Commercial products based on pioneering technologies have immense marketability around the globe, and
in addition, they ensure high return on investment for the manufacturer. From spearheading penetration
into virgin markets to establishment of the product brand in existing ones, unique products provides
multifaceted opportunities for MNC's to create virtual market monopolies. Lumenteck is presenting such
a unique Electronic Ballast technology, whose pioneering status and uniqueness is made apparent by its
adherence to such standards; which emphasizes its universal application.
Showcased here is the Electronic Ballast Technology in the prototype form in three versions (version 1, 2 and 3; all with the model number “EB-‘0’-H/5” and Serial number R&H- 999), developed, successfully tested and certified for the first time ever (from internationally approved laboratories), as per the important parameters of Indian Standards for testing of Electronic Ballasts. The "Bureau of Indian standards"(BIS) formulated the Indian Standards for Electronic Ballast for Tubular Fluorescent Lamps [IS 13021 (Part 1 & 2)1991] and this standard has been derived from the corresponding International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standards, which is followed uniformly around the globe.Even though the Indian standards had been formulated way back in the year 1991, till date there is no Electronic Ballast in the Indian market adhering to the Indian standards in full. The Indian lighting industry is estimated to be worth ~20 billion US Dollars/year, and has the presence of numerous major Indian and Inter national manufacturers and marketers. It must be noted here that, the global market potential of the Electronic Ballast Technology presented is further highlighted by the absence of an Electronic Ballast in the International lighting market adhering to the IEC standards; the ones from which the Indian standards had been directly derived. IEC Standard testing parameters has been formulated by an expert international committee comprising of technocrats from all around the world, and hence technical superiority of a product adhering to the said standards and its derivatives is unquestionable. For Electronic Ballast for Tubular Fluorescent Lamps, IS 13021 (Part 1 & 2)1991 formulated by the "Bureau of Indian standards"(BIS), is the only standard that is followed in India (To know more about the Indian and IEC Standards of the Electronic Ballast and the Tubular Fluorescent Lamp (TFL); refer the link "Ballast Standards and Lamp-Ballast Compatibility").
The Indian Standards specifications for Tubular Fluorescent Lamp's [IS 2418] have been derived from the corresponding International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standards for Tubular Fluorescent Lamps, and this is the only standards followed in India with respect to Tubular Fluorescent Lamp's. The Electronic Ballast technology has been developed by us for perfectly compatible operation with TFL adhering to Indian Standards specifications for the same. The direct derivation of the Indian standards for Tubular Fluorescent Lamps from the corresponding IEC standards ensures global standardisation for TFLs made as per the Indian standards; with respect to performance parameters and specifications. Due to the parentage of both the Electronic Ballast's and the TFL's Indian standards to the corresponding IEC standards, an Electronic Ballast Technology developed as per Indian standards for compatible operation with a TFL of Indian standards, would indeed ensure that, this Electronic Ballast technology would automatically be compatible for operation with TFLs of International Standards too. This compatibility of our Electronic Ballast technology directly opens up the global market for the product.
Further, with respect to product supply to Government and other public sector undertakings in India, any product adhering to Indian Standards have an advantage in terms of both cost and priority. Since we have the pioneer status with respect to the standards, such an advantage can be utilized to the maximum and the full market potential in such a market can be tapped.
Creating the perfect compatibility and harmony between the Electronic Ballast and the Tubular Fluorescent Lamp it operates is the most difficult part when it comes to the technology development of the Electronic Ballast, as the standards for Tubular Fluorescent Lamps (both IEC and IS) had been primarily formulated taking into account the operation of the TFL with Magnetic Ballast; and not Electronic Ballast. The stringent nature of the standards for the Electronic Ballast ensures that an electronic Ballast technology developed as per this standard ensures long life for both the Electronic Ballast and the Tubular Fluorescent Lamp it operates, in addition to the generation of best results and absolute safety for the end user.
We chose the 40 W Tubular Fluorescent Lamp (TFL) as the standard "reference lamp" for development of our Electronic Ballast Technology, as this type of TFL is the one which has the biggest market share in the Indian lighting market. Further, in the Indian lighting market, there is a wide range of TFLs as per Indian standards (right from 4 watts to 80 watts- There are Tubular Fluorescent Lamps with 11 different wattages), but the one which has the biggest market share is the 40 W TFL itself (The other's market share is negligible compared to this wattage of TFL). Since the technology of the TFL's are one and the same irrespective of its wattage, once an Electronic Ballast Technology is developed as per standards keeping one wattage of TFL as the "reference lamp", the same technology can be "fine tuned" to suit TFLs of all other wattages too. Due to these facts, developing of the technology as per standards was done for the wattage of TFL which has the biggest market share. The technology can be directly adapted as per the provisions of the standards itself; to comply for operation with whole spectrum of TFLs irrespective of its wattage, and this naturally gives the manufacturer monopoly in the entire product segment.
Regarding Electronic Ballast Technology showcased; all the relevant tests pertinent to proving the technology's/product's compliance to the hereunto unachieved Indian Standards, has been conducted at Internationally authorized and accepted testing institutions, and the certificates as issued by them are presented under the link "Electronic Ballast Test Reports". This certifications from internationally accepted testing institutions is indeed third-party authentication regarding the compliance of the technology/product to all the important parameters of performance as per the test standards, and this is very relevant in the light that, this is the first time ever such an Electronic Ballast Technology has been developed and presented as a marketable product; as per the aforesaid standards.
The technology has been developed in a highly cost effective manner, and the components list of the prototype's and its cost is available in the link "Electronic Ballast components list & Cost". The technology has been developed keeping the cost at the minimum level possible, and only indigenous components which are freely available in the market has been used in the development of the prototypes. These factors naturally increase the marketability of the product in a competitive market environment. The details of the proposed technology transfer including the patent details are specified in the link "Mode of Technology Transfer".
The power saving aspect of the technology presented should be analyzed in tandem with the BMI power profiler snap shots presented here for all three versions.
The Total Harmonic Distortion (THD-Phase A Current) of Version 1, 2 and 3 is 2.4%, 1.3% and 2.9 %, and their Total Harmonic Power (THP) is 0.002 Watt, 0.001 Watt and 0.004 Watt respectively. Power saving is "true" only when there is no hidden power loss, and hidden power loss is there for Electronic Ballast's in general as their operating frequency is usually a high multiple of the input line supply frequency. For the Electronic Ballast technology developed by us, we have kept the THD of the Phase A current less than the input line supply THD (which as per the Standards can be up to 3%) , and this ensures that the power saving is indeed "true", and our claim of power saving is not a mere claim of "apparent power" saving. The input power drawn by a TFL of 40 Watts when operated with a Magnetic Ballast is approximately 55 watts. The input power drawn by a TFL of 40 Watts when operated with version 1 of our Electronic Ballast is 44.80 Watts, the input power drawn by a TFL of 40 Watts when operated with version 2 of our Electronic Ballast is 44.66 Watts and the input power drawn by a TFL of 40 Watts when operated with version 3 of our Electronic Ballast is 39.65 Watts. In addition to this, version 3 has a power factor of 1, which has been considered to be unachievable in the Electronic Ballast industry. The power factor for Version 1 and 2 is 0.98 and 0.99 respectively. For all the three versions, the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD-Phase A Current) is within 3% and hence the power factor readings observed is true. (Kindly refer the BMI power profiler snap shots of all the versions to get the comprehensive picture).
The application of the product is there in large numbers in residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Irrespective of the sector in which the product is used, the marketability of the product is multiplied manifold on a global level, as energy saving is one aspect about which the consumer is fully conscious of. Emphasis on energy saving would make the consumer aware that the investment made while purchasing such an Electronic Ballast is worthwhile, as the return on such an investment would come within a short time in the form of energy saving itself. Since the "Total Harmonic Distortion" generated by the product is less than the limit of input line supply "Total Harmonic Distortion", the life of other electronic and electrical products operated on the same supply line would naturally be increased.
