Investigation and Analysis of the Application Status of T8—36W\T5—28W Straight Tube Fluorescent Lamps in Industrial Commercial Fields

First, the straight tube fluorescent light application track

Since the 1970s, straight tube fluorescent lamps have been widely used in industrial and commercial lighting in China. It can be described as a traditional electric light source, and it has also left a clear promotion and application track.

Track 1: With the continuous improvement of the production technology of fluorescent tubes, the diameter of straight tube fluorescent lamps has undergone the progress of T-12, T-10, T-8, T-6, T-5 and T-4. At the end of the stage, the T-8 diameter 36W straight tube fluorescent lamp has a dominant position in industrial and commercial lighting applications due to its excellent technical quality and performance/price comparison.

Track 2: With the continuous advancement of science and technology, the driving power source of the straight tube fluorescent lamp, namely: ballast. After going through the following three stages, the fourth stage is being called.

The first stage: wide application, only inductive ballasts. Mainly before the 1980s. Due to the lagging development of technology in the field of electric light sources, in industrial and commercial lighting, direct-tube fluorescent lamps can be widely used as driving power sources, only inductive ballasts. Inductive ballasts also exhibit excellent high reliability in terms of failure rate and life. At this stage, most of the gas discharge electric light sources use inductive ballasts as the driving power source.

The second stage: electronic ballasts are widely used. Mainly in the 1980s and 1990s. The continuous advancement of electronic technology, especially the maturity of power electronics technology. The research and development of technology in the field of electric light sources has become active and has achieved remarkable results. Electronic ballast technology is mature and industrialized. Compared with inductive ballasts, electronic ballasts exhibit excellent technical characteristics in terms of ignition characteristics, power consumption, performance/price ratio, and the like. Therefore, in industrial and commercial lighting, straight tube fluorescent lamps have begun to widely use electronic ballasts as driving power sources. The market demand and actual application of electronic ballasts have increased rapidly.

The wide application of electronic ballasts has also created huge profits for the production of electronic ballasts. This is also the case, plus the benefits-driven, market competition mechanism, technology research and development bottlenecks, and many other irresistible forces. Electronic ballasts have not developed in the right direction to strengthen scientific research and development and improve technical quality. Instead, they have entered the vicious competition of low quality and low price sales. The electronic ballast is associated with its related products, such as electronic straight tube fluorescent lamps and electronic energy-saving lamps, which have inferior technical quality, low operational reliability, high failure rate and short life. In the whole society, the negative effects of “saving electricity and not saving money”, even “no electricity, no money, no money” are formed. The widespread use of electronic ballasts is in trouble and begins to shrink and retreat.

The third stage: it is helpless, and the inductive ballast is widely used again. Mainly from the end of the last century to the present stage. Advances in the international market and production automation technology have led to fierce market competition. Industrial and commercial enterprises maintain high-efficiency production in order to control costs. In the context of the choice of electronic ballasts without high-tech quality and high reliability, it is helpless, and inductive ballasts are widely used again. Inductive ballasts have once again gained social recognition in terms of stable quality and high reliability. There are four outstanding performances:

First, the company has a large scale, uses a large number of lamps, and has a long lighting time. It chooses to use an inductive ballast.

Second , enterprises in special economic zones, coastal cities, and economically developed regions choose to use inductive ballasts.

Thirdly, foreign-owned enterprises, Sino-foreign joint ventures, and large-scale original state-owned enterprises that have undergone share restructuring have chosen to use inductive ballasts.

Fourth, some private enterprises with large scale, high production efficiency and scientific management have chosen to use inductive ballasts.