RE: Xenon Short Arc Igniter Help? (fwd)

["High Voltage list" <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: <sroys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 21:18:04 -0800
From: Dave Halliday <dh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: 'hvlist' <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Xenon Short Arc Igniter Help? (fwd)

Stuff deleted:

> > Subject: Re: Xenon Short Arc Igniter Help?
> >
> > Xenon flash lamp trigger coils are made to fire photo flash 
> lamps and
> strobe
> > lamps many photo labs can supply old camera flash 
> assemblies or you can
> > order just the trigger coil for under $5 and power then off 
> line voltage.
> > They produce a 3000 v trigger voltage,
> >    Robert  H
> > --

> But then you're faced with the problem of coupling it to the 
> lamp.  Unlike
> the usual flash lamp, most short arc tubes don't have a 
> separate trigger
> electrode.  You have to do what's called "series triggering". 
>  And, you
> might need a whole lot more than 3-5 kV to trigger it, 
> depending on just how
> "short" the gap is.  Arc lamps run at fairly high pressures 
> (compared to a
> xenon flash lamp at 450 torr)


The advantage here is that you will not hurt the lamp by applying the DC
just by itself and if you are unable to 'trigger' the arc, nothing will
happen.

I would use an inductor in series with the lamp to block the majority of
the transient and couple the flash circuitry to both poles of the lamp
with a largish cap.

Also, heads up -- the Xenon lamps are rated for polarity and you can
destroy one pretty quick if you run the current the wrong way.