Reliability of electronic ballasts in industrial fluorescent lighting applications

The premature failure of electronic ballasts installed in industrial sites was investigated. The objective was to locate the specific causes so that manufacturers can redesign the ballasts for higher reliability. Conditions of the site where the ballasts were installed and the types of components that failed were examined. The main reasons for failure were abnormal voltage rises, both steady and transient in nature. Based on the analysis, suitable modifications were made to the component rating, selection, and test procedures so that reliability could be increased. Fresh data collected from the same sites using the modified ballasts showed greatly reduced mortality.<>