« Back to Dictionary Index
A ballast resistor, also known as a ballast tube, serves several purposes in different electrical applications:
- Compensating Changes: In electronic circuits, a ballast resistor is often used to stabilize or compensate for changes that may occur due to temperature fluctuations or other environmental factors. By controlling the current through the circuit, it helps maintain stable operation of components such as lamps or other devices.
- Arc or Gas Discharge Compensation: It is also used to counteract negative resistance effects that can occur in arc or gas discharge lamps. These types of lamps can exhibit characteristics where their resistance decreases as current increases, leading to unstable operation. The ballast resistor helps to stabilize the current flow and prevent such instability.
- Construction: Ballast resistors are typically constructed using special wire materials that exhibit predictable resistance changes with temperature. This characteristic ensures that they can effectively regulate current and voltage in various applications.
In summary, a ballast resistor plays a crucial role in stabilizing electrical circuits by compensating for changes in operating conditions, whether due to temperature variations or to counteract negative resistance effects in discharge lamps.
See Related Term:
« Back to Dictionary Index