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* Read the links marked in red to get a quick insight into the full market potential of the technology
Electronic Ballast Standards
The Indian standards for testing of Electronic Ballast - IS 13021 (Part 1 & 2)1991, "AC supplied Electronic Ballasts for tubular fluorescent lamps", was adopted and published by the "Bureau of Indian standards(BIS)" after the draft was finalized by the Electric lamps and their Auxiliaries sectional committee, and the same had been approved by the Electrotechnical division council.
IS 13021 Part 1 refers to "General and safety requirements" and IS 13021 Part 2 refers to "Performance requirements" of AC supplied Electronic Ballasts for Tubular Fluorescent Lamps (TFL). This is the only Indian standard for testing of Electronic Ballasts for tubular fluorescent lamps. The Indian standards have been prepared by taking assistance from the following IEC documents:
• IEC publication 928: 1990 "AC supplied Electronic Ballasts for tubular fluorescent lamps: General and Safety requirements" issued by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
• IEC Doc 34 C (Central office) 173 "AC supplied Electronic Ballasts for tubular fluorescent lamps: Performance requirements".
• IEC Pub 555-2 (1982) " Disturbances in supply system caused by household and similar electrical equipment, Part 2: "Harmonics" issued by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
Indian Standards for Electronic Ballast (IS 13021 [Part 1 & 2] 1991) refers to AC supplied Electronic Ballasts for operation with Tubular Fluorescent Lamps (TFL) as specified in the Indian Standards for Tubular Fluorescent Lamps{ i.e. IS 2418 (Part 2):1977 "Indian Standard Specification For Tubular Fluorescent Lamps for general lighting services: Part 2, Standard lamp data sheet (first revision)"}; and for other lamps which are meant for high frequency operation.(i.e. frequencies deviated from the supply line frequency). The aforesaid Indian Standards for Tubular Fluorescent Lamps was adopted by the Indian Standards Institution(ISI) on 27 June 1977, after the draft finalised by the Electric Lamps and Accessories Sectional Committee has been approved by the Electrotechnical Division Council. This first revision has been undertaken with a view to up-grading many of the essential characteristics of Tubular Fluorescent Lamps and
bringing it in line with the revision of the corresponding International Standard, namely, IEC Publication 81 (1974). This was yet again reaffirmed in the year1995.In India, IS 2418 is the one and the only Indian Standard for Tubular Fluorescent Lamps.
Since the lineage of the Indian Standards for Linear Fluorescent Lamps is directly from corresponding IEC Standards, LFL's made as per the Indian Standards comply with international performance specifications and parameters of global standardization. We have developed our electronic Ballast technology for perfect compatible operation with these LFL's, and the details of the technical compatibility between these two are detailed at the links "Electronic Ballast Performance Specifications" and explanations given for various test conducted "Electronic Ballast test reports".
Due to the parentage of both the Electronic Ballast's Indian standards and the LFL's Indian standards to the corresponding IEC standards, an Electronic Ballast Technology developed as per Indian standards, automatically would be perfectly compatible for operation with LFLs of International Standards too.
Note:
We chose the 40 W Tubular Fluorescent Lamp-TFL (this 40 W TFL is 4 feet in length and is commonly known as “T12 Fluorescent lamp” in the international market) as the standard reference lamp model for development of our Electronic Ballast Technology, as this type of LFL is the one which has the biggest market share in the Indian lighting market. Majority of General lighting services here use cold cathode start tubular fluorescent lamps and the major market share is held by T12 Lamps. Indian standards for electronic Ballast ( IS 13021 Part 1 & 2 ) 1991 has made land mark amendments in 1994 matching this electronic ballast specifications with that of the cold start type Linear Fluorescent Lamps. This is why T12 has been chosen by us as the reference lamp for development of the electronic ballast technology as the new and retrofit market is ready for product acceptance. There are 11 different wattages of Tubular Fluorescent Lamps in the international market (from 4 watts to 80 watts) and the principle of operation of all the Tubular Fluorescent Lamps are the same; irrespective of its wattage.
This means that, this Electronic Ballast Technology which is developed for perfectly compatible operation with one wattage of LFL can be “fine tuned” or directly “suited” (by adjusting the values of the components and coils in the Electronic Ballast circuitry) for perfectly compatible operation with all the different wattages of Linear Fluorescent Lamps in the entire LFL range from anywhere in the world. Since we have developed all the three versions of our Electronic Ballast Technology for perfectly compatible operation with 40 W LFL (compatibility proven by the fact that all the three versions adhere in full to the parameters of the standards for Electronic Ballasts), based on the marketing requirements of the manufacturer, all the three versions of this Electronic Ballast Technology can be “fine tuned” for perfectly compatible operation with all the different wattages of Tubular Fluorescent Lamps as available in the international market in a cost effective manner; without any further technology development.
As there are more than 11 different standardized wattages of LFL in international market, the buyer of technology can file patents in their names directly for all the so “fine tuned” wattages of electronic ballast technologies that are based on this circuitry, in all countries of choice, based on the marketing requirement. This naturally gives the manufacturer monopoly in the entire product segment.
The standards testing parameters stimulate real life situations for assessing the product quality and performance, and hence laboratory conditions for testing of this product are equivalent to the real life situations in which the product performs.
Certain tests which are not at all pertinent to technology, but only to the final product design, have not been conducted for prototype models, as these tests involved opening of the ballast cover and exposing the circuit at the testing institutions. These tests are only relevant from the point of view of the PCB design layout, creepage distance and clearance etc, and are in no way critical nor detrimental to the performance of the technology as per the standards (The PCB design layout is usually finalised by the manufacturer based on the final product design, manufacturing process and other factors of production and marketing).
Our Electronic Ballast was successfully tested for compliance, to all the important parameters as far as technology is concerned, for both general and safety requirements of IS 13021 Part-1, 1991, and performance requirements of IS 13021 Part-2, 1991, at Electrical appliances technology division, Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Bangalore, India and Electronics Test and Development Centre (ETDC), Bangalore. Both these testing institutions are recognised by and accredited to National Accreditation Board for testing and calibration Laboratories (NABL). Test certificates as issued by these testing laboratories, and their explanatory notes regarding the test procedures along with results analysis are presented under "Electronic Ballast Test Reports" in our site.
NABL accreditation is a formal recognition of the technical competence of a testing or calibration laboratory for a specific task following ISO/IEC 17025 Standard. Over and above being a full member of both International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (ILAC) and Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (APLAC), NABL is also a signatory to ILAC and APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA), which is based on mutual evaluation and acceptance of other MRA Partner laboratory accreditation systems. Such international arrangements facilitate acceptance of test/calibration results between countries to which MRA partners represent. Thus a certification from NABL accredited laboratory is indeed an internationally recognised and accepted third party authentication regarding the test results, and compliance of technology tested, to the standards on the basis on which the technology is evaluated. Technology tested and certified for compliance in an NABL accr edited laboratory has mutual acceptance of test results and measurement data amongst 40 accreditation bodies representing 31 countries. Both the certifying laboratories have international acceptance for test certificates issues by them, over and above having long term collaboration, and inspection links with many a international laboratories around the globe. NABL accredited laboratories have therefore emerged as a member of global family of accredited laboratories thus giving universal acceptation and recognition of their product test certification. Adherence of the product to these standards further gives price and quality advantage in governmental, institutional and consumer purchases in many countries all over the world, as compliance to Indian Standards is accepted directly as proof of International product quality and performance.
National Accreditation Board for testing and calibration Laboratories (NABL) is accredited to and works in liaison with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) works in partnership with ISO, which in turn is working in liaison withWorld Trade Organisation (WTO), thereby linking the Indian and the International standards in many levels. Over and above, Worldwide System for Confirmatory Testing and Certification of Electrical Equipment (IECEE) by IEC, has India as it member country, and both CPRI and ETDC are CB testing laboratories in India. Details of CB scheme for mutual recognition (reciprocal acceptance) of confirmatory testing standards are available at www.iecee.org. Thus confirmation of Ballast technology to Indian standards equates it to global quality standards, thereby ensuring International acceptance and marketability
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