Analysis and Experimental Validation of a New Current-Controlled Driver for a Dielectric Barrier Discharge Lamp

A current-controlled driver for a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) lamp is proposed in this paper as opposed to most of the published drivers which are voltage-controlled drivers. The design of this driver is intended to enhance the electrical-to-optical efficiency of the lamp and therefore enhance the overall efficiency of the system. The driver topology permits direct control of the peak lamp current and the operating frequency of the supplied current to the DBD lamp. The width of the current pulses is determined by the transformer magnetizing inductance and the lamp capacitance. Experimental results of the proposed driver connected to a XeCl DBD lamp are presented to validate the performance of the driver and to prove the concept of such a current-controlled driver.