DC-AC CONVERTER CIRCUIT USING RESONATING MULTI-LAYER PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSFORMER

摘要

DC-AC voltage transformation circuits are provided which use a resonating piezoelectric transformer (1) along with complementary circuit components, to efficiently convert a DC first voltage to a transformer-output AC second voltage. A High Displacement Piezoelectric (HDP) transformer (1) achieves sufficiently high voltage output to cold fire a gas discharge lamp (57). The disclosed circuit may be modified using conventional electrical sub-circuitry to re-heat the cathodes (60) of the lamp. The transformer circuit may be a self resonating circuit which relies on an initial pulse from turning on the DC power supply to cause the transformer to begin resonating. In a modified voltage converter, the circuit is not self resonating and instead has a phase shift oscillator sub-circuit that provides small pulse signals to start the transformer (1) resonating when the circuit is initially turned on.