Effects of power line voltage variations on different types of 400-W high-pressure sodium ballasts

This paper presents the results of laboratory tests to determine the effects of voltage sags, interruptions and fluctuations on high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps and ballasts. The way these ballasted lamps react to sags and interruptions in the laboratory is then compared to a model of the real-world electrical environment created from data gathered during three recent North American power quality surveys. This work also shows how HPS immunity to voltage variations depends significantly on the ballast type and the lamp age.