Circuit diagram:
12V Fluorescent Lamp Inverter Circuit Diagram
Fig.1:
two switch-mode circuits are involved here: the DC-DC inverter
involving IC1, Q1 & Q2 and the fluoro tube driver which converts
high voltage DC to AC via IC3 and Q3 & Q4 in a totem-pole circuit.
Inverter efficiency then becomes the major issue. There are many commercial 12V-operated fluorescent lamps available which use 15W and 20W tubes. However, it is rare to see one which drives them to full brilliance. For example, a typical commercial dual 20W fluorescent lamp operating from 12V draws 980mA or 11.8W. Ignoring losses in the fluorescent tube driver itself, it means that each tube is only supplied with 5.9W of power which is considerably less than their 20W rating. So while the lamps do use 20W tubes, the light output is well below par.
Warning:
This circuit generates in excess of 300V DC which could be lethal. Construction should only be attempted by those experimenced with mains-level voltages and safety procedures