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    Xenon Strobe Light

    Uploaded by

    João Almeida
    Xenon strobes work by storing energy from a power supply in a flash capacitor and discharging it through a xenon flash tube to produce a bright burst of light. The key components are the power supply, flash capacitor, clock circuit, and xenon flash tube. The flash capacitor stores the energy and discharges it very quickly through the flash tube when triggered by the clock circuit, causing the xenon gas to ionize and emit a flash of light that typically lasts 0.2 milliseconds. Most xenon strobe beacons flash at a rate of 1-3 flashes per second.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Xenon Strobe Light

    Uploaded by

    João Almeida
    166 views1 page
    Xenon strobes work by storing energy from a power supply in a flash capacitor and discharging it through a xenon flash tube to produce a bright burst of light. The key components are the power supply, flash capacitor, clock circuit, and xenon flash tube. The flash capacitor stores the energy and discharges it very quickly through the flash tube when triggered by the clock circuit, causing the xenon gas to ionize and emit a flash of light that typically lasts 0.2 milliseconds. Most xenon strobe beacons flash at a rate of 1-3 flashes per second.

    Original Description:

    Strobe light how it works

    Original Title

    Xenon Strobe light

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    Xenon strobes work by storing energy from a power supply in a flash capacitor and discharging it through a xenon flash tube to produce a bright burst of light. The key components are the power supply, flash capacitor, clock circuit, and xenon flash tube. The flash capacitor stores the energy and discharges it very quickly through the flash tube when triggered by the clock circuit, causing the xenon gas to ionize and emit a flash of light that typically lasts 0.2 milliseconds. Most xenon strobe beacons flash at a rate of 1-3 flashes per second.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    166 views1 page

    Xenon Strobe Light

    Uploaded by

    João Almeida
    Xenon strobes work by storing energy from a power supply in a flash capacitor and discharging it through a xenon flash tube to produce a bright burst of light. The key components are the power supply, flash capacitor, clock circuit, and xenon flash tube. The flash capacitor stores the energy and discharges it very quickly through the flash tube when triggered by the clock circuit, causing the xenon gas to ionize and emit a flash of light that typically lasts 0.2 milliseconds. Most xenon strobe beacons flash at a rate of 1-3 flashes per second.

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    of 1

    How it Works

    techNOTE
    Xenon Strobe Beacons

    Xenon strobes work by pushing the energy stored in a capacitor through a xenon flash tube to produce a very short
    burst of high intensity light.

    Our xenon beacons consist of 4 key elements:


    4 2
    1. Power supply
    2. Flash capacitor
    3. Clock circuit
    4. Xenon flash tube

    Power Supply
    The power supply converts the incoming power
    3
    source to around 320Vdc to charge the flash
    capacitor to its working voltage. Circuitry is 1
    optimised to the expected incoming supply; e.g.
    12-24Vdc, 115Vac, 230Vac and so on.

    Flash Capacitor
    The flash capacitor acts as a storage bucket for the energy required
    by the flash tube. Ideally, the flash capacitor charges as slowly as possible between flashes to limit the current drawn
    from the incomimg power source and discharges as fast as possible through the xenon flash tube to provide the most
    intense pulse of light achievable.

    Clock Circuit
    The clock circuit provides the necessary signal to cause the xenon flash tube to flash. deegee Xenon Strobe beacons
    typically us a micro-controller or timer I.C. to generate the clock signals. Use of a micro-controller allows full control
    of flash speed and flash pattern as well as monitoring on board speed/function switches and external control signals
    when required.

    Xenon Flash Tube


    Xenon flash tubes work by discharging the energy stored in a capacitor through a special flash tube filled with xenon
    gas to produce a very short burst of high intensity white light. Most xenon flash tubes are equipped with a capacitive
    trigger electrode - e.g. a wire wrapped around the tube, or a silver conductive coating on the outside of the glass.

    How the xenon tube produces its flash

    1. The flash capacitor is charged by the power supply to around 320Vdc.


    2. The xenon flash tube remains non-conductive even when the capacitor is fully charged, and therefore does not
    flash.
    3. A smaller capacitor is discharged through a special trigger coil to generate a trigger pulse.
    4. The pulse generated by the trigger coil (typically 5 to 10 kV) is enough to ionize the xenon gas inside the flash
    tube.
    5. The xenon gas suddenly becomes a low resistance and causes the energy stored in the flash capacitor to
    discharge through the flash tube resulting in a short duration flash of light. The typical flash duration of our
    xenon beacons is around 0.2 milliseconds.

    For a typical strobe beacon, the trigger circuit includes timing components to generate a repetitive pulse at, say, once
    every second, such that the beacon produces a continuous string of flashes 60 times a minute.

    Xenon strobes can flash at slower rates than this with no problems, but there is a limit if we want them to flash faster
    - xenon tubes for warning beacons have a typical maximum flash rate of 4 flashes per second, plus it takes a finite
    amount of time to charge up the flash capacitor to its maximum voltage. Therefore, most xenon strobe beacons have
    a maximum flash rate of typically 2 or 3 flashes per second.
    D.G. Controls Limited, Cadley Hill Road, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, UK, DE11 9TB
    Tel: +44 1283 550850 Fax: +44 1283 550776 e-mail: [email protected]
    E&OE 1

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