MXPA06004430A - Power control and energy saving method and apparatus for high-intensity gas discharge (hid) lamps used in illumination systems. - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for controllably operating a gas discharge lamp in an electrical circuit containing an electromagnetic ballast and at least one electrical device selected from the group which includes a variable-impedance electrical circuit, a selector device and a variable inductive element, measuring at least one physical or electrical variable of the electrical circuit using measurement means connected to a controller, generating at least one control signal from the resulting measurement, and using the control signal to operate said electrical device in such a way that the physical or electrical variable remains within a predetermined range. The invention is useful, e.g., for operating a gas discharge lamp at a constant power level, a constant brightness level and/or at reduced power at certain times.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING POWER AND SAVING ENERGY IN HIGH INTENSITY GAS DISCHARGE LIGHTS (HID) USED IN LIGHTING SYSTEMS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling the power, or some other variable such as electric current or brightness, in the value desired, as well as the use of this control to save energy, in lighting systems They use gas discharge lamps and electromagnetic ballasts, regardless of the variations in the supply voltage or the degree of aging of the lamps. In addition to controlling the power (or electric current or brightness) of the gas discharge lamps, the method and apparatus of the invention can be used to save energy in lighting systems, by operating the luminaires to power (or current, or brightness ) reduced at times when vehicular or pedestrian traffic has already decreased, for which at least two power levels are defined for each lamp, one called at high power and another at reduced power, which are applied at individual and selective way for each lamp of a lighting circuit, or even they can not be applied in those lamps where you do not want to, because they are located in strategic places, such as important cruises where you want to constantly keep a high Lighting level.

It is convenient to clarify that the lamp is called only the bulb or gas discharge source, unlike the luminaire, which includes the cabinet or box, the ballast, the ignitor, the lamp itself, the capacitors and other elements connected to the circuit.

REFERENCES USED In the text of the present patent application reference is made to some existing patents or patent applications, which are the following: Reference No. 1.- United States Patent US 988730 and its corresponding Mexican patent 182817, in the name of Mr. Richard Sievers.

Reference No. 2 .- U.S. Patent No. 4,585,974. Reference No. 3.- Mexican Patent Application No. PA / a / 002553, dated March 3, 2006, in the name of Ing. Raúl Gerardo Quintero de la Garza, File PA / a / 2006/002553, Folio PA / E / 2006/013877 Reference No. 4.- Application for Patent Number PA / a / 012912, in the name of! Ng. Raúl Gerardo Quintero de la Garza, dated November 30, 2005.

Reference No. 5.- Patent in Mexico No. 166132 of Mr. Michael Cari, granted on December 21, 1992, and released in Mexico for free use by the IMPI.

Reference No. 6.- Patent Application No. PA / a / 012667, dated December 15, 2004, in the name of Ing. Raúl Gerardo Quintero de la Garza.

Reference No. 7. Patent Application No. PA / a / 017304, dated April 4, 2005, in the name of Ing. Raúl Gerardo Quintero de la Garza BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: a.- Problems of voltage variations or the degree of aging of the lamps.

In the lighting systems that use gas discharge lamps, the power of the lamps varies when there are variations in the supply voltage, which happens frequently, or due to the own falls of line voltage in one more circuit or less large, where the first lamps of the circuit receive more line voltage than the last lamps of that circuit. In addition, the power of the lamps gradually deteriorates as the degree of aging of the lamps progresses, requiring greater voltage, and therefore more power, to stay on. b.- Operation at two or more power levels: Energy saving. On the other hand, in order to save energy, it is convenient to intentionally reduce the power (or electric current or brightness) of the gas discharge lamps at the hours when there is less need for lighting, as it is a time of little vehicular or pedestrian traffic. You can define two or more power levels (or electric current or brightness), for operation in different times or circumstances, in order to save energy or adapt the operation to more appropriate levels at each moment. This strategy is also applied in industrial warehouses that as a rule or for convenience keep the lighting on day and night, and that have a roof with some sheets of a semi-transparent plastic or fiberglass, in which during the day you can reduce the power of the lighting lamps and maintain an adequate level of lighting. c- Inexistence in the market of a control of power (or electric current or luminosity) of the Lamp. To maintain the power (or electric current or brightness) constant in the lamps, regardless of the voltage variations of the line or the degree of aging of said lamps, there is no method or device in the market that in a practical and economical way keeps the lamps at a desired constant value of this variable. PREVIOUS ART: EXISTING METHODS FOR OPERATING AT REDUCED POWER (or reduced current or reduced luminosity) There are, on the other hand, several methods and devices to save energy in this type of gas discharge lamps. Some of them reduce the supply voltage to the lamp circuit and others modify the impedance of the lamp so that with the same applied voltage they consume less energy. Of course, all methods implicitly reduce the luminosity of the lamps. a.- Reduction of the Voltage to the whole circuit: An example of the prior art systems that are used to reduce the level of illumination is described in Reference No. 1, whose simplified diagram is shown in Figure No. 1. Patent describes a system for managing two levels of illumination (high and low) in a circuit of gas discharge lamps. The method consists of lowering the power of the luminaires by reducing the input voltage to the entire circuit, for which a self-transformer (04) is used, where the voltage is reduced to the desired value to achieve the reduction of The power demanded by all lamps of that circuit (06 in Figure No. 1). The method described in the previous paragraph does not control the power of the lamps, but only decreases the input voltage to reduce the power of the lamps, but the power of the lamps is still affected by the voltage variations of the line, or by the position of the lamp inside the circuit, where the first lamps receive more voltage than the last ones. This technology does not protect against variations in the power of the lamp caused by its degree of aging, because as the aging of the lamp progresses, it requires a higher voltage to stay on, so that using this method, there comes a time when the lamp lamp goes off. b.- Power Voltage Variators: There are other systems, within the prior art, to vary the power supplied to the lamp, such as those that use voltage variators or frequency variators, where the power is controlled by adjusting the voltage supplied to the ballast or to the lamp, or when varying the frequency of the voltage supplied to the ballast or to the lamp. The voltage can be sinusoidal or have other non-sinusoidal waveforms. By adjusting these variables it is possible to control the power in the lamp. This control method, in addition to being extremely expensive, modifies the voltage applied to the entire circuit, having the same problems described in the previous paragraph for the use of a self-transformer that modifies the supply voltage to the circuit. An example of this system is described in Reference No. 2. c- Connection of a series impedance in one of the power lines, at the entrance to the luminaire. Another example of prior art systems that are used to lower the level of illumination is described in Reference No. 3, shown in Figure No. 2, for the case of intercalating a capacitive impedance (12), and in the Figure No. 3, for the case of interposing an inductive impedance (22). The said patent describes a system for managing two levels of illumination (high and low) in a gas discharge lamp, or of any other type, or even for other types of loads, such as electric motors. The method consists of lowering the current, and therefore the power and brightness of the luminaire individually and selectively, by connecting in series with the luminaire of an impedance, which can be inductive or capacitive, which can be "bridged" during part or all of the voltage cycle, to define at least two power levels in the lamp. The operation at full power is achieved when the series impedance is completely "bridged", and low power operation is achieved when the impedance is not "bypassed" or "bypassed" only in part of the voltage cycle. The method described in the previous paragraph does not control the power of the lamps (or current or brightness) at a given value, but only decreases that variable to another level of operation, to achieve energy savings, but the power of the lamps (or current or brightness) are still affected by the voltage variations of the line, or by the degree of lamp aging, or by the position of the lamp inside the circuit, where the first lamps receive higher voltage than the last ones d.- Substitution of the Original Capacitor by two Capacitors: Within the previous art also, another method to vary the power of the luminaire (or current or luminosity), illustrated in Figure No. 4 and that is widely known and of the domain public, consists of using a ballast and varying the impedance of the circuit, by replacing the original capacitor of the luminaire with two capacitors 10 and 12 connected in parallel, one of which (main capacitor) Cp is always connected for operation of the luminaire in low power, and the other Ce (complementary capacitor) is connected by means of a connection and disconnection device for full power operation, or disconnected to return to operation in low power. The connection of these two capacitors Cp and Ce can also be in series, taking into account that the connection in series of two capacitors decreases the equivalent capacitance, so that the operation in low power is done with both capacitors Cp and Ce connected, and the operation in high power is "bridging" the complementary capacitor through the connection and disconnection device.

The most common of these possibilities is to connect the capacitors in parallel, operating with the complementary capacitor disconnected when operating at low power, and connected when operating at high power.

The problem of this system lies in the connection and disconnection circuit of the complementary capacitor, which can be done by means of an electromagnetic relay, or by means of a solid-state circuit 14 (TRIAC). See Figure 5. When connecting and disconnecting the complementary capacitor by means of an electromagnetic relay, the life of the system can be limited, both by the life itself of the electromechanical relay, and because it usually happens that at the instant of disconnection to operate in low power, the voltage level can be going through the maximum voltage of the sine wave voltage cycle, leaving the complementary capacitor charged to the maximum voltage, and if upon reconnecting it again to operate again in high power, what can happen in any new reconnection, the main capacitor is going through the maximum voltage in the opposite direction, there is a "flamazo" that damages the electronic elements (TRIAC's) or the contacts of the relay, reducing its life in an important way or even "burning" the relay when destroying these contacts, so it would have to be changed with some frequency, with the cost involved in and repair time, so this system may result in low availability. One way to provide protection to the TRIAC's or contacts of the electromechanical relay is achieved by a inductance (22) in series and a varistor (16), as described extensively in Reference No. 4, and represented in Figure No. 5 Another, more complicated, way of giving protection to the electronic device for connecting / disconnecting the capacitors, especially when replacing the original capacitor of the lamp with two capacitors, is described Reference No. 5. The problems of this system is that the voltage must pass through zero to initiate conduction through the thermistor, a limitation that does not have the method discussed in the previous paragraphs, described in Reference 4. e.- Substitution of the Original Capacitor by a Capacitor and an Inductance: Finally, within the previous art chapter, another way to reduce the power of the lamp is the method and apparatus described in Reference No. 6, presented in the Figure No. 6, wherein the power reduction of a lamp is made by connecting an inductance (22) in series with the main capacitor (10), "bridging" said inductance by means of a switching device, either electromechanical or electronic ( TRIAC's), for low power operation, and connecting the inductance for high power operation. This method has the advantage of not having to protect the TRIAC's or the contacts of the electromechanical relay, when this is used as an element of "bridging" the inductance, since the inductance itself does not allow a crackling or a sudden increase of the current through the TRIAC or the electromechanical relay.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION It is an objective of the present invention to provide an efficient and cost-competitive method and apparatus for controlling the power (or current or brightness) consumed by gas discharge lamps, such as Sodium Vapor lamps. High Pressure, Low Pressure Sodium Vapor, Mercurial or Metal Halide Light, as well as in fluorescent lamps, regardless of the supply voltage to the circuit (within certain practical limits), or the position of the lamp in the circuit or its degree of aging, by connecting or disconnecting a plurality of impedances in series with the luminaire, placed in one of the voltage supply lines to that luminaire, in such a way that by "bridging" all of them, the luminaire will operate at full maximum power, and by connecting any or any of the inductances in series, the current and therefore the power and luminosity of the luminaire will be reduced. These impedances can be capacitive or inductive, consisting of a series of capacitors (12) connected in parallel, as shown in Figure No. 7, or in a plurality of inductances (22) in series, as shown in Figure No 8. It is important to mention that when a plurality of capacitive impedances is used, it is necessary to protect the TRIAC's or the contacts of the electromechanical relays by means of inductances (22) connected in series with each capacitor, and a varistor (16), to avoid that the flames can damage said TRIAC's or said contacts of the electromechanical relays, as shown in Figure No. 7. b.- It is also another objective of the present invention to provide an efficient and competitively cost-effective method and apparatus for controlling the power (or current or brightness) of the lamps mentioned in the previous paragraph, regardless of the supply voltage to the circuit (within certain practical limits). os), or the position of the lamp in the circuit or its degree of aging, by feeding the lower voltage to the input of the luminaire as a whole, using a small autotransformer / transformer of special construction, with "taps" "or voltage derivations in its main winding, and with some complementary secondary windings, as shown in Figure No. 9, in such a way to connect in one of these" taps "to obtain the desired supply voltage to the luminaire, controlling thus the power, or the current, or the luminosity of it. c- It is also another objective of the present invention to provide an efficient and competitively cost-effective method and apparatus for controlling the power (or the current or brightness) of the lamps mentioned in the previous paragraph, regardless of the supply voltage to the circuit (within certain practical limits), or the position of the lamp in the circuit or its degree of aging, by feeding voltage to the lamp itself, using a special construction ballast, with taps or voltage taps in its primary winding, as shown in Figure No. 10, or in its secondary winding, as shown in Figure No. 11, in such a way to connect in one of these "taps" to obtain the supply voltage to the complementary capacitor or to the lamp itself. d.- It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient and competitively cost-effective method and apparatus for controlling the power (or current or brightness) of the gas discharge lamps mentioned above, independently of the supply voltage to the circuit ( within certain practical limits), or the position of the lamp in the circuit or its degree of aging, by connecting or disconnecting one or more elements that modify the internal impedance of the luminaire, connecting one or several complementary capacitors C1, C2, C3, C4, etc. (12), in parallel with the main capacitor, as shown in Figure No. 12, or by connecting or disconnecting one or more inductances L1, L2, L3, L4, etc. (22), in series with the main capacitor of the luminaire, as shown in Figure 13. The operation of connecting or disconnecting the necessary inductances to achieve the desired objective is also done by means of a controller device, which measures the power (or the current or brightness) of the lamp and operates a plurality of switches, electronic or electromechanical, to give the desired power (or current or brightness) in the luminaire or in the lamp itself. It is another objective of the invention to use this power control (or the current or brightness) of the lamps operating at a reduced value of this variable, in the hours in which the vehicular or pedestrian traffic has already decreased, in order to save energy in public lighting systems. It is important to note that this operation at reduced power (or reduced current or reduced brightness) is carried out individually and selectively for each lamp, according to its geographical location. The lighting system is operated in at least two levels of power (or current or brightness), one at full power (or current or brightness), controlled at the desired value regardless of the voltage variations of the power supply line and of the degree of aging of the lamp, and at least a second level, operating at a different value from this variable, usually at a reduced value, although in almost all cases it also works for a higher power level (or current or luminosity), at the desired level from less than 30 or 40% to more than 120% of the nominal power of the lamp. In the case of power reduction, the method proposed in this patent application does not cause damage or affect the life of the lamps of said lighting system. The way to achieve this operation at a lower power level (or current or brightness) can be any of those described in paragraphs "a", "b", "c" and "d" above. f.- Other objectives of the invention will be pointed out later or will be evident to an expert in the art. OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM. a.- A first mode of this Control method is achieved by connecting a plurality of impedances in series, to the input of the luminaire: This control is achieved through the connection in series with the luminaire, connected in one of the lines of voltage supply, of a plurality of impedances, which can be inductive or capacitive. In the case of intercalating a plurality of capacitive mpeeds, there would be a plurality of capacitors C1, C2, C3, C4 (12) (there can be more, if greater precision in the controlled power is desired) connected in parallel to each other, but the set in series with the luminaire, connected to the input of the same in one of the power lines, as shown in Figure No. 7.

In the case of being inductive impedances, they consist of a plurality of inductances L1, L2, L3 and L4 (22) (they can be more, if greater precision in the controlled power is desired), such that connecting one or several in series with the load, reduce the voltage applied to the load, thus achieving the reduction of power (or current or brightness) of the lamp within a range of desired values, as shown in Figure No. 8.

The operation of connecting or disconnecting the necessary impedances (capacitive or inductive) to achieve the desired objective is done by a controller device (24), which measures the power (or current or brightness) of the lamp and operates a plurality of switches , electronic or electromechanical, which connect or disconnect the interpellated impedances to give the desired power (or current or brightness) in the luminaire or in the lamp itself. b.- A second modality of the method included in this patent application: Control by connection to an autotransformer / transformer with taps of several output voltages: The same main concept of this patent application can be applied to another method of controlling the power of the lamp (or current or brightness) or the power (or current) of the luminaire, which consists of the variation of the voltage applied to the luminaire as a whole. As can be seen in Figure No. 9, this is done using an autotransformer / transformer of special construction (07), which has taps or taps in its main winding, and also having some complementary secondary windings to adjust the voltage applied to ia luminaire at the value necessary to control the luminaire's power at the desired preset value. The connection to the taps is made through a microprocessor device, to apply the necessary voltage to the luminaire to control the power, or the brightness, or the current of the same. c- A third modality of the method included in this patent application: Control by connection to a ballast with taps of several output voltages: The same main concept of this patent application can be applied to another method of controlling the power of the lamp ( or the current or brightness) or the power (or current) of the luminaire, which consists of the variation of the voltage applied to the lamp itself, after the ballast. This is done by using a special construction ballast (08), which has taps in its primary winding at the points near the exit point towards the capacitor, to exit with greater or lesser voltage towards said capacitor, as shown in the Figure No. 10, or, d. As a fourth mode of the method, using a ballast that has taps or taps in its secondary winding (08) to give more or less output voltage to the lamp, as shown in Figure No. 11 and using the same controller device mentioned in the applications described above (24). In this case the use of the controller device is used to connect taps of greater or lesser voltage of the secondary winding of the ballast to the lamp itself. e.- As a fifth modality of the method included in this patent application, we propose Control with capacitors: The same main concept of this patent application can be applied to another modality of! method of controlling the power (or current or brightness) of the lamp or the power (or current) of the luminaire and operating, also in a controlled manner, at least at a second power level (or current or brightness) ) attenuated. This embodiment of the method proposed in this patent application comprises at least one gas discharge lamp connected to an electrical circuit that includes at least one ballast (08), one main capacitor Cp (10) and at least four capacitors complementary C1, C2, C3 and C4 (12) (may be more, if greater precision in controlled power is desired), connected in parallel with the main capacitor Cp (10), as shown in Figure No.12. The connection or disconnection of these complementary capacitors in parallel with the main capacitor allows to maintain the power of the lamp at a more or less constant level, within a range of operation defined as a small percentage (usually one to two percent) above or below the power to which you wish to operate the lamp to which you are connected. It also requires a controlling device that operates, or whose output elements are electronic or electromechanical switches (TRIAC's or electromechanical relays) to connect or disconnect the complementary capacitors. f.- As a sixth modality of the same method (Figure No. 13), we propose to control the power of the luminaire (or the current) or the power (or the current or luminosity) of the lamp, with inductances: This fifth mode of the method comprises at least one gas discharge lamp connected to an electrical circuit that includes at least one ballast (08), one main capacitor Cp (10) and at least four complementary inductances L1, L2, L3 and L4 ( 22) (may be more, if more precision is desired in the controlled power), connected in series with the main capacitor Cp (10). The connection or disconnection of these complementary inductances allows maintaining the power of the lamp at a more or less constant level, within a range of operation defined as a small percentage (usually one to two percent) above or below the power to which you want to operate the lamp to which you are connected. This mode is shown in Figure No. 13. As in the previous case, a controlling device (24) is also required, whose output elements operate or are electronic or electromechanical switches, to connect or disconnect the complementary inductances. g.- As mentioned at the beginning, another objective of the invention is to use this same method of control of power (or current or brightness) of the lamps operating at a reduced value of this variable, in the hours in which vehicular or pedestrian traffic has decreased, in order to save energy in public lighting systems. For this purpose, any of the modalities of the power control method described in the preceding paragraphs may be used. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure No. 1 shows a diagram used to reduce the power of the lamps (see Reference No. 1), whose operation is to lower the power of the luminaires by reducing the input voltage to the entire circuit , for which a self-transformer (04) is used, where it reduces the voltage to the desired value to achieve the reduction of the power demanded by all lamps of that circuit (06). Figure No. 2 shows a diagram of the circuit proposed in Reference No. 3, which describes a method and apparatus for operating gas discharge lamps at reduced power (or current, or brightness), interposing a capacitive impedance (12) at the entrance of the luminaire, in series with it, on one of the voltage supply lines. Figure No. 3 shows a diagram of the circuit proposed in Reference No. 3, which describes a method and apparatus for operating gas discharge lamps at reduced power (or current, or luminosity), interposing an inductive impedance (22) to the input of the luminaire, in series with it, in one of the voltage supply lines.

Figure No. 4 shows a general diagram of a circuit, belonging to the public domain, which illustrates the principle of using two capacitors in parallel Cp (10) and Ce (12) to replace the original capacitor of the luminaire, where Cp is the main capacitor to operate at low power, making the connection or disconnection of the complementary capacitor Ce in parallel when operating at high power of the lamp.

Figure No. 5 shows a circuit diagram of the prior art mentioned in Reference No. 4, wherein the power reduction of a lamp is made by replacing the main capacitor with two capacitors connected in parallel, one called main (10 ) and another complementary call (12), and where the connecting or disconnecting element is protected from sparks or sudden increases in current by means of a small inductance (22) in series with the main capacitor, in addition to installing a varistor (16) through of the TRIAC terminals or the contacts of an electromechanical relay, in addition to installing a high denomination resistor R in parallel with the complementary capacitor (12). Figure No. 6 shows a circuit diagram of the prior art mentioned in Reference No. 6, wherein the power reduction of a lamp is made by connecting an inductance (22) in series with the main capacitor (10) , "bridging" said inductance through a switch device, either electromechanical or electronic (TRIAC's), for low power operation, and connecting the inductance for high power operation.

Figure No. 7 shows an embodiment of the present invention, applied to the case of the reduction of power (or current or luminosity) of a gas discharge lamp by connecting or disconnecting a plurality of capacitors C1, C2, C3, etc. (12), connected in parallel to each other, but the assembly connected in series with the luminaire, at the entrance thereof, in one of the voltage supply lines to that luminaire, in such a way that the "bypass" all of them , the luminaire will operate at full maximum power (or current or brightness), and by leaving some of these capacitors connected, the lamp will operate at a reduced value of its power (or current or power). The operation of connecting or disconnecting the necessary capacitors to achieve the desired objective is done by a controller device (24), which measures the power (or current or brightness) of the lamp and operates a plurality of switches, electronic or electromechanical, that connect or disconnect the mentioned capacitors to give the desired power (or current or brightness) in the luminaire or in the lamp itself.

Figure No. 8 shows a variant of the previous embodiment, in the case of reducing the power (or current or brightness) of a gas discharge lamp by connecting or disconnecting a plurality of inductances L1, L2, L3 , etc. (22), connected in series with each other, and the assembly connected in series with the luminaire, at the entrance thereof, in one of the voltage supply lines to that luminaire, in such a way that the "bridging" all of them, the luminaire will operate at full maximum power (or current or brightness), and by leaving some of these inductances connected, the lamp will operate at a reduced value of its power (or current or power). The operation of connecting or disconnecting the necessary inductances to achieve the desired objective is done by means of a controlling device, which measures the power (or current or luminosity) of the lamp and operates a plurality of switches, electronic or electromechanical, which connect or they disconnect the aforementioned inductances until they give the desired power (or current or brightness) in the luminaire or in the lamp itself.

Figure No. 9 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, where the voltage applied to the input of the luminaire is varied, as a means of controlling the power (or current or brightness) of the luminaire, as desired. The output voltage of the autotransformer / transformer (04) is varied by closing and opening the TRIAC's TO to T6 and T10 to T18 of the Controller Device (24), or any other combination of electronic or electromechanical switches that allow a similar effect , as stated in the text of this patent application. Figure No. 10 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, where the output voltage of the ballast to the capacitor is varied, as a means of controlling the power (or current or brightness) of the lamp itself or the power ( or the input current to the luminaire, as desired. The output voltage of the primary winding is varied by closing and opening the TRIAC's T1 to T10, as stated in the text of this patent application.

Figure No. 11 presents a third embodiment of the present invention where the output voltage of the secondary winding of the ballast is varied to give greater or lesser voltage to the lamp, thereby achieving the same purpose of controlling the power (or the current or brightness) of the lamp itself or the power (or current) of input to the luminaire, as desired. The output voltage of the secondary winding of the ballast is varied by closing and opening the TRIAC's T1 to T10, as stated in the text of this patent application. Figure No. 12 shows a fourth embodiment of the method proposed in the present invention, where a main capacitor Cp and five complementary capacitors C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5 (12) are used in parallel, and where the switching elements to connect or disconnect said complementary capacitors are the TRIAC's T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 (14), duly protected by small protective inductances (22) in series with said complementary capacitors, in addition to a varistor (16) through the terminals of each of the TRIAC's. It also shows the discharge resistors of the complementary capacitors R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5, which they ensure that these capacitors are discharged after a disconnection and before the next reconnection.

Figure No. 13 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention that uses complementary inductances L1, L2, L3 and L4 (22) (may be more, depending on the steps desired) that are connected in series with the main capacitor ( 10) to operate the lamps in high power (the main capacitor is used to operate at low power with the "bridged" inductances). In this mode, independent inductances are used to increase the power of the lamp as more inductances are connected. The inductances are "bridged" by the TRIAC's T1, T2, T3 and T4 (14) (or more, depending on the number of inductances) to decrease the impedance of the circuit and reduce the power of the lamp. Figure No. 14 shows the inductances (22) used in the first and fifth modes of the method proposed in the present patent application, in their conception as inductances independent of one another, which are wound with a number of turns that are multiples of the geometric series 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, in such a way that by means of binary connections in series of the different units, the inductances multiplied by the smaller inductance can be given. Figure No. 15 shows the inductances (22) that can also be used, but built in a single unit, forming a multiple inductance, with a single iron frame and different windings around the same iron frame. In this case, care should be taken to also install disconnecting elements (such as TRIAC's or contacts of an electromechanical relay) (14) in series with each winding in such a way that the windings that go to the same magnetic frame can be interrupted or disconnected. use, in order not to cause short circuit when they are bridged, because they could work as secondary transformer in short circuit. Figure No. 16 shows a block diagram with the inputs and outputs of the controller device (24) embodying the present invention. Figure No. 17 shows a drawing of a capacitor of multiple capacities, which simplifies the physical arrangement of this invention, since from the same unit there is a common cable and four or five cables, corresponding each one of them to a different capacity, which when connecting these cables, the capacities of the capacitors that make it up are added, since they would be connected in parallel with each other. Figure No. 18 shows a schematic of a circuit that could also be used as part of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, incorporating the elements proposed in Reference No. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION. Generic Description: This invention patent application describes a method and apparatus for maintaining the power (or current or brightness) of the luminaires or the power (or current or brightness) of the gas discharge lamps at a constant level, in the desired value, from values lower than 30 or 40% up to values higher than 120% of its nominal value, independently of the variations of the voltage of the power line and regardless of the degree of aging of the lamp . a.- In the first embodiment of the invention, this method of control is made by connecting it in series with the luminaire, connected in one of the voltage supply lines, of a plurality of impedances L1, L2, L3, etc. . (22) in series with the load, which reduce the voltage applied to the load, thus achieving the reduction of power (or current or brightness) of the lamp within a range of desired values, as shown in Figure No 6. The operation of connecting or disconnecting the impedances necessary to achieve the desired objective is done by a controlling device (24) that measures the power (or current or brightness) of the luminaire or the power (or current) of the lamp itself, and operates a plurality of switches, electronic or electromechanical, that connect or disconnect the impedances to give the desired power (or current or brightness) in the luminaire or in the lamp itself. These impedances can be capacitive or inductive. It is worth mentioning that capacitors C1, C2, C3, etc. (12) where appropriate, or inductances L1, L2, L3, etc. (22) in yours, should be selected with values that are binary multiples of the smallest element, following the geometric series 1, 2, 4, 8, etc., values multiplied by the capacitance or inductance of lower value, in order to approximate the capacitance or the necessary inductance as much as possible, by combining the opening and closing of switches T1, T2, T3 and T4 (and T5 and T6 if there is one). In this case, the equivalent impedance of the intercalated impedances would be added to the impedance of the lamp as a whole, thus decreasing the voltage that would be applied only to the luminaire, thereby decreasing the power or current or luminosity of the luminaire to the desired value. The capacitors used can be independent units, or a capacitor of multiple capacitances, as shown in Figure No. 17. Likewise, inductances L1, L2, L3, etc. (22) used in this mode, can be independent inductances, are illustrated in Figure No. 14, or a multiple inductance, formed by the same magnetic frame which is installed several windings not connected to each other, but through of a series of switches, either electromechanical, such as relay contacts, or electronic, such as TRIAC's or other electronic devices. In this case, care should be taken to also install disconnecting elements (such as TRIAC's or contacts of an electromechanical relay) in series with each winding in such a way that the windings that go to the same magnetic frame that are not used can be interrupted or disconnected, in order not to cause a short circuit when they are bridged, because they could work as secondaries of a transformer in short circuit, as illustrated in Figure No. 14.

When the luminaires are turned on, and as in the previously described case, since the power of the lamps is still very low, until the lamp is heated and the gas discharge begins and the power of the gas gradually increases. In the case of a lamp, the controller will keep the four (or five) switches that "bridge" the input impedances closed, resulting in a null impedance, leaving all the voltage applied to the luminaire, to operate the lamp at full power, and as When reaching the power corresponding to the upper level of the control band, the switches will be opened to incorporate the impedances to the circuit, reducing the voltage applied to the luminaire until it is within the established range. If the line voltage drops, the controlling device will make the connection of fewer impedances, to increase the voltage applied to the luminaire and keep it within the established range. Said established range is programmed to be a small percentage above and below the power to which one wishes to operate. b.- The second method of the method proposed in this patent application is the Control of the Power by means of the variation of the voltage applied to the input of the luminaire. This is done using an autotransformer / transformer (04) of special construction, which has taps or taps in its main winding and which has some complementary secondary windings, as shown in Figure No.9, in order to adjust the applied voltage to the luminaire at the value necessary for the power, or current, or luminance of the luminaire to be within the range of values established in the controlling device. Of course, use is made of the controller device (24) mentioned in the application described above. In this case the use of the controller device is used to connect taps of higher or lower voltage of the windings of the autotransformer / transformer, from which the power goes to the luminaire as a whole. The application of this concept to control the power of the lamp is shown in Figure No. 9. Depending on the precision desired in the control of the power, the TRIAC's or electromechanical output relays of the controller device (24), T0 at T6 (or at T8, if there were T7 and T8, or any other combination of electronic or electromechanical switches that allow a similar effect) they can be connected to three, four or more points of the windings of the autotransformer / transformer (24). This allows the application to the luminaire of a base voltage for the desired power level, such that it produces a base power, and a small additional voltage, coming from the complementary secondary windings of the autotransformer / transformer, which produce additional power, for control the power of the luminaire within the previously established range, connecting them by closing or opening the Triac's (or electromechanical relays) T10 to T18, or any other combination of electronic or electromechanical switches that allow a similar effect. It is convenient that the complementary windings of said autotransformer / transformer are designed in multiples of the geometric series 1, 2, 4, etc., in order to make it easier to obtain the desired voltage with a smaller number of elements. Some examples, not exhaustive, are shown in the following table. TRIAC's CLOSED BASE POWER BASE VOLTAGE TO, T1 and T2 V1 base = Maximum P1 base = Maximum T0.T1 and T4 V2 base < V1 base P2 base < P1 base TO, T3 and T4 V3 base < V2 base P3 base < P2 base TO, T3 and T6 V4 base < V3 base P4 base < P3 base TO, T5 and T6 V5 base < V4 base P5 base < P4 base T5 and T8 (if any) V6 base < V5 base P6 base < P5 base T7 and T8 (if any) V7 base < V6 base P7 base < P6 base In addition, it is possible to have an additional voltage to adjust the power of the luminaire to a desired value, with greater precision. To do this, the Triac (or electromechanical relay) TO is opened, and the following Triac's (or electromechanical relays) are closed, where Y is the incremental minimum voltage, and X being the increase in power corresponding to the increase in voltage Y.

TRIAC's CLOSED ADDITIONAL VOLTAGE ADDITIONAL POWER (with open TO) T10 T11 Additional V1 = Y Additional P1 = X T12 and T13 Additional V2 = 2Y Additional P2 = 2X T10, T16 and T13 Additional V3 = 3Y Additional P3 = 3X T14 and T15 Additional V4 = 4Y Additional P4 = 4X T10, T16, T18 and T15 Additional V5 = 5Y Additional P5 = 5X T12, T17 and T15 Additional V6 = 6Y Additional P6 = 6X T10, T16, T17 and T15 Additional V7 = 7Y Additional P7 = 7X It is important to mention that the connection of this autotransformer / transformer to the lamp is made through a central tap inductance, as shown in Figure 9, so that at no time the lamp remains without receiving voltage, and avoid that it goes out, as well as that short circuits are not provoked when connecting the different TRIAC's or the contacts of the different electromechanical relays.

This procedure has the advantage over other means of reducing the voltage, that at no time during the transition from one tap to the next, a voltage reduction is made by cutting the wave, which would increase the crest factor of current, as with other methods to reduce the supply voltage. It also has the advantage of being able to install the complete power controller in the base of the pole where the luminaire is located, without having to open said unit or having to introduce devices inside the box of the luminaire. c- In the third modality of the method proposed in this patent application, Power Control is achieved by varying the voltage applied to the lamp by varying the output voltage of the ballast to the capacitor (Figure No. 10). This is done using a ballast of special construction, which has taps or derivations in its primary winding in the points near the point of exit to the capacitor, to exit with greater or lesser voltage towards said capacitor. It is used, in addition to the controller device (24) mentioned in the application described above. In this case the use of the controller device is used to connect taps of higher or lower voltage of the ballast primary winding, from which the power goes to the main capacitor. d. In a fourth mode of the method, the Power Control is made by varying the output voltage of the ballast to the lamp (Figure No. 11), under the same concept of the previous paragraph, in such a way that said ballast of special construction have taps or taps in its secondary winding to give more or less output voltage to the lamp. It is also used in this mode, the controller device (24) mentioned above. In this case the use of the controlling device is. Used to connect higher or lower voltage taps of the ballast secondary winding, from which the voltage supply to the lamp is output. It is important to mention that in both cases "c" and "d", the outputs of the controller feed an inductance with a central tap, as shown in Figure No. 10 and Figure No. 11, so that in no case At the moment the lamp is left without voltage supply. The application of the two previous concepts ("b" and "c") to control the power of the lamp is shown in Figure No. 10, for the case of connection from the taps of the primary winding of the ballast, and in the Figure Do not. 11 for the case of the voltage through the secondary winding of the ballast.

Depending on the precision desired in the control of the power, the TRIAC's or electromechanical output relays of the controller can be connected to four, five, six or more points of the primary winding of the ballast. This will provide almost double the number (double minus one) of output voltages to the capacitor and the lamp, operating as illustrated in the following table.

TRIAC's CLOSED TRIAC's OPEN POWER LEVELS T1 and T2 T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10 P1 = Maximum T1 and T4 T2, T3, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10 P2 < P1 T3 and T4 T1, T2, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10 P3 < P2 T3 and T6 T1, T2, T4, T5, T7, T8, T9, T10 P4 < P3 T5 and T6 T1, T2, T3, T4, T7, T8, T9, T10 P5 < P4 T5 and T8 T1, T2, T3, T4, T6, T7, T9, T10 P6 < P5 T7 and T8 T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T9, T10 P7 < P6 T7 and T10 T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T8, T9 P8 < P7 T9 and T10 T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8 P9 = Minimum The control of the power of the lamp or of the power input to the luminaire is made by the controller device (24), which connects, from tap to tap, the cables that leave the primary winding of the ballast towards the capacitor, or from the secondary winding to the lamp, they connect through an inductance with central tap, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, so that at no time the lamp remains without receiving voltage, and prevent it from turning off. As a result of the action of the controlling device, the TRIAC's (14) or the electromechanical relays necessary to apply more or less voltage to the lamp, as required, will be driven or stopped to control the power of the lamp itself (or its current). , or its brightness), or the input power to the luminaire (or its current, or its brightness), as desired. This procedure has the advantage over other means of reducing the voltage, that at no time during the transition from one tap to the next, a voltage reduction is made by cutting the wave, which would increase the crest factor of current, as with other methods to reduce the supply voltage. e.- The fifth mode of the method is the control operation with complementary capacitors: This control is carried out by modifying the impedance of the luminaire, through the connection or disconnection of complementary capacitors C1, C2, C3, etc. (12), in parallel with the main capacitor (10) of the lamp. This connection or disconnection of complementary capacitors in parallel with the main capacitor, to operate at different power levels (or current, or brightness), is achieved by a controller device (24) capable of constantly measuring the power (or current) , or the brightness) of the luminaire (or lamp), and compare it against a range of operation previously programmed, to take action by opening or closing a series of electronic or electromechanical switches (normally four or five), which connect or disconnect said complementary capacitors so that Lamp power (or its current, or its brightness) or the luminaire, as desired, remains within the established range. In the case of capacitors in parallel, adding capacitance when the power of the lamp (or its current, or its brightness) falls below the minimum level established or removing capacitance in case the power of the lamp exceeds the maximum established for that value. desired reference. These limits of the control range, maximum and minimum, are determined as a small variation above and below the reference power value, that is, the value in which one wishes to operate. The main capacitor (10) determines the power of the lamp at the lowest power to be operated, to which it is connected in parallel, by means of switches of the electromechanical type (relays) or electronic type (TRIAC's, sets of SCR's or combinations of transistors) (14), one or more complementary capacitors C1, C2, C3, etc. (12) In the illustrated mode, several complementary capacitors are connected in parallel to give the power (or current, or brightness) desired in the lamp, adjusting from values lower than 30 or 40% of the nominal power to values above of 120% of said nominal power of the lamp. In the moments of connection or disconnection of the aforementioned complementary capacitors, sudden overvoltages or "sparks" can occur, which can damage the switch that connects said complementary capacitor, especially when it is of the electronic type, so that these switches are protected by small protective inductances (22), which are placed in series with each complementary capacitor, in addition to connecting a protection varistor (16) through the terminals of the switch, and in addition to a high denomination discharge resistance R, in parallel with each complementary capacitor, to ensure that said capacitors have been discharged before making a next reconnection. This method and apparatus is described extensively in Reference No. 4. When the luminaires are turned on, since the power of the lamps is still very low, until the lamp is heated and the gas discharge begins and gradually increases the power of the lamp, the controller device (24) will keep closed the four (or five) switches that connect the complementary capacitors, resulting in an equivalent capacitance greater than that needed in full operation, and as the power corresponding to the At the upper level of the control band, capacitances will be disconnected, reducing the power so that it is within the established range. If the line voltage drops, the controlling device will make the connection of more capacitance, to increase the power of the lamp and keep it within the established range. This established range is programmed to be a small percentage above and below the power (or current, or brightness) that you want to operate.

It is worth mentioning that the complementary capacitors C1, C2, C3, etc. (12) should be selected with values that are binary multiples of the smallest capacitor, that is, following the geometric series 1, 2, 4, 8, etc., values multiplied by the capacitance of lower value, in order to approximate the most possible to the desired value, by means of the combination of opening and closing of switches T1, T2, T3 and T4 (and T5 if there is one). As an example, if the smallest complementary capacitor is 0.5 uf (it could be 0.25 uf, if you want more precision, and also more number of switches and capacitors, to cover more range of variation), the equivalent capacitance values it would be added to the main capacitor from zero to 7.5 uf for the case of 4 complementary capacitors, or from zero to 15.5 uf for the case of five complementary capacitors. The equivalent complementary capacitance would be that of the following table, according to which TRIAC's or which electromechanical relays are closed or open: Capacitor CI (O.5 UF;) C2 (1 uF) C3 (2uF) C4 (4uf) Resultant Complementary Capacitance TRIAC T1 T2 T3 T3 T4 Open Open Open Open Open 0.0 uF Closed Open Open Open 0.5 uF Open Closed Open Open 1.0 uF Closed Closed Open Open 1.5 uF Open Open Closed Open 2.0 uF Closed Open Closed Open 2.5 uF Open Closed Closed Open 3.0 uF Closed Closed Closed Open 3.5 uF Open Open Open Closed 4.0 uF Closed Open Open Closed 4.5 uF Open Closed Open Closed 5.0 uF Closed Closed Open Closed 5.5 uF Open Open Closed Closed 6.0 uF Closed Open Closed Closed 6.5 uF Open Closed Closed Closed 7.0 uF Closed Closed Closed Closed 7.5 Phew It is convenient to mention that for the purpose of simplifying the physical arrangement of elements, the four complementary capacitors (and if necessary a fifth capacitor) can be contained in a single unit of multiple capacities (0.5 + 1 + 2 + 4 uF, or, if necessary, an additional capacitor of 8uF), so that from that multiple unit comes a common cable and four (or five) more cables, one for each of the capacitors C1, C2, C3, C4 (and in case a fifth capacitor C5 is necessary). A drawing of this multiple capacitor is shown in Figure No. 15) The same concepts described above apply also when using the method of replacing the main capacitor of the luminaire by two capacitors, making the connection through a different scheme, using other elements, as taught in the patent of Mr. Michael Cari, with registration in Mexico No. 166132, granted on December 21, 1992, and released in Mexico for its free use by the IMPl, or by any other method for the same purpose. The apparatus proposed in the patent of Mr. Michael Cari has the limitation that the line voltage has to pass through zero when reconnecting the complementary capacitor, which limitation does not have the scheme used in the scheme proposed in Reference No. 4. f.- The sixth modality of the method included in the present patent application, shown in Figure No. 13, is the control operation by means of the use of complementary inductances L1, L2, L3, etc. (22) to control the power (or current, or brightness) of the luminaires or the lamps themselves by connecting them in series with the main capacitor Cp (10), of several complementary inductances, such as to modify the impedance of the luminaire, and modify the power (or current, or brightness) of the luminaire, or of the lamp itself. In this modality, the operation method of a lamp is used to operate in two levels, as described in Reference No. 6, and whose diagram is shown in Figure No. 6, only using several independent inductances, which are They short or "bridge" by electronic or electromechanical switches, operated or being the output elem of the controller device described in the prespatapplication. The diagram is shown in Figure No. 13. It is convenito mon that the inductances L1, L2, L3, etc. (22) should be selected with inductance values that are binary multiples of the smallest inductance, that is, following the geometric series 1, 2, 4, 8, etc., values multiplied by the inductance of the lowest value, in order to approximate as much as possible to the necessary inductance, by means of the combination of opening and closing of switches T1, T2, T3 and T4 (and T5 and T6 if there is one). In this case, the equivalimpedance of the complemry inductances would be added to the impedance of the main capacitor, to increase the power of the lamp to the desired value. These independinductances are shown in Figure No. 14.

A variant of this scheme is when instead of several independent inductances a multiple inductance is used, formed by the same magnetic frame to which several windings not connected to each other are installed, but through a series of switches, either electromechanical, such as relay contacts, or electronic, such as TRIAC's or other electronic devices. In this case, care should be taken to also install disconnecting elements (such as TRIAC's or contacts of an electromechanical relay) in series with each winding in such a way that the windings that go to the same magnetic frame that are not used can be interrupted or disconnected, so as not to cause a short circuit when they are bridged, because they could work as secondaries of a short-circuit transformer, as illustrated in Figure No. 15.

When the luminaires are switched on, and as in the previously described case, given that the power of the lamps is still very low, until the lamp is heated and the gas discharge begins and the power of the gas gradually increases. lamp, the controller device will keep open the four (or five) switches that "bypass" the complementary inductances, resulting in an inductance that is the sum of the individual inductances, and is generally greater than the inductance needed to keep the lamp operating at full power, and as it is reaching the power corresponding to the upper level of the control band, will be bridging inductances, reducing the power to be within the established range. If the line voltage drops, the controlling device will make the connection of more inductance, to increase the power of the lamp and keep it within the established range. Said established range is programmed to be a small percentage (one or two percent) above and below the power to which one wishes to operate. g.- Energy saving: For the operation of the controller as a power saver, under any of the modalities presented in the previous paragraphs, no special connection is required, but only to establish a control band to which one wishes to operate, say a few percentage points above and below the power (or the current, or the brightness at which you want to operate at full power and reduced power, such that you give us the desired power savings, say 20%, or 25%, or 30% or the value of current or luminosity that is intended, for example, operating at full power, for a lamp of 150 watts can be established an operating band between 145 and 155 watts. For a 250-watt lamp, an operating band can be established at full power between 245 and 255 watts, and for a 400-watt lamp, an operating band can be established at full power between 395 and 405 watts.

In the previous examples, to have a saving of 20% in the power of the lamp, could be established as control band limits between 115 and 125 watts for a lamp of 150 watts, a band of control between 195 and 205 watts for a 250 watt lamp, and between 315 and 325 watts for a 400 watt lamp. Similarly, to have a saving of 30% in the power of the lamp, could be established, as a control band, limits between 100 and 110 watts for a lamp of 150 watts, a range between 170 and 180 watts for a 250 watt lamp, and between 275 and 285 watts for a 400 watt lamp. In general, the power can be reduced to values of up to 50 or 60% of the nominal power, keeping the lamp still on and without operating problems.

On the other hand, if it is desired, it can also be operated at values above the nominal power, for which it is only necessary to install the appropriate capacitors and establish the reference to which one wishes to operate. It is worth mentioning that the operation with more power than the nominal one can reduce the useful life of the lamp. h.- Functional description of the controller device: The controller device (24) shown in Figure No. 10, has the ability to measure the voltage and current of the lamp, and calculate the power of the lamp using the power factors that have been fed in advance for each connection scheme of the complementary capacitors C1, C2, C3, etc. . (12), according to determinations made in the laboratory prior to the installation of the luminaire.

This controller device is composed of a reading unit of voltage and current, or millivoltage from a photocell that measures luminosity. He then makes the measurement of these variables and converts them into low voltage signals that he can interpret and use in his electronic circuits.

The controller device also has inputs through which the power reference is fed and the power factor that must be used to calculate the measured power, which varies according to the capacitance used in each power level. . The controller device is also capable of receiving information about the reference power level and the limits of the power control band to operate at full power or at reduced power. This information can be received through terminals that can be connected to an external computer, or through a series of mechanical switches that feed in digital form the information of the reference powers and the power factors to be used for the calculation of the measured power, or a keyboard similar to that of a pocket calculator, which feeds the reference information to the electronic circuits of the controlling device. The actual power consumed is calculated by the controlling device by measuring the voltage and current, fed to terminals that for this purpose are designed in the controller device. The controller device must also be powered if it is desired to operate at high power (or current, or brightness) or at reduced power (or current, or brightness). This signal can come from a control unit installed in the power supply post to the circuit, from which it is transmitted to the controller device, through the existing power cables, the signal that tells the controller whether to operate in the high or low values of the controlled variable.

For this transmission, the method described in Reference No. 7 can be used. It is also possible to use a signal transmitting equipment by sending, through the existing cables, a radiofrequency signal that is superimposed on the voltage wave that transmits the energy, and a decoder of that radiofrequency signal, installed in the box of the luminaire, which receives the signal, decodes it and feeds it to the controlling device.

This signal to operate in high or low power could also be generated internally in the controller itself by means of a time signal from its connection in high power.

The controller device itself is the element that compares the actual controlled variable of the luminaire or lamp, and compares it with the reference value, and opens or closes the switches that more or less input impedance, or higher or lower voltage output of the ballast, or connect or disconnect the complementary capacitors or complementary inductances, if necessary, to operate within the established range of power (or current, or brightness) in the lamp, or at the input of the luminaire, as desired . The output elements of the controller device can be electromagnetic switches (relays), or electronic type switches, such as TRIAC's or other electronic switches, which will connect the taps indicated in the ballast, or the additional inductances or capacitors that are necessary operate in the desired operating range.

It is important to mention that the controller device must be small enough to be installed inside the luminaire, and it must be economical enough to make its installation economically viable. With this method and apparatus you can control the power (or current, or brightness) of the lamp at the desired value, within the range or band established for that level of operation and within reasonable limits, regardless of the variations of the supply voltage or the state of aging of the lamp. This method and apparatus do not damage the components of the luminaires and allow a long life of the components and a high reliability of the system. i.- It should be mentioned that in the modalities of this control method, exposed in the previous paragraphs, the control of the power, or current or luminosity of the lamp itself, is mentioned. However, the same concepts apply to the control of power, or current to the input to the luminaire, measuring for it the line voltage and the input current, instead of the voltage and current (or brightness) of the lamp same Having described the invention, it is considered a novelty, and the content of the following is claimed as property.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, wherein said method comprises: connecting to an alternating current source a first electric circuit comprising at least one gas discharge lamp, at least one electromagnetic ballast, and less an electrical device of the group comprising an electric circuit of variable impedance, a selector device and a variable inductive element; measuring at least one physical or electrical variable of said ballast or said gas discharge lamp or said electrical device using measuring means connected to a controlling device; generate at least one control signal from the measurement made; and using said control signal to operate said variable impedance electric circuit or said selector device or said variable inductive element so that a certain physical or electrical variable of said first electric circuit is maintained within a predefined range. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, wherein said controlling device can operate in at least two different modes of operation, and wherein this method further comprises selecting one of several possible modes of operation. operation of said controller device. A method for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, wherein said controller device can operate in at least two different modes of operation, and wherein said controller device contains a device that allows to measure the time from the ignition, and which also comprises measuring the time elapsed since the ignition; and selecting one of several possible operating modes based on said time measurement. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to any of claims 2 to 3, wherein there is further a second controller device communicating with said first controller device through a second control signal; wherein said method further comprises generating at least a second control signal that is received by said first controlling device; and selecting one of several possible operating modes based on said control signal. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit comprises a first capacitor connected in series with said lamp or with a power supply cable of the said ballast; connected in parallel with said first capacitor a! minus a second electric circuit formed by a second capacitor and a first switch device connected in series; and wherein said controlling device is connected to said first switching device; and further comprising varying the impedance of said variable electric impedance circuit by the action exerted by said control signal on said first switching device. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 5, further comprising limiting the current flowing through said first switch device by a second inductive element which is connected in series with said second capacitor and with said first switch device. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 5, further comprising protecting said first switch device by a varistor which is connected in parallel with said first switch device. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 5, further comprising discharging the electric charge of said second capacitor by a resistor which is connected in parallel with said second capacitor. A method for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 5, further comprising discharging the electrical charge of said second capacitor by means of a thermistor that is connected in parallel with said second capacitor. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit comprises at least a first capacitor connected in series with said lamp or with a power supply cable. energy of said ballast; a first switch device connected in parallel with said first capacitor; and wherein further said controller device is connected to said first switch device; and which further comprises varying the impedance of said variable impedance electric circuit by the action exerted by said control signal on said first switching device. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit comprises at least a second inductive element in series with said lamp or with a power supply cable. energy of said ballast; a first switch device connected in parallel with said second inductive element; and wherein said controller device is connected to said first switch device; and which further comprises varying the impedance of said variable impedance electric circuit by the action exerted by said control signal on said first switching device. A method for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 11, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit comprises at least one second electric circuit formed by a third inductive element and a second interrupting device connected in series, and in turn connected in parallel with said second inductive element; and wherein said controlling device is connected to said second switching device; and further comprising varying the impedance of said variable impedance electric circuit by the action exerted by said control signal on said second switch device. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, wherein said variable inductive element is connected in series with said lamp or with a power supply cable of said ballast; and wherein said controlling device is connected to said variable inductive element; and which further comprises varying the inductance of said variable inductive element by the action exerted by said control signal on said variable inductive element. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 13, wherein said variable inductive element has a first switching device connected in parallel; and wherein said controlling device is connected to said first switching device; and further comprising varying the impedance or electrical connection of said first electric circuit by the action exerted by said control signal on said first switching device. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, wherein said selector device is an element that contains at least two variable terminals and a fixed terminal, such that upon receiving the said control signal is selected one of said variable terminals and this is electrically connected to said fixed terminal; and wherein at least two of said variable terminals are connected to taps or leads of any of the windings of said electromagnetic ballast; and which further comprises selectively connecting the fixed terminal to one of the variable terminals by the action exerted by said control signal on said selector device. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, wherein said selector device is an element that contains at least two variable terminals and a fixed terminal, such that upon receiving the said control signal is selected one of said variable terminals and this is electrically connected to said fixed terminal; and where a transformer or power autotransformer is additionally connected, which has two terminals connected to the alternating current source; and wherein at least two of the variable terminals of said selector device are connected to taps or leads of said transformer or power autotransformer; and wherein the fixed terminal of said selector device is connected to a power supply cable of said electromagnetic ballast; and further comprising modifying the supply voltage of said electromagnetic ballast by the action exerted by said control signal on said selector device. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, wherein said selector device is an element that contains at least two variable terminals and a fixed terminal, such that upon receiving the said control signal is selected one of said variable terminals and this is electrically connected to said fixed terminal; and wherein additionally is connected a power transformer or autotransformer, having a terminal connected to the alternating current source; and wherein at least two of the variable terminals of said selector device are connected to taps or leads of said transformer or power autotransformer; and wherein the fixed terminal of said selector device is connected to the alternating current source, and wherein a power supply cable of said electromagnetic ballast is connected to a tap or bypass of said power transformer; and further comprising modifying the supply voltage of said electromagnetic ballast by the action exerted by said control signal on said selector device. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 15, wherein a second selector device is further connected which is connected to said controller device; wherein said second selector means is an element containing at least two variable terminals and a fixed terminal, such that upon receiving a second control signal from said controller device one of said variable terminals is selected and this is electrically connected to the fixed terminal joy; and wherein at least two of said variable terminals are connected to taps or leads of any of the windings of said electromagnetic ballast; and wherein the fixed terminals of the first selector device and of the second selector means are connected to the ends of a second central tap inductance, and wherein this method further comprises selectively connecting said fixed terminal of said second selector means to one of said terminals. variable terminals of said second selector means by the action exerted by said second control signal in said second selector means. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, wherein a second selector means is connected in addition to the first selector means, wherein said second selector means is connected to said second device. controller, wherein each of said selector devices is an element containing at least two variable terminals and a fixed terminal, such that upon receiving respective control signals from said controller device one of said variable terminals is selected and this remains electrically connected to said fixed terminal; and wherein additionally is connected a power transformer or autotransformer, having a terminal connected to the alternating current source; and where a! less two of the variable terminals of each of said selector devices are connected to taps or derivations of said transformer or power autotransformer; and wherein said fixed terminals of both selecting devices are connected to each of the ends of a second inductance with a central tap; and further comprising modifying the supply voltage of said electromagnetic ballast by the action exerted by said control signals on said selector devices. A method for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to any of claims 1 to 15, wherein at least one of said switch devices is solid state; and which further comprises varying the fraction of current driving time during each cycle or each half cycle of the alternating current wave or varying the proportion of cycles or half cycles of current driving of said switch device by the action exerted by the said control signal in said switch device. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp, wherein said apparatus comprises: a first electric circuit comprising at least one gas discharge lamp, at least one electromagnetic ballast and at least one electrical device of the group that it comprises an electric circuit of variable impedance, a selector device and a variable inductive element; measurement means for measuring at least one physical or electrical variable of said lamp or said ballast or said electrical device; and a controller device which is connected to said measuring means and which, based on the measurement made, generates at least one control signal which operates the said variable impedance electric circuit or said selector device or said variable inductive element so that a certain physical or electrical variable of said first electric circuit is maintained within a predefined range. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said controller device can operate in at least two different modes of operation. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 22, wherein said apparatus further comprises a time measuring device for measuring the time elapsed from the moment of ignition; in such a way that the saying The controller device selects its mode of operation based on the time measurement performed by said time meter device. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to any of claims 22 or 23, wherein said controlling device receives at least one second control signal from a second controlling device; and wherein said controlling device selects its mode of operation based on said second control signal. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit comprises a first capacitor connected in series with said lamp or with a power supply cable of said ballast, and connected in parallel with said first capacitor there is at least a second electrical circuit formed by a second capacitor and a first switch device connected in series, and wherein said controller device is connected to said first switch device; in such a way that from said measurement made said control device generates a control signal that operates said first switch device to change the impedance of said variable impedance electric circuit and thereby operate in a controlled manner said discharge lamp Of gas. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 25, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit further comprises a second inductive element connected in series with said second capacitor and said first switch device. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 25, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit further comprises a varistor connected in parallel with said first switch device. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 25, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit further comprises a resistor connected in parallel with said second capacitor. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 25, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit further comprises a thermistor connected in parallel with said second capacitor. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit comprises at least one first capacitor connected in series with said lamp or with a power supply cable of said ballast, and a first switch device connected in parallel with said first capacitor, and wherein said controller device is connected to said first switch device; in such a way that from said measurement made said control device generates a control signal that operates said first switch device to change the impedance of said variable impedance electric circuit and thereby operate in a controlled manner said discharge lamp Of gas. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit comprises at least a second inductive element connected in series with said lamp or with a power supply cable. energy of said ballast, and a first switching device connected in parallel with said second inductive element, and wherein said controlling device is connected to said first switching device; in such a way that from said measurement made said control device generates a control signal that operates said first switch device to change the impedance of said variable impedance electric circuit and thereby operate in a controlled manner said discharge lamp Of gas. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 31, wherein said variable impedance electric circuit further comprises connected in parallel with said second inductive element at least a second electrical circuit formed by a third element. inductive and a second switch device connected in series, and wherein said controller device is connected to said second switch device; in such a way that from said measurement made said controller device generates a control signal that operates the said second switch device to change the impedance of said variable impedance electric circuit and thereby operate in a controlled manner said discharge lamp Of gas. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said variable inductive element is connected in series with said lamp or with a power supply cable of said ballast; in such a way that from said measurement made said control device generates a control signal that operates the said variable inductive element to change the impedance or electrical connection of said first electric circuit and thereby operate in a controlled manner said lamp of gas discharge. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 33, further comprising a first switching device connected in parallel with said variable inductive element, and wherein said controlling device is connected to said first switch device; in such a way that from the said Measurement made by said controlling device generates a control signal which operates said first switching device to change the impedance or electrical connection of said first electric circuit and thereby operate in a controlled manner said gas discharge lamp. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said selector device is a device having at least two variable terminals and a fixed terminal, such that when operated by said controller device one of said variable terminals is selected and this is electrically connected to said fixed terminal, and wherein at least two of said variable terminals are connected to taps or leads of any of the windings of said electromagnetic ballast , such that from said measurement made said control device generates a control signal that operates said selector device to change the impedance or electrical connection of said first electric circuit and thereby operate in a controlled manner said lamp of gas discharge. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 21, wherein said selector device is an element containing at least two variable terminals and a fixed terminal, such that upon receiving the said control signal is selected one of said variable terminals and this is electrically connected to said fixed terminal; and further comprising a power transformer, having two terminals connected to the alternating current source; and wherein at least two of the variable terminals of said selector device are connected to taps or leads of said power transformer; and wherein the fixed terminal of said selector device is connected to a power supply cable of said electromagnetic ballast; in such a way that from said measurement made said control device generates a control signal that operates said selector device to change the supply voltage of said electromagnetic ballast and thereby operate in a controlled manner said gas discharge lamp . An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 21, wherein said selector device is an element containing at least two variable terminals and a fixed terminal, such that upon receiving the said control signal is selected one of said variable terminals and this is electrically connected to said fixed terminal; and further comprising a power transformer, having a terminal connected to the alternating current source; and wherein at least two of the variable terminals of said selector device are connected to taps or leads of said power transformer; and wherein the fixed terminal of said selector device is connected to the alternating current source, and wherein a cable of power supply of said electromagnetic ballast is connected to a tap or derivation of said power transformer; in such a way that from said measurement made said control device generates a control signal that operates said selector device to change the supply voltage of said electromagnetic ballast and thereby operate in a controlled manner said gas discharge lamp . An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 35, further comprising a second selector device; and a second inductance with central tap; wherein said second selector device is an element that contains at least two variable terminals and a fixed terminal, and is connected to said selector device, such that upon receiving a second control signal one of said variable terminals is selected and this is electrically connected to the said fixed terminal; and wherein also at least two of said variable terminals of said second selector device are connected to taps or branches of any of the windings of said electromagnetic ballast; and wherein the fixed terminals of the first selector device and of the second selector device are connected to the ends of said second inductance with central tap, such that from said measurement made said control device generates a control signal that the said selector devices operates to change the impedance or electrical connection of said first electric circuit and thereby operate in a controlled manner said gas discharge lamp. An apparatus for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp, according to claim 1, further comprising a second selector device; a transformer or power autotransformer; and a second inductance with central tap; wherein said second selector means is connected to said controller device; wherein each of said selector devices is an element containing at least two variable terminals and a fixed terminal, such that upon receiving respective control signals one of said variable terminals is selected and this is electrically connected to the said terminal. fixed terminal; and wherein said transformer or power autotransformer has a terminal connected to the alternating current source; and wherein at least two of the variable terminals of each of said selector devices are connected to taps or leads of said power transformer or autotransformer; and wherein said fixed terminals of both selecting devices are connected to each of the ends of said second inductance with central tap; in such a way that from said measurement made said control device generates at least two control signals that operate said selector devices to change the supply voltage of said electromagnetic ballast and thereby operate in a controlled manner said discharge lamp Of gas. An apparatus for controlled operation of at least one gas discharge lamp according to any of claims 21 to 35, in wherein at least one of said switch devices is solid state, and the controlling device operates it in such a way as to conduct the current in a fraction of each half cycle, in a fraction of each cycle, or only in certain cycles or in only certain half cycles of the alternating current, in such a way that from said measurement made the said controller device generates at least one control signal acting on the said switch device to vary the fraction of driving time or the proportion of cycles or of half cycles of driving the alternating current and thereby operating in a controlled manner said gas discharge lamp. An apparatus for operating in a controlled manner at least one gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said electromagnetic ballast is selected from the group comprising a ballast of the Reactive type, a ballast of the High Reactance Autotransformer type (Auto-Lag). ), a ballast of the Constant Wattage Autotransformer (CWA) type, a Ballast of the type Advanced Peak Autotransformer (PLA or CWA), a ballast of the Constant Wattage Isolated Type (CWI), a ballast of the Regulated Late Type (Mag-Reg) HPS or Electro-Reg) and a ballast of the type Quasi-Resonant. An apparatus for controlled operation of a gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said gas discharge lamp is selected from the group comprising a high pressure sodium vapor lamp, a sodium vapor lamp of low pressure, a mercury vapor lamp, a metal additive lamp and a fluorescent lamp. An apparatus for controlled operation of a gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said controlling device is selected from the group comprising a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic controller, an analog or digital electrical circuit, a circuit analog or digital electronic, an analog controller, a PID type controller or a combination of these elements. An apparatus for controlled operation of a gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said physical or electrical variable that will be measured by said measuring means is at least one of the following: current, voltage, power , the complex power, the resistance, the admittance, the temperature, the magnetic flux, the magnetic field or the luminous intensity of said electromagnetic ballast, said lamp or some component of said first electric circuit. An apparatus for controlled operation of a gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said controlling device will control the operation of said lamp or said ballast seeking to maintain the value of a physical or electrical variable within a range definite. An apparatus for controlled operation of a gas discharge lamp according to claim 45, wherein said physical or electrical variable is selected from the group comprising the power of the lamp, the voltage of the lamp, the current of the lamp, lamp brightness, lamp resistance, lamp impedance, lamp temperature, ballast power, ballast voltage, ballast current, ballast impedance and ballast temperature. An apparatus for controlled operation of a gas discharge lamp according to claims 21 to 35, wherein each of said switch devices is selected from the group comprising an electromechanical relay, a TRIAC, an SCR, two SCRs, a transistor, an IGBT, a phototransistor and a combination of these elements. An apparatus for controlled operation of a gas discharge lamp according to claims 21 to 40, wherein said selecting devices are selected from the group comprising an electromechanical relay, a plurality of electromechanical relays, a solid state selector formed by a plurality of TRIACS, SCRs, IGBTs or transistors, and a combination of these elements. An apparatus for controlled operation of a gas discharge lamp according to claim 21, wherein said first electric circuit is of sufficiently compact size to be installed inside a luminaire. EXTRACT OF THE INVENTION A method and apparatus for controlling the power, or current, or brightness of a luminaire or lamp, which in turn serves to save energy in gas discharge lamps, by connecting a plurality of impedances, which can be capacitive or inductive, in series with the luminaire, at the entrance of the same, or by means of the inclusion of an autotransformer / transformer before feeding the luminaire that allows to vary the voltage applied to the luminaire, or either by varying the connection point of the line that goes from the primary winding of the ballast or to the secondary winding thereof, or by means of the parallel or series connection of some complementary capacitors (in addition to the main capacitor, whose capacitance defines the level of operation at low power) or in series with a series of complementary inductances, which modify the impedance of the luminaire and adjust the power, or the or, or the brightness, within a previously defined operating range for each level of operation, regardless of the variations in line voltage or the degree of aging of the lamp. The control device of the invention comprises a controller device, capable of reading the actual operating variables of the luminaire or of the lamp, and comparing its value against reference values, operating switches that connect or disconnect the various elements that are use to modify the impedance of the luminaires and / or to adjust the power or current or brightness within the range of operation desired. To snow out the energy saving, a level lower than the nominal power level of the lamp is selected as a reference level, in a lower percentage according to the percent of savings desired. If desired, it is possible to operate at a higher power than the nominal one, installing the appropriate capacitors or inductances for it. The complementary capacitors, or in their case the complementary inductances can be separate units, or be combined into a single unit of capacitances or multiple inductances, and it is desirable that they have values according to the geometric series 1, 2, 4, 8, a In order to minimize the units required to adjust a complementary capacitance or a specific complementary inductance that provides an operation at the desired power in the lamp.