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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Experimental methodology for determining the system performance of fluorescent lamp, ballast, fixture combinations operating under realistic application conditions

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6059082
To meet the need for accurate performance data, an experimental method for determining the performance of lamp, ballast, and luminaire combinations operating under a broad range of realistic conditions was developed. The methodology employs a two-part experimental procedure. The first part uses a temperature-controlled luminous flux integrator to characterize the thermal performance of each lamp/ballast combination. This performance characterization is expressed in terms of light output and efficacy as a function of variations in minimum lamp wall temperature (MLWT) and is generated for the range of temperatures typically encountered in interior lighting applications. The second procedure uses a luminaire/plenum simulator to determine the specific MLWT that exists in a particular luminaire application as a function of luminaire type, mounting configuration, plenum integration, and room air temperature. The MLWTs thus measured may be used in conjunction with the lamp/ballast performance data to determine application-specific values of light output and efficacy for a given lamp/ballast/luminaire system.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00098
OSTI ID:
6059082
Report Number(s):
LBL-18683; ON: DE85004446
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English