US 5,495,150 AGranted

Sequential, differential ignition of series operated arc lamps

AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Corporation

InventorsRobert M. Zawislak, Donald A. Brichta, Donald V. Comiskey

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Abstract

A series of arc lamps each has an inductor connected in series with its anode which is field-coupled to a similar inductor connected to its cathode, the inductors being connected in series with each other through the inductors between an arc lamp power supply and a high current modulator for illuminating the arc lamps, once ignited. Ignition takes place serially from a single source of high voltage through respective charging networks, the charge time of each network being different from the others so as to successively create arcs in the arc lamps in sequence. The high voltage used for initial ignition of the arc lamps is differentially balanced to ground by means of the coils in series with the cathode and anode respectively of each arc lamp. The coils are poled so that the buildup of field in each coupled pair oppose each other, thereby rendering the coils invisible to the high current modulation during illumination of the arc lamps.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A system for igniting and illuminating a plurality of arc lamps connected in series, comprising:

a plurality of arc lamps;
a coil corresponding to each of said arc lamps;
a DC voltage lamp power supply providing a voltage at its output suitable for driving a series connection of said lamps sufficiently for illumination thereof following ignition;
a high current modulator for controlling high current pulses through the series connected arc lamps, said arc lamps being connected in series with each other between said lamp power supply and said current modulator through their respective coils;
a high DC voltage ignition power supply providing at a pair of terminals a voltage suitable for initial ignition of one of said arc lamps;
a plurality of RC charge networks, one for each of said arc lamps, each having a capacitor, each plate of each capacitor connected through a resistor to a respective terminal of said ignition power supply, each capacitor connected through a spark gap across the corresponding one of said arc lamps, the RC time constant of each of said charge networks associated with each given arc lamp is higher than the RC time constant of all charge networks associated with arc lamps which are between said given arc lamp and said lamp power supply;
and
a plurality of simmer current regulators, each of said arc lamps associated with one of said simmer current regulators, each for regulating current from said lamp power supply through a corresponding one of said arc lamps until ignition of an arc lamp more remote in said series from said lamp power supply than said one arc lamp.

5 more elements

A system for igniting and illuminating a plurality of arc lamps connected in series, comprising:

a plurality of arc lamps;
a coil corresponding to each of said arc lamps;
a DC voltage lamp power supply providing a voltage at its output suitable for driving a series connection of said lamps sufficiently for illumination thereof following ignition;
a high current modulator for controlling high current pulses through the series connected arc lamps, said arc lamps being connected in series with each other between said lamp power supply and said current modulator through their respective coils;
a high DC voltage ignition power supply providing at a pair of terminals a voltage suitable for initial ignition of one of said arc lamps;
a plurality of RC charge networks, one for each of said arc lamps, each having a capacitor, each plate of each capacitor connected through a resistor to a respective terminal of said ignition power supply, each capacitor connected through a spark gap across the corresponding one of said arc lamps;
and
a plurality of simmer current regulators, one for each of said arc lamps, each of said simmer current regulators connected in series with a corresponding one of said arc lamps across the output of said lamp power supply, each for regulating current from said lamp power supply through a corresponding one of said arc lamps until ignition of an arc lamp more remote in said series from said lamp power supply than said one arc lamp.

5 more elements

A system for igniting and illuminating a plurality of arc lamps connected in series, comprising:

a plurality of arc lamps;
a pair of coupled inductors corresponding to each of said arc lamps, one of said inductors being connected to the cathode of the related arc lamp and the other of said inductors being connected to the anode of the related arc lamp, said inductors being coupled through their fields in a manner that a field induced by a unidirectional current passing through one of said inductors and the related arc lamp is opposed and cancelled by a field induced by the same current through the other of said inductors;
a DC voltage power supply having a voltage suitable for driving a series connection of said lamps sufficiently for illumination thereof following ignition;
a high current modulator for controlling high current pulses through the series connected arc lamps, said arc lamps being connected in series with each other between said power supply and said current modulator through their respective coils;
a high DC voltage ignition power supply providing at a pair of terminals a voltage suitable for initial ignition of one of said arc lamps;
a plurality of RC charge networks, one for each of said arc lamps, each having a capacitor, each plate of each capacitor connected through a resistor to a respective terminal of said ignition power supply, each capacitor connected through a spark gap across the corresponding one of said arc lamps;
and
a plurality of simmer current regulators, one corresponding to each of said arc lamps, each connected in series with the corresponding one of said arc lamps across the output of said lamp power supply.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.