Fluorescent Light Inverter with 12V Supply

Overview

The project is considered low-cost since it only uses 20 or 40W fluorescent tubes with 40W being the most efficient.

Explanation

The construction of the project is very simple since there is no PCB used and the transformer is hand-wound on a ferrite rod from an old transistor radio and from an old transformer, the winding wire can be salvaged. The cost of powering the circuit is about 22W and this will produce the same light output as a 60W globe.

A ballast or choke is needed in series with the tube to limit the current after the tube has struck, when a normal fluorescent operates on the 240V mains. About 10-20W is being dissipated by the ballast for a 20W tube which reduces the efficiency of the circuit. The losses will be less than 5W if the ballast is replaced with an electronic circuit and high-frequency transformer.

The size of the tube will depend on the area of desired illumination and the available battery capacity although higher wattage tubes will offer the greatest efficiency. This is because they have a longer length and larger diameter which gives more light over larger area.