A magnetic ballast is a type of electrical device used to regulate the current and voltage in certain types of gas discharge lamps, such as fluorescent lamps and older high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps.
Magnetic ballast or electromagnetic (EM ballast) is an essential component of traditional lamp and fluorescent tube. Electric magnetic ballasts or electromagnetic (EM) ballasts are devices designed to limit the amount of current in an electrical circuit. A high initial current is required for proper starting, which must then be limited to prevent the lamp from burning out.
Magnetic ballast is actually an inductive coil. It actually looks like a transformer, a copper wire wound over a core material.
A well-known and widely used example is the inductive magnetic or electromagnetic ballast used in fluorescent lamps to limit the current through the tube, which would otherwise rise to destructive values due to the negative resistance of the tube.
These ballasts operate based on electromagnetic principles and consist of several components:
Applications:
Magnetic Ballasts: Inductive magnetic ballasts were widely used in older fluorescent lamps and HID lamps for commercial and residential lighting. However, they have largely been phased out in favor of more efficient electronic ballasts that offer better energy savings and control.
Inductive magnetic ballasts play crucial roles in their respective applications, showcasing the importance of electromagnetic principles in various aspects of electronics and lighting technology.