Operating a ballast for a gas discharge lamp

A method for operating a ballast for a gas discharge lamp,

• the gas discharge lamp comprising:
• at least two electrodes arranged in a manner spaced apart with a predefined spacing in a transparent discharge vessel filled with a gas;
• the method comprising:
• applying electrical energy to the electrodes by the ballast in such a way that an arc discharge occurs between the electrodes, for which purpose the ballast provides an electrical electrode current, said electrode current comprising a ripple current, wherein a ripple current frequency is chosen in such a way that the ripple current in a region of the arc discharge brings about a resonant excitation of the gas enclosed in the transparent discharge vessel;
• detecting a spatial alignment of the electrodes of the gas discharge lamp and providing the ripple current depending on the spatial alignment;
• and
• at least one operating parameter of the ripple current assuming a first predefined value in a first time period and a second predefined value in a second time period, which is different than the first time period.

A ballast for a gas discharge lamp, comprising:

• at least two electrodes arranged in a manner spaced apart with a predefined spacing in a transparent discharge vessel filled with a gas,
• a step-down converter configured to apply electrical energy to the electrodes, such that an arc discharge occurs between the electrodes, for which purpose the step-down converter is designed to provide an electrical electrode current comprising a ripple current having a ripple current frequency dependent on an operating frequency of the step-down converter, which is dependent on a charging time period and a discharging time period for an electrical energy store of the step-down converter, wherein the step-down converter is furthermore designed to set the operating frequency in such a way that the ripple current in a region of the arc discharge brings about a resonant excitation of the gas enclosed in the transparent discharge vessel;
• wherein a spatial alignment of the electrodes in the gas discharge lamp is determined and the ripple current is based on the determined spatial alignment;
• wherein the step-down converter is furthermore designed to provide an additional pause time period between a respective one of a discharging time period and a respectively succeeding charging time period, wherein the time duration of the additional pause time period is chosen in such a way that a sum formed from the discharging time period, the succeeding charging time period and the additional pause time period provided therebetween, attains the period duration corresponding to the operating frequency.

A ballast for a gas discharge lamp, comprising:

• at least two electrodes arranged in a manner spaced apart with a predefined spacing in a transparent discharge vessel filled with a gas, wherein the ballast is designed to apply electrical energy to the electrodes in such a way that an arc discharge occurs between the electrodes, for which purpose the ballast provides an electrical electrode current comprising a ripple current, wherein a ripple current frequency is chosen in such a way that the ripple current in a region of the arc discharge brings about a resonant excitation of the gas enclosed in the transparent discharge vessel;
• wherein a spatial alignment of the electrodes in the gas discharge lamp is determined and the ripple current is based on the determined spatial alignment;
• and
• wherein the ballast is designed such that at least one operating parameter of the ripple current assumes a first predefined value in a first time period and a second predefined value in a second time period, which is different than the first time period.

A luminaire, comprising:

• a gas discharge lamp having at least two electrodes arranged in a manner spaced apart with a predefined spacing in a transparent discharge vessel filled with a gas;
• and
• a ballast, comprising:
• a step-down converter configured to apply electrical energy to the electrodes, such that an arc discharge occurs between the electrodes, for which purpose the step-down converter is designed to provide an electrical electrode current comprising a ripple current having a ripple current frequency dependent on an operating frequency of the step-down converter, which is dependent on a charging time period and a discharging time period for an electrical energy store of the step-down converter, wherein the step-down converter is furthermore designed to set the operating frequency in such a way that the ripple current in a region of the arc discharge brings about a resonant excitation of the gas enclosed in the transparent discharge vessel;
• wherein a spatial alignment of the electrodes in the gas discharge lamp is determined and the ripple current is based on the determined spatial alignment;
• and
• wherein the step-down converter is furthermore designed to provide an additional pause time period between a respective one of a discharging time period and a respectively succeeding charging time period, wherein the time duration of the additional pause time period is chosen in such a way that a sum formed from the discharging time period, the succeeding charging time period and the additional pause time period provided therebetween, attains the period duration corresponding to the operating frequency.

A luminaire, comprising:

• a gas discharge lamp having at least two electrodes arranged in a manner spaced apart with a predefined spacing in a transparent discharge vessel filled with a gas;
• and
• a ballast designed to apply electrical energy to the electrodes in such a way that an arc discharge occurs between the electrodes, for which purpose the ballast provides an electrical electrode current comprising a ripple current, wherein a ripple current frequency is chosen in such a way that the ripple current in a region of the arc discharge brings about a resonant excitation of the gas enclosed in the transparent discharge vessel;
• wherein a spatial alignment of the electrodes in the gas discharge lamp is determined and the ripple current is based on the determined spatial alignment;
• and
• wherein the ballast is designed such that at least one operating parameter of the ripple current assumes a first predefined value in a first time period and a second predefined value in a second time period, which is different than the first time period.