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Re: First post: Fluorescent lighting

On 10/16/96 23:05:38 you wrote:
>
>>From huffman-at-fnal.govWed Oct 16 22:30:55 1996
>Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 09:24:34 -0500
>From: huffman <huffman-at-fnal.gov>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: First post: Fluorescent lighting
>
>Hi Phil,
>Excellent!! This looks like the answer to the 'what is it good for?'
>question
>most TC dinker get. It could be the power company doesn't want to save
>energy.
>I do have some questions. 
>Is the input power 6 watts to the coil? If so what kind of RF generator
>are you using and what is its efficiency? 

Yes the power input to the fluorescent lamp is 6 watts to obtain full 
illumination.  I used a bench type RF generator to demonstrate the principal 
and feasibility of the device.  I don't know its efficiency.  I believe in 
the long haul, an integrated circuit could be developed to generate the 
RF and keep the coil/lamp in resonance with feedback.  Such a "smartpower" 
chip would require significant funding however, and that is something I do 
not have.

>If one was going to replace ballast xformers lots of things come to mind.
>RFI, ruggedness, cost, reliability. It sounds like the bulb efficiency
>might out weigh the disadvantages.

Agreed.  I have already determined that the transformer can be fabricated 
from printed circuit board material.  It is relatively simiple to produce a 
multilayer printed circuit board with vias to provide for connecting the 
secondary windings in series.  Thus, fab costs could be minimized and 
reliability could be consistenly maintained.

The reason I made the transformer the size and shape I did, was to 
eventually house the transformer inside of the fluorescent lamp base so that 
the device could easily retrofit existing installations.  A ballast 
replacement is also a viable possibility.  In fact, one could replace the 
ballast instead of the bulb to eliminate having to recycle the lamp and save 
money on electricity (kill 2 birds with one stone, so to speak).

Thanks much for your comments.

>Just thinking out loud
>Dave Huffman
>

Phil Gantt