Abnormal circuit conditions , IEC60598-1-Annex C

Figure C.3 – Circuit for testing rectifying effect of some high pressure sodium and some metal halide lamps

Luminaires for some metal halide lamps and some high pressure sodium vapour lamps which, according to the lamp safety standard IEC 62035, can lead to ballast, transformer or starting device overloading (Figure C.3).
The lamp in the luminaire is replaced by the test circuit as shown in Figure C.3. The test is commenced with the test circuit, luminaire and control gear stabilised at the ambient temperature of the draught-proof enclosure. By varying the resistor R, the lamp current is adjusted to a value equal to twice the normal lamp current. No further adjustment of R is made.

If steady conditions are reached before the temperature limits of 12.5.2 are exceeded, and for thermally protected control gear the protection device has not operated, then R shall be adjusted to increase the current in suitable steps, e.g. 10 % increments. Care is taken to achieve steady conditions as far as possible at each step. In all cases, the current shall not be adjusted above a value equal to three times the normal lamp current.

NOTE 1 For circuits protected by a self-resetting protection device a number of on/off cycles may need to
occur before maximum temperatures have been reached

NOTE 2 Luminaires incorporating the following specific categories of metal halide and high pressure
sodium lamps are exempt from the above rectification test requirements:

Figure C.3 – Circuit for testing rectifying effect of some high pressure sodium and some metal halide lamps