Why Fluorescent Light with Electronic Ballast does not need Starter?

You may notice when we use electronic ballast with fluorescent light, then the fluorescent light does not need any starter but when we use an electrical choke, then the fluorescent light needs a starter, but why? Most of the people say that Electronic Ballast has Starter inside it but it is not true. If you check inside the electronic ballast you will not find any starter inside it.

So the main reason is, electronic ballast can automatically create a high voltage across the tube light at the starting time to ionize the gas inside the tube light and automatically reduce the voltage and current after completion of the ionization of the gas. As the total operation is automatic, so there is no requirement for Starter.

But, in the case of an electrical choke, the starter is needed because at the starting time it shorted the circuit, so a high amount of current flows through the electrical choke, therefore, a very high voltage is applied across the tube light. After the ionization of the gas, the starter opens the circuit, therefore the current through the electrical choke reduces and the voltage across the tube light also reduces.

  

How Does Fluorescent Light Starter Work?

Actually, the Starter is used for short-circuit and open-circuit. Let's understand with the help of the below diagram.

When we just ON the switch, the 230V voltage is applied across the tube light and the Starter through the electrical choke. As there is a very small amount of neon gas inside the starter than the tube light, it starts ionizing. Once the gas inside the starter is ionized a current starts flowing through the electrical choke and the starter.

The ionization of the gas inside the starter heats the bimetallic strips, therefore the bimetallic strips touch each other, and a short circuit is created, therefore a high amount of current flows through the electrical choke and the starter.

As the high amount of current is flowing through the electrical choke, it creates a very high voltage and it is applied across the tube light. This high voltage across the tube light ionized the gas inside it.

After the ionization of the gas, the current flow reduces due to the voltage drop in the choke coil, and the bimetallic strips become cool and separate. Thus the circuit is opened and the voltage reduces to the normal voltage.

So, now you may understand, here the function of the choke coil is to produce high voltage and the function of the Starter is to Short and Open the circuit.

Electronic Ballast

The electronic ballast takes 230V at a 50-60Hz AC supply. First, it converts the AC to DC. After filtration of the DC, the DC voltage is applied to the oscillation circuit. The oscillator circuit creates a very high-frequency square wave output voltage. 

This high-frequency signal is applied to the inductor. As the frequency is very high, the changes in voltage are also very high. Therefore a very high voltage is produced according to the below equation,

This high voltage is applied across the tube light to ionize the gas. After the ionization of the gas, the tube light starts to conduct current and the voltage across the lamp reduces. The control circuit inside the electronic ballast takes feedback from the output. So when the ionization process is completed, the electronic ballast reduces the voltage and current.

So, you may understand the electronic ballast creates a high voltage and also does the ON and OFF itself.

Read Also:

• What is Electrical Choke, Why electric choke use in Fluorescent tube light
• [Explained] Electronic Ballast Circuit Diagram and Working
• Working of modern Led bulb with transformer less power supply.
• How Auto ON/OFF sensor light works?
• [Explained] Connection of Tube Light with Diagram

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