sama ada

contoh-contoh dan contoh sulung tersebut telah dapat memenuhi keperluan piawai­

piawai berkenaan secara sepenuhnya atau tidak. Kesimpulan ke atas kajian

kemudiannya telah dibuat. Pen elidikan lanjut dan perakuan telah dicadangkan

berdasarkan kepada pendekatan reka bentuk baru, topologj-topologi dan teknik­

teknik bagi pembinaan ballast elektronik dengan merujuk kepada penyelidikan

yang dijalankan oleh berbagai pereka ballast elektronik.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ABSTRAK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS GLOSSARY OF TERMS

CHAPTER

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Energy Consumption in Malaysia 1.2 Test Standards Practices by Other Countries 1.3 Recent Energy Efficiency Programs and

Activities in Malaysia 1.4 Energy Using Products 1.5 Fluorescent Ballasts 1.6 Energy Efficient Lighting and Lighting

Controls Strategies 1.7 Energy Conservation and Management

1.8 Objectives of the Study

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Fluorescent Luminaries

2.1.1 Fluorescent Lamps 2.1.2 Power Factor Capacitor 2.1.3 Glow Starter 2.1.4 Fluorescent Ballasts

2.2 Factors Effecting Performance of Fluorescent Luminaries

2.3 Testing of Electronic Ballasts by SIRIM Berhad 2.4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic

Ballasts for Fluorescent Lamps 2.5 Harmonic and its Impact on Electrical Safety 2.6 Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) 2.7 Effects of Electronic Ballast Operation and performance

to Environment and on Utility Voltage Stability 2.8 Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) from High

Frequency Ballasts

2.9 Overview on the Principles of Electronic Ballasts for Fluorescent Lamps

Page 11

v ix

xii Xlll

xvii XX

1 8

8 11 12

14 15 18

19 19 23 24 25

31 33

35 3 41

42

46

50

3

4

5

2.10 Principles of Electronic Ballast Circuit Design 2.1 0.1 Two-stage Electronic Ballasts 2.1 0.2 Single-stage Electronic Ballasts

METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Preliminary Design Approach

3 .2.1 Model Implementation in Circuit Simulators 3 .2.2 Fluorescent Lamps 3 .2.3 Electronic Ballast

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Test Standards and Procedures 4.3 Design and Construction of Electronic

Ballast Prototypes 4.4 Test Results on Electronic Ballasts Testing 4.5 Discussion on Results

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Summary of the Study 5.3 Research Findings and Discussion 5.4 Conclusion of Findings 5.5 Recommendations and Further Works

REFERENCES APPENDICES

A B

BIODATA OF AUTHOR

51 52 53

64 65 66 67 81

124 125

126 12 132

13 138 140 142 144

149

155 166 223

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Energy Consumption in Malaysia

Electrical energy is the blood which fuels human and economic activities. The

major part of the energy that is obtained to drive our activities is extracted from

burning the limited non-renewable energy. This leads to two obvious outcomes -

firstly, the energy cost is ever increasing and secondly, energy, particularly the

fossil fuel , is associated with a negative impact on our living environment.

According to Kannan [ 1], electricity demand is growing rapidly in the South East

Asian region. For this reason, several countries have implemented standards and

labeling program of electrical appliances, which are important policy tools for

promoting energy efficiency and conservation. In order to implement the programs

effectively, policy makers need to access human, manufacturers and financial

resources. Research activities are being carried out in Malaysia both by the

government, semi-government and private sectors in order to support regulations,

standardisation and labeling for household electrical appliances.

It makes a lot of sense to adopt the Energy Efficiency and Demand Side

Management (DSM) policies as one option to balance demands and supplies for

energy at government, society, business and individual levels. This would lead to

preservation of our limited non-renewable energy resources and living

environment.

Muhan1mad [2] reported that through the improvement of energy efficiency will

result in energy security and environmental quality. When we use energy resources

more efficiently, we stand to gain economically. Energy efficiency can be achieved

through co-operative policies that encourage investment in energy conservation

practices and facilitate the introduction of new and more efficient technologies .

The building industry relies to a large extend on electricity as the primary source of

energy. This is due to the ability of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) to generate

electricity at a reasonable cost and, in distributing electrical energy, it has installed

control strategies in various areas in order to encourage efficient usage of

electricity. These include imposing a surcharge on low power factor, maximum

demand making synchronisation of systems mandatory, and encouraging load

balancing in the unbalanced supply systems. Another area that is becomina 0

increasingly inefficient with the coming of computerization and other electronic

equipment is with respect to the system harmonics.

China, for instance, emphasises on efficient management of energy due to its large

population. The guiding principle for energy utilization in China is ' carrying on

development of resources and resource conservation and at the same time putting

conservation in the first place". The Chinese government has also implemented a

"Law of Energy Conservation".

Among the policy and technical measures already implemented are:

a) Promoting understanding the basic concepts of energy utilization.

b) Measurement and statistics on energy.

c) Energy balance analysis and test.

d) Monitoring and testing methods on standardization.

e) Economic operation of energy consuming products.

As reported in the Star newspaper dated 29th Jun 2000 as shown in Appendix A 1

that Malaysia is fully committed towards the energy conservation issue with the

launching of the nationwide campaign on 15th July 2000 and is aimed at increasing

awareness and educating Malaysians on saving electricity. This shall be followed

by the introduction of the new regulation on energy conservation in the year 2001

b DEGSM.

The availability of adequate supply of energy is a strategic issue for many countries

including Malaysia. According to research done by Chong [3] more than 93% of

electrical energy in Malaysia is being generated using fossil fuel which is non­

renewable resources and only a smaller portion from hydro, solar and wind powers.

Burning fossil fuel to produce electricity or any other form of energy will not onl

deplete these valuable resources, but also produce noxious gases such as CO, CO:

and so2

• These emissions will have an impact on the environment thus causing

global warming due to the depletion of the ozone layers, acid rain and hazl'

phenomena.

Energy conservation is a movement that is compelling the world to take serious

steps to avert loss of energy by using modern technology and methods to make

optimum utilisation of power. This assumes greater importance especially when the

cost of installing new generating plant is very high. If energy efficient technology

is adopted, the existing capacity could have been made better use of. thus avoiding

investment of scarce resources .

According to Mohd. Annas [4] , electricity demand in Malaysia has increased at a

rate of over 10% in the last decade. It is expected to increase from 10,500 MW in

the year 2000 and 14,500 MW in year 2005 , even with the downturn of economy

faced by us recently. The demand is forecasted to reach 30,000 MW in the year

2020. With the existing installed capacity at 13 ,500 MW, this means that about

5,000 MW of new capacities have to be planned up before the year 2005 and over

20,000 MW before year 2020.

This will put enormous pressure on the country' s limited energy resources in order

to achieve this objective. A huge amount of investment will be required in the

power sector in order to satisfy the future demand. With the weakening of

Mala~sian Ringgit compared to the major currencies and as most of the power

plants and transmission equipment have to be imported, the cost of installing new

power supply infrastructure facility has increased from about RM4.0 million per

MW previously to about RM6.0 million per MW. In short, the depreciation of

Malaysian Ringgit against major currencies will translate into higher cost of supply

and hence a higher electricity tariff for the customers. This will make the

manufactured products and services more costly and less competitive in the

regional and world markets.

The main objectives of the 71h Malaysia Plan are ensuring adequate, secure and cost

effective supplies, utilising resources efficiently and minimising the negative

impact on the environment. Even though the electricity per capita is still low i.e

2,260 kWh/person compared with 7,280 kWh in Japan and 5,830 kWh in the

United Kingdom, the overall energy intensity of economy at 18 MJ per Gross

Domestic Product (GDP) in US Dollar is much higher than that of 6 MJ in Japan

and 13 MJ in the United Kingdom.

All these indicate that Malaysians are not efficient in using energy and there is an

urgent need for them to improve that, in order to ride through the economic

turmoil. In addition, as Malaysia is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol in 199 on

climate change, the country is obliged to adopt appropriate measures to reduce the

emission of the 'green house ' gases. Impro ing efficiency in using energy is one of

the important contributions towards the objective.

The development of electricity supply and energy consumption in Malaysia has

grown at rather high rates between the year 1990 and 1995. During this period. the

installed generation capacity has increased by about 10% per annum. The gro\\rth in

electricity consumption has been particularly rapid in the industrial and conunercial

sectors. and in the residential sector has also continued to grow and account for

approximately 20 to 25% of the electricity use. Due to the rapid increase in energy

consumption, the Malaysian government is in the process of implementing new

regulations, policies and standards on certain electrical appliances to ensure

efficient use of electrical energy. This task is being undertaken by the Department

of Electricity and Gas Supply of Malaysia (DEGSM). Tables 1.1 and 1.2 below

show the statistics of main utilities and licensees for electricity supply generation

and consumption on Peninsular Malaysia alone. By referring to the Table 1.1 , it is

observed that there is an overall increase in the number of new licensees issued.

However, for transmission, road crossing and main utilities licensees remain

unchanged in the year 1998. By observing the data from Table 1.2, it can be

concluded that there was a continuous increase in the demand of electrical energy

over the period of 1994 to 1998.