{"id":7711,"date":"2024-12-03T11:58:37","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T10:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/que-es-un-balastro-electronico"},"modified":"2026-03-27T13:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T12:46:09","slug":"que-es-un-balastro-electronico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/en\/que-es-un-balastro-electronico","title":{"rendered":"What is an electronic ballast?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\"><\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Contents\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/en\/que-es-un-balastro-electronico\/#%C2%BFQue_funcion_tienen_los_balastros\" >What is the function of ballasts?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/en\/que-es-un-balastro-electronico\/#Balastros_magneticos\" >Magnetic ballasts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/en\/que-es-un-balastro-electronico\/#Balastros_electronicos\" >Electronic ballasts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/en\/que-es-un-balastro-electronico\/#Balastro_magnetico_vs_Balastro_electronico\" >Magnetic Ballast vs. Electronic Ballast<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/en\/que-es-un-balastro-electronico\/#Componentes_de_un_balastro_electronico\" >Components of an Electronic Ballast<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/en\/que-es-un-balastro-electronico\/#Parametros_de_eficiencia\" >Efficiency Parameters<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The vast majority of the <strong>lamps<\/strong> The devices we use today rely on it, which is why it's so important to know what it is\u2014a <strong>electronic ballast.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ballasts are an important part of the operation of the <strong>light fixtures<\/strong>, especially fluorescent lights, to <strong>control and \u201cfilter\u201d the flow of electric current in a certain way<\/strong>. It's one of those <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/en\/automatismos-electricos\/\">electrical components<\/a> which is always present, yet isn't given the importance it deserves. That's why, on this occasion, we'll delve deeper than just the <strong>What a ballast is and how it works<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%C2%BFQue_funcion_tienen_los_balastros\"><\/span><strong>What is the function of ballasts?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting with the basics, the function of a ballast is <strong>regulate the voltage supplied to a lamp<\/strong>, responsible for supplying the<strong> voltage and current<\/strong> necessary for proper operation. They are essential for the operation of fluorescent tubes, PL lamps, and other gas-discharge lamps, as well as some LED lamps, and for this reason, they have undergone significant improvements in recent years. Ballasts are divided into two types:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Balastros_magneticos\"><\/span><strong>Magnetic ballasts<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/cFUd_6lh5OCrcZ9EBF4tFfaODiZ5S3Jc4mhwBqg5DkN05DDKcfEKImW_mPyj3xa79f_1I4i7-CD6f1geVjHwcHOl6SEJEJvLfPfd.png\" alt=\"Balastro magn\u00e9tico.weediid\" width=\"132\">They are made with various <strong>composite cores made of silicon steel sheet surrounded by copper or aluminum coils<\/strong>, which allows them to convert electrical power into a form suitable for operating fluorescent lamps. Additionally, they feature <strong>a capacitor that corrects the power factor<\/strong> to use energy efficiently, and they are the most economical option on the market.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Balastros_electronicos\"><\/span><strong>Electronic ballasts<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use <strong>solid-state electronic components<\/strong>, such as semiconductors,  to turn on and regulate lamps at high frequencies\u2014generally above 20 kHz\u2014although they are usually <strong>adjustable<\/strong>. Most of them also have fans to cool the electronic components, and some may even have a <strong>microprocessor <\/strong>for greater control and higher levels of precision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Balastro_magnetico_vs_Balastro_electronico\"><\/span><strong>Magnetic Ballast vs. Electronic Ballast<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It should be noted that even though at first glance the <strong>electronic ballasts<\/strong> are more advanced than the <strong>magnetic<\/strong>, both continue to be used side by side due to different needs. And one of the main reasons is that the cost-effectiveness and ease of production of a <strong>magnetic ballast<\/strong> It remains the most affordable option for simple, mid-to-low-end devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, the <strong>magnetic ballasts<\/strong> They have the drawback that, due to their composition, they generate vibrations and noise when operating, as well as a flickering effect when turned on; something that does not happen with <strong>electronic ballasts<\/strong>. Not to mention that the <strong>electronic ballasts<\/strong> They are smaller, lighter, operate at a higher frequency, and significantly extend the lamp's life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Componentes_de_un_balastro_electronico\"><\/span><strong>Components of an Electronic Ballast<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are currently many options for electronic ballasts, with a wide variety of components. However, in general, the basic components of an electronic ballast are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>EMI filter<\/strong>, responsible for blocking electromagnetic interference.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>rectifier<\/strong>,  which converts alternating current to direct current.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>PFC<\/strong>, a power factor corrector.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One <strong>resonant half-bridge output<\/strong>, which converts direct current into a high-frequency square-wave voltage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Control circuit<\/strong>, which, as its name suggests, controls the voltage and current flowing through the lamp, respectively.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><\/em><em>Components of an electronic ballast. <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.balastro.net\/balastro-electronico\/\"><em>Balastro.net<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parametros_de_eficiencia\"><\/span><strong>Efficiency Parameters<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are the parameters used to determine or analyze the efficiency of ballasts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Power Factor<\/strong>: It is defined as the ratio of active power to reactive power (W and VA, respectively) consumed by an electrical load. Values between 0 and 1 are used to define it, with 1 indicating an efficient device\u2014meaning that the device makes the most of the energy it receives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Peak value<\/strong>: It is, however, defined as the ratio of a device\u2019s (lamp\u2019s) peak current demand to its average current. It is not a linear value, and the highest peak value determined will indicate the peak current the device can withstand without being damaged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)<\/strong>:  This is a parameter that indicates the amount of distortion caused by harmonics in the signal, based on the ratio between two quantities: the root mean square (RMS) value of the harmonic distortion or harmonic components relative to the fundamental or clean component.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>La gran mayor\u00eda de las l\u00e1mparas que usamos en la actualidad requieren de \u00e9l, por eso es tan importante saber que es un balastro electr\u00f3nico. Los balastros son parte importante del funcionamiento de las luminarias, sobre todo las fluorescentes, para controlar y \u201cfiltrar\u201d de cierta manera el flujo de la corriente el\u00e9ctrica. Es uno de [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":5329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ayudawp_aiss_exclude":false,"_ayudawp_aiss_summary":"","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_provider":"","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_hash":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[267],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-educacion-stem-ingenieria"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u00bfQu\u00e9 es un balastro electr\u00f3nico? - Blog de Structuralia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.structuralia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7711\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u00bfQu\u00e9 es un balastro electr\u00f3nico? - Blog de Structuralia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"La gran mayor\u00eda de las l\u00e1mparas que usamos en la actualidad requieren de \u00e9l, por eso es tan importante saber que es un balastro electr\u00f3nico. Los balastros son parte importante del funcionamiento de las luminarias, sobre todo las fluorescentes, para controlar y \u201cfiltrar\u201d de cierta manera el flujo de la corriente el\u00e9ctrica. 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