A single-stage high-power-factor electronic ballast with class E inverter is proposed for driving the fluorescent lamp. The circuit configuration is obtained from the integration of a buck-boost converter for power-factor- correction (PFC) and a class E resonant inverter for ballasting. The integrated ballast circuit requires only one active power switch and simple control. Operating the buck-boost converter in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) at a fixed frequency, the electronic ballast can achieve nearly unity power factor. With pulse-width-modulation (PWM), the electronic ballast can provide an appropriate filament current for preheating, a high voltage for ignition, and then a desired lamp current for steady-state operation. An additional control circuit is included to eliminate the glow current during preheating stage. The operation of the ballast-lamp circuit is analyzed by fundamental approximation. Computer simulations are made and design equations are derived on basis of the power-dependent resistance model of the fluorescent lamp. With carefully designed circuit parameters, the active power switch can be switched on at zero current to reduce the switching losses leading to a higher efficiency. An experimental circuit designed for a PL-27W compact fluorescent lamp is built and tested to verify the computer simulations and analytical predictions. Experimental results show that satisfactory performances can be obtained on the proposed electronic ballast.

This thesis proposes a single-stage high-power-factor electronic ballast with series-resonant inverter for rapid-start fluorescent lamps with zero glow current during preheating period. A buck-boost converter is integrated into the ballast as the power-factor-corrector. Two auxiliary windings are wound on the same core of the buck-boost inductor for filament heating. During the preheating period, the buck-boost converter is initiated while the series-resonant inverter is disabled by controlling the corresponding active power switches. Due to zero voltage across the lamp, the glow current can be effectively eliminated. As the filaments reach appropriate emission temperature, the series-resonant inverter is activated. The lamp is then ignited and consequently operated at the rated lamp power. Circuit analyses and experimental tests of the proposed preheating control scheme are carried out on an electronic ballast for a T8-40W rapid-start fluorescent lamp.

The operating characteristics of small-wattage metal halide lamps (35W, 70W, and 150W) are investigated. Included are acoustic resonance, luminous efficacy, and electrical characteristics at steady state. A laboratory electronic ballast is built to operate metal halide lamps with square-wave currents in a frequency range from 50 Hz up to 50 kHz. The operating frequency, amplitude and dead-time can be adjusted independently. Experimental results show that the luminous efficiency decreases slightly as the operating frequency increases but deteriorates considerably as the lamp power is reduced. By examining the acoustic resonance spectra, it is found that the lamp arc instability is highly related to the dead-time of the inverter. The investigated results provide useful information for the design of the electronic ballasts.

For a back-light module with multiple cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) in mid-size or large size liquid crystal displays, a balance scheme must be included to have approximately equal currents among the lamps and hence to output equal brightness. In this thesis, a half-bridge inverter is adopted to drive multiple step-up transformers with the same turn ratio, in which the primary windings of the transformers are connected in series whereas the second windings drive CCFLs in parallel. Due to the series connection of the transformer sets, the current going through the primary windings is identical, so that the lamp currents from second windings tend to be equal. A driver circuit with the proposed scheme is designed for 8 U-type cold cathode fluorescent lamps in a 32-inch backlight module. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the balance scheme, even for the lamps operating at low current.

Product semantics is an important concept in the contemporary product design. The current thesis research, applying separately the ¡§Semantic Differential (SD)¡¨ approach and the ¡§Multidimensional Scaling (MDS)¡¨ method, parallel tested the dimensions of symbolic communication between products and consumers. While taking the rational dimension in the traditional product consideration as the base-lines to contrast, the present study explored, reviewed, and tested with empirical data the constructs of affective aspects in product design and the possible dimensions. The testing products included: desk lamp and sofa coach, each involving 10 product design in various styles or attributes. Participants in the empirical data collection were 120 undergraduate and master students at National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 60 in the experiment for MDS data and other 120 for the survey questionnaire of the SD scales. The results in SD data analysis, through the factor analysis and the reliability checking, confirmed existence of three affective dimensions¡Xaesthetic design, mood expression, and ideology assertion¡Xwith good statistical significances. On the other hand, the MDS data, via clustering the subjects into homogenous groups and the dimensional plots, partly revealed some of the affective aspects, while also demonstrated the rational perception in traditional consideration. The statistical checking figures all were controlled within the acceptable levels.

This dissertation proposes a new starting profile with some modifications to the definition of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to interpret the starting process of fluorescent lamps driven by high- frequency electronic ballasts. To identify the times of preheating, ignition, and steady-state, the staring transient waveforms of lamp voltages as well as the lamp currents are scrutinized from the experiments on a diversity of ballasting techniques. A glow-to-arc transition is considered to account for the stage between glow discharging and a stable lamp arc. In addition, the filament preheating is not limited to the constant voltage but can be current preheating which is more commonly used in commercial products. By the new definition, the glow current and the glow-to-arc current can be calculated to evaluate the lamp starting performance. The applicability of the starting profile is confirmed experimentally by the instant-start, preheat-start, rapid-start, modified rapid-start, and programmable rapid-start schemes.

This study have two purposes, one is to examine the ideological consistency between Sida’s gender policy and the gender policy of an implemented project, and the other purpose consists of an attempt to identify a relation between the implementation of Sida’s/LAMP’s policies and actual changes on gender equality in the partnering country. Three research questions were formulated around the topics of women’s situation in Tanzania; the ideological origin of Sida’s gender policy and the reflection of these in the LAMP policy; and the consequences of an implementation in terms of equality between men and women in Babati District, Tanzania. The analysis is carried out with the help of different theoretical perspectives on women and gender in development, perspectives that have been selected on the basis that they have been influential and dominating in the contemporary planning and policy making of development agencies. The method used was a functional idea analysis and a field study where semi-structured interviews were conducted. The conclusion regarding the ideological consistency is that a comparison between the policies of Sida and LAMP shows patterns of great ideological resemblance, and that both have a somewhat stronger connection to the GAD approach. The conclusion regarding actual changes on gender equality reveals that an integration of gender aspects into the LAMP programme has had several consequences for women. The programme has helped to reduce women’s work load, increased their chances of income, and promoted women’s participation in decision-making on different levels. These are all aspects that may challenge the traditional order of women’s relationship to men and the subordination of women.

The main objective of this study was to optimize processing conditions during halogen lamp-microwave combination baking of cake by using Response Surface Methodology. It was also aimed to compare quality of products baked in microwave-halogen lamp combination oven, halogen lamp oven, microwave oven and conventional oven. In the first part of the study, as independent variables, baking time for conventional oven / microwave power and baking time for microwave oven / halogen lamp power and baking time for halogen lamp oven and microwave power, halogen lamp power and baking time for halogen lamp-microwave combination oven were used. Weight loss, specific volume, firmness and color of the cakes were measured during the study. Cakes baked in conventional oven at 175&deg / C for 24 minutes were determined as the control cakes. Weight loss of cakes increased with increasing independent variables for all oven types. Specific volume and firmness of cakes increased with increasing microwave power, but decreased with upper halogen lamp power. Color formation was achieved in the combination baking but not as much as in the conventional baking. Response Surface Methodology was used to optimize the baking conditions in the second part of the study. Upper and lower halogen lamp powers, microwave power and baking time were used as independent variables. Optimum processing conditions were found as 60% for upper halogen lamp power, 70% for lower halogen lamp power, 30% for microwave power and 5 minutes for baking time. Cakes baked at optimum baking conditions had comparable quality with conventionally baked ones, except color. In short, by the usage of halogen lamp-microwave combination oven it was possible to obtain high quality cakes by reducing of conventional baking time about 79%.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de NÃvel Superior / O presente trabalho trata do estudo, construÃÃo e teste de um forno tubular rotativo, para a calcinaÃÃo e obtenÃÃo de Ãxidos metÃlicos a partir do processo sol-gel protÃico convencional. A abordagem da pesquisa visa aumentar a eficiÃncia energÃtica com o propÃsito de reduzir o dispÃndio de energia e de tempo na obtenÃÃo de nanopartÃculas, utilizando-se 6(seis) lÃmpadas halÃgenas de tungstÃnio de base bilateral com 1000W/220V cada uma. Este forno à capaz de realizar sÃntese com boa homogeneizaÃÃo pela rotaÃÃo do pà durante a calcinaÃÃo com o diferencial do uso de lÃmpadas halÃgenas, que possibilitam um elevado aquecimento e resfriamento da amostra. Os componentes foram capazes de resistir a elevadas temperaturas, dotados de difÃcil oxidaÃÃo, e os isolantes tÃrmicos eficientes por sua baixa condutividade tÃrmica a fim de obter baixas perdas de calor pelas paredes do forno. O processo de montagem foi marcado por vÃrias melhorias em relaÃÃo ao projeto original, visto que a princÃpio o forno nÃo contava com o sistema de refrigeraÃÃo e sua utilizaÃÃo melhorou a eficiÃncia e conservaÃÃo das lÃmpadas halÃgenas. Os resultados da pesquisa evidenciam a eficiÃncia do forno de lÃmpadas halÃgenas em relaÃÃo ao forno a resistÃncia quanto ao tamanho da partÃcula e sua homogeneizaÃÃo, bem como quanto a perda de calor. Neste Ãltimo item atingindo um rendimento melhor em torno de 50% comparado ao forno a resistÃncia elÃtrica. / This paper deals with the study, construction and testing of a rotary tube furnace for calcinations and obtaining metal oxides from the conventional sol-gel protein process. The research approach aims to increase energy efficiency in order to reduce the expenditure of energy and time to obtain nanoparticles, using 6 (six) bilateral basis tungsten halogen lamps with 1000W/220V each one. This furnace is able to perform synthesis with good mixing by rotation of the powder during calcination with the differential use of halogen lamps, which enables a high heating and cooling of the sample. The components were able to withstand high temperatures, equipped with hard oxidation, and the efficient thermal insulation by low thermal conductivity in order to obtain low heat loss through the walls of the oven. The assembly process was marked by several improvements over the original design, since the beginning, the oven did not have the cooling system and its use has improved efficiency and conservation of halogen lamps. The research results show the better efficiency of the furnace of halogen lamps in comparison to the resistance furnace on the particle size and its homogeneity, as well as the loss of heat. In this last item reaching a better yield around 50% compared to electric resistance furnace.

Windows Azure Platform is product of the Microsoft company aimed to host web applications. With this product, Microsoft is reacting on the new trend in IT -- cloud computing. This diploma thesis deals with all the aspects of developing and running PHP applications on Windows Azure Platform. Thesis is divided into two parts -- theoretical and practical. In the theoretical part, Windows Azure Platform is described in detail. The description consists of it's main parts, position in the world of cloud computing, price and main competitors. In the practical part, migration of school PHP application developed during 4IT445 course from LAMP platform to Windows Azure Platform is described. Except the migration itself, the benefits of new platform to application are described. In the thesis conclusion, development and running applications on both platforms is compared. The target of the thesis is to write first complete Czech text about running PHP applications on Windows Azure Platform and to help PHP developers to chose which way to go.