Download Final Report - Senior Design

Paint Heat Lamp
Power and Control
System
Senior Design (Dec 03-03)
Project Final Design Report
Client
Faculty advisors
Team Members
H&S Autoshot, Inc.
Attn: Dave Lenz,
John W. Lamont
Ralph E. Patterson
Sui Kwan Ng
Vincent Ong
Operations Manager
Glenn G. Hillesland
Raymond Sidharta
Joseph L Vetter
December 17, 2003
Table of Contents
I.
Table of Contents…………………………………………………..….......i
II.
List of Figures…………………………………………………………….ii
III.
List of Tables……………………………………………………………..iii
IV.
List of Definitions..……………………….……………………..……..…iv
1 Introductory Materials
1.1 Executive Summary………………………………………...…..1
1.2 Acknowledgement……………………………………………...2
2
3
4
1.3 Problem Statement…………………………………………......2
1.4 Operating Environment…………………………………….….3
1.5 Intended User(s) and Intended Use(s)………………………...3
1.6 Assumptions and Limitations……………………………….…4
1.7 Expected End Product and Other Deliverables……………....5
Project Approach Results
2.3 Approaches Considered and One Used…………….…………6
2.4 Detailed Design………………………………………………..27
Resources and Schedules
3.1 Resource and Schedule……………………………….………33
Closure Materials
4.1 Project Evaluation…………………………………………….39
4.2 Commercialization……………………………………………40
4.3 Recommendations for Additional Work……………….……41
4.4 Lessons Learned………………………………………………44
4.5 Risk and Risk Management……………………………….…45
4.6 Project Team Information…………………………………....46
4.7 Closing Summary……………………………………………..47
4.8 References………………………………………………..……48
4.9 Appendices……………………………………………….……49
i
List of Figures
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
UV Lamp……………………………………………………………………..…...1
UV Curing vs Thermal Drying……………………………………………..……2
UV Lamp II…………………………………………………………………..…..4
UV LED………………………………………………………………………..….5
Reflector…………………………………………………………………………..8
Wavelength of the MPMA Lamp………………………………………………..9
Autotransformer Circuit………………………………….................................10
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
First Proposal of Running Two Lamps Off of a Single Transformer…..……12
Two Winding Transformer……………………………………………………..13
Electronic Ballast……………………………………………………………….14
Effective Area Cured of 16 in. Diameter………………………………………15
Arrangement of Convex Lenses……………………………………………….16
Effective Area with Convex Lenses……………………………………………16
UV LED system…………………………………………………………………17
Components Associated with a Typical Laser System………………………..19
Simple Stepper Motor Controller……………………………………………...21
17 Testing Result of the Filter Glass………………………………………………24
18 Input & Output Current vs Time……………………………………………..25
19 Output Voltage vs Time………………………………………………………...26
20 Intensity vs Displacement……………………………………………………...26
21 A Circuit Diagram for the Current System……………………………………28
22 Area Cured by 8 Lamps System……………………………………………….30
23 Sample Circuit Diagram for Running 8 Lamps………………………………31
24a Gantt Chart of Major Tasks and Subtasks…………………………………...37
24b Gantt Chart of Project Deliverables…………………………………………..38
25 Example of a Curing System Using 3 Moving UV Curing Lamps…………..43
ii
List of Tables
1-1 UV Laser Estimated Costs……………………...………………………………19
1-2 Components Used in Current System………...………………………………..29
1-3a Original Estimated Personnel Efforts Requirements……………………......33
1-3b Revised Personnel Efforts Requirements………………………………….....33
1-3c Final (actual) Personnel Efforts Requirements………………………………33
1-4a Original Estimated Other Required Resources……………………………...34
1-4b Revised Other Required Resources…………………………………………..34
1-4c Final (actual) Other Required Resources…………………………….............34
1-5a Original Estimated Project Costs…………………………………………......35
1-5b Revised Project Costs………………………………………………………….36
1-5c Final (actual) Project Costs……………………………………………………36
1-6 Components Used in Proposed 8 Lamp System……………………………….40
1-7 Cost for the new 8 Lamps System……………………………………………..41
iii
List of definitions
Autotransformer - An electrical transformer in which the primary and secondary coils
have some or all windings in common.
Capacitor - An electric circuit element used to store charge temporarily, consisting in
general of two metallic plates separated and insulated from each other by a dielectric.
Curing system – A system to prepare, preserve, or finish (a substance) by a chemical or
physical process.
Diode - An electronic device that restricts current flow chiefly to one direction.
Electronic ballast – High efficiency ballast that uses electronic circuitry to provide
proper starting and operating electrical conditions for discharge lamp, or multiple
lamps.
Fresnel lens - A lens that produces a smooth, soft-edged, clearly defined beam of light.
It is composed of a number of small lenses arranged to make a lightweight lens of large
diameter and short focal length.
Fringe - Any of the light or dark bands produced by the diffraction or interference of
light.
Ignitor – An electronic device that provides a high voltage spike (at least 2500 Volts) to
initiate an arc in the lamp.
Laser - Any of several devices that emit highly amplified and coherent radiation of one
or more discrete frequencies. One of the most common lasers makes use of atoms in a
meta stable energy state that, as they decay to a lower energy level, stimulate others to
decay, resulting in a cascade of emitted radiation.
LED (light emitting diode) - A type of diode that emits light when current passes
through it. Depending on the material used the color can be visible or infrared. LEDs
have many uses, visible LEDs are used as indicator lights on all sorts of electronic
devices and in moving-message panels, while infrared LEDs are the heart of remote
iv
control devices.
Light spectrum - The several colored and other rays of which light is composed,
separated by the refraction of a prism or other means, and observed or studied either as
spread out on a screen, by direct vision, by photography, or otherwise.
Magnetron - A microwave tube in which electrons generated from a heated cathode
are affected by magnetic and electric fields in such a way as to produce microwave
radiation used in radar and in microwave ovens.
Medium pressure mercury arc (MPMA) - Radiation source containing mercury
vapor at pressures ranging from 100 to several hundred kPa. Emits mostly from 310 to
1000 nm with the most intense lines at 300, 303, 313, 334, 366, 405, 436, 546, and 578
nm.
Melanoma - A dark-pigmented, usually malignant tumor arising from a melanocyte
and occurring most commonly in the skin.
Metal halide - A type of high intensity discharge (HID) lamp in which the major
portion of the light is produced by radiation of metal halide and mercury vapor in the
arc tube.
Micro-controller – A micro processor on a single integrated circuit intended to operate
as an embedded system. Typically includes a small amount of RAM, PROM, timers,
and I/O ports.
Microwave - A high-frequency electromagnetic wave, one millimeter to one meter in
wavelength, intermediate between infrared and short-wave radio wavelengths.
Transformer - A device used to transfer electric energy from one circuit to another
using magnetic or air coupling, especially a pair of multiply wound, inductively
coupled wire coils that affect such a transfer with a change in voltage, current, phase, or
other electric characteristic.
Ultraviolet - The range of invisible radiation wavelengths from about 4 nanometers, on
the border of the x-ray region, to about 380 nanometers, just beyond the violet in the
visible spectrum.
v
Executive Summary
Using ultraviolet (UV) light to cure paint is a new process in the field of auto body
repair. Current systems used in small to medium-sized auto body repair facilities are
limited in curing area due to the cost of components. H&S Autoshot, Inc., located in
Centerville, Iowa, currently has a systems using UV technology with a single lamp that
can only cure a small area roughly 16 inches in diameter. The goal of this project is to
expand upon this system to cover a much larger area. The proposed final area is to be 3
to 4 feet on each side.
This report documents the team’s proposed solution to safely add more UV lamps
(Figure 1) to the system to increase curing area. Testing results and all research done on
the existing system is included in this document. Other technologies such as UV LEDs,
UV lasers, filtering glasses, electronic ballasts, a motorized curing system, and UV
lenses were also explored and documented. These technologies were discarded due to
failing to meet economic and curing requirements at this time. However, in the future,
as the aforementioned alternatives become more practicable, they can be incorporated
to improve the performance of the system and to save on cost and weight. The design
of the team’s proposed system is located in this report, along with necessary resources
the team used to compile this solution. Finally, a list of contacts for future reference can
be located in the appendix of this report.
Figure 1-UV Lamp
1
Acknowledgement
The team would like to thank the following people in addition to the faculty advisors
for their extensive help during this project:
1. Craig Poolman, General Manager of H&S Autoshot, for all the information
and equipment he has donated for the project.
2. Dr. Vikram Dalal, ISU Professor, for information on UV LEDs and UV lasers.
3. Randy Freeman, Engineer for Howard Industries, for information on
transformers and associated equipment
Problem statement
General Problem Statement
H&S Autoshot, Inc. faces the problem of expanding the capabilities of an auto repair
paint drying system that uses newly developed ultraviolet (UV) light activated paint.
UV light cures paint at a much faster rate than conventional means with fewer
emissions. (Figure 2) The current system is comprised of a special power transformer
and capacitor, an ignitor, and a special UV-producing light. This device is capable of
curing paint over a small area of about 16 inch diameter only. Each lamp requires 120V
and costs $73.01 (including the reflector). The transformer has a cost of $30.50, and is
bulky in size and weight. The team has concentrated its efforts into finding ways to run
multiple lamps off of fewer transformers. This was done to increase curing size without
increase the bulk and cost significantly.
Figure 2-UV Curing vs Thermal Drying
Another problem faced was that the surface to be dried was not a flat surface. UV light
does not curve around uneven surfaces thus areas in the shadows will not be cured. The
device the team has designed is able to flexibly adjust to cover all areas of the surface.
2
Furthermore, considerations were taken about the size of the device. Most of H&S
Autoshot, Inc.’s customers are in the East or West Coast and due to the distance of the
customers; care was taken not to make the device too large as to incur unnecessary
freight charges. Thus, a balance was struck between reducing the number of
transformers for a larger area and the size of the overall device.
Solution Approach
The DEC0303 group’s objective was to look for a suitable solution for replacing or
upgrading the current system. The solution increased the size of area covered to 3’ X 4’
feet. The group tried to minimize costs by reducing the number of transformers or by
reducing the voltage required by the lamp. That is why alternative solutions other than
UV lighting were explored, such as LED lighting, UV lasers, or instruments to redirect
UV light. These alternatives were discarded after much research was done on them.
After deciding the appropriate solution, a system was designed using a combination of
8 of the existing lamps. These lamps have an intensity that is sufficient to cure the paint
from a one-foot distance. The head of the lamps will be able to rotate using a rotator and
the lamp will be controlled via manual switching means. After coming up with the basic
design of the device and control system, simulations of schematics drawn from it shall
be run.
Operating Environment
The target operators for this product are employees of auto body repair organizations.
Its target-operating environment would be a sheltered garage or workspace. It is
therefore assumed that the end product will not be exposed to rain or other outside
elements. The average expected temperature for this product is to be between 60 to 120
degrees Fahrenheit. Another environmental problem is that the product is to be exposed
to extreme noise, dusty conditions, and possibly hazardous and explosive gases.
Intended User(s) and Use(s)
The intended user of this product is an employee of a small to medium sized auto body
repair shop. Despite being familiar with many paint technologies, the end user might
not have knowledge of the internal workings of the UV lamp and its control
components. Therefore, a simple and easy to use interface must be designed.
3
The function of the UV lamp (Figure 3) is to cure paint and will serve no other purpose
in the auto body repair facility. The only paints to be used with this product are those
designed for curing by UV light.
Figure 3-UV Lamp II
Assumption and Limitations
The assumptions of this project include:



The auto body repair employees are familiar with the operation of the device.
The device cures 3 X 4 feet or smaller area of the automobile’s body.
The device is moveable in order to cure different sections of the whole
automobile’s body.


The curing process lasts no longer than 2 minutes for the area to be cured.
The overlapping fringes produced can also cure.
The limitations of this project include:

The device works with the 60 Hz/120 V/30 Amp standard electrical systems,
since it is implemented in the US and this is the type of electrical connection
most auto body repair shops have. Additional voltage or current requirements
need to be taken care of by the auto body repair shop owner.


The wavelength must be between 320 nanometers to 360 nanometers.
Wavelengths higher than 380 nanometers are not used since they are in the skin
cancer (melanoma) causing range.

There is no excess of components that hinder the portability of the curing
system.

The cost of the system does not exceed the budget of most small to medium
sized auto body repair shops.

The device shall remain small enough in size/weight in order to be easily moved
and transported.
4
Expected End Product and Other Deliverables
The end project is going to be a final report that will inform the client:



Why a transformer is needed for each lamp.
How to increase the covered area to at least 3X4 feet.
Advantages and disadvantages of alternative technologies.
Other items in the final report that will be delivered to the client include:


Research on the existing system
Research on LED lamps (Figure 4)






Research on UV lasers
Research on electronic ballast
Research on lenses
New transformer design
Arrangement of lamps in order to cover 3X4 feet
Evaluation of research showing the pros and cons for all possible
solutions

Record of major correspondence to the team from industrial resources
Figure 4-UV LED
5
Approach Used
Design Objectives
The Dec03-03 team has researched many different UV technologies (LEDs, Lasers, UV
lamps, transformers) in order to arrive at an appropriate way to expand upon the
existing system. The factors used to aid in selecting the right products to accomplish
this goal are listed in the following sections.
Functional Requirements for the End Product
UV light will cure an area of 3x4 feet in a matter of minutes
The current system employed cures paint in less than 2 minutes. Research will explore
whether or not varying the intensity of the UV light can speed up the process. The area
of the surface to be cured will be expanded from the current 16” diameter circle to 3’ X
4’, which is approximately the size of a fender.
The lamp(s) will be moveable or the light emitted will be reflected appropriately
Another problem faced is that the surface to be dried is not a flat surface. UV light does
not curve around uneven surfaces thus areas in the shadows will not be cured. The
device to be designed must be able to flexibly adjust to cover all areas of the surface.
This shall be done by individually moving each lamp in order to properly cure all areas.
In other words, the lamp heads are not solidly tied together.
Design Constraints
Operates on a maximum of 120 volts and a customized circuit of 30A
This voltage is the conventional voltage used in the US. Auto body shops will need a
custom built circuit of 30A built to run the system.
Indoor use only
The components used cannot be exposed to outside weather elements or immediate
damage will result.
Must be able to be shipped inexpensively
Most of H&S Autoshot, Inc.’s customers are in the East or West Coast and due to the
distance of the customers; care must be taken not to make the device too large as to
incur unnecessary freight charges.
6
Technical Approach Considerations and Results
The group split into sub-groups to research on different parts of the project, which
included:








Reflectors
UV lamps
Transformers
Electronic Ballasts
UV Lenses
UV Filter Glass
UV LEDs
UV Lasers

Motorized Curing System
The following are the description for each part of the research and the team’s
conclusion drawn from the research:
Reflectors
A UV reflector is one of the major components in a UV curing system. It is made of
aluminum and shaped to fit certain specifications. The main purposes of using a UV
reflector are: to focus UV rays, reflect UV radiation, and maximize UV exposure on the
substrate.
By
doing
so,
the
curing
area
will
be
improved
as
well.
There are a number of types of reflectors, depending on the focusing method:





Parabolic - UV light is reflected in nearly parallel beams.
Elliptic - UV beams are nearly focused in one line in front of the bulb.
Variable geometry - beams are created with the shape of a pincer.
Cone-shaped - UV light is reflected in nearly a circular-shaped area.
Semi-circular/half-cylindrical - UV light is reflected in a rectangular-shaped
area.
The elliptic reflector form delivers maximum intensity to the paint and substrate, while
the parabolic reflector assures maximal energy transport.
An example of a reflector commonly used in a UV curing system is shown below
(Figure 5).
7
Figure 5- Reflector
H&S Autoshot uses the cone-shaped reflector in their UV curing system. The current
system has a circular-shaped curing area of approximately 16 inches in diameter.
According to our client, the current reflector is the best in industry given the
economical constraints, based on their German reflector vendor’s research. Therefore,
the current reflector will be used.
UV Lamps
In UV curing system technologies, mercury pressure UV lamps are the most commonly
used light sources nowadays. Different light sources alternatives such as UV LED and
UV lasers also exist, but current technologies are not capable of providing the required
intensity for proper curing. Ultraviolet reactive paints and coatings require a high
intensity source of ultraviolet light to initiate a chemical reaction, which cures the paint
or coating almost instantaneously. Ultraviolet light forms a small part of the
electromagnetic spectrum, which ranges from radio waves at the long-wave end, to
x-rays and gamma rays at the short-wave end.
The ultraviolet wavelengths most suitable for curing paints and coatings lie between
200 and 400 nanometers. There are several types of lamps suitable for generating these
wavelengths, such as mercury, gallium, or iron lamps. However, the most commonly
used are high-pressure mercury-arc lamps, microwave-powered mercury lamps, and
medium-pressure mercury-arc lamps. The high-pressure mercury-arc lamp is generally
constructed as a capillary type tube and requires a water jacket to maintain correct
running temperatures. These lamps are limited to short lengths only, and lamp life is
usually less than 1000 hours.
8
In the microwave-powered mercury lamp, an arc is established by the generation of
microwaves. This requires fairly large and expensive "magnetrons," which are placed at
each end of the lamp. Again, these lamps can be produced in only short lengths.
Considerably, the most widely used is the medium-pressure mercury-arc lamp (an
MPMA lamp). This can be air or water-cooled, and can be manufactured in a wide
range of lengths. Single lamps two meters (six feet) long are not uncommon, and the
working life of MPMA lamps can be expected to be well over 1000 hours. The graph
below shows the wavelength of the MPMA lamp (Figure 6).
Figure 6- Wavelength of the MPMA Lamp
H&S Autoshot requires a UV lamp with wavelength of 320 to 360 nanometers for their
curing system. H&S Autoshot’s current curing system uses an MPMA lamp that is
400Watts at 120V. It seems that in accordance of the available current technologies,
MPMA UV lamps are the best light sources to be used.
Transformers
Why is a transformer used in the circuit?
The physical properties of the lamp dictate the need for a transformer. Due to the
negative resistance property of the lamp, more and more current will flow into the lamp
unless some sort of safeguard is provided. Transformers give this sort of protection by
being a “choke” for excessive current flow. If there were no limit on current, immediate
damage to the lamp itself would ensue.
9
What size of transformer is used in the current circuit?
The circuit uses an autotransformer with multiple windings. As used in the current
system, the transformer is connected 120 volts AC on the primary side and changes that
to 120 volts AC on the secondary side. The transformer is matched to the lamp, with
both items having a rating of 400 watts.
What type of transformer is used in the current circuit?
The current UV curing system uses a Howard Industries autotransformer. An
autotransformer is a transformer like any other transformer; however the primary
winding is connected to the secondary winding. In a normal transformer the primary
and secondary windings are not physically connected together. In the case of the current
circuit, the two windings are connected together by utilizing a capacitor in series with
the connection. Figure 7 shows an example of an autotransformer circuit very similar to
the one H&S uses in its current system.
Figure 7 – Autotransformer Circuit
Why is a capacitor used in the circuit?
A capacitor is needed for power factor correction. Since a transformer is mostly an
inductive device, its power factor operation is usually in the 50% range. A capacitor
brings this power factor up to or over 90%. This type of connection with an
autotransformer and capacitor is called a constant wattage autotransformer (CWA).
A capacitor also protects against any slight changes in input voltage. For a 10% change
in input voltage there is a 5% change in output for the lamp. For instance, if the voltage
were to momentarily drop to 108 volts, the lamp used in the current system would put
10
out 380 watts. Capacitors help to avoid this slight drop and reduction of output power.
In some extreme cases the voltage may drop enough to extinguish the arc in the lamp.
This means that the lamp must first cool down before the arc can be restarted, which
takes a considerable amount of time. Such an extreme is avoided with a capacitor.
How does the lamp start operation?
The lamp used in the current system is not like that of a conventional lamp. In a regular
incandescent lamp, electricity is passed through a thin filament to create both heat and
light. The lamp used in the curing system has no filament. Instead, light is created by
gas being excited by an arc created between two electrodes supplied with electricity.
When the UV lamp is cool, a high amount of voltage (3000 volts) is needed in order to
start this arc. This is accomplished by using a device after the transformer called an
ignitor. An ignitor provides this high amount of initial voltage, which is many times
that of what is normally outputted by the transformer. This ignitor requires that an
additional output be added to the windings of the transformer for proper operation.
Once the arc is established the ignitor ceases operation and becomes an open path in the
circuit, thus allowing normal output voltage from the transformer to flow into the lamp.
An ignitor is shown in the circuit above in Figure 7. More specific information can be
found on ignitors in Randy Freeman’s report located in the Appendix.
Is it possible to run two or more lamps off of one transformer?
For the type of transformer used in the current curing system, it is not possible to run
multiple lamps off a single transformer. Randy Freeman of Howard Industries, which is
the company that manufactures the transformer used in the current curing system,
informed the team of the problems that may arise from running multiple lamps off of a
single transformer. Due to the characteristics of the lamp and the ignitor used to start
lamp operation, it is highly likely that only one lamp would ever start, thus taking all of
the power and leaving nothing for the second lamp to start with. Since the transformers
are sized for the load, using an 800 watt transformer to power two 400 watt bulbs will
result in one 400 watt bulb receiving all 800 watts of power. The result of this is
disastrous; the bulb will literally blow itself apart and cause damage to anything located
in the area of the bulb. More information about running multiple lamps on a
transformer can be located in Randy Freeman’s report in the appendix.
Is there any way at all to run multiple lamps off of a single transformer?
There is a special type of transformer that may work to power multiple lamps. This type
of transformer is called a multiple winding transformer. In a multiple winding
11
transformer, there is one input but a number of outputs. These outputs are independent
of each other, so the status of one output does not affect the others. Therefore, for a
two-winding transformer, it doesn’t matter when each lamp starts operation – the power
consumption of one lamp has no bearing on the other lamp. With two windings, a
transformer rated for 800 watts input can produce two 400 watt outputs.
Figure 8 below shows the team’s first proposal of running two lamps off of a single
transformer. The transformer in the diagram is an Advance Transformer two winding
transformer that can run two Metal Halide lamps. This transformer will not work with
MPMA lamps due to a lack of provisions being provided to run the ignitor. Metal
Halide lamps do not need an ignitor, thus the reason why this transformer will work
with two non-MPMA lamps such as Metal Halide lamps (or any two lamps that do not
require an ignitor). The specification sheet for this Advance Transformer can be located
in the Appendix.
1 20 V ac
Hour
Meter
Fan
1
Transformer (800W m in)
UV lamp 1
Capacitor 1
Lamp Head Unit 1
Capacitor 2
Ignitor 2
Ignitor 1
COM
Fan
2
UV lamp 2
Lamp Head Unit 2
Control Box
Figure 8 - First Proposal of Running Two Lamps Off Of a Single Transformer
An example of a two winding transformer that will work with the lamps and ignitors
used in the current system is shown in the figure 9 below. As can be seen in the figure
below, there is a provision on the winding (X3) to allow for proper operation of the
ignitors.
12
Figure 9 - Two Winding Transformer
While the transformer shown in the circuit above does not seem complicated, several
problems have arisen. After contacting a number of transformer manufacturers, it
appears that no one commercially produces such a transformer. In addition, an 800 watt
transformer such as this will cost three times as much as single winding transformer of
the same rating. The weight is also much higher versus a comparable single winding
transformer. Basically, it is cheaper and lighter to have two 400 watt transformers than a
two winding transformer with two 400 watt outputs.
Conclusion:
The team has decided that there are no advantages at this time to use a different type of
transformer. However, this may not necessarily be the case in the future if a suitable
manufacturer of the transformer shown in the above figure is found. Please read the
team’s recommendation for future activities on transformers, located later in this report.
Electronic Ballasts
Another alternative to be considered for the curing system is an electronic ballast. An
electronic ballast has the advantages of being smaller, lighter, and more energy efficient
than conventional magnetic ballast, which is used in the current system. Electronic
ballasts also offer the advantage of a slightly longer lamp life. After doing research and
contacting a number of electronic ballast manufacturers, it was discovered that no one
at this time commercially produces a suitable electronic ballast to operate the type of
lamp used in the curing system. Even if a suitable electronic ballast were to be found, at
this time the cost of an electronic ballast to run the current lamp is approximately 6 to
12 times that of conventional magnetic ballast. Given that the current cost of the ballast
is around $30, the savings in energy consumption, size, and weight do not make up for
13
this much of an increase in cost. The figure below shows an electronic ballast for a
different type of lamp than what is used in the current system.
Figure 10 - Electronic Ballast
A list of electronic ballast manufacturers can be located in the appendix attached to this
report.
Lenses
The usage of different lenses in order to increase the area cured by the UV lamp was
explored. The basic theory is to strive to obtain a balance between the area cured and
the intensity of the UV light. When diverging the UV rays to increase the area, the
intensity of the UV light will naturally decrease. It will decrease until it reaches the
minimum intensity requirements for curing.
Fresnel Lenses
The team explored Fresnel lenses and found it is suitable to diverge normal light rays so
that it focuses on a smooth surface with a wider area. The Fresnel lens evens out the
intensity of light from the center to all areas on the lens. Fresnel lenses work well on
ordinary rays but not on rays in the UV region.
14
Convex lenses
Convex lenses were also explored in order to increase the intensity of the fringes. If
successfully done, the extra energy at the fringes could be converged and intensified
using the lens. If successfully implemented, an area of 2 inches diameter more will be
gained thus increasing the area cured to 18 inches.
Further research was done and the one possible supplier of UV supported lenses is
http://www.edmundoptics.com/IOD/DisplayProduct.cfm?productid=2027 .
Lenses available in market are convex lenses only. These lenses do NOT show the
results above as they are made especially for UV rays.
A possible design of convex lenses was drawn should the prices of UV supported lenses
drop in the future.
Figure 11 shows the effective area cured of 16 in. diameter. If a multitude of convex
lenses were focused at the fringes of the effective area to intensity the outside fringes
(Figure 12), the diameter is increased by an effective area of 2 in. The results are
outlined in Figure 13.
Figure 11 - Effective Area Cured of 16 in. Diameter
15
Figure 12 – Arrangement of Convex Lenses
Figure 13 - Effective Area Cured with Convex Lenses
The price of such special lenses ranges from $70.00 to $213.00 depending on the
diameter of the lenses and its focal point.
16
Conclusion:
To achieve an increase of 2 inches radius, at least $500 needs to be spent on special UV
lenses. It is recommended implementing these lenses should the prices of the lens drop
in the future.
Filter glass
The team has researched on filter glass to determine if it is in any way hindering the
ability to expand the system. The filter glass was sent to professor Dalal Vikram for
testing and the results of the testing can be found in the testing part.
Based on the testing results, the filter glass is most efficient given its economical
constraints. The current filter glass will be used to expand the system.
UV LEDs
Additional UV lamps such as those used in the current system will require an increase
in power consumption, not to mention an increase in cost. UV LEDs have an advantage
of having much lower power consumption while outputting a very specific UV
wavelength. However, it will take a large number of UV LEDs to cover the desired
curing area. Also, the energy output of UV LEDs may not be of high enough intensity to
properly cure the surface area. Figure 14 below shows a UV LED system used for
curing a circuit board.
Figure 14 - UV LED System
17
There is already a UV LED curing system on the market; however, the curing area is
just small as a CD size, and the wavelength cannot fulfill the requirements for H&S
Autoshot as well. The lowest wavelength LED lens used in curing system that can be
found on the market is 390nm and costs about $375, but it cannot fulfill the energy
requirement of 2.1J/cm2.
It is possible to obtain LEDs of a lower wavelength (<390nm); however, it is very
expensive and would cost around 2 million dollars to develop according to the group’s
meeting with Dr. Dalal. Given current advancements in technology, one would expect
big companies, like Sony, Panasonic, etc., would have a lower wavelength LED out in
five years.
18
UV Lasers
UV lasers are also another consideration in expanding the current system. Lasers are a
relatively new technology and the cost to implement such a system is rather prohibitive
to most users at this time. However, like most modern devices, the costs are decreasing
annually while the technology is advancing. A table showing the estimated costs for
several different models of UV lasers is shown below (Table 2). This table is sourced
from a company specializing in lasers called Intelite, Inc (www.intelite.com).
Table 1-1 UV Laser Estimated Costs
U/price

(nm)
Pulse Energy
(at 1KHz)
Pulse
Duration (at
1KHz)
Max. Pulse
Repetition
Rate
Average
Output
Power
UVSQAOM355-5
$10,950.00
355
5 µJ
< 10 nsec
10 KHz
> 10mW
UVSQAOM355-10
$11,350.00
355
10 µJ
< 10 nsec
10 KHz
> 15mW
UVSQAOM355-20
$14,950.00
355
20 µJ
< 10 nsec
10 KHz
> 30mW
UVSQAOM266-1
$11,950.00
266
532
1064
1 µJ
< 10 nsec
10 KHz
> 1mW
Item No.
Figure 15 below shows the components associated with a typical laser system.
Figure 15 - Components Associated with a Typical Laser System
To begin with, a laser, or light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, is a
device that controls the way energized atoms release photons. Atoms can be caused to
be in different states of excitation. When an atom is supplied with sufficient energy, it is
excited and henceforth, its electrons move to a higher state of energy. The atom
eventually returns to its ground state energy level thus emitting photons, or light
particles. The photon that any atom releases has a certain wavelength that is dependent
on the energy difference between the excited state and the ground state.
19
In a laser, the lasing medium is provided energy via intense electrical discharges to get
the atoms in an excited state. For UV lasers, there are basically 3 types of common
mediums: argon fluoride (193nm), krypton fluoride (248nm) and nitrogen (337nm).
Other typical types of lasers are: argon-blue (488nm), argon – green (514nm), helium –
neon, green (543 nm), helium-neon, red (633nm), rhodamine 6G rye (570 – 650 nm),
ruby – red (694 nm), nd: YAG (NIR) (1064nm) and carbon dioxide (FIR) (10600 nm).
Hard lasers such as carbon dioxide are used to cut hard materials and grating. Research
was limited to lower wavelength frequencies of laser within the UV range, as they are
more practical and less prone to cancer causing complications.
The price for a full UV laser system pre-assembled is over $10,000 that fits the
requirements of a wavelength of 350 nm, energy of 5uJ, and area cured of 52 X 90 mm.
The system is a nitrogen based laser that has an output of 337.1nm, an area cured of 3 X
6 mm, weighs 85 lbs, and has physical dimensions are 30 X 20.2 X 9.2 inches requiring
110V.
Laser systems are generally used for miniature manufacturing and miniature processes.
The strong point of laser technology is its ability to produce a beam (electromagnetic
wave) with an extremely specific wavelength. The light released is monochromatic and
no energy is wasted on production of waves of neighboring wavelengths. Scattering of
light is non-existent. However, this trait is important only for micro processes that
require this feature.
Lasers wide wavelength producing ranges make them a good choice for any type of
process be it microlithography, micromachining, UV laser annealing, and writing fiber
Bragg gratings. However, beyond the microscopic level, UV lasers are not a practical
alternative to the current UV light system because of its low area cured and its high
costs. Other than that, laser diodes cannot be incorporated into the current system
because UV lasers require a long nitrogen-filled tube, a laser compartment and a
separate optics compartment. It will cost approximately the price listed above.
Motorized Curing System
In order to further reduce costs, the team has considered powering 3 lamps instead of 8
lamps and using a stepper motor to shift the 3 lamps along a track. Thus the cost of the
system is reduced at a tradeoff for more time to cure the area.
20
Stepper motors behave differently from normal DC motors in their torque-speed
relationship. They produce the highest torques in low speed. This characteristic is ideal
for the curing system as the system only needs to move at a slow speed. Stepper motors
also have another characteristic, that is, a holding torque, which allows the stepper
motor to hold its position when not turning. Thus, the need for a braking system is
eliminated. The motor will have a timer to indicate when to move, that is,
approximately 2 minutes. This approach will be fully automatic since one only needs to
push the on button to carry out the process and the system will shut itself off when a
certain time has been reached. With this system implemented, the curing time, labor
cost will be made efficient.
Two ways of implementing this system are by using a commercially viable
programmable controller or building a simple controller like the one shown in Figure
16 below. The first method enables C/C++ code to be inputted in order to control the
system. They typical cost for a commercial controller available in the market is $390.
The second method is building a simple control system that controls the stepper motor
via input voltage pulses.
Figure 16 - Simple Stepper Motor Controller
The cost of the controller circuit shown above is less than $10. As for the stepper motor,
the price varies depending on the torques that is produced. A typical stepper motor costs
$60 and is commercially available in the market.
21
Approaches Conclusion
After completing the research as shown above, the group has arrived at the following
conclusions for each of the technologies:
Reflectors
The current reflector is the best possible reflector to use with the MPMA lamp used in
the curing system. The group will continue to use this reflector.
UV Lamp
The team recommends sticking to the current mercury-arc lamps.
Transformer
If a manufacturer were to come out with an 800 watt - two winding transformer with
two 400 watt outputs that is cheaper than two individual 400 watt transformers, then it
is recommended that this type of transformer be purchased. This is due to fact that a
single transformer can be installed in one control box for two lamps, versus two control
boxes for two lamps. For now, the group will recommend sticking with the same
transformer and ballast kit that is used in the current system, a Howard Industries
MO400-71C-611.
Electronic Ballast
Due to the lack of commercially available electronic ballasts on the market at this time,
the group can not recommend a particular electronic ballast to be used in place of the
Howard Industries magnetic ballast currently used. It is highly possible that an
inexpensive commercial electronic ballast could be released in the near future (within 1
to 5 years) that will be able to properly operate the MPMA lamp(s) used in the curing
system. If the price of this electronic ballast were 1.5 to 2 times as much as the current
ballast, the group recommends purchasing this electronic ballast due to a savings in size,
weight, and power consumption, along with a slight increase in lamp life, versus using
the current magnetic ballast.
UV Lenses
UV lenses as an alternative is not recommended because an increase of 2 inches
diameter needs at least $12000 needs to be spent on special UV lenses. 140 9mm lenses
are needed and each costs $86.00.
Filter glass
Testing results show that there is only a 11% drop of energy at 360nm. This is
22
considered efficient due to the economical constraints involved. The team will continue
to use the current filter glass.
UV LEDs
To sum it up, UV LEDs as a practical alternative is not recommended because there
does not exist a UV LED that produces light in the required frequency. It costs millions
of dollars to research and manufacture that new LED and the time it would be ready
would be approximately 5 years. Furthermore, the price of a 390nm wavelength that
might be cancer causing is $375. To implement a hundred UV LEDs to cure the paint
costs $35,000 and is far more than the current system.
UV Lasers
As a practical alternative is not recommended because the light lasers produced is
monochromatic and does not disperse. Its high cost of $350 per bulb only cures an area
of 52 X 90mm. However, a complete system on the market with both the laser and
optics components to control the laser has a grand cost of $10,000, which is far more
than the current system.
Motorized Curing System
This approach is feasible and recommended to reduce the cost of expanding the curing
system. However, it will take a longer time to cure the same amount of area as
compared to the 8-lamps arrangement approach. Therefore, the decision for
implementing this approach is left to the client to decide, based on the trade-off
between time and cost.
Testing Approach Considerations
The team has performed several tests on the existing UV curing system in order to gain
a better understanding of how each of the major components operate. It was with this
knowledge the team was better able to fully understand any alternatives and additions
to the system. Some of the major tests performed included:
1. Testing of the UV filter glass
2. Current and voltage measurements of the transformer
3. Light intensity testing with a photometer on existing system
4. Observations of the effects of adding lenses to the system
For testing of the UV filter glass, the team has taken the filter glass from the current
23
system to find out its characteristics at the Applied Science Center. Professor Vikram
Dalal was responsible of supervising the usage of the apparatus there. The figure below
shows the results from this testing.
Figure 17 – Testing Result of the Filter Glass
As can be seen in the figure above, the team discovered that the filter glass reduces the
output energy of the UV light by only 10% and will continue to use this glass.
The group next tested the currents and voltages of the existing system components.
24
Using standard metering devices found in the lab, measurements were taken on the
existing system when it is initially turned on and while the system was normally
operating. These measurements included:
1. Voltage across the bulb
2. Current input to the transformer
3. Current output from the transformer
The charts below show the results from the testing. The actual numbers found from
testing can be located in the testing spreadsheet in the appendix.
Input & Output Current vs. Time
7.0
6.0
4.0
Input
Current
3.0
Output
Current
2.0
1.0
54
0
45
0
36
0
31
0
28
0
25
0
22
0
19
0
16
0
13
0
70
10
0
50
35
5
20
0.0
0
Current (amps)
5.0
Time (seconds)
Figure 18 – Input & output Current vs Time
25
Output Voltage vs. Time
120.000
Voltage (volts)
100.000
80.000
Output
Voltage
60.000
40.000
20.000
3600
2400
1200
960
720
540
420
320
280
240
200
160
120
80
50
30
10
0
0.000
Time (seconds)
Figure 19 – Output Voltage vs Time
The team obtained a Lux-meter to test the intensity of UV on the surface of the paint.
With that, the team accurately determined the intensity required to cure the 16in.
diameter. According to the diagram below, the intensity reduces a lot from the center of
the curing spot to the fringes of the region. If the area after 8 inches can be accumulated
and intensified, the area cured by the system can be increased. Please note that the
Lux-meter used tested light intensity of visible wavelengths, which differs from the
wavelengths of ultraviolet light.
Intensity vs. Displacement
Intensity (W/m^2)
10
8
6
10in From Surface
4
16in From Surface
2
0
-9
-6
-3
0
3
6
9
Displacement from center
Figure 20 – Intensity vs Displacement
26
Approach selected
After reviewing all of the alternatives and conducting testing on both the alternatives
and the existing system, the team has selected to continue to use the existing system and
expand upon it. The team has decided that a curing system using 8 of the existing UV
lamps will provide for the desired curing area at the lowest cost.
Detailed Design
Current System
Since the proposed system is to be an expansion of the existing system, the following
section will describe in detail the parts used for the current system. A circuit diagram
for the system can also be found below in figure 21. This figure is a scan sent to the
group by Autoshot. Additional circuit diagrams as sent by Autoshot are included in the
appendix, along with some pictures the group has taken of the current system.
As can be seen in the table listed on the next page, Table 1-2, there are a number of
components used to build the system manufactured by Autoshot. The major
components used for the circuit include a switch, an hour meter, an autotransformer,
and a UV lamp. These components, along with the additional ones necessary for the
system to operate, are listed in the table along with their part numbers.
27
Figure 21 - A Circuit Diagram for the Current System
28
Table 1-2 Components Used in Current System
Part
UV Lamp
# Used Manufacturer
1 MH-Strahler Bulb
Specifications
400W/in
120V
4 Amps
Part Num
BQ-400E
45006363
Autotransfer
120V/120V
3.8Amps
MO400-71C-611
Transformer
1 Howard Industries
Capacitor
1 Parallax Power Components 330V
26uF
005-4048-P
Lamp Ignitor
1 Howard Industries
ST 1001
E-200-S59
Lamp reflector
1
Cone-shaped
Aluminum
Filter Glass
1
Size:
Control Box
1 H&S Autoshot
Steel Box
Hour Meter on front
Lamp Box
1 H&S Autoshot
Steel Box
Open Front
Cable, Control Box to Lamp Box
1
6 Ft
18/4?
C-113688
Cable, Power Cord
1
CT2-LL39965
Fan
1 Orion
6 Ft
14/3
115V
Snap Switch
1 McGill
125V
On/Off Switch
1 Eaton
125V
22A
Lighted
E4793
2603-1150
E-2702
2600HR11E
Hour Meter
1 Fritz Kubler
100-130V
7 Amps
60Hz
Type H57
E-128604
Internal Wiring
1
Listed by feet
FFA-14(19)-600-BLUE
-
OA80AP-11-1WB
29
Proposed System
Expansion of Current System
After researching of alternatives and testing of the existing system (as can be found in
the Approaches Used section of this document), it was determined that an expansion
using the parts and components of the existing system would be the best approach. By
using a combination of 8 lamps, the group can achieve the goal of curing an area of 3 by
4 feet. The figure below shows the arrangement to cure approximately 3 by 4 feet.
Figure 22 – Area Cured by 8 Lamps System
The yellow circles in the figure above indicate the 16 inches of curing provided by each
lamp. Dotted circles just outside the yellow circles indicate the extra inch of fringes of
curing. The team believes that these fringes can add together to provide for curing equal
to the curing provided by the circles. The dotted box in the figure above indicates the
area that will be positively cured by the curing device. The red triangles in between the
30
circles are areas that the team is uncertain of curing.
With 8 lamps, a much greater current draw is to be expected on the circuit. According to
the group’s research, each lamp needs approximately 5 amps to start lamp operation
and 3.6 amps to operate the lamp continuously. Taking these values times 8, the group
has found that starting all 8 lamps at the same time will require a 40 amps, and to
operate continuously the system will need 28.8 amps. Therefore the group recommends
starting each of the lamps individually and installing a separate 30 amp, 120 volt
service for the curing system. The figure below shows a sample circuit diagram for
running 8 lamps.
Figure 23 - Sample Circuit Diagram for Running 8 Lamps
As can be seen in the figure above, an individual control box is to be constructed to
control all 8 of the lamps. The ballasts and the hour meter for each lamp will be housed
in a separate ballast box that will plug into this control box. A master off and on switch
will be used to control the whole system and each lamp will have an individual control
31
switch to control its operation. The team recommends that all switches be in the off
position at the time the master switch is turned on, and that each lamp be turned on one
by one with a minimum of 5 seconds interval between each of them.
Timers can be incorporated into the control box for sequentially starting the operation
of each lamp and controlling how long each individual lamp is on. This will help to
automate the curing process a bit more. Also, this will keep the circuit for the entire
curing system from being overloading from accidentally starting the operation of all 8
lamps at the same time. The team has not looked into timers and their operation at this
time, but it is certainly a thought to be taken into account when implementing future
systems.
32
Resources and Schedules
Resources Requirement
Table 1-3a shows the estimated efforts for each team member. Table 1-3b shows the
revised efforts in hours that each team member made during the first semester. The
numbers of hours are not the same, since every member put different amounts of time in
working on the project. This is due to the variations such as: class schedule, other
projects that team members are working on, and weekly availability of the team
members.
Table 1-3a Original Estimated Personnel Efforts Requirements
Team Members
Ng Sui Kwan
Ong Vincent
Sidharta Raymond
Vetter Joseph L
Total
Project
Plan
17
18
16
18
69
Project
Poster
18
15
17
16
66
Project
Design
16
17
18
16
67
Project
Research
21
23
22
22
88
Prototype
Construction
17
17
15
19
68
Estimated
Effort
89
90
88
91
358
Table 1-3b Revised Personnel Efforts Requirements
Team Members
Ng Sui Kwan
Ong Vincent
Sidharta Raymond
Vetter Joseph L
Total
Project
Plan
20
23
19
20
82
Project
Poster
9
8
10
10
37
Project
Design
16
14
19
15
64
Project
Research
28
30
26
30
114
Prototype
Construction
0
0
0
0
0
Revised
Effort
73
75
74
75
297
Table 1-3c Final (actual) Personnel Efforts Requirements
Team Members
Ng Sui Kwan
Ong Vincent
Sidharta Raymond
Vetter Joseph L
Total
Project
Poster
9
8
10
10
37
Project
Design
18
16
21
17
72
Project
Research
50
54
49
51
204
Project
Testing
13
13
11
11
48
Project
Documentation
40
42
41
44
167
Actual
Effort
130
133
132
133
528
Table 1-3c shows the actual efforts that each team member made. Project plan and final
design report are combined in the project documentation. More research was done
during the second semester, along with project testing.
33
Table 1-4a lists all the estimated costs that will be needed in order to implement the
project. All the numbers are not fixed, and they can change as the project progresses.
Table 1-4b lists all the revised costs that were spent during the first semester of the
project.
Table 1-4a Original Estimated Other Required Resources
Item
Team
Other
Estimated
Hours
Hours
Costs
Equipment, such as: transformer,
$2000
lamps, etc.
Project Poster
66
0
$100
Project Implementation
88
0
$150
Project Documentation
135
0
$50
Total
$2300
Table 1-4b Revised Other Required Resources
Item
Team
Other
Hours
Hours
Equipment, such as: transformer,
lamps, etc.
Project Poster
37
0
Project Implementation
0
0
Project Documentation
144
0
Total
Revised
Costs
$374
(Donated)
$47.69
$150
$4.96
$202.65
Table 1-4c Final (actual) Other Required Resources
Item
Team
Other
Actual
Hours
Hours
Costs
Equipment, such as: transformer,
$374
lamps, etc.
(Donated)
Project Poster
37
0
$47.69
Project Implementation
0
0
$0.00
Project Testing Equipment, such as: 48
0
$65.00
lux meter, Fresnel lens, convex lens
(Donated)
Project Documentation
167
0
$9.92
Total
$57.61
The team did some testing for the project, and the cost of it is described in Table 1-4.
34
Table 1-5a shows the estimated costs for the project. It lists the costs with or without
labor. The labor rate is fixed and will be maintained throughout the progress of the
project. Table 1-5b shows the revised project costs. It shows the actual money that was
spent during the first semester of the project.
During the second semester, the hours spent to carry out the project increased, which
also caused an increase in labor and total cost. The actual project cost is described in
Table 1-5c.
Table 1-5a Original Estimated Project Costs
Item
W/O Labor
With Labor
Parts and materials
Lamps
$275.00
$275.00
Transformers
$99.00
$99.00
Miscellaneous parts
$25.00
$25.00
Poster
$50.00
$50.00
$449.00
$449.00
Subtotal
Labor with $10.30 per hour
$916.70
Ng Sui Kwan
$927
Ong Vincent Wen-Yuan
Sidharta Raymond
$906.40
Vetter Joseph L
$937.30
Subtotal
$3687.40
Total
$4136.40
35
Table 1-5b Revised Project Costs
Item
W/O Labor
With Labor
Parts and materials
Lamps
Donated
Donated
Transformers
Donated
Donated
Miscellaneous parts
Donated
Donated
$4.96
$4.96
$47.69
$47.69
$52.65
$52.65
Documentation (printing)
Poster
Subtotal
Labor with $10.30 per hour
Ng Sui Kwan
$751.90
Ong Vincent Wen-Yuan
$772.50
Sidharta Raymond
$762.20
Vetter Joseph L
$772.50
Subtotal
$3059.10
Total
$3111.75
Table 1-5c Final (actual) Project Costs
Item
W/O Labor
With Labor
Parts and materials
Lamps
Donated
Donated
Transformers
Donated
Donated
Miscellaneous parts
Donated
Donated
$9.92
$9.92
$47.69
$47.69
$57.61
$57.61
Documentation (printing)
Poster
Subtotal
Labor with $10.30 per hour
$1339
Ng Sui Kwan
Ong Vincent Wen-Yuan
$1369.90
Sidharta Raymond
$1359.60
Vetter Joseph L
$1369.90
Subtotal
$5438.40
Total
$5496.01
36
Schedule
Figure 24a shows the schedule describing the timeline of major tasks and subtasks. The
team has followed the schedule as listed. The black lines indicate our progress as
compared to the original schedule planned. The team has completed the final design of
the product, the results of all findings and a recommendation to the client as listed.
Figure 24a - Gantt Chart of Major Tasks and Subtasks
37
Figure 24b shows the schedule describing the timeline of major tasks and project
deliverables. The black lines indicate our progress as compared to the original schedule
planned. The team completed the scheduled deliverables for the whole project as listed.
Figure 24b - Gantt Chart of Project Deliverables
38
Project Evaluation
Research of All Possible Alternatives
100%
Research of all possible alternatives has been 100% completed. Everything with the
slightest connection to what the team is doing has been thoroughly researched upon and
its findings documented. These cover powering 2 or more lamps via 1 transformer,
using UV LEDs, using UV lasers, modifying the reflectors, modifying the lenses,
incorporating a Fresnel lens, incorporating a stepper motor, and using an electronic
ballast.
Testing of Existing Components
100%
All parts of the system have been thoroughly tested in order to understand its
characteristics and the way it functions. The filter glass, UV lamp intensity, voltage and
current in various parts of the system have all been tested and its findings documented.
New Parts Ordering
55%
Most of our parts came from our client and university resources. The team contacted
various clients for various different technologies and most of the specialized products
are not for sale unless they are bought in large quantities. Therefore, the new parts of
the system have not and will not be ordered until the price of components drop.
Testing of New System
40%
Testing of the new system could not be done as the team found that powering two lamps
by a single transformer is not feasible. As for running the lamps in series, only an
electronic ballast can give such micro second precision in igniting the lamps
simultaneously, but such a ballast does not exist at this time.
Final Design Documentation
100%
A final design of possible methods to be implemented has been drawn up. These
include using a stepper motor, an electronic ballast or an 8 lamp system. The team
recommends implementing these systems as the most feasible one given the current
economical constraints.
39
Commercialization
The table below lists the individual parts necessary for the proposed system. Please
note that most of the existing parts will be used for the new system.
Table 1-6 Components Used in Proposed 8 Lamp System
Part
UV Lamp
# Used Manufacturer
8 MH-Strahler Bulb
Specifications
400W/in
120V
4 Amps
Part Num
BQ-400E
45006363
Autotransfer
120V/120V
3.8Amps
MO400-71C-611
Transformer
8 Howard Industries
Capacitor
Lamp Ignitor
8 Parallax Power Components 330V
26uF
8 Howard Industries
ST 1001
Lamp reflector
8
Filter Glass
8
Ballast Box
8 H&S Autoshot
Control Box
Lamp Box
1
8 H&S Autoshot
Cable, Control Box to Lamp Box
8
6 Ft
18/4
C-113688
Cable, Power Cord
1
CT2-LL39965
Fan
8 Orion
6 Ft
10/3
115V
Snap Switch
1 McGill
125V
On/Off Switch
8 Eaton
Master On/Off Switch
Hour Meter
1
8 Fritz Kubler
125V
22A
Lighted
125V
40A
100-130V
7 Amps
60Hz
Type H57
E4793
2603-1150
E-2702
2600HR11E
Internal Wiring
-
005-4048-P
E-200-S59
Cone-shaped
Aluminum
Size:
-
Steel Box
Hour Meter on front
Steel Box
Open Front
Listed by feet
OA80AP-11-1WB
E-128604
FFA-14(19)-600-BLUE
40
Table 1-7 Cost for the 8 Lamps System
8 lamps
$34.88 x 8 = $279.04
8 reflectors
$38.13 x 8 = $305.04
8 ballasts
$30.50 x 8 = $244.00
Master Switch
$5.00
Master Control Box
$15.00
New Power cord
$20.00
Housings for lamps, ballast (inc. fans)
Total for new system
Reselling price
$100
$968.08
$1,600.00
The table above lists the breakdown of costs involved to develop a full 8 lamp system
which can cure 3 X 4 feet.
An extensive inquiry and research process was done to find if there are any competitors
out there marketing the same product. It was found that a company in UK is selling a
similar multi lamp UV curing system curing only 1.3 ft X 1.3 ft for the cost of
₤2,950.00 ($4,978.36 USD). Therefore it is extremely profitable should the current
design of the product be produced and marketed.
Potentially, the product is marketable to any auto body shop interested in reducing the
time to cure paint of their customers’ cars. They have been identified as the main
market to be targeted.
Recommendations for Additional Work
Prototype Construction and Testing
The group did not construct or test a working prototype for the 8 lamp curing system at
the time of project completion. Due to this, it is uncertain what the exact curing area is
that can be cured. Building a prototype would allow for testing to find the proper size
for curing area and also bring out any flaws in the design of the system.
41
Transformer
As stated earlier, if a manufacturer were to come out with an 800 watt - two winding
transformer with two 400 watt outputs that is cheaper than two individual 400 watt
transformers, then it is recommended that this type of transformer be purchased. This is
due to fact that a single transformer can be installed in one control box for two lamps,
versus two control boxes for two lamps
Electronic Ballast
The group have all the specification they need to produce electronic ballast; however,
no companies are making it inexpensively in the market. The estimated cost for one
electronic ballast would about 6-12 times as much as the current transformer.
However, in the future, if the price would drop to no more than 2 times as much as the
current transformer, the team is highly recommend purchasing the electronic ballast
instead of the current transformer, since it is much smaller and lighter in weight in order
to reduce shipping cost.
Convex lenses
The group found that using convex lenses can focus the fringes in order to increase the
curing area by 2 inches diameter. However, a 9mm diameter UV convex lens would
cost around $86.00, and need around 140 lenses, so the total cost would be $12,040.
If the price of lenses would drop dramatically in the future, the team would recommend
adding on some lenses to the current system.
UV Fresnel Lenses
The intensity of the curing area from the current system is un-even - the intensity in the
center of the curing area is much higher than that in the edge of that area. In order to
even the intensity and increase the curing area, the team recommends putting a Fresnel
Lenses in front of the filter glass, which is just the same kind of lenses use on a normal
projector.
However, the team is not sure when the UV Fresnel Lenses would available in the
market, and they are not sure about the price too.
Moveable Curing System
The group would like to use micro controllers and motors to control the movement of a
group of UV lamps as well as the curing processing. The design would have 4 lamps
line up on the same column, and computer would control that column of lamps to shift
42
every 2 minutes so that even big items like a hood would cure automatically.
That design may increase the cost of the whole system, but it would reduce the labor
used to move the lamps every two minutes; additionally that system may also be sold as
an add-on product when customers are buying 4 or more lamps. The figure below
shows an example of a curing system using 3 moving UV curing lamps.
Figure 25 - Example of a Curing System Using 3 Moving UV Curing Lamps
UV LED
UV LED curing system would be the best curing system to go for when it become
available in the market. UV LEDs are small in size, light in weight, and their life is
many times greater than a MPMA lamp. LEDs can be clustered to obtain a desired
curing area.
43
Lessons Learned
The team learned valuable lessons while conducting the project.
What went well:
- The team communication and interaction
- Variety of ideas were able to be delivered
- The team time management and organization
What did not go well:
-
Building the prototype due to time and budget constraints
Understanding the desired project result
What technical knowledge was gained:
- Power consumptions and applications
- More understanding of basic circuit devices applications, such as: lamps,
transformers, capacitors, LED
- Magnetic and electronic ballast information
What non-technical knowledge was gained:
-
UV laser applications
UV safety procedure
Communication with clients and suppliers
What the team would do if the team had to do the project over again:
The team would have liked to have had a better understanding of what the
desired result for the project was. By the team it was agreed upon that a
prototype is to be built, it was too late to do so. The team feels that far too much
time was spent on researching alternatives that are not feasible in the immediate
future.
44
Risks and Risk Managements
Several anticipated risks that may occur during the project, and the actions the team
would make to correct them:

Loss of team member(s)
- The team put all the documentations at a central location, such as web
server

Late arrival of parts and equipment
- This is anticipated by ordering parts in advance
-
Alternatives companies are also considered just in case of failure of one
company

Equipment damage
- Back up equipment is kept in order to replace damaged items

Missing deadlines
- The team is required to be organized and a schedule must be followed
The team did not encounter any of these anticipated potential risks. However, to be safe
the team regularly updated a web server with important documents and took care when
handling the curing system parts.
Some of the unanticipated risks encountered by the team include:

Unable to find an electronic ballast manufacturer
- Discard the idea of using electronic ballast, but documented all the
possible solutions using electronic ballast in the future.

Unable to find a two winding transformer manufacturer
- Documented all the possible solutions using a two winding transformer
for future use, if and when it is available on the market
Resultant changes in the team’s risk management included creating several back up
ideas in case a suitable manufacturer was not found for system components and
documenting reasons why approaches were not feasible.
45
Project Team Information
Client
H&S Autoshot, Inc.
Attn: Dave Lenz,
Operations Manager
1318 Max Joseph Road
P.O. Box 623
Centerville, IA 53544
(641) 856-8968 (voice)
Faculty advisors
John W. Lamont
324 Town Engineering
Building
Electrical and
Computer Engineering
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Team Members
Sui Kwan Ng (EE)
245 North Hyland #204
Ames, IA 50014
Phone: (515) 441-0228
E-mail:
[email protected]
(641) 856-8968 (fax)
E-mail:
[email protected]
Phone: (515) 294-3600
Fax: (515) 294-6760
E-mail:
Vincent Wen-Yuan Ong
(EE)
233 North Sheldon Ave
[email protected]
#22
Ames, IA 50014
Phone: (515) 460-2703
Ralph E. Patterson
326 Town Engineering
Building
Electrical and
Computer Engineering
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Phone: (515) 294-2428
Fax: (515) 294-6760
E-mail:
[email protected]
Glenn G. Hillesland
1111 Coover Hall
Electrical and
Computer Engineering
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Phone: (515) 294-7678
E-mail:
[email protected]
E-mail:
[email protected]
Raymond Sidharta (EE)
123 Sheldon #21
Ames, IA 50014
Phone: (515) 268-9645
E-mail:
[email protected]
Joseph L. Vetter (EE)
308 Village Dr.
Ames, IA 50014
Phone: (515) 451-3271
E-mail:
[email protected]
46
Closing Summary
The goal of this project was to expand the surface area of an object to be cured by a UV
light system for H&S Autoshot. This was to be done using a minimum of new
components and with a minimum of power consumption. Any possible ways of doing
this were explored and the best method was selected. Research was done on the existing
components to see if any additional parts could be added to the system. Research was
also done on alternatives such as LED lamps, UV lasers, lenses, UV filter glasses, and
electronic ballasts to see if they could be incorporated into the final design.
After all of the research and test results were compiled, ideas for a final design were
composed. The final design was constructed from these ideas based on choosing the
best possible components and technologies that research has made apparent. The final
design of this project consists of a report informing Autoshot of which components to
be used and how to properly integrate them into their paint-curing product. Autoshot’s
end product built from this design shall be relatively inexpensive compared to other
alternative technologies, easy to use, and easy to transport, while still serving its
purpose.
47
References
The UV lamps curing technology:
http://www.radtech.org/uv_eb/myths.html
http://www.primarcuv.com/primarcuv/aboutuv.htm.
The UV LED curing system information:
http://www.uvprocess.com/products/led_cure-all.asp
UV lamps information (prices, lamps life, schematic, power consumption):
http://www.neu-tech.net/UVCuringLamps.htm
http://www.primarcuv.com/primarcuv/estimator.htm
http://www.hanovia-uv.com/catalog7.html
Transformers information:
http://www.summit.com/Industry-resources/Industry_techinfo/lamp-ballasts.html
http://www.advancetransformer.com/literature/pdf/HID_Pocket_Guide.pdf
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/lighting.html#c2
UV and IR reflectors:
http://www.miltec.com/UV_Reflectors.htm#Reflector%20Liner
http://www.radtech-europe.com/uvcuringgawg.html
http://www.dotrix.be/products_technologies/technologies_uv_curing.asp
Electronic ballasts:
http://medielectronics.com/htmlfiles/electronicballast.htm
http://www.nictec.com/ballasts.html
http://www.ballastdesign.com/index.shtml
http://www.kaj.dk/electronic-ballast.htm
http://www.digitalballast.com/
http://www.advancetransformer.com/dynavision/
Stepper motor:
http://www.eio.com/jasstep.htm#operation
http://www.eio.com/jasstep.htm#sources
http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/stepper.htm
48
Appendices
Figure A.1 Current Transformer Nameplate
49
Figure A.2 Current System Schematics
50
Figure A.3 Advance Transformer Specification Sheet
51
Figure A.4 Lamp and Reflector
Figure A.5 Transformer and Components
52
Figure A.6 Transformer and Components
53
The following document was sent to the team by Randy Freeman, an engineer for
Howard Industries. It was from this report that a great deal of information was gained
about the existing transformer used, and about transformers and ballast kits in general.
Running two lamps on a single standard ballast is not possible. A standard ballast only
has one secondary or output coil. (Figure A.7) I will be describing a 400-Watt Metal
Halide Standard Lamp and Ballast (Non-Pulse Start Lamp), for the example below.
Mercury Lamps work the same as Metal Halide Lamps, with the exception that they
require less open Circuit Voltage To Start.
Figure A.7 - A standard ballast
If two lamps were put onto this circuit in parallel (Figure A.8) both lamps would see the
Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) of approximately 300 Volts RMS and 580 Volts Peak at the
same time, but most likely one is going to strike before the other. Once this happens the
output voltage of the ballast is going to drop to nearly 0 until the lamp comes up to full
brilliance. Once the first lamps comes up to full brilliance the output voltage of the
ballast will be approximately 135 Volts RMS. For this lamp to start it takes an OCV of
approximately 300 Volts RMS and a Peak Volt between 540 – 600 Volts. (This Higher
Peak Voltage is archived by putting a slot in the steel under the Secondary coil.) So,
therefore the 2nd lamp would never come on.
54
Figure A.8 – Two Laps in Parallel
If two lamps were put onto this circuit in series (Figure A.9)
Figure A.9 – Two Lamps in Series
55
But, before I go into this circuit I will need to explain a little on the lamp (Figure A.10).
The lamp consists of 3 pins. Pins 1 and 3 are on the same side of the gas tube, about ½
inch apart from one another. Pin 3 is connected to Pin 2 through a resistor. Pin 2 is on
the other side of the gas tube. When the ballast is energized the OCV is seen between
Pin 1 and Pin 3 of the lamp (at this point Pin 1 and Pin 3 is the path of least resistance).
This OCV of about 300 Volts causes an arc between Pin 1 and Pin 3. This arc will
excite the gases inside the gas tube causing the path of least resistance for current to be
between Pin 1 and Pin 2.
At this point the lamp has started and will take
approximately 10 minutes to get up to full brilliance.
With the lamps connected in series the OCV of the ballast will between Pin 1 of Lamp 1
and Pin 3 of Lamp 2. Therefore neither lamp will start.
Figure A.10 – MPMA Lamp
The only way to Power 2 lamps is to have a Ballast constructed with 2 Secondary Coils
and 2 output caps (Figure A.11). In this circuit the lamps will be running in the same
phase, but independently from one other. Each Secondary Coil Would has to have slot
in the steel under them.
56
Figure A.11 – New System Could Drive Two Lamps
You would only need a starter if you were trying to run a Pulse Start Lamp. A Pulse
Start Lamp is just like the lamp in Figure A.10, except it only has Pin 1 and Pin 2. So, it
takes a much higher Voltage to cause an arc to excite the gases, usually between 3000
to 4000 Volts Peak.
A typical Ignitor or Starter, is constructed of 1each capacitor (usually between .1 and .5
uF), 1 each Power Resistor (usually between 6 to 20 K ohms), 1 each sidac (Voltage
Break Over (VBO) 240 – 265 Volts Peak), 1 each Inductor (55 mH), and 1 each bleed
off
resistor
(470
Kohms)
(Figure
A.12).
57
Figure A.12 - Typical Ignitor
There are 2 main differences in the construction of a Pulse Start Ballast as compared to
a standard non-pulse start ballast. (Figure A.13) The first difference is the placement
of the output capacitor. It is moved from the output of the secondary to the connection
point between the primary and secondary. This is done so that the ignitor pulse will not
get across the output capacitor. The output capacitor will not be able to handle 3000 –
4000 Volt for very long. The “CAP” lead on the finish of the secondary is then replaced
by a “LAMP” lead. The “CAP” lead is moved to the start of the secondary. The
second difference is the “X3” connection on the secondary. The “X3” is a tap on the
secondary that is approximately 35 turns from the Lamp lead. The total turns on the
secondary are about 445.
Figure A.13 – System with Pulse Start Ballast
The key thing that makes the Ignitor work in the circuit is the sidac. The sidac works
like a switch, with it normal mode being an open. When the sidac see a peak voltage of
it VBO it becomes a short. The sidac will stay a short until the it falls below it’s holding
current (typically 50 mA), at which time it will become an open again until the next half
cycle reaches it’s VBO.
The sidac is connected to the X3 of the Ballast. When the ballast is energized the open
circuit voltage is applied between lamp and common or neutral. The capacitor in the
lamp lead is then charged up until the OCV reaches the VBO of the sidac, at which time
58
the sidac becomes a short and the capacitor discharges between the lamp lead and the
X3 lead. At this time the Lamp to X3 act like the primary of a step up transformer and
the X3 to COM acts like the Secondary of the step up transformer. The pulse can be
measured at between the lamp lead and the COM lead. This must be done with a
Oscilloscope with a 1000 time voltage probe. The resulting pulse can be calculated by
the following formula:
Pulse = OCV + (VBO x (1+N1/N2) x k)
OCV = Open Circuit Output Voltage
VBO = Break Over Voltage of Sidac
N1 = total turns on Secondary
N2 = Turns X3 to Lamp
K = coil coupling factor – as N2 goes down the k will normally go down as well. K is
usually between 0.5 to 0.9, but I have seen them as low as 0.25
An example would:
OCV = 270
VBO = 245
N1 = 465
N2 = 32
K = .85
Pulse = 270 + (245 x (465/32) x .85
Pulse = 3504 Volts
Not sure what you mean by household transformers. If you mean one that you put 120
in and get 2 separate 240 volts out, this will not work. First off, it will probably not
have enough OCV to kick over the lamp. If you were able to get the lamp to start with
this type of transformer (maybe by using an inductive kick ignitor), the transformer
would not be able to limit the amount of current that the lamp is looking for, therefore
over drive the lamp and burning it out.
One key thing about all magnetic ballast that I have not discussed is the shunts. See
Figure A.14. The shunts are laminated steel placed between the primary and secondary.
They are used to steer the proper amount of current to the secondary.
59
Figure A.14 - Shunts
Figure A.15 shows the physical details of a 2 secondary ballast as in figure A.11.
60
Figure A.15 - Physical Details of a 2 Secondary Ballast
Hope this helps,
Randy E. Freeman
Engineering Lab Manager
Howard Industries, Inc.
Magnetic Ballast Division
Phone 601-847-6199
Fax 601-847-6105
Email [email protected]
61
Table A.1 – Current and Voltage Testing
Dec03-03 Current and Voltage Testing
Performed 9/23/2003
Time
Time
Input
Voltage
Output
Voltage
Input
Current
Output
Current
X3
Voltage
(sec)
0
1
2
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
200
210
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310
320
330
360
390
(min)
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.8
0.9
1.0
1.2
1.3
1.5
1.7
1.8
2.0
2.2
2.3
2.5
2.7
2.8
3.0
3.2
3.3
3.5
3.7
3.8
4.0
4.2
4.3
4.5
4.7
4.8
5.0
5.2
5.3
5.5
6.0
6.5
(volts)
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
(volts)
0.000
0.000
0.000
14.300
15.700
16.700
17.500
17.900
20.300
20.300
27.600
27.600
37.300
37.300
46.400
59.800
79.900
87.300
92.300
96.900
100.300
102.900
104.800
105.900
106.600
106.900
106.975
106.920
106.850
106.780
106.688
106.590
106.500
106.430
106.337
106.283
106.214
106.130
106.060
105.980
105.900
105.834
105.661
105.515
(amps)
0.0
5.0
4.0
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
3.0
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
(amps)
0.0
6.2
5.5
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.1
4.1
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
(volts)
0.000
28.000
27.000
27.300
27.400
28.200
29.900
32.000
34.000
39.000
47.000
50.000
55.000
66.000
76.000
87.000
93.000
98.000
100.000
101.000
101.400
101.500
101.600
101.600
101.500
101.522
101.490
101.415
101.379
101.349
101.318
101.301
101.287
101.250
101.228
101.190
101.175
101.151
101.120
101.090
101.600
101.018
101.056
101.018
62
420
450
480
510
540
570
600
660
720
780
840
900
960
1020
1080
1140
1200
1500
1800
2100
2400
2700
3000
3300
3600
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
10.0
11.0
12.0
13.0
14.0
15.0
16.0
17.0
18.0
19.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
50.0
55.0
60.0
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
115
105.385
105.285
105.197
105.114
105.009
104.889
104.835
104.713
104.608
104.528
104.468
104.423
104.368
104.358
104.389
104.365
104.319
104.063
103.777
103.593
103.373
103.209
102.408
101.937
101.547
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
3.8
100.983
100.979
100.995
100.978
100.993
100.981
100.898
63
Electronic Ballast Information Resources
The following companies and individuals listed below deal with electronic ballasts
used for a variety of different bulb types, specifically HID lamps. Unfortunately at this
time none are manufacturing a suitable electronic ballast to operate an MPMA lamp.
http://medielectronics.com/htmlfiles/electronicballast.htm
http://www.nictec.com/ballasts.html
http://www.ballastdesign.com/index.shtml
http://www.kaj.dk/electronic-ballast.htm
http://www.digitalballast.com/
64
E-mail responses from client and companies
Kissak Sarajian ([email protected])
www.epsi.com
Mar. 11th, 2003
Dear Brian
We are in a masking business, and we would like to help your group in any possible
way for your,
" research on UV lamp curing systems for H&S Autoshot in Iowa, need details on UV
lamps and the transformers, UV curing systems"
Your findings and effect of masking on production line is a compliment of our work and
we would like to be part of your findings and effect of any masking.
The high spot of heat and concentration of heat in certain areas are some problems in
production.
We offer our help for any findings you might need.
Please visit our website http://www.epsi.com and if you need any samples of no charge
to you or your school for your research program feel free to call.
Kind regards
Kissak Sarajian
65
Mark Novotny ([email protected])
www.nordson.com
Mar. 11th, 2003
Brian,
A good source of info regarding UV is the Radtech organization
www.radtech.org
Best Regards,
Mark Novotny
66
Gerald Heydt ([email protected])
Arizona State University
Nov. 3rd, 2003
No -- I have not heard of those high voltage types. You might contact the
Phillips Corporation in the Netherlands -- they make a very large number of things like
this. They must have a web site.
Oct. 22nd, 2003
Ng -- I have not heard of a 4000 V ballast. 40 W 120 V ballast in the USA cost
commercially about 3 US dollars. Probably in volume this is less than 1$.
Oct. 15th, 2003
I am sure that there are electronic ballasts well into the kilowatt range. I would use the
120 W design with values scaled up to accommodate 400 W.
I have not worked with mercury arc lamps -- but -- there are some excellent books on
illumination and lighting. And they would give you generic circuits.
Conventional fluorescent lamps start at about 1000 V and so probably electronic
ballasts for mercury arc lamps would have similar ballasts. You need to find out what
voltage is needed to start these lamps.
Without going to the library and looking this up, this is about all I can say.
Good luck in the project.
67
Paul Jackson ([email protected])
www.uv-light.co.uk
Oct. 22nd, 2003
Dear Brian,
Thank you for your enquiry. Please find following the answers to your questions.
1. All the technical information and specification for both systems can be found on
the website site. Please visit www.uv-light.co.uk.With each product you will
see a more product information button. This is where you will find the
information.
2. With regards to the amount of UV energy from the two systems please advice as
to what UV lamp you are currently using? What type and wattage is it?
3. With answer to question three each UV system we sell has its own lamp and it is
own power supply.
required.
Sometimes we build them into a single enclosure if
4. The type of bulb that you use in your system depends on the chemistry of your
materials. Please send details of your material.
5. With regards to the filter chooses please see the website www.uv-light.co.uk
and you will see the different transmitting ranges for the filter glasses.
6. The 50% to 100% switch able power is when the units switches power of each
lamp from 50% to 100%
7. The curing area of the UV systems is on the website www.uv-light.co.uk under
the product information for each system.
Please send me your full contact details. Perhaps you could ring me on 0044 121 423
2000 so we can discuss your application further.
I will look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards
Paul Jackson
UV Light Technology Limited
The Light House
582-584 Hagley Road West
Birmingham, B68 0BS
68
Tel: 0121 423 2000, Fax: 0121 423 2050, Email: [email protected]
Website: www.uv-light.co.uk
Craig Poolman < [email protected]>
H&S Autoshot
Fri, 7 Nov 2003 11:12:23
The 4 head idea with a stepper motor sounds very innovative but I'm not sure that many
shops would have the room or want to pay the expense to do this. Your first idea of 8
heads would be feasible but are we still looking at separate transformers for each bulb?
The control box would have a large terminal block for the main power and feed each
transformer ballast kit from that. The market is very concerned about cost, this is
coming from the paint manufactures because the UV product is new and their paint can
not be cured unless the customer buys a lamp. If the lamp is too expensive and the shop
will not invest then they will not sell any product and Millions of dollars have gone into
formulating and testing these new paints. To start cost is the main concern.
Craig
Thursday, October 30, 2003 4:32 PM
Dear Craig,
Thank you for the update, it certainly provided us with a few leads. We do have a few
suggestions from our findings to present to you. We believe an electronic ballast used
with fluorescent lamps, possibly with an energy control system might be used in place
of the current system. Would you be familiar with this idea or tried it already in the
past? Would your supplier be interested in this different type of technology?
We think that also, with an 8 lamp system to cure a 3X4 feet area, there is a need for a
40-50A circuit built specifically for that. Thus, a few changes need be made for
example, using a 10-Copper extension cord/plug in for the unit, building a new specific
circuit, etc. Another suggestion would be to build a 4 lamp system that could be
automated to move after a certain time by using a stepper motor.
We'd like to know which of these 2 ideas you would prefer.
69
Regards,
Vincent Ong
Monday, October 13, 2003 13:05
Dear Senior Design Group:
I have reviewed your end product design report and feel you are doing a very good job.
I do have a few comments that I hope will help you. I find that you are investigating a
number of areas and would like to point out some you may not be able to change. The
current lamp you have is a cone reflector as you stated in your report, this has been
tested by engineers in Germany and the U.S. to provide the best output for the bulb we
are using. We have tested this bulb with other reflectors we manufactured but do not
increase the cure area. We have cured a 16 inch diameter circle with the unit you have.
Our objective is to bank a number of lights to cure a larger area. We have found that
UV different than IR will increase at the outer perimeter if another light is added. What
I mean is if we need a minimum of 10mw to cure UV paint and one lamp will cure 16
inches by adding another lamp beside it, we pick up output on the outer edges that
would not cure and gain a few more inches of curing. Hope I explained this well
enough. UV LED's will be the next step I to have not found and that generate enough
output to cure unless we our right on top of the product.
The main objective is to try and operate more than one lamp off of a single transformer
to save cost on a 2 or 4 headed lamp. This you already know. I called and talked to
Advance Transformer and found that their transformer only put out 3.5 volts and would
not provide enough output for our bulb to generate full power. They also were not
interested in developing a transformer and also said our bulb would need and ignitor.
Sincerely,
Craig Poolman
Thursday, September 18, 2003 11:31
70
We are getting you parts and information together but I need to verify, when you ask for
a curing unit that's a head and control box ready to plug in and run. I want to make sure
we are talking about the same thing; do you want a head with the reflector and bulb so
all you need to do is wire it to a control box to see if you can get 2 lamps to run on one
power service? Please verify the request for 1 more lamp. I will send information on
our bulb, along with an extra ignitor and ballast for your testing.
Craig
Wednesday, October 17, 2003 09:33
Vincent, our main objective of this project was to see if we could find or you develop a
transformer that would operate more than one lamp. The reason was so that we could
cure larger areas needing multiple heads. I have read some of the report but not all and
should let you know that the advanced transformer will not operate our lamp and it
would need an igniter. Below is a list of cost and the company phone numbers and
contacts as requested.
Heraeus BQ400E - 45006363 Metal Halide Lamp; Tom Evens (770-623-5630
ext.6237) price $34.88 each
Same UV reflector for 400 watt lamp price $38.13 each
Howard Industries, ballast kit MO400-71C-611; Jason Cook (601-847-6120)
price $30.50 each at 1,000 quantity
Tuesday, September 9, 2003
Vincent, how many actual units do you need? Just one and some extra parts?
I can pull all the vendor information for you and send you the parts once you let me
know.
Craig.
71
Laurent Hodges <[email protected]>
Physics Department, Iowa State University
Fri, 12 Sep 2003
I am not expert enough at lenses to be able to answer your question about the best type
of lens to use, or whether the lamp and its filament is part of the problem. You might
contact Keith Ver Steeg at mailto:[email protected] (he is a Lecturer in our
department, and particularly knowledgeable about optics). You might also find some
information online. For example, Edmund Scientific sells many types of lenses (and
other optical instrument), and they might have useful data on their web site.
Keith Ver Steeg
Physics Department, Iowa State University
[email protected]
I don't know what is causing the "star shaped" pattern of your beam, but most
inexpensive fresnel lenses are made out of plastic, which doesn't transmit well in the
UV. You might want to try a glass like BK7 which has a > 90% transmittance at
wavelengths >= 340nm.
*******************************************
Keith Ver Steeg, PhD
Iowa State University
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Room 12 Physics
294-0660
*******************************************
72
Sales at Nicollet <[email protected]>
www.nictec.com
Wed, 29 Oct 2003
We do not manufacture this class of electronic ballast. Check with Warner Power Inc.
----- Original Message ----From: Raymond Sidharta <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 5:46 PM
Subject: Electronic Ballast information
To whom it may concern,
We would like the contact information for an engineer in charge of >electronic ballasts.
We have a 400W MPMA pulse start lamp to be >powered and regulated by the
electronic ballast. Thank you.
Regards,
Raymond Sidharta
Ian Hiskens <[email protected]>
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Fri, 17 Oct 2003
Hi Raymond,
Unfortunately I cannot help you. You question is way out of my field of expertise.
Ian
At 03:31 PM 15/10/2003, you wrote:
Dear Prof. Hiskens,
My name is Raymond Sidharta, a senior in Electrical Engineering at Iowa State
University. My project advisors, Prof. John Lamont recommended your department at
73
your university for reference. Therefore, if you could give the information needed, I
would greatly appreciate it.
I am currently conducting a project on UV curing system. The main problem/goal for
this project is to expand the curing area, and we do that by increasing the number of UV
lamps. My question is, is it possible to power 2 UV lamps with only 1 transformer? If it
is, what type of transformer would be needed? The UV lamps that we use are 400 Watts
Medium Pressured Mercury Arc (MPMA) lamp. And that type of lamps needs a
pulse-start voltage of about 1000 - 3000 V.
I have contacted several transformer companies, and all of them said that it is not
possible to power 2 lamps with only 1 power supply, unless a new type of transformer is
created (which will cost more than what we want).
If you have any idea or suggestion, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you very much for your time.
Sincerely,
Raymond Sidharta
----------------------------------------------------------------------Assoc Prof Ian A. Hiskens,
| Ph: +1-608-261-1096
Dept of Electrical and Computer Engineering, | Fx: +1-608-262-5559
University of Wisconsin - Madison,
1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
http://energy.ece.uiuc.edu/hiskens
----------------------------------------------------------------------Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Phil 4:6
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
74
Patrick Chapman <[email protected]>
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne
Wed, 15 Oct 2003
Sir, I'm afraid I don't know. I've never worked with UV lamps, so I can't say why you
couldn't do with one transformer; I'm sure it is very special application. I wouldn't
expect the transformer manufacturer to know all the nuances.
-----Original Message----From: Raymond Sidharta [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2003 3:25 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: requesting information
Dear Prof. Chapman,
My name is Raymond Sidharta, a senior in Electrical Engineering at Iowa State
University. My project advisors, Prof. John Lamont recommended your department at
your university for reference. Therefore, if you could give the information needed, I
would greatly appreciate it.
I am currently conducting a project on UV curing system. The main problem/goal for
this project is to expand the curing area, and we do that by increasing the number of UV
lamps.
My question is, is it possible to power 2 UV lamps with only transformer? If it is, what
type of transformer would be needed?
The UV lamps that we use are 400 Watts Medium Pressured Mercury Arc (MPMA)
lamp. And that type of lamps needs a pulse-start voltage of about 1000 - 3000 V.
I have contacted several transformer companies, and all of them said that it is not
possible to power 2 lamps with only 1 power supply, unless a new type of transformer is
created (which will cost more than what we want).
If you have any idea or suggestion, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you very much for your time.
75
Sincerely,
Raymond Sidharta
Hiro Yano <[email protected]>
www.yoe-inc.com
Thu, 9 Oct 2003
Dear Mr. Raymond Sidharta:
Thank your for your e-mail.
Question => Would it be possible to use 2 of your UV lamps out of 1 power supply?
Answer ==> No. Each lamp requires each power supply.
Hiro Yano
YOE Inc.
----- Original Message ----From: "Raymond Sidharta" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 4:08 PM
Subject: Requesting information
Greetings,
My name is Raymond Sidharta, an electrical engineering senior from Iowa State
University. I am currently conducting a research and design project about UV lamps
and power supply. Right now, our current UV curing system uses 400 watts UV
Medium Pressure Mercury Arc Lamp that requires a pulse start ballast. We would like
to expand our curing system to include 2 lamps run of 1 power supply, but it is not
possible with a pulse start bulb. Would it be possible to use 2 of your UV lamps out of 1
power supply? We would like to stick in the 320 - 380 nm range.
Please send any information to this email address.
Thank you for your time,
76
Raymond Sidharta
[email protected]
Tom Evans <[email protected]>
www.heraeusnoblelight.com
Mon, 13 Oct 2003
Hi Raymond,
I do know that it is possible to power two lamps with one power supply but in all
honestly I am not sure how it is done. I will see if I can find out more info on this and
get back to you.
Thanks,
Tom
-----Original Message----From: Raymond Sidharta [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 9:17 AM
To: Evans, Tom
Subject: UV lamps questions (2)
Dear Tom,
Thank you for the reply. I am just wondering if it is possible to power 2 UV lamps
(either metal halide or metal vapor) with only 1 power supply?
My current project is to expand the system, i.e. use 2 lamps with only 1 power supply.
Moreover, will the intensity change if I change the type of UV lamps (does the metal
halide or metal vapor produce the same intensity as the medium pressure mercury arc
lamp?) I believe the current system has 2 Joule/cm^2.
Thank you very much for the help. I really appreciate it.
77
Sincerely,
Raymond Sidharta
Mon, 13 Oct 2003
Dear Raymond,
Yes we are familar with the unit you are working with for H&S Autoshot.
While the lamp you are working with is not a metal halide lamp we do make these
particular items. Please let me know if we can be of any help.
Kind regards,
Tom Evans
-----Original Message----From: Raymond Sidharta [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 3:25 PM
To: [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: UV lamps questions
Dear sir/madam,
We are from Iowa State University and currently are conducting a project regarding UV
curing system. We have some questions I need to ask.
Do your company make UV metal halide lamp or UV metal vapor lamp (both of these
lamps don't have a pulse start)?
The current lamp that we are using for our UV curing system is Heraeus 300 Watt UV
MPMA (Medium Pressure Mercury Arc) Lamp.
We just want to know if UV metal halide lamp and UV metal vapor lamp really do exist
in the market.
Thank you for your help, we greatly appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Raymond Sidharta
78
Vincent Ong
Joseph Vetter
Brian Ng
Vladimir Lebedev <[email protected]>
Nicollet Technologies Corporation
www.nictec.com
Wed, 3 Dec 2003
Hi, Joseph!
Thanks for your response.
Of course, you have to decide yourselves what is the most applicable for your project
from the standpoint of the facility organizing, single or multiple wiring and ,of course,
money.
But speaking about power quality, if you are concern about it, could you tell me what is
your active power usage in comparison to reactive power, what is your power factor
and how much you pay for the demanded disbalance? Also could you tell me how much
electrical "noise" are making your magnetic ballasts? And what is the level of the Total
Harmonics Distortion? I do not want to show up, but our EBS is the most advanced
product on the today's market and there is no competition for this product.
Speaking about series-parallel topology: for the parallel connection the power
transformer must be designed to hold the sum of the current for all bulbs together which
means a huge increase of the size and weight of the winding wires/copper/and the
ballast itself.
A series connection topology requires just one grade of the current equal to the one
bulb rating and one voltage output for all of the bulbs which means only enforced
internal insulation between windings. So we can make a slim design to meet customer's
cabinet dimension or any other enclosure.
Best regards.
Vladimir.
79
Mon, 1 Dec 2003
Hi, Joseph!
Now the situation is clear so far and I can tell you that initial price for such a ballast size
in quantity of 1 to 4 would be around $2300.00.I guess you pay more for the all four
magnetic ballasts, don’t you? But if you are going to put a larger order - the price will
drop, of course.
Speaking about lamp size of one inch ARC - to be honest, I’ve never tested such a size
but I know definitely that the smaller size the harder to ignite. But I've tested a lot of
gallium, metal halide and iron doped lamps so I'm sure we can run these small lamps
too. To exclude any misunderstanding in customer's relationships I tell you what we
usually do.
When customers ask us about building ballast, we ask customer to send us the lamps
which this ballast supposed to run and we are testing both – ballast and lamp together to
make sure this combination is working properly and, besides, I can set the control board
and the igniter precisely to this application and make the fine tune-up. So, after
receiving the ballast you have to just hook up the lamp and utility input and you are
ready to go. Of course, along with a ballast I'll send you the test results as well as
documentation and set-up package.
So, in your case you need:
1. Two ballasts at the 1.6 kW power range;
2. 120 or 240 Volts primary input( actually, we can make multi-input for both - 120
and 240 Volts, it's up to you, what you prefer, but I would recommend higher
input,240 Volts or even higher, if you have it in your facility -it will improve your
active power utilizing );
3. 480 Volts output for the 4 lamps in series. If we will succeed easily in this test - I
need to see how these lamps will ignite, may be it would be possible to build one
ballast at 3.2 kW power level to run all 8 lamps.
I guess that's all I came up with and I hope for your response.
Regards.
Vladimir.
80
Wed, 26 Nov 2003
Hi Joseph!
One more thing I forgot to ask you about.
What is the lamp arc length?
What is the lamp chemistry? /Mercury, metal halide, gallium or something else?
What is you utility input voltage? How do you connect your ballasts?
Is this industrial, facility or office environment?
Vladimir.
Tue, 25 Nov 2003
Hi Joseph!
Sorry for the late response but I was in a business trip so I just arrived. It is possible to
run a few lamps in series just the secondary voltage supposed to be in accordance with
the lamp quantity. I'm not sure about all 8 lamps from the one ballast and I tell you why.
8 lamps will require about 960 Volts + 15 % overhead = 1104 Volts secondary output.
Such high voltage will require a special hi-voltage terminal block for the
interconnection and these blocks are expensive. Besides, you will need special
hi-voltage stuff also such as wires, proper insulation, etc.
That's why I asked you about your application detail - may be it would be more efficient
use two ballasts instead of one to run four lamps at a time. Speaking about control - it's
up to you, you can use it or not. I just informed you about our control board’s capability.
And about striking voltage - as I said before, you can set our igniter board up to 12
kVolt strike pulse, so there is no question about it. Just keep in mind that such a voltage
requires an appropriate wiring from the standpoint of safety.
Hope I was useful for you.
Regards.
Vlad.
Mon, 10 Nov 2003
Hi Joe!
I guess you do realize what means STEPLESS REGULATION and magnetic ballast
doesn't have this ability so I think the price for the electronic ballast will never be the
same except in one case - blank order in large volume which means the materials and
81
labor will drop which means the ballast price will drop too.
Speaking about advantages - our control board is capable to monitor ballast and lamp
condition in real time as well as the lamp monitor circuit can monitor the scaled lamp
output data such as power, voltage and amperage. All these data can be used to write
software for the whole UV process so you'll be able to automate the whole process for
your application. But this is just for your knowledge and may be for the future projects.
Answer for your second question is YES - our ballast is capable to run several lamps in
series even with different chemistry-that's what I'm doing in our test lab. I'm running
mercury and gallium lamps in different combinations but the voltage and amperage for
all lamps must be identical, of course.
Speaking about additional info I need from you: lamp voltage, amperage, ARC length,
wattage per inch and total power level and also what striking voltage you need to run
this lamp and what kind of control are you using or planning to use.
Would be nice also to know about quantity you are planning to order – this will help in
the price adjustment.
Regards,
Vlad.
Wed, 5 Nov 2003
Hi Joe!
We are the company who makes such an electronic ballasts to run any type of the UV
lamps, even combination of the several different lamps in series. To be more precise in
my estimate I need more technical info about your application, but my first impression
is that you are running very low power machine and our start power level is around 1.2
KWatt. Below this power level the single project machine is too expensive to make
considering the electronics itself-control and igniter boards-which are around $500.00.
But our control board gives you an ability to control lamp power from 100 % up to
20-30%, this control is step-less and you can use as a control input signal either DC
voltage - 0-5 V, 0-10 V, or current loop 4-20 m A, or just a potentiometer 0-10 K Ohm
for the manual adjustment. The striking voltage is also adjustable from 600 Volts up to
12 K Volts! If you have more questions please do not hesitate ant contact me or you can
obtain some info in our web-page: www.nictec.com.
Regards, Vladimir Lebedev.
82
From: Kaj Jensen
[email protected]
http://www.kaj.dk
Tue, 4 Nov 2003
Electronic ballasts have of cause build starters.
Electronic ballasts are typical 6 - 12 times more expensive than mechanical ballasts.
The cheapest way for you to get your 400W lamp running, may be to buy a mechanical
ballast and starter for a mercury street lamp.
Best regards,
Kaj Jensen
83
Randy Freeman
[email protected]
Howard Industries
http://www.howard-ind.com
Fri, 3 Oct 2003
1. How much would it cost to produce a transformer with two 400 watt secondaries?
I really don't have the information on this. After checking a competitor's website, I see
that the stack height of the core on a 2 secondary ballast will almost double compared to
a standard one secondary ballast. This will cause the material price to be about 3 times
as much for 2 secondary ballast. The main factor is that the 2 secondary ballast uses a
lamination size of 4.25" x 6.00" and the one secondary ballast uses a lamination size of
4.25 x 4.75. This will mean more steel and more copper in the ballast.
2. Do you currently produce such a transformer? If not, would it be possible for your
company to do so and what would it take? A certain amount of orders, perhaps?
Currently no one, that I know of, produces a ballast to pulse start 2 lamps.
Advance transformer produces one for non-pulse start that runs 2 M-59 400 Watt Metal
Halide. The input voltage for this ballast is 277 or 120 volt. This ballast will also run 2
H-33 400 Watt Mercury Vapor Lamps. This is not very popular ballast, due to the fact
that it is more expensive than 2 single lamp ballast. At present, we do not even produce
this product. The demand for the ballast is very low in the Q. I don't even think we
have ever had anyone inquire about it before this. I have attached a pdf file of the
Advance Ballast.
3. Is it possible to produce a transformer with 3 secondaries to power 3 400 watt MPMA bulbs? How about 4 if the input voltage is 240 volts?
In the previous email, Figure 9 shows an example of a 2 secondary setup.
You will notice that the primary is in the middle of the two secondaries.
With the primary located in the middle, the output of each secondary will be
symmetrical. A 3 or 4 secondary ballast could possibly be produced, but there is going
to be a lot of things to consider. First, the stack height of the steel will have to almost
double for every secondary that you add. The weight of a 4 secondary ballast would
weigh about 100 pounds, where 4 single secondary ballast weigh about 50 lbs. This
would have to be done to accommodate the amount of wire and coils the ballast would
84
have to hold. The more core stack you have the less turns you will need, therefore the
bigger wire and/or more coils you can accommodate. All secondaries would have to
have it's own capacitor and starters and all secondaries would have to have a slot in the
steel under them. Finally, one or two, for the secondaries for a 3 or 4 secondary ballast
are not going to have very good coupling to the primary. They or it will be behind
another secondary. This can be over come by adding turns to that/those secondary(s) to
improve the output watts and OVC.
Tue, 30 Sep 2003
Joe,
The drawing that you sent would not work. It is on the same principal as figure 2 in the
other document that I sent, except you are running 2 secondaries in parallel, but the
same thing will happen. One lamp will start dropping its secondary voltage down to
almost zero and since, they are running in parallel, the other secondary voltage will
drop down to almost zero as well. The sidacs on the 2nd lamp will not fire anymore and
therefore never start. The only way I can see it working is if both lamps started within
about 1 to 4 micro-second of each other, which is about how long a starter pulse will
last. I have enclosed a modified version of your drawing that will work. The
secondaries are run independently of one another, so that one does not affect the other.
For cost I will give the example for material cost, which does not include cost of
development, tooling, labor, or overhead. This is comparing one 2 lamp transformer to
2 one lamp transformers.
The things that will stay pretty much the same will be Copper in secondaries, the
starters, the capacitors, and the lamps. These things as far as material cost will be pretty
much the same. The primaries will be almost the same; you will have to double the size
of the wire in the 2 lamp transformer compared to the on lamp transformer, due to the
fact that you will be doubling the current seen by the primary. The things that will
change the most will be the steel, you will have a longer steel length and you will have
to go up on stack height. But you should be able to decrease the steel weight of 2
transformers by about 25%.
Hope this helps,
85
Randy E. Freeman
Howard Industries, Inc.
Engineering Lab Manager
P-601-847-6199
F-601-847-6105
Mon, 7 Apr 2003
Joseph,
I remember talking to you a few weeks ago. Although, I did not realize, which I may
have just missed it, that we were talking about the M0400-71C-611 (pulse start lamp
ballast (PSB)). I thought you where talking about the M0400-71C-211 (non-pulse start
lamp ballast (NPSB)).
There is commercially available ballast that runs 2 lamps on one ballast from Advance
Transformer, but it is a NPSB. Their Cat. Number is 71A6382.
I have attached a PDF flyer for this ballast. It may be possible to use this ballast on a
Pulse Start Lamp, but you would have to use an external 2 wire ignitor system. No one,
as far as I know, offers a similar ballast in PSB. In order to do this you would have to
have 2 secondaries on the same ballast, each secondary would have to have an ignitor
attached to start each lamp. PSB have a 3 wire ignitor system.
If you have 277 Voltage available, you may want to try reactor ballast. Reactor Ballast
is smaller than the autotransformer. They are also, more efficient and have a lower
current crest factor, which translate into longer lamp life. The only draw back to the
reactors is it doesn't regulate very well. For every 5% you input volts drop, the output
wattage will drop by 10%. You will be able to put several of these into an electrical box
and run the output wires through plastic PVC pipe to the lamp head(s). If you will send
me your mailing address I would be glad to send you one of our reactors free of charge,
to see if this will work for you.
86