General Electric Company

Xiaoli Yao

Chao Yang

Yingqi Zhang

Viktor Karoly Varga

Rajendra Kumar Pokharna

An ignition circuit and method, as may be used for igniting a gas discharge lamp, are provided. The circuit includes a voltage multiplier circuit connected to receive a signal corresponding to a DC bus voltage level from a rectifier circuit. The voltage multiplier circuit includes first and second voltage storing circuits configured to each respectively store a voltage level corresponding to a first multiple of the DC bus voltage level (e.g., at least twice the DC bus voltage level). The voltage multiplier circuit further includes a peak voltage holding circuit connected to the first and second voltage storing circuits to accumulate a voltage level corresponding to a second multiple of the DC bus voltage level (e.g., at least four times the DC bus voltage level). The circuit further includes an ignition module having a transformer selectively connected by way of a switch to the voltage multiplier circuit through a primary winding to receive the voltage accumulated at the peak voltage holding circuit, and thereby generate an ignition pulse voltage applied to the lamp through a secondary winding of the transformer.

Electrical circuit with voltage multiplier for facilitating ignition of a gas discharge lamp

A circuit such as may be used for igniting and operating a gas discharge lamp is provided. The circuit includes a resonant circuit connected to receive a variable voltage output signal from an inverter. The resonant circuit includes a first circuit stage and a second circuit stage. The second circuit stage includes a resonant tank circuit configured to generate a resonant output voltage when a switching frequency of the inverter matches a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. The first circuit stage includes at least one current-suppressing element for reducing an effect of a resonant current that flows in the resonant circuit on a switching current that flows in the inverter.

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Shanghai, China

Xiaoli Yao