OSRAM DULUX F - Manual (Page 70)

Economical long-life light sources with plug-in bases
Compact Fluorescent Lamps OSRAM DULUX ®
Technical Guide
68
Why is a 100 h ageing period necessary?
To meet the electrical and photometric requirements, all compact fluorescent lamps have to be
aged (operated) for 100 hours according to IEC 60901 (single capped fluorescent lamps). This is
necessary to stabilise lamp operation and get the emitter material on the electrodes into its final
shape.
Compact fluorescent lamps operated with dimmable electronic control gear (BAT) must always be
stabilised at full (100%) light output. Intermittent operation at full light output is acceptable to reach
the 100 hours criteria.
Avoiding operation of the lamps for 100 hours at full light output will result in flickering and
premature blackening which finally yields reduced life of the lamps.
1. Recommendation for new installations:
Usually in the construction phase at the building site, all lamps in the light fittings must be operated
at full light output and NOT in dimmed mode. Under these conditions the electrodes will be
stabilised at the time the lighting installation is provided (hand over).
In particular in light ceilings or Light fittings, in which compact fluorescent lamps are not directly
visible, stabilising the lamp for 100h is an absolute advice.
2. Recommendation for the replacement of lamps in existing lighting installations:
Compact fluorescent lamps have long life span and are manufactured to tight tolerances. Dimming
and non dimmed applications have the same life span (mortality) and same lumen maintenance of
the lamps. We recommend bulk replacement and in dimmed application the replaced lamps must
have been aged for 100 hours at full light output.
In some installations with BMS (Building Master Control System) control, it may be difficult to age
the lamps at 100% light output. In such applications, we recommend that the lamps are aged
separately in another location. This can be realised in an operating position, different from the final
application.
Some advance BMS control have an automatic detection when lamps are replaced that may allow
stabilising of lamps by operating at full light output for 100 hours before dimming is applied.
Conclusion:
It is necessary to stabilise the lamps for 100 hours at full light output. Failure to do this will result in
short lamp life.
Scientific approach
As mentioned above, there is the requirement that compact fluorescent lamps shall be operated for
a minimum of 100h at rated lumen output, i.e. not dimmed, prior to any dimmed lamp operation.
Consumers often ask whether this requirement is really necessary, why it is necessary and what
would happen if there is no 100h burn-in period at rated discharge current.
The answer to this question lies in the chemical structure of the emitter material on the electrode
coils of the low pressure discharge lamps.
All electrode coils of low pressure discharge lamps from any brand are usually coated with a so
called emission mix, which is a mixture of Barium- Strontium- and Calcium-Oxide. This mixture of
oxides reduces the electron work function of the electrode. That means, the energy, which is
required to drag current out of the electrode into the discharge of the lamp is reduced. The
reduction is as high as about a factor of 2 to 3.