Comparison of Class E and Half Bridge Inverters for Use in Electronic Ballasts

Resonant converters are often used in florescent ballasts for highly efficient operation. Typically half bridge converters have been used in this application. As an alternative to reduce the number of switching devices, class E resonant converters have been considered. This paper compares the use of a class E converter to a half bridge converter for ballast applications. The operation and design methodology are described for each converter. Experimental measurements were made on each converter to evaluate the stresses on the switching components. Results show that although the class E converter has fewer switching components, voltage stresses on those components are considerably higher