Epra dnat connection diagram. Connecting a sodium lamp with a capacitor. Connecting a hydronic lamp. Characteristics of connection and use of a sodium lamp

Among all the lamps for artificial lighting of plants, the sodium lamp, which is very popular, is most suitable.

This light source is highly efficient, and is the most economical and durable. The lamp power can range from 30 to 1000 W, depending on the area of use. As for the service life, the lamp life is designed for 25,000 hours of operation. For most greenhouses, this is a profitable option in terms of savings, since the plants need to be illuminated for quite a long time, especially in winter.

Russian Reflex lamps, which are equipped with a built-in reflector, are in great demand on the market. Due to this, the light is directed directly at the plants. The reflector of Reflux lamps has a high efficiency of 95%, which is maintained throughout the entire period of operation. Typically, one Reflax lamp with a power of 70 Watt, suspended at a height of half a meter, is capable of illuminating an area of about 1.6 m2. And since the use of other light sources implies high energy costs, the use of Reflux lamps is more rational. As for the dimensions, Reflax has dimensions of 76x200 mm. Thanks to this, Reflex lamps are best suited for greenhouse owners.

Advantages and disadvantages of sodium lamps

A sodium lamp has significant advantages:
High efficiency.
Stable flow of light.
High luminous efficiency of approximately 160 lm/W.
Long service life, which is 1.5 times longer than the service life of other similar lamps.
The lamps have a pleasant golden-white emission.
Efficient work in foggy conditions.
Due to the fact that the Reflex 250 arc lamp emits a red spectrum, it is an ideal light source for flowering plants, including fruit-bearing ones. And the presence of a blue light spectrum contributes to their active growth and development. In addition, the lamps can operate in a wide temperature range - from -60 to +40 degrees.
Along with the advantages, there are also some disadvantages. The main one is the complexity of the connection. The usual method is not suitable here, and there are some peculiarities here. Other disadvantages include the following:
Explosion hazard.
The presence of mercury in the lamp device.
Long turn-on time, which can be up to 10 minutes.
Not suitable for growing non-flowering or green vegetable crops (radish, onion, lettuce).
In addition, if it is necessary to use high-pressure sodium lamps of 250 watts or more, care must be taken to ensure cooling as the lamps become very hot. Although for large greenhouses this disadvantage can turn into an advantage by providing the plants with additional heating.

Principle of operation

In appearance, sodium light sources are somewhat similar to DRL lamps. There is also a glass flask of an elliptical or cylindrical shape; inside it there is a discharge tube (“burner”), on each side of which there are electrodes. These leads are connected to a threaded base. Due to the fact that sodium vapor has a strong effect on glass, this material is not suitable for making a “burner”. It is made from polycor (polycrystalline aluminum oxide), which increases resistance to sodium vapor and transmits up to 90% of visible light. The DNAT 400 lamp has a discharge tube with a diameter of 7.5 mm and a length of 80 mm. The tube electrodes are made of molybdenum.
In addition to sodium vapor, the discharge tube composition contains argon to facilitate starting the lamps, and also contains mercury or xenon, which allows for increased luminous efficiency. During operation, the “burner” heats up to 1300 °C and in order to keep it intact, air is pumped out of the flask. However, it is difficult to maintain a vacuum while the lamp is running, as air can enter through the holes. Therefore, special gaskets are used to prevent this. It is worth noting that when the lamp is operating, its bulb heats up to 100 °C. When the pulse ignition device (IZD) is turned on, a pulse voltage is created, resulting in the formation of an arc. But at first, the sodium lamps DNAT reflex 250 still shine weakly, since all the energy is spent on heating the tube. After 5 or 10 minutes, the brightness of the light returns to normal.

How to connect a sodium lamp

Due to the special structure of gas-discharge lamps, it is not possible to simply connect them to a household electrical network, since the available voltage is not enough to start. In addition, the arc current must be limited. And sodium lamps are no exception. In this regard, it is necessary to use a ballast or ballast in the circuit. They can be electromagnetic (EMP) or electronic (EPG). In practice in Western countries, such devices are called Magnetic Ballast (for electronic ballasts) and Digital Ballast (for electronic ballasts). In some cases, it is impossible to do without the use of a pulse ignition device or IZU.
The use of electronic ballasts for sodium lamps 250 is necessary for their heating and further uninterrupted operation. In this case, the startup itself takes 3-5 minutes, and the sodium lighting sources gain full power within another 10 minutes. It is noteworthy that at the moment the lamp is started, its rated voltage increases almost 2 times.

Ballast device

The ballast consists of three main components:
Inductive choke.
IZU.
Phase compensating capacitor.
The choke serves to limit the arc current and its power must be the same as that of the lamp used. For example, if a HPS 250 lamp is used, then, accordingly, the power of the inductor should also be no less and no more than 250 Watts. Recently, the connection diagram for lamps often includes a single-winding choke, while double-winding ones are already obsolete.
IZU is necessary to increase the voltage to several kilovolts in order to form an arc. The power of the IZU can range from 35 to 400 Watts. In addition, the device can be of a two-pin or three-pin design. Moreover, the use of three-pin IZU is preferable.
As for the capacitor, this is an optional component. But its presence provides certain advantages, as it allows you to reduce the load on the household electrical network. In turn, this reduces the risk of wiring fire to a minimum. More details will be discussed below.

Connection diagrams for HPS lamps

Depending on which IZU is used (with two terminals or three), 250 Watt high pressure sodium lamps can be connected in different ways. This is reflected in more detail in the diagram below.

Sodium lamp connection diagram

As you can see from the figures, the inductor (ballast) is connected in series, but the IZU is connected to the circuit in parallel.
To operate, sodium lamps use reactive power. In this regard, it is desirable that the connection diagram include a special capacitor, which will suppress interference and reduce the inrush current. Which ultimately extends the life of the lamps. Also, this element is simply irreplaceable in the absence of a phase compensator.
As can be seen in the first figure, the presence of a phase-compensating capacitor is shown by a dotted line. Its connection is carried out in parallel with the power source.
The main thing is to choose a capacitor with optimal electrical capacity. For example, when using the same DNAT-250 lamp, its capacity should be 35 microfarads. If the circuit contains a DNaT 400 lamp, then you can choose a capacitor with a slightly larger capacity - 45 μF. Only dry elements and those designed for a voltage of at least 250 V are allowed to be used in the circuit.
When connecting the lamps yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind. The length of the wire connecting the light source itself and the inductor should not exceed one meter.

Precautionary measures

Due to the design features of the 250 sodium discharge lamp, extreme caution must be used when operating these light sources. It is unacceptable to turn off the lamp immediately after turning it on. It should remain on for at least 1 or 2 minutes. Otherwise, the lamp will stop turning on altogether and then it must be de-energized and wait a while.
In the room where lamps operate, it is necessary to have high-quality ventilation. Its temperature during operation can rise to 100 degrees or more. And according to some sources, all 1000. Therefore, good ventilation is the key to long-term and safe operation of lighting sources. Do not touch high-pressure lamps with your hands during operation to avoid burns. The same goes for its reflector.
When installing lighting sources, you do not need to handle the bulb with bare hands; it is best to use cloth gloves. Or you can wrap it in some paper or cardboard to avoid leaving greasy fingerprints on the glass. Since the heating temperature is very high, any grease deposits or even drops of water can cause the lamp to explode. You can find a lot of information about this on the Internet.
But not only high-pressure lamps can get very hot, this also applies to the ballast used. Its temperature can rise to 80-150 degrees. Therefore, as a precaution, this element of the circuit should be insulated, hidden under a fireproof and durable casing. This will prevent dry leaves, pieces of fabric or paper, and other objects from getting inside.
Don’t forget about basic safety precautions when working with electricity. That is, eliminate any possibility of water getting into the ballast, and monitor the integrity of the electrical wiring. It is always worth remembering that at the moment when the HPS lamp starts, the IZU generates high voltage pulses. Therefore, it is best to use special wires that are designed to work in extreme conditions. They are just designed for high heat.

Disposal

Sodium, by its nature, is a volatile substance and, in contact with air, can ignite rapidly. For this reason, sodium light sources should not be disposed of as regular waste. Like any energy-saving lamp that contains mercury, they also need to be disposed of in special containers. If you cannot dispose of HPS sodium lamps yourself while observing safety precautions, you should call a special service.

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HPS lamps: a light source that was retired too early.

As we promised, an article about HPS lamps(Arc Sodium Tubular High Pressure). Everyone who has worked or is working in the field of lighting engineering has heard about this monster. But if anyone hasn’t heard, we’ll explain it in simple terms: HPS lamps are like a Kalashnikov assault rifle for lighting streets and illuminating plants - a time-tested and reliable, but not without its shortcomings, light source.

Actually, this article about HPS lamps is more for beginners; material presented competently, but in an accessible language: without schematic diagrams of connection and a complete explanation of the basics of maintaining the discharge column in the burner of a HPS lamp. But we are sure that specialists will also like the sketch.

Almost 100% of the world's roads (no one, of course, counted) until recently were illuminated by HPS lamps, until they began to be cut out of their supports in favor of LED lamps. However, even now, experienced designers prefer to stick a sodium lamp into the project out of harm’s way, because LEDs are 1. really more expensive, 2. not that much energy efficient and 3. still unpredictable, because the number is simply overwhelming. But more on that later.

HPS lamps come in different powers - from 50 to 1000 W (rarely, but they are found with a power of 2000 and 4000 W), which seems to hint at their “industrial” use rather than “household”. Basically, HPS lamps are used in luminaires for illuminating streets and roads, less often - in production in combination with white light sources (for example, with MGL lamps to achieve warmer light and greater energy efficiency). In the most perverted cases, they are put into production in their pure form. And then - before the first injury or the call “where to go.”

But the most indispensable application is lighting greenhouses, or supplementary lighting of plants (which, in fact, is the same thing, but the second is scientific).

Terminology

This is why we don’t like Wikipedia, because what they write there is either superficial and not clear, or boring and with all the details - which is also not clear to the uninitiated. The most offensive thing is that the essence of the name of the HPS lamp is given only as a decoding of the abbreviation, but here everything is much more interesting.

HPS lamps all over the world (except Russia) are called as they should be called - HPS Lamp (High-Pressure Sodium Lamp), that is, high-pressure sodium lamps (HPS). We also call them that, but no one uses this term. In the Soviet Union, when NLVDs first appeared, various factories began to produce them. The modifications and capacities were different and they had to be distinguished somehow.

There were indeed many differences: the shape (ellipsoidal/tubular) and transparency (matte/transparent) of the bulbs, the lamp power (75/150/250/400/600/1000), the presence or absence of mirror coating in one of the hemispheres. So the Soviet-made NLVD had many names. The most common are HPS lamps with various power attachments (150, 250, etc.).

It was something like branding. For example, now in Russia there are DNAT-250 lamps (with a note, “of such and such production”), and in Germany (and all over the world thanks to export, marketing and quality) there is a lamp, for example, VIALOX NAV-T 250 W SUPER 4Y manufactured by Osram.

So, by and large, HPS lamps are just variations of the lamp model, not a type of light source. But the type of light source is NLVD, which includes lamps DNaT, DNaZ (with mirror coating) and even DNaS (with a light-scattering bulb, so that it is less blinding). And, except for specialists, few people know this. That's it.

By the way, if anyone is interested, you can look into the lamp museum (the site is in English, but with a lot of pictures) - there are countless different lamps collected here, incl. and sodium, throughout the history of the era of electric lighting. Very informative.

HPS lamp design

In principle, HPS lamps are no more complicated than any gas-discharge lamp. On the outside there is a flask made of heat-resistant glass and a base, on the inside there is a burner holder and the burner itself. All.

That, in fact, is the whole device.

Connecting a HPS lamp

The connection is also primitive to the point of disgrace, as is the design of the lamp. So we won’t dwell on this for long and will only present one of the most typical diagrams for connecting a HPS lamp.

Although here it is worth mentioning that in reality there are a huge number of options for connecting a HPS lamp. A compensating capacitor is also a mandatory connection component. As a rule, connection diagrams are indicated on the IZU blocks. But the picture above shows the simplest schematic connection option.

Advantages of a HPS lamp

1. Energy efficiency of HPS lamp

This light source is still considered one of the cheapest and most energy efficient (2016). Yes, yes, you shouldn’t make eyes like that. They are quite competitive with LEDs, incl. and according to the lm/W parameter. So, from the best representatives of the industry with a power of 250 W it is quite possible to get up to 130 lm/W (proof). And from a lamp - up to 90...110 lm/W, depending on the manufacturer, diffuser, reflector, ballast and quality of the supply network.

Interestingly, the higher the power and luminous flux of a HPS lamp, the higher their light output. For example, there are almost no 50-watt lamps above 80 lm/W. But with DNAT 1000 you can safely get 150 lm/W - that's crazy. Once again, just two years ago such parameters for LEDs in mass production were unimaginable.

It is not entirely correct to simply talk about a lamp without a lamp, because only in it you can see all the pros and cons of the HPS lamp. The energy efficiency of lamps with sodium lamps is clearly illustrated by the characteristics declared by lamp manufacturers on their websites (they rarely lie). But we also have our own measured data obtained from the laboratory during testing of luminaires for rating:
- - 84 lm/W,
- with GE lamp - 81 lm/W,
- - 87 lm/W.
Now comes the most interesting part. If we talk about direct replacement, i.e. when the old sodium lamp was removed and a new LED was hung in its place, you must understand that a lamp with a 150 W HPS lamp can never be replaced with a 50 or 70 W LED. The same applies to 250 W sodium lamps - they cannot be replaced with a 100 or even 150 W LED (we are talking about ordinary lamps, and not about custom-assembled ones with ideal characteristics and a luminous efficiency of 150 lm/W from a lighting device).

2. Price of a HPS lamp

The cost of a HPS lamp varies from 300 to 10,000 rubles, depending on the power, manufacturer, seller and some other variables. An average 250 W light bulb costs around 1000 rubles (±700). But it’s also not entirely interesting to talk about the price of an abstract HPS lamp. It is interesting to talk about the cost of a lamp as part of a lamp with ballasts (starting and control equipment), a base, protective glass, etc.

In general, the DNAZ lamp, together with its inventor, deserve a separate article. And we will definitely write it. No. Seriously. Apart from the company's own website, you will find almost no information about this lamp. So we'll fix this.

To connect any gas-discharge lamps, a ballast is required. Sodium lamps are no exception in this sense; To “warm up” the lamps when turned on and for their normal operation, a ballast will be required. Ballast for sodium lamps is a ballast (ballast) or electronic ballast (electronic ballast) and IZU (pulse ignition device).

The most common ballasts for sodium lamps are ballast inductive chokes, which are necessary to stabilize and limit the current. The IZU is necessary, as written above, for “warming up” - lighting the lamp. When a sodium lamp is turned on, this device, which is a small block, delivers a powerful high-voltage pulse to its electrodes, causing a breakdown in the gas mixture of the flask.

Connection diagrams. Although, sodium lamps today are quite widely used in a variety of sectors of the economy, due to the insufficient transmission of the color spectrum, they are most often used as street lighting.

These are “street” lamps that replace DRL , for which console lamps of the brand are produced Housing and communal services. They already have the necessary ballast, properly connected to the lamp, therefore, when using such lamps, the connection is reduced to only supplying the supply voltage to the terminals of the lamp.

To independently assemble a connection diagram for sodium lamps, you will need, as written above, a ballast - a choke and an IZU. Double-winding chokes are considered obsolete today, therefore, when choosing, preference should be given to single-winding ones.

IZU manufacturers produce devices with two and three terminals, therefore, the connection diagram may differ slightly - it, in fact, is depicted on almost every IZU case.

Sodium lamps are consumers of reactive power, therefore, in some cases, in the absence of phase compensation, it makes sense to include an interference suppression capacitor C in the circuit, which significantly reduces the inrush current (see photo above).

For the DNaT-250 (3A) choke, the optimal capacitance of the capacitor is 35 μF, for the DNaT-400 (4.4A) - 45 μF. Dry type capacitors should be used, with a rated voltage of 250 V or more. In this case, the connection diagram will look like this:

When connecting lamps yourself, it is worth considering the recommendation not to allow the length of the wires connecting the ballast to the lamp to exceed more than one meter.

Finally, about ballast. Undoubtedly, electronic ballasts are rightfully considered the best, having a number of advantages over inductive ballasts, but losing, however, to the latter in price; Their cost is currently quite high.

In 2012, Novazavod LLC began serial production IZU for DnaT lamps and DID (MGL). The line of manufactured IZUs covers all types of lamps, both in power: from 35W to 2000 W, and in base type: E27 and E40. A special series IZU-Agro is also produced, designed to run DnaZ 400/600 W lamps, widely used in greenhouses and those having the specificity of “tight ignition”.

Compliance with GOST R IEC 926-98, GOST R IEC 927-98

Advantages of IZU "Novazavod" compared to manufactured analogues:

use of components from the world's leading manufacturer NXP (Philips);
automatic installation of components on the board using MYDATA MY-9 equipment (Sweden);
the use of inductive components, which are the “heart of the IZU” from EPCOS (TDK) with a closed loop, allows you to calibrate the IZU power with an accuracy of up to 5% for each type of lamp;
The pulse amplitude and its shape are monitored on an HP Hewlett-Packard oscilloscope.

All of the above, as well as the practically absent “manual labor”, makes it possible to produce IZU at the level of the world’s leading analogues with a failure rate of 0.5% and 18 months warranty.

The ideal pulse shape, adjusted for each type of lamp, allows for a “soft start” mode, which increases lamp life up to 2 times.

Example notation IZU for DNAT when ordering: IZU-100/400 - Pulse Ignition Device for HPS lamps with power from 100 to 400 W.

Prices for products as of 08/30/2017. Certificate of Conformity No. ROSS RU. АВ86.Н01670

Prices apply for long-term deliveries or for one-time orders of 200 pcs.

	Lamp type	price, rub. VAT included	Size, LWH/weight, g.
IZU 35/70	DNAT/DRI 35-70 W
IZU 100/400	DNAT/DRI 100/400 W.
IZU 100/1000	DNAT/DRI 100/1000 W
IZU 1000/2000	DNAT/DRI 1000/2000 W
IZU Agro400/600	DnaZ 400/600 W

Pulse ignition devices - IZU are designed to ignite high-pressure gas-discharge sodium lamps of the DnaT type and metal halide lamps of the DRI (MGL) type when they are turned on together with ballast-inductive ballast. There are IZUs for working with a voltage of 220V and a voltage of 380V (usually for lamps with a power of over 1000 W). Power of DnaT, DRI lamps from 35 to 2000 W. The most common in street lighting: IZU 250 for DnaT lamps, DRI: 100W-400 W., in greenhouse lighting: IZU 600 W - IZU 1000 Tue Typically used in JSP luminaires, sodium lamp floodlights

Typically, IZU is divided into three types:
With two terminals, also called parallel type, the simplest circuit design,
manufactured since the early 80s. - simultaneously with the advent of HPS lamps, IZU connection diagram- Fig. 1. But despite the simplicity and reliability of such IZUs, they have a number of problems that are not solved in these schemes:
- failure of the IZU in the absence of a lamp or if a burnt-out lamp is installed.

Output from a standing ballast, since pulses from the IZU up to 5 kV are supplied continuously and the windings
chokes burn out sooner or later. There is a solution for protecting ballasts - installation
Ballast with thermal protection, but due to its high cost and lack of Russian GOSTs
for its mandatory installation, it is installed extremely rarely. Buy IZU the outdated type is simpler, but this will further affect the costs of maintaining the lamp as a whole.
-The distance from the IZU to the ballast is limited to 1-2 meters.

With three terminals or “serial type”. Connection diagram IZU devices sequential type is shown in Fig. 2. Advantages:
operability of IZU and ballasts in the absence or combustion of the lamp.
- IZU distance is unlimited.
A huge disadvantage: towards the end of the lamp’s life, the rectifying effect begins to appear, which leads to abnormal operation of the ballast, the IZU also works continuously, trying to light the lamp, which leads to the failure of the entire system IZU-PRA

The most modern IZUs of both types have a digital timer that turns off the IZU after a specified time in the following cases:

Lamp missing

The lamp has burned out.

An unsuccessful attempt to light an old lamp operating in abnormal mode.

IZU price in this case, it increases by 40-60% of the price of conventional IZU, but an increase in cost in absolute terms by 30-50 rubles leads to a colossal gain in the operation of the entire PRA-IZU - Lamp system
Typically, IZUs are divided by lamp power: For example IZU 400- IZU 600, as well as the most modern, lamp base type E27, E14. The pulse amplitude ranges from 2.5 kV to 5 kV depending on the type of base and lamp power, which greatly increases its resource.

In total, all of the above can be defined as:

IZUs are divided into two types: parallel and serial

1 Pulse igniters IZUfor DnaT, DRI, DNaZ, DRiZparallel type

Pulse igniters IZU are designed for igniting high-pressure discharge lamps of the DnaT (sodium arc) and DRI (metal halide arc) types with a power from 70 to 2000 W. The ignition mode of the lamps is provided by the IZU when switched on with an EMPGRA - Electromagnetic Start-Regulating Apparatus, a “choke” into an alternating current network with a nominal frequency of 50 Hz, 220-230V.

Distinctive feature from devices that are on the market:

a) high ignition ability;

b) the lowest cost of service.

2. Pulse ignition devices IZUfor DNAT, DRIserial type

Pulse ignition devices IZU are designed for igniting high-pressure discharge lamps such as DNaT, DRI with a power from 70 to 1000 W. The ignition mode of the lamps is provided by the IZU when switched on with an Electromagnetic Start-Regulating Device, a “choke” in an alternating current network with a nominal frequency of 50 Hz, 220-230V. A special feature of this IZU compared to those on the market is the use of cores for pulse transformers made of a special alloy from EPCOS, which is many times superior to similar cores in terms of technical characteristics.

Photosynthesis is the cornerstone of plant nutrition. And the first half of this word “photo” clearly tells us about the participation of light in this process. When growing plants hydroponically at home, you will definitely encounter the need to create artificial lighting for your green spaces. I don’t argue, there are natural lighting conditions that are close to ideal: large windows, sunny side, lack of houses opposite the windows, southern latitudes, eternal summer... But in most cases, there is still a need for at least additional illumination with artificial light.

And we need to choose what type of artificial lighting to use. In addition to everyday criteria for choosing the type of lamp, such as cost, efficiency, ease of use, there is another important criterion for the grower - the emission spectrum of the lamp. There is already information about spectra on our website, but, in short, the point is that plants need light of certain wavelengths - mainly in the red and blue parts of the spectrum. But lamps differ greatly in this indicator, and most of the lamps existing on the modern market are eliminated precisely due to non-compliance with this requirement. These include incandescent lamps, ultraviolet lamps, most halogen lamps and some others.

Types of plant lamps

But there are lamps that more or less satisfy the needs of plants, and which are successfully used in home and industrial plant growing. These include:

Some energy saving lamps.
They are ineffective, but they can be used when located close to plants and with a large number of lamps. Different “energy savers” vary in spectrum, so you need to experiment with them and choose those to which plants respond best.
Fluorescent lamps.
There are different spectrums, suitable and not so suitable. In plant growing, it is recommended to use T5 and T8 lamps. They also require close proximity to plants and a large number of lamps. Often used as an addition to the main light, or as the main lighting for growing seedlings.
Light emitting diodes, LED.
They recently appeared on the market and are very promising, but at the moment their active use is hampered by the high cost of lamps.
high pressure, DRL.
They can be used as the main light, but have their drawbacks: low light output and high temperature.
Metal-halogen lamps, MGL, DRI.
They are actively used as main and additional lighting. They have a lot of blue light in their spectrum, which is used by plants at the vegetative stage of growth. Therefore, these lamps are good for growing plants that value the green part.
High pressure sodium lamps, HPS.
The most popular and actively used lamps at the moment. The spectrum is well suited for growing fruit-bearing plants. Like other lamps, it also has its drawbacks: a certain lack of blue component of the spectrum (solved by additional illumination with other lamps), and strong heating during operation.

Launch of DNAT

Due to its design, the HPS lamp cannot be connected directly to our home electrical network - the mains voltage is not enough to light a cold lamp. In addition, the lamp arc current must be limited. Therefore, HPS lamps are used in conjunction with Starting-Regulating Devices (PRA)- electromagnetic ( EmPRA) and electronic ( electronic ballast).

In Western terminology, these devices are called ballasts - Magnetic Ballast and Digital Ballast, respectively. You can read about foreign-made electronic ballasts in, and here we will look at the device and process of self-assembly of electromagnetic ballast.

Design and assembly of ballasts - starting and regulating apparatus for a HPS lamp

So, the ballast uses only three components:

Inductive choke. It just limits the arc current. Price from 600 rub, depends on the manufacturer, power. The power of the choke must match the power of the lamp. Those. for a HPS 250 lamp, we are looking for a 250 W choke in the store.
IZU is a pulse ignition device. Immediately after switching on, it generates voltage pulses of several thousand volts, which create an arc. Price from 300 rub.. When purchasing, we also pay attention to the power. IZUs have a power range, for example 35-400 W. We make sure that the power of our lamp falls within this range.
Phase compensating capacitor. This component may be missing, but its use provides additional benefits. Price from 150 rub.. The parameters of capacitors will be discussed below.

When purchasing a choke and IZU, check with sellers whether the products they offer are suitable for use with HPS lamps. According to some information, different components are used for HPS lamps and DRI lamps. I would be glad to receive a competent opinion on this issue in the comments to this article..

All components can be found on sale in electrical markets. The components are of both domestic and foreign (Israel, Germany) production. On the Internet, as usual, they criticize domestic ones and praise imported ones.

The ballast circuits look like this:

Options with two- and three-pin IZUs are presented - both are available on sale. The third diagram shows an option using a phase-compensating capacitor (indicated in the diagram WITH). In a circuit with a three-pin IZU, the capacitor is connected in the same way, in parallel. On the IZU and on the inductor you will see similar diagrams, but more detailed, indicating the contact markings of your specific devices. Be sure to follow these markings! If you are careful enough, there should be no problems during assembly.

When assembling and using these circuits, you need to pay attention to which wire the phase is supplied through. Studying materials on the Internet, I came to the conclusion that this is an important point (if I’m wrong, correct me in the comments). Solving this issue, I marked the plug and socket, indicating the phase on them.

It is also convenient to use the colors of the wires when assembling the circuit. This speeds up installation and eliminates the need to call them. The rules are:

Working zero (N)– blue, sometimes red.
Phase (L)– can be white, black, brown.
Neutral protective conductor (PE)– yellow-green color.

To connect three wires at one point (zero from the lamp, from the IZU and from the plug), it is convenient to use a three-pin terminal block.

All electrical connections are made with thick stranded wire; soldering (if any) must be reliable. The screws in the connecting blocks must be tightened tightly, but without excessive force, so as not to break the block.

This is what my assembled ballast for DNAT 250 looks like:

Capacitor in ballast circuit

You may have noticed that I did not use a capacitor in my circuit. Unfortunately, I simply did not find it for sale. Why do you need a capacitor in the ballast circuit for HPS, since the circuits work without it? The bottom line is that using a phase-compensating capacitor can reduce the load on your home electrical wiring and on the circuit of your lighting device in particular. You will be told in more detail and very clearly about the benefits of using a phase-compensating capacitor in this video.

We select the capacitor capacity for our circuit according to the following table:

Lamp powerCapacitor 220V~50Hz 150 W20 µF250 W32 µF400 W45 µF600 W60 µF1000 W85 µF

Safety

Due to the design features of the HPS lamp, when experimenting with it and its further use, the following precautions should be observed:

Do not turn off the lamp immediately after turning it on. It should burn for a minute or two. After a short-term shutdown, the lamp “freezes” and does not turn on. To turn it on, you need to unplug the lamp and let it “rest”.
Provide good ventilation for the lamp. The temperature of a working HPS lamp is much higher than 100 degrees C (according to some sources, up to 1000 degrees!). Therefore, good ventilation is not only a guarantee of the well-being of your “plants”, but also your personal safety. Do not touch the working lamp or its reflector.
Try not to touch the lamp at all. Before installation, wipe the lamp with a clean soft cloth; do not handle the lamp with bare hands. It is best to use cloth gloves. The fact is that due to the same high temperature, any foreign deposit (fats, water) on the lamp bulb can cause it to explode. They write a lot about this on the Internet, but here is a wonderful video on this topic.
Depending on the power, Ballast can also get very hot- from 80 to 150 degrees. Therefore, you need to somehow solve the issue of protection from high ballast temperatures. For example, isolate the ballast in a reliable fire-resistant casing, prevent paper, fabric, and dry leaves from getting on it.
Observe general safety precautions when working with electricity. Avoid the possibility of water getting into the ballast, move it away and hang it higher. The wires must have complete insulation; it is better to use special wire for harsh conditions. Remember that at the moment the lamp is ignited, the IZU produces very high voltage pulses. This is in addition to the “regular” 220 volts, which are present throughout the entire circuit.

GORSHKOFF.TV

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Not a single connection of any gas-discharge lamp is complete without ballast. Sodium lamps also require connection with ballast. This is necessary so that the high-pressure lamp warms up normally and operates smoothly. The ballast for sodium lamps is inductive and electronic ballasts and a pulse ignition device (IZU). The lamp ignition time ranges from three to five minutes. Sodium lamps reach full power after ten minutes. When the lamp is ignited, the rated current value is almost doubled.

Ballast inductive choke for sodium lamps

It is considered the most common ballast at present. The choke is necessary to limit the supply and stabilize the current. Pulse devices are used directly to ignite the lamp. When the sodium lamp is turned on, the device delivers powerful, high-voltage pulses to the electrodes. The pulse provides a breakdown in the gas mixture. The ignition device itself looks like a small block. The choke is necessary for long lamp life as well as good light output.

There are also various schemes for connecting lamps. Sodium lamps are widely used in various areas of the economy. They are mainly used for street lighting, since the lamps have insufficient transmission of the color spectrum.

Such sodium street lamps are replacing arc mercury fluorescent lamps. Sodium lamps have the necessary ballast, which is already connected to them. This means that when the luminaire needs to be used, the connection is limited to supplying voltage directly to the luminaire terminals.

Sodium lamp circuits

In order to independently assemble the connection circuit, you must have a choke and an ignition pulse device. Chokes with double windings have now become obsolete and are hardly used anywhere. It is preferable to use a choke with one winding.

Manufacturers of pulse devices make them with both three and two terminals. Connection diagrams may differ from each other because of this. Almost every housing of the ignition device depicts a certain diagram according to which the sodium lamp will be connected.

Sodium lamp capacitor

High pressure sodium lamps consume reactive power. Therefore, it would not be amiss to include a special capacitor C in the circuit, which allows you to suppress interference and reduce the inrush current. A capacitor is necessary when there is no phase compensator.

For chokes of high-pressure sodium tubular lamps (DNaT-250), the optimal capacitance of the capacitors is 35 μF. For DNAT-400 it is suitable for 45 uF. Capacitors with a specified voltage of at least 250 V should be used. The type of capacitor should be dry.

If the lamps are connected independently, it is worth considering that the length of the wire that connects the ballast to the lamp cannot be more than one meter.

And finally, about ballast. Electronic types are considered the best ballasts. They have more advantages than inductive ballasts, but their cost is much higher.

Compliance with GOST R IEC 926-98, GOST R IEC 927-98

Advantages of IZU "Novazavod" compared to manufactured analogues:

use of components from the world's leading manufacturer NXP (Philips);
automatic installation of components on the board using MYDATA MY-9 equipment (Sweden);
the use of inductive components, which are the “heart of the IZU” from EPCOS (TDK) with a closed loop, allows you to calibrate the IZU power with an accuracy of up to 5% for each type of lamp;
The pulse amplitude and its shape are monitored on an HP Hewlett-Packard oscilloscope.

The ideal pulse shape, adjusted for each type of lamp, allows for a “soft start” mode, which increases lamp life up to 2 times.

Example notation IZU for DNAT when ordering: IZU-100/400 - Pulse Ignition Device for HPS lamps with power from 100 to 400 W.

Price for products at 08/24/2019. Certificate of Conformity No. ROSS RU. АВ86.Н01670

Prices apply for long-term deliveries or for one-time orders of 200 pcs.

IZU type	Lamp type	price, rub. VAT included	Size, LWH/weight, g.
IZU 35/70	DNAT/DRI 35-70 W		554035/ 55
IZU 100/400	DNAT/DRI 100/400 W.	150	554035/ 60
IZU 100/1000	DNAT/DRI 100/1000 W		554035/ 60
IZU-T 100/1000	DNAT/DRI 100/1000 W		554035/80
IZU 1000/2000	DNAT/DRI 1000/2000 W, 380V		554035/ 75
IZU Agro400/600	DnaZ 400/600 W	250	554035/ 90

Typically, IZU is divided into three types:
With two terminals, also called parallel type, the simplest circuit design,
manufactured since the early 80s. - simultaneously with the advent of HPS lamps, IZU connection diagram- Fig. 1. But despite the simplicity and reliability of such IZUs, they have a number of problems that cannot be solved in these schemes:
- failure of the IZU in the absence of a lamp or if a burnt-out lamp is installed.

The most modern IZUs of both types have a digital timer that turns off the IZU after a specified time in the following cases:

Lamp missing

The lamp has burned out.

An unsuccessful attempt to light an old lamp operating in abnormal mode.

IZU price in this case, it increases by 40-60% of the price of conventional IZU, but an increase in cost in absolute terms by 30-50 rubles leads to a colossal gain in the operation of the entire PRA-IZU - Lamp system
Typically, IZUs are divided by lamp power: For example IZU 400— IZU 600, as well as the most modern, lamp base type E27, E14. The pulse amplitude ranges from 2.5 kV to 5 kV depending on the type of base and lamp power, which greatly increases its resource.

In total, all of the above can be defined as:

IZUs are divided into two types: parallel and serial

1 Pulse igniters IZUfor DnaT, DRI, DNaZ, DRiZparallel type

Distinctive feature from devices that are on the market:

a) high ignition ability;

b) the lowest cost of service.

2. Pulse ignition devices IZUfor DNAT, DRIserial type

A dozen years ago, sodium lamps were used to illuminate roads and streets almost everywhere. With the advent of LED light sources, they began to be used somewhat less frequently, but nevertheless, HPS lamps are in no hurry to give up their position. What kind of lamps are these and why have they held the lead among street lighting fixtures for decades? Today we will try to find out.

Even today, good old DNAT serves us faithfully

What is HPS and types of such lamps

HPS lamps are one of the varieties of high-pressure sodium lamps - HPS Lamp - High-Pressure Sodium Lamp. DNAT is an acronym that stands for “Arc Sodium Tubular.” There are several other types of devices of this type: DNaMT, DnaZ and DNaS. Let's see how they are structured and how they differ from each other.

Sodium lamp design

Structurally, the device is a flask made of special glass made from aluminum oxide Al 2 O 3. During operation, the flask heats up to 1200 degrees Celsius. Such glass not only withstands high temperatures, but is also able to withstand the destructive effects of sodium vapor.

Two electrodes are soldered into the edges of the flask, which is called a burner. It itself is filled with a mixture of buffer (inert) gases with the addition of sodium amalgam: an alloy of sodium and mercury. Additionally, xenon is mixed into the buffer gases; it ensures an easier start of the light bulb. The burner, in turn, is placed in another outer flask made of ordinary heat-resistant glass. This is usually refractory borosilicate glass. A deep vacuum is created in the flask, and it itself is equipped with a base of one type or another for connection to the power supply.

Thanks to the vacuum, the outer flask plays the role of a thermos, ensuring normal start-up and operation of the sodium burner at low ambient temperatures. At the same time, it reduces heat loss, increasing the efficiency and service life of the device.

HPS lamp design

The most common base installed on HPS light bulbs is the Edison threaded base. For low-power devices, E27 is used, for high-power illuminators - E40. Nevertheless, there are light bulbs with other types of bases, as well as double-base ones.

DNAT with E40 base (left) and double-base soffit version

Sometimes two burners are installed in one outer flask. This increases the power of the device without significantly increasing its dimensions, and also slightly increases the efficiency and service life of the device due to lower heat loss.

HPS lamp with two burners

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

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To be fair, it is worth mentioning the existence of low-pressure sodium lamps. The design of the burners of such devices resembles the well-known flasks of fluorescent light bulbs. Their electrodes are spirals, and the device is started by heating them.

Low pressure sodium light bulb

As I noted above, in addition to HPS, there are several other types of sodium lighting devices:

DnaZ - with a mirror reflector sprayed onto part of the outer flask, directing the burner light to a certain sector;

DNAZ has its own reflector

DNaS – light scattering. In this device, the role of a light diffuser is played by a special pigment applied to the inner surface of the outer bulb. The spectrum of DNAS lamps is similar to daylight;

Both in appearance and in the emitted spectrum, DNAS resembles a DRL mercury illuminator

DNAMT – with frosted flask. In fact, it is an analogue of DNAS, which is currently out of production. Designed for direct replacement of DRL lamps without deteriorating lighting quality.

DNAMT lamp

Operating principle

When a supply voltage and at the same time a high-voltage pulse are applied to the burner electrodes, a glow discharge occurs in the flask, which begins to heat up the sodium amalgam. As the amalgam heats up, it turns into a vapor state, the resistance of the gas gap in the flask decreases, and the discharge gradually turns into an arc - the lamp flares up.

The usual heating time for DNAT is 10-15 minutes. In this case, the temperature of the burner itself reaches 1200, and the outer flask – 250-300 degrees Celsius. To prevent the discharge from turning into an uncontrolled arc, a ballast is switched on in series with the lamp. When exposed to an electric arc, sodium vapor begins to emit visible light in the yellow-orange spectrum (sodium resonance spectrum). In this case, the light output of the device is 150–200 lm/W, depending on the power and type of device.

Spectrum of a HPS light bulb

How to start a HPS lamp

How to properly connect a HPS sodium lamp to the network? As can be seen from the above, it is not enough to supply the device with supply voltage: a cold burner has a high resistance and simply will not start. To create a starting high-voltage pulse, a special unit is used - a pulse ignition device (IZU).

After starting the light bulb, the current through it must be limited. This is what ballast does: electromagnetic or electronic. The first (EMPRA - electromagnetic ballast) is a choke - a coil with an open magnetic circuit. The second (electronic ballast - electronic ballast) is an electronic circuit - a current limiter.

Electronic ballasts (left) and electronic ballasts for DNAT lighting devices

The choke is connected in series with the light bulb, the IZU is connected in parallel. There are 2 types of IZU - two-pin and three-pin. The first one is easier to connect and costs less, the second one makes the circuit work more correctly. When using a three-terminal IZU, at the time of start-up, a high-voltage discharge is supplied only to the lamp, and not to the lamp + ballast, as is the case with a two-terminal device. The illuminator connection diagram using both types of IZU is shown below.

Connection diagrams for a HPS lamp using a two- and three-terminal IZU

Please note that the diagrams indicate zero and phase. The ballast is always connected to a phase wire break. The IZU also has corresponding symbols, do not forget to follow them.

Ignition devices even have a diagram of their connection

Now about capacitor C, which is indicated by a dot-dash line in the diagram. It is not mandatory, but it wouldn't hurt to include it. This capacitor serves to compensate for reactive power and slightly increase the efficiency of the circuit. The capacitor must be non-polar paper and designed for a voltage of at least 400 V. Its electrical capacity depends on the power of the lighting device. For a 250 W HPS, 35 μF is enough; for a 400 W HPS, the capacity needs to be increased to 45 μF.

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

Specialist in repair and maintenance of electrical equipment and industrial electronics.

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For high-quality and long-term operation of the lamp, the power of the ballast must correspond to the power of the lamp. The rule “the more, the more reliable” does not work here! The IZU is selected so that the power of the illuminator falls within the range indicated on its (IZU) body.

And one more piece of advice. Install the HPS light bulb only while wearing cotton gloves or using a clean cloth. The fact is that the bulb of the device heats up to 300 degrees. The fingerprints you leave on the flask will burn, and a layer of carbon deposits that does not conduct heat well will form. As a result, local overheating will occur and the glass will burst. If you or someone else has already “grabbed” the light bulb, then wipe it with a napkin moistened with alcohol.

The device can be thrown away due to a crack that appears as a result of local overheating of dirty glass

Disposal conditions

The burner of the HPS lamp contains xenon and an alloy of sodium and mercury, so the device must not be thrown away as household waste! Burnt out light bulbs must be taken to specialized collection points. In addition, the materials of the burner and flask, although they look like ordinary glass, have a completely different chemical composition. Once processed with ordinary glass, quartz and aluminum oxide will simply ruin the entire melt.

There are many places to dispose of mercury-containing devices, but we usually don’t pay attention to them.

According to the current legislation (Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 6, 2011 No. 354), the responsibility for collecting burnt-out energy-saving lamps is also assigned to management companies, homeowners' associations, housing cooperatives, etc. That is, to organizations that maintain the housing stock. Moreover, if utility workers fail to fulfill their duties, they face a fine of one hundred thousand rubles or more.

Technical characteristics and comparison with analogues

I have already said that HPS bulbs have stubbornly held their ground and are still widely used, despite the emergence of new types of lighting sources. Why did they gain such popularity? Let's compare their main characteristics with LED and mercury arc DRL lamps, which you have probably seen in street lamps.

Main characteristics of lighting devices DNAT, DRL and LED analogues

	Nameplate power, W	Created luminous flux, lm	Average service life, h
100	9 400	6 000
150	14 000	10 000
250	24 000	15 000
400	47 500	15 000
DRL-125	125	6 000	12 000
DRL-250	250	13 000	12 000
DRL-400	400	24 000	15 000
LED analogue of DRL-125	40	2 500	10 000
LED analogue of DRL-250	80	5 000	10 000

It is clearly seen from the plate that, consuming 150 W, a sodium light bulb provides the same power as a 250 W DRL. The only serious competitor to a sodium lamp in terms of efficiency is the LED lamp.

Expert opinion

Alexey Bartosh

Specialist in repair and maintenance of electrical equipment and industrial electronics.

Ask a question to an expert

5,000 lm of an LED lamp can compete with 13,000 lm of a DRL due to the LEDs creating a directional light flux, which provides the necessary illumination in front of the device. This is exactly what is required from a street lamp. At the same time, the mercury lamp shines in all directions.

But, firstly, powerful LEDs cost tens of times more than the mentioned lamp. And, secondly, the technology of ultra-bright diodes is not as mature as the technology for manufacturing HPS, which is almost a hundred years old.

If we add here the huge number of manufacturers of LED products, it turns out that the search for guaranteed high-quality semiconductor equipment becomes very problematic. As for the vaunted durability of LEDs, with such high power the crystals quickly degrade (lose brightness). At the same time, the resource of a diode flashlight often becomes even less than the resource of a flashlight with a HPS lamp.

Scope of application

The unique light spectrum of HPS bulbs, as it turns out, is ideal for lighting streets and highways. It is precisely because of their spectrum that street lights with HPS were used throughout the world ten years ago.

Having an anti-fog effect, the yellow-orange light provides good visibility on the road and does not blind the driver. Considering that sodium lamps are the most economical among gas-discharge devices and especially incandescent light bulbs, there is nothing strange in the fact that almost 100% of roads were illuminated with HPS lamps.

Using HPS lamps to illuminate streets and roads

In recent years, HPS lamps have been partially replaced by LED lamps, but in street lighting this happens much more slowly and reluctantly than in everyday life.

I liked the emission spectrum of HPS lamps and plants. This determined another area of application for sodium devices: for illuminating plants in greenhouses and places where there is not enough sunlight. You've probably seen greenhouses lit with a soft yellow-orange light - these are HPS lamps.

Using HPS lamps in greenhouses to illuminate plants

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any other lighting devices, lamps with HPS lamps have their advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include:

High luminous efficiency. According to this parameter, HPS lamps occupy a leading position among gas-discharge lighting devices, although they are inferior to LED lamps.
Long service life. The mean time between failures of HPS lamps reaches 15,000 hours. A powerful LED lamp with the declared brightness will work the same or slightly more.
Relatively low cost. The technology for producing lamps is not particularly complex and has been established for a long time (the HPS lamp is almost 100 years old!), and the device itself does not contain expensive materials. In this regard, LED lighting devices are catastrophically behind sodium ones - they are tens of times more expensive.
Anti-fog effect. The yellow-orange spectrum emitted by HPS lamps is poorly absorbed by water. Even in rain and heavy fog, the lighting quality remains at a fairly high level.

You've probably seen headlights with yellow glass on cars - these are fog lights. They use the same principle, but the yellow-orange spectrum is created not by a lamp, but by a filter.

As for the shortcomings, they are very significant:

Short . The HPS lamp emits light in a narrow yellow-orange spectrum. The color of almost all objects in this light is greatly distorted. It is precisely because of the low quality of light that sodium lamps are absolutely unsuitable for use in residential and industrial premises.
High ripple factor. When using an electromagnetic ballast (choke), the light of the HPS lamp pulsates at twice the network frequency. In this case, the pulsation coefficient can reach 15-20%. When exposed to such light for a long time, a person's eyes quickly become tired. The problem is completely solved by using electronic ballasts, but their cost is often higher than the cost of the lamp itself.
High operating temperature. During operation, the temperature of the HPS lamp reaches 300 degrees, and the ballasts (in particular, the choke) heat up to 100 degrees. This not only threatens serious burns if accidentally touched, but also requires special fire safety measures.
Difficulty starting at low temperatures. Due to their design features, HPS lamps are difficult to start at low ambient temperatures. This problem is partially solved by using an external flask with a vacuum, but nevertheless, in severe frost the lamp may not start. For this reason, the use of HPS lamps in the far north is not recommended.
Long ignition time. After switching on, the lamp barely shines and only gradually flares up as the burner warms up. HPS lamps need 10-15 minutes to reach operating mode. A hot lamp that has just been turned off will not start immediately: first the bulb needs to cool, and then start and flare up again.

Sodium lamps, compared to other artificial lighting sources, demonstrate the highest efficiency - close to 30%. To save money, it is recommended to buy high-pressure light bulbs. The light emitted by high-pressure sodium lamps allows one to distinguish colors in almost the entire range, excluding only short-wavelengths, in which the color fades somewhat. Let's talk today about the emergence, use and connection of sodium lamps with our own hands.

Historical reference

The biggest contribution to street lighting has come from high-pressure sodium discharge lamps, which are a major hindrance to astronomical observations. Let's delve into history to understand what they are. Tubular lamps, which exhibit low mercury pressure, were invented in the pre-war period.

Such fluorescent lamps quickly became widespread. But it was not possible to obtain a discharge in sodium vapor for a long time, this was explained by the low partial pressure of sodium at a low temperature. After a complex of technological tricks, sodium lamps were created that operated at low pressure. But due to their complex design, they were not widely used.

But the fate of sodium lamps, which operate at high pressure, was more successful. All initial attempts to create lamps in a quartz glass shell ended in failure. At high temperatures, the chemical activity of sodium increases and, as a result, the mobility of its atoms increases. Therefore, sodium in quartz burners penetrated quickly through the quartz, destroying the shell.

The emergence of sodium lamps

The situation changed dramatically in the early sixties, when the General Electric company patented a previously unknown ceramic material that could work in sodium vapor at high temperatures. It received the name “lukalos”. In our country, this ceramics is known to the inhabitants as “polycor”.

This ceramic is produced by high-temperature sintering of aluminum oxide. For lighting purposes, only one modification of its crystal lattice is considered suitable - the alpha form of the oxide, which has the densest packing of atoms in the crystal.

The sintering process for such ceramics is very capricious, because it must be chemically resistant to sodium vapor and must have high transparency so that most of the light is not lost in the walls of the discharge tube. Sodium vapor, which serves as a gas-discharge medium in sodium lamps, produces a bright orange light when illuminated. Because of the presence of sodium in the lamp, the abbreviation DNAT came into use, which means sodium arc lamps.

Advantages and disadvantages of sodium lamps

Sodium lamps shine twice as efficiently as ordinary fluorescent lamps of similar power - this can be explained by the small size of the emitter, the light rays from which are much more easily directed in the desired direction and other design features.

In addition, with the help of sodium arc lamps you can recreate much greater illumination. Its ceiling for daylight fixtures reaches 50 watts per square foot, and with the help of sodium lamps you can achieve 3 times more without any problems!

From an economic point of view, sodium lamps are more profitable - they only need to be changed once every six months, and 1 DNAT-400 lamp can successfully replace 20 40 V LDS. It is also much more convenient to work with a medium ballast than with 15 small ones. Since sodium lamps use electricity twice as efficiently, when using them, a certain result is achieved at half the cost.

The efficiency of sodium light bulbs is directly dependent on the ambient temperature, and this in turn slightly limits their use, because they shine worse in cold weather. It is also not entirely clear that they are more environmentally friendly than mercury lamps, since most sodium lamps use a compound of sodium and mercury as a filler - sodium amalgam.

Using sodium lamps

Typical objects where sodium lamps are used: highways, streets, squares, long-haul tunnels, airfields, traffic intersections, sports facilities, construction sites, airports, train stations, architectural structures, warehouses and industrial premises, pedestrian areas and roads, as well as additional sources lighting.

If you want to somehow decorate your garden plot, you can buy sodium lamps, which have also found their application in landscape design. Due to the characteristics of sodium lamps, the warm and bright orange light, they are used for auxiliary purposes for a unique decorative effect that imitates an open flame or sunset.

Purchasing sodium lamps is useful if the owner grows seedlings, has a winter garden, a greenhouse or a greenhouse. Of course, sodium lamps will not replace natural light and the light of the sun, but your plants will not be affected by changes in weather conditions and cloudy days if the flowers are illuminated with such lamps.

Operating principle of a sodium lamp

Inside the external cylinder of DNAT there is a “burner” - a tube that is made of aluminum ceramics and filled with rarefied gas, in which an electric arc is created between two electrodes. Sodium and mercury are introduced into the burner, and in order to limit the current, an inductive ballast or electronic ballast is used .

The mains voltage is not enough to ignite a cold sodium lamp, so the principle of operation of a sodium lamp is to use a special IZU - a pulsed ignition device. Immediately after switching on, it generates voltage pulses of several thousand volts, which are guaranteed to create an arc. The main radiation flux is generated by sodium ions, so their light has a characteristic yellow color.

The burner heats up to 1300 degrees Celsius during operation, so air has been pumped out from the external cylinder to keep it intact. For all sodium lamps without exception, when operating, the temperature of the cylinder exceeds 100 degrees Celsius. The lamp shines weakly after the arc occurs, all energy is spent on heating the burner. The brightness increases as it warms up and after ten minutes reaches normal levels.

Types of sodium lamps

If the economical operation of light over a long time is more important to you, then it is best to purchase low-pressure sodium lamps, which are characterized by high levels of operational reliability, light output over a long time and energy efficiency.

Sodium lamps are ideal for organizing street lighting because they are capable of emitting the monochrome yellow color familiar to people, but do not have sufficient transmission of the light spectrum.

For other purposes, the use of low-pressure lamps is considered difficult because the colors of objects illuminated by such a lamp cannot be distinguished. The color perception of objects indoors is distorted (for example, green color turns into dark blue or black), and the design appearance of the premises is lost.

To save money, it is recommended to buy high-pressure sodium lamps. Connecting high-pressure sodium lamps is most suitable for gyms, industrial and commercial complexes. The light emitted by high-pressure sodium lamps allows colors to be distinguished in almost the entire range, except for short wavelengths, in which colors may fade somewhat.

Installation of sodium lamps

Sodium lamps are now widely used in various sectors of the economy, however, due to insufficient transmission of the color spectrum, they are most often used as street lighting. Sodium bulbs, unlike metal halide bulbs, do not care in which position they operate.

However, based on many years of practice, it is believed that the horizontal position of the lamp is more effective, because it emits the main flow of light to the sides. To connect any HID lamp, a ballast is required. Sodium lamps are no exception in this sense; ballast is required for their “warming up” and normal operation.

Ballast

For sodium lamps, the ballast is a ballast, electronic ballast and pulse ignition device. Undoubtedly, the best ballasts are rightfully considered electronic, which have a number of advantages over inductive ballasts, losing to the latter in cost: currently their price is quite high.

The most common ballasts are ballast inductive chokes, which are necessary to limit and stabilize the current. The necessary ballast, which is connected to the lamp in the required way, is already present in them, so the connection diagram for sodium lamps comes down solely to supplying supply voltage to the terminals of the lamp.

Today, double-winding chokes are obsolete, so you should give preference to single-winding ones. An ordinary domestically produced choke can be bought at a company for about $10, and on the market - half that price.

It must be intended specifically for HPS and have the same power as the lamp. It is necessary to install a “original” choke, otherwise the lamp’s service life may be reduced several times, or the light output will drop catastrophically. It is also possible to “blink” when the sodium lamp goes out immediately after warming up, then cools down, and everything happens all over again.

Pulse ignition device

IZUs are required, as described above, to light the lamp. IZU manufacturers produce devices with 2 and 3 pins, so the sodium lamp switching circuit may differ slightly. But usually it is depicted on each IZU case. Of the domestic IZUs, the most convenient is the “UIZU”; it is suitable for lamps of any power and can work with all ballasts.

In this case, you can place the UIZU next to the ballast and near the light bulb, connecting it to its contacts. Polarity does not play a special role when connecting the ICU, but it is recommended that the “hot” red wire be connected to the ballast.

Noise suppression capacitor

Arc sodium lamps are consumers of reactive power, so it makes sense in some cases (in the absence of phase compensation) to include an interference suppression capacitor C in the sodium lamp circuit, which significantly reduces the inrush current and prevents unpleasant situations. For chokes DNaT-250 (3A), the capacitance of the capacitor should be 35 μF, for chokes DNaT-400 (4.4A) - reach 45 μF. Dry type capacitors with a rated voltage of 250 V should be used.

Connections are usually made with a thick multi-core wire of large cross-section; the network cable must also be designed for high current. Make solderings reliable. Tighten the screws tightly, but without excessive force, so as not to break the block.

When connecting sodium lamps yourself, it is worth considering this recommendation - you should not allow the length of the wires that connect the ballast to the sodium lamp to exceed more than one meter.

Security questions

If you assembled the lamp yourself, make sure that its connection diagram is absolutely correct. If the connection diagram is not drawn on your ballast, or the number of legs of the ballast/IZU does not match the diagram, you should consult with the seller of these parts or an experienced electrician. The consequences of such an error are catastrophic: burnout of one of the 3 elements of the circuit, knocking out plugs, lamp explosion and fire.

If there is grease or dirt on the sodium lamp cylinder, it may burst due to uneven heating immediately after warming up. Therefore, do not touch the lamp with your hands and wipe it with alcohol just in case after installing it in the socket. If drops of water or other liquids come into contact with a switched-on lamp, this provokes an explosion with 100% probability!

When using a fan, it is worth checking that it blows and rotates where it should. The lamp must be hung securely to avoid falling - a sodium lamp is heavy and can break something if it falls. When repairing a lamp, some measurements should be made with the device turned on - do not do this yourself unless you have sufficient experience working with high voltage equipment.

While the sodium lamp is operating, once a month, wipe off dust from the lamp and reflector and check the condition of the fan. It is recommended to change sodium lamps every 4-6 months, since towards the end of their useful life their light output drops significantly.

Sodium lamp malfunctions

As sodium lamps age, they acquire the habit of “blinking”: the lamp turns on, warms up as usual, then goes out unexpectedly, and everything repeats after a while. If you notice this behavior in your lamp, you should try changing the light bulb. If changing the lamp does not help, you need to measure the voltage in the network; maybe it is slightly lower than usual.

If the sodium lamp blinks irregularly, the reason lies in poor contact or power surges in the network. The most unpleasant situation is a short circuit in the ballast between the turns of the winding, then it needs to be changed. Sometimes new lamps may flash, but this goes away after a few hours.

You can often hear the IZU crackling after turning on the lamp (a sign of operation), but the lamp does not even try to light up. This happens most often due to breakdowns in the wire that goes to the lamp from the IZU, or indicates a burnt-out lamp. A broken wire between the lantern and the ballast or a burnt IZU may be to blame.

You can try changing the wire between the lamp and the IZU. It is also worth paying attention to the IZU contacts and their condition. If it doesn't help, change the lamp. If this does not help, turn off the IZU, because it can burn the voltmeter with its impulses, and measure the voltage on the lamp socket - it should correspond to the mains voltage at the DNAT. If there is voltage on the cartridge, change the IZU.

If the sodium lamp shows no signs of life at all: the IZU does not buzz, the lamp does not glow - most likely the contact in the power cord is broken or the fuse is blown out. Maybe the IZU burned out, or a winding break occurred in the ballast - check the ballast, if it is intact, it is worth changing the IZU.

The ballast can be checked with a regular Ohm meter. Their normal resistance is 1-2 ohms. If the indicator is significantly higher, it means that there was a break in the winding or the contact between the connecting block and the winding terminals was broken (tighten the screws).

Everything is more complicated with an interturn short circuit - it affects the DC resistance very little, so it is difficult to detect, and more power is supplied to the lamp than necessary. When a sodium lamp is overpowered, the lamp overheats quickly and goes out, and as a result, “blinking” can also be observed.

Now you know how to connect a sodium lamp! In conclusion, it is worth noting that sodium arc lamps are one of the most effective categories of visible radiation sources, because they are characterized by the highest light output of all gas-discharge lamps known to mankind and a slight decrease in luminous flux with a long useful life.