초록 ▼

A system, apparatus, and method for preventing thermal cycling of a ballast coupled to one or more lamps. A monitor circuit is provided to monitor for activation of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism. Such monitoring may include monitoring of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism itself

A system, apparatus, and method for preventing thermal cycling of a ballast coupled to one or more lamps. A monitor circuit is provided to monitor for activation of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism. Such monitoring may include monitoring of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism itself, or monitoring lamp current and ambient temperature in the vicinity of the ballast to determine that the ballast's thermal protection mechanism has been activated. Power to the ballast is temporarily disabled when the ballast's thermal protection mechanism has been activated, thereby preventing thermal cycling of the ballast, and consequently of the lamps, when power to the ballast has been removed.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for preventing thermal cycling of a ballast coupled to one or more lamps, the method comprising: monitoring for activation of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism; and disabling power to the ballast when the ballast's thermal protection mechanism has been activ

What is claimed is: 1. A method for preventing thermal cycling of a ballast coupled to one or more lamps, the method comprising: monitoring for activation of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism; and disabling power to the ballast when the ballast's thermal protection mechanism has been activated. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring for ballast thermal protection activation comprises: determining whether current is flowing through at least one of the ballast or the lamps; monitoring an ambient temperature proximate the ballast; and comparing the ambient temperature to a predetermined temperature threshold. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising designating the ballast's thermal protection mechanism activated when it is determined that current is not flowing through the ballast or the lamps, and when the ambient temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature threshold. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring the ambient temperature proximate the ballast comprises monitoring the ambient temperature using a temperature sensor positioned within a housing that also houses the ballast. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether current is flowing through at least one of the ballast or the lamps comprises measuring the flow of current through the ballast or the lamps via an in-series electronic current meter. 6. The method of claim 2, wherein disabling power to the ballast comprises disabling power to the ballast until an occurrence of at least one predetermined event. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising subsequently monitoring the ambient temperature proximate the ballast in response to the occurrence of the at least one predetermined event, and continuing disabling of the power to the ballast if the ambient temperature is still greater than the predetermined temperature threshold. 8. The method of claim 6, further comprising subsequently monitoring the ambient temperature proximate the ballast in response to the occurrence of at least one predetermined event, and continuing disabling of the power to the ballast if the ambient temperature has not decreased by a predetermined amount. 9. The method of claim 6, further comprising subsequently monitoring the ambient temperature proximate the ballast in response to the occurrence of the at least one predetermined event, and restoring power to the ballast if the ambient temperature is no longer greater than the predetermined temperature threshold. 10. The method of claim 6, further comprising subsequently monitoring the ambient temperature proximate the ballast in response to the occurrence of the at least one predetermined event, and restoring power to the ballast if the ambient temperature has decreased by a predetermined amount. 11. The method of claim 6, further comprising: repeatedly monitoring the ambient temperature proximate the ballast in response to repeated occurrences of one or more second predetermined events; restoring power to the ballast if the ambient temperature corresponds to a predetermined ambient temperature condition in response to any of the occurrences of the second predetermined events; and continuing disabling of the power to the ballast if the ambient temperature fails to correspond to the predetermined ambient temperature condition in response to any of the occurrences of the second predetermined events. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting an error message where the temperature fails to correspond to the predetermined ambient temperature over a predetermined time. 13. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting an error message where the temperature fails to correspond to the predetermined ambient temperature after a predetermined number of attempts. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling power to the ballast comprises disabling power to the ballast until an occurrence of at least one predetermined event. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event comprises expiration of a predetermined time duration. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event comprises expiration of a predetermined count value. 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event comprises a time of day. 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined event comprises initiation of a ballast cooling function. 19. The method of claim 14, further comprising enabling power to the ballast in response to the occurrence of the at least one predetermined event. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling power to the ballast comprises opening a switch in series between a power source and the ballast. 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the ballast includes a power enable input to receive a power enable signal indicating whether the ballast is to provide an open circuit or closed circuit to the lamps, and wherein disabling power to the ballast comprises deactivating the power enable signal to direct the ballast to provide an open circuit to the lamps. 22. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling power to the ballast comprises: disabling power to the ballast until occurrence of a first predetermined event; upon occurrence of the first predetermined event, determining whether an ambient temperature proximate the ballast has decreased by a predetermined amount; and if the ambient temperature proximate the ballast has not decreased by the predetermined amount, continuing disabling power to the ballast until occurrence of a second predetermined event. 23. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring for activation of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism comprises monitoring for a signal generated by the ballast in response to the ballast's thermal protection mechanism being activated. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring for activation of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism comprises monitoring the ballast's thermal protection mechanism itself to determine when the ballast's thermal protection mechanism has been activated. 25. A control system for preventing thermal cycling of a ballast coupled to at least one lamp, the ballast including a thermal protection mechanism to disable power to the lamp while the thermal protection mechanism is activated, the control system comprising: a current monitor coupled to monitor current flow through the ballast to the lamp, and to provide an indication of a state of the current flow; at least one temperature sensor positioned within a predetermined vicinity of the ballast to measure an ambient temperature proximate the ballast; and a controller coupled to the current monitor and the temperature sensor to determine whether the ballast's thermal protection mechanism is activated based on the indication of the state of current flow and the ambient temperature, and to disable power to the ballast when it is determined that the ballast's thermal protection mechanism is activated. 26. The control system as in claim 25, wherein the controller comprises a data processing module configured to compare the ambient temperature to a predetermined temperature threshold, and to determine when the ballast's thermal protection mechanism is activated by determining when the indication of the state of current flow indicates a lack of current flow and the ambient temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature threshold. 27. The control system as in claim 25, further comprising a controllable switch circuit coupled in a circuit path providing the power to the ballast and the lamp, wherein the controller disables power to the ballast by providing a power disable signal to the controllable switch circuit to open the circuit path when it is determined that the ballast's thermal protection mechanism is activated. 28. The control system as in claim 27, wherein the controllable switch circuit comprises a relay coupled between the ballast and a power source providing the power. 29. The control system as in claim 27, wherein the ballast includes the controllable switch circuit, and a power control input coupled to the controllable switch circuit to receive the power disable signal to open the circuit path at the ballast when it is determined that the ballast's thermal protection mechanism is activated. 30. The control system as in claim 25, wherein the controller comprises at least one timer, wherein the controller is configured to restore power to the ballast upon expiration of the timer. 31. The control system as in claim 25, wherein the controller comprises at least one timer, and wherein the controller is configured to determine whether an ambient temperature condition is met upon expiration of the timer. 32. The control system as in claim 31, wherein the controller is configured to maintain disabling power to the ballast if the ambient temperature condition is not met. 33. The control system as in claim 32, wherein the controller comprises a second timer, and wherein the controller is configured to restore power to the ballast upon expiration of the second timer. 34. The control system as in claim 32, wherein the controller comprises a second timer, and wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the ambient temperature condition is met upon expiration of the second timer. 35. The control system as in claim 31, wherein the controller is configured to restore power to the ballast if the ambient temperature condition is met. 36. The control system as in claim 31, wherein the ambient temperature condition comprises at least one of a predetermined ambient temperature and a predetermined decrease of ambient temperature. 37. The control system as in claim 25, wherein the monitor circuit comprises an electronic current meter coupled to monitor the current through at least one of the ballast and the lamp, and to generate the indication of the state of the current flow in response thereto. 38. An ultraviolet (UV) air treatment system for treating air provided by an air handling system having an air duct arrangement for channeling the air through a targeted space, the UV air treatment system comprising: at least one UV lamp positionable within the air duct arrangement; a ballast coupled between a power source and the UV lamp, wherein the ballast includes a thermal protection mechanism to disable power to the lamp while the thermal protection mechanism is activated; a current monitor coupled to monitor current flow through the ballast to the UV lamp, and to provide an indication of a state of the current flow; at least one temperature sensor positioned within a predetermined vicinity of the ballast to measure an ambient temperature proximate the ballast; and a controller coupled to the current monitor and the temperature sensor to determine whether the ballast's thermal protection mechanism is activated based on the indication of the state of current flow and the ambient temperature, and to disable power to the ballast when it is determined that the ballast's thermal protection mechanism is activated. 39. The UV air treatment system as in claim 38, wherein the controller comprises a data processing module configured to compare the ambient temperature to a predetermined temperature threshold, and to determine when the ballast's thermal protection mechanism is activated by determining when the indication of the state of current flow indicates a lack of current flow and the ambient temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature threshold. 40. The UV air treatment system as in claim 38, further comprising a controllable switch coupled in a circuit path including at least the power source, the ballast, and the UV lamp, wherein the controller disables power to the ballast by providing a power disable signal to the controllable switch to open the circuit path when it is determined that the ballast's thermal protection mechanism is activated. 41. The UV air treatment system as in claim 38, wherein the air duct arrangement comprises at least a supply air duct and a return air duct, and wherein the at least one UV lamp is positionable within the supply air duct. 42. The UV air treatment system as in claim 38, wherein the controller comprises at least one timer, and wherein the controller is configured to determine whether an ambient temperature condition is met upon expiration of the timer. 43. The UV air treatment system as in claim 42, wherein the controller is configured to maintain disabling power to the ballast if the ambient temperature condition is not met, and to restore power to the ballast if the ambient temperature condition is met.