Analytical and experimental discussion of a circuit-based model for compact fluorescent lamps in a 60 Hz power grid

This article presents an analysis and discussion on the performance of a circuit-based model for Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) in a 120 V 60 Hz power grid. This model is proposed and validated in previous scientific literature for CFLs in 230 V 50 Hz systems. Nevertheless, the derivation of this model is not straightforward to follow and its performance in 120 V 60 Hz systems is a matter of research work. In this paper, the analytical derivation of this CFL model is presented in detail and its performance is discussed when predicting the current of a CFL designed to operate in a 120 V 60 Hz electrical system. The derived model is separately implemented in both MATLAB® and ATP-EMTP® software using two different sets of parameters previously proposed for 230 V 50 Hz CFLs. These simulation results are compared against laboratory measurements using a programmable AC voltage source. The measurements and simulations considered seven CFLs 110/127 V 60 Hz with different power ratings supplied by a sinusoidal (not distorted) voltage source. The simulations under these conditions do not properly predict the current measurements and therefore the set of parameters and/or the model itself need to be adjusted for 120 V 60 Hz power grids