Simple valley-fill self-oscillating electronic ballast with low crest factor using pulse-frequency modulation

This paper presents an alternative to achieve fluorescent lamp current low crest factor, using the valley-fill filter as a passive power-factor-correction method. Pulse frequency modulation is used to reduce lamp current high crest factor. Self-oscillating electronic ballast is employed in order to avoid complex circuitry. The partial smoothing valley-fill DC-link bus voltage is used to control the switching frequency. Crest factor correction is achieved through a low power bipolar transistor, which connects a low power passive circuit parallel within the self-oscillating gate-driver circuit. The switching frequency changes in order to keep the lamp current crest factor lower than 1.7 and a modified valley-fill filter is used to meet IEC61000-3-2 requirements. Simulations and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the simplicity, and feasibility of the proposed system.