"Eternal lamp" do-it-yourself incandescent
The warranty period declared by the manufacturers for the service life of an ordinary incandescent lamp is 1000 hours. This is about 40 days of continuous operation. But in practice, the “Ilyich’s bulb” lasts much longer. And thanks to this, its popularity among consumers does not decrease. The only weak point of the lamp is a tungsten spiral, which is sensitive to sudden changes in voltage in the network. But there are simple devices that eliminate this risk, smooth out irregularities in the current supply.
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The principle of operation of UPVL
The soft start device is applicable for incandescent lamps having a tungsten filament. In addition to a number of household lamps, halogen lamps that are used in high-power spotlights are also included in this category. The principle of operation of the device is to slow down the supply of voltage to the filament at the time of inclusion. This makes it possible to smoothly heat the spiral, bypassing the spasmodic phase, which lasts for hundredths of a second. As you know, it is at this moment that burnout most often occurs. Due to the action of the electronic circuit of the device, the current is supplied with a gradual increase, for 1 to 3 seconds.
The tungsten filament of an incandescent lamp at room temperature has a low resistance, which leads to the appearance of high currents and burnout of the spiral during switching
The longest burning lamp in the world, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, recorded in the city of Livermore, California. From 1901 to the present day, this “centenary lamp”, as it was christened, continuously illuminates the fire section. And for all these years she turned off just a few times for a short time. Modern researchers often cite it as a confirmation of the theory of "planned obsolescence."
The Centennial Lamp was hand made and has a carbon spiral
The soft-start device has small dimensions and weight. And thanks to this, it can be installed:
- in the protective cap of the chandelier in the place where the wires exit;
- in the switch socket;
- in the junction box;
- in the space above the false or suspended ceiling.
The dimensions of the device allow installation even in the cavity of the socket
The installation location is selected based on the availability and ease of installation. The best option is one in which the device will have good natural ventilation. The connection diagram is simple - the device crashes into the gap of one of the conductors (phase or zero) of the power cable.
The soft start device crashes into the gap of one of the wires that are led to the lamp
If incandescent lamps with an operating voltage of 12 V are used for lighting, the UPVL is installed in front of a step-down transformer. With this connection, protection against adverse network differences extends to the transformer, which is also relevant.
One of the positive side effects of smooth ignition of lighting devices is the mitigation of sharp blinding light at the moment of switching on. This protects human eyes from excessive overload, especially when the light turns on in complete darkness.
The UPVL device is not used for fluorescent and LED lamps, as they work on other design principles.
To calculate the power UPVL calculate the total power of consumers. In practice, this is expressed in the addition of the rated power indicators of all the lamps to which the device will be connected. So that the device does not work at the limit of its capabilities, 20% is added to the total power. For example, if 5 lamps of 100 W each are supposed to be included in the circuit, then their total consumer power will be 500 W. To this number add 20% - 100 watts and get the desired power value UPVL - 600 watts.
The soft starter can be installed inside the junction box
In a chain of stores selling electrical goods, sold UPVL produced in the factory. Among them there are both domestic and foreign models. Names may vary, but in principle it is a plastic container with dimensions smaller than a matchbox. Often the emphasis in the name is placed on the protective function of the device for halogen lamps. But the device is quite applicable for ordinary incandescent lamps. Another possible name for the device is a phase regulator. This is usually called the more powerful UPVL with a slightly modified control system.
The device for smooth switching on of the lamp is not allowed to be used for smooth starting of engines of electric tools and other household appliances.
Those who have basic knowledge in radio electronics can be offered the independent manufacture of UPVL. Here are a few schemes with which you can extend the life of a lighting lamp many times over.
Thyristor circuit
The thyristor circuit uses simple and affordable parts. The basis is thyristor VS1 and four diodes VD1 - VD4 connected to a rectifier bridge. In addition, you will need a capacitor C1 with a capacity of 10 μF and resistors R1 (variable capacitance) and R2.
In the thyristor circuit, the voltage is applied to the lamp after a lapse of time, which is set by the variable resistance R1
When voltage is applied, an electric current passes through the spiral of the lamp and is rectified in the diode bridge. After passing the resistor, charging of the capacitor begins. Reaching the voltage threshold, the thyristor opens, and the lamp current flows through it. As a result, a gradual glow of the tungsten filament occurs. Using a resistor of variable capacitance R1, you can adjust the time of "acceleration" of the lamp.
Triac circuit
Using the triac VS1 as a power key leads to the fact that the circuit uses fewer parts.
The principle of operation of a triac circuit is similar to a thyristor circuit, but it contains less details
The throttle element L1 is used to suppress interference when unlocking the power switch. By and large, if necessary, it can be excluded from the scheme. The time-setting chain consists of resistance R2 and capacitor C1, powered through diode VD1. Resistance R1 reduces the current at the control electrode VS1. The principle of operation of the circuit is similar to the previous one - a temporary pause is created during the filling of the capacitance of the capacitor, the triac opens and a current flows through it, feeding the EL1 lamp.
The device, based on a triac controller circuit with a variable capacitor, has compact dimensions due to the small number of parts
Scheme on a specialized chip
The circuit is based on a specialized chip KP1182PM1 (or DIP8 in the imported version), equipped with two thyristors and two control systems. Capacitance C3 and resistance R2 control the duration of the on / off time. To separate the control and power parts, the triac VS1 is used, the current on the control electrode sets the resistance R1. External capacities C1 and C2 are installed to adjust the operation of the thyristors of the internal circuit of the microcircuit. To protect against interference, resistor R4 and capacitor C4 are used.
UPVL on the basis of a specialized microcircuit not only smoothly turns on, but also turns off the lamp with a slight delay, further increasing its service life
When connecting the device to the voltage supply line to the lamp, the contacts of the switch SA1 must be in the closed position. Capacitor C3 gains capacity when the contacts SA1 open. During a gradual increase in current through the resistance R1, which controls the power switch at the output of the IC, the triac VS1 and the lamp EL1 are connected to a smooth start, connected in series with it.
It is noteworthy that this circuit not only slows down the heating of the spiral during switching on, but also inhibits its extinction. The lamp goes out as smoothly as it lights up. The delay time is set at the stage of assembly of the device by selecting the capacitance of the capacitor C3. If desired, you can increase the delay in starting the lamp up to 10 seconds. The smoothness of the trip regulates the resistance R2.
Do not confuse the lamp dimmer with a dimmer. UPVL is an automatic controller that smoothly increases the current on the lighting device at the time of switching on. A dimmer is a device with which you can manually adjust the brightness of the lighting.
A characteristic property of UPVL and phase regulators is that the device lowers the output voltage to the lamp (from 230 to 200 V). This further increases its service life.
Video: device for smooth switching on a field effect transistor lamp
Using a soft start device
Installation of the device does not require high qualifications. Any person who owns a screwdriver and voltage indicator can cope with the installation. In the cable leading to the lamp, a break is made of one - phase or zero - wire and the device is connected to it. The fastening of the wires is best done with the help of terminal blocks, as this gives a guarantee of a stable and reliable connection. If there is no possibility to use the terminal blocks, it is recommended to solder the twists with tin solder.
Operation of UPVL does not imply additional attention to itself. Factory models are accompanied by a warranty of up to 3 years. In practice, they work much longer.
During the assembly of the device, one should not forget that a high voltage of the mains current can be harmful to human health. Before connecting the wires, make sure that there is no current in the lamp power cable.
Video: how the phase regulator works on triacs
The device for smooth turning on the lamp saves not only energy consumption, but also the expense of money for the purchase of burning out lamps.
