OSRAM High pressure sodium-vapour lamps

OSRAM High-Pressure Sodium Vapour Lamps — VIALOX® NAV for street & industrial lighting

OSRAM high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps — the VIALOX® NAV families — are workhorses for streets, yards, tunnels, and large outdoor areas. They pair high luminous efficacy with long service life and predictable performance on conventional gear. For procurement engineers, the key choices are lamp family (NAV-T / NAV-E / SUPER 4Y), wattage, cap (E27/E40), and the

OSRAM HPS Lamp Families and Where They Fit

OSRAM VIALOX® NAV-T (tubular, clear outer bulb)

General-purpose tubular HPS for open or enclosed luminaires; common in 70–1000 W. Typical 250 W datasheet notes street/outdoor/industrial use, high efficacy, and suitability for open/enclosed fittings

OSRAM VIALOX® NAV-E (elliptical, coated outer bulb)

Elliptical envelope with diffuse coating for more comfortable luminance in legacy fixtures. Current datasheet highlights high efficacy, stable flux maintenance, and clear “street/outdoor/industrial” positioning.

OSRAM VIALOX® NAV-T SUPER 4Y (long-life/efficiency variant)

Optimized maintenance and efficacy (often quoted up to ~136 lm/W at 400 W; ignition 3.3–5.0 kVp). Chosen for reduced relamping frequency on roads and yards

OSRAM HPS Key Technical Parameters (what actually matters)

• Wattages: 50/70/100/150/250/400/600/1000 W across the range (E27/E40 caps depending on wattage). Example sheets: 250 W NAV-T, 400 W NAV-T SUPER 4Y, 1000 W NAV-T
• Luminous flux / efficacy: e.g., NAV-T 400 W SUPER 4Y ≈ 56,500 lm, ~136 lm/W (at data conditions).
• CCT / appearance: ~2000 K (amber/golden), strong scotopic reach for roadway contrast.
• Ignition requirement: external ignitor, pulse typically ~3.3–5.0 kVp (min–max window noted in datasheet)
• Gear: electromagnetic ballast (PFC capacitor per sheet; e.g., 400 W uses ~45 µF at 50 Hz). Electronic gear possible when specified.
• Lifetime positioning: “3-year service” class for base NAV-T 250 W; “4Y” long-life class in SUPER 4Y variants.
• Standards (safety/measurement): HID lamp safety IEC 62035; HID measurement/definitions per IEC (and NEMA guidance for test methods).

Why these matter: the ignitor pulse window and ballast pairing determine reliable strike and re-strike; efficacy and lumen maintenance drive pole-count and relamping costs; lifetime class (e.g., SUPER 4Y) changes OPEX assumptions for road networks.

OSRAM HPS with Control Gear — practical integration

• Ballast match: select the wattage-specific choke (eg., NAV-T 400 W nominal 100 V lamp current ≈ 4.4 A per sheet). Use the datasheet’s capacitor value to reach target PF.
• Ignitor topology: superimposed (parallel) ignitors are preferred in street poles for lead-length tolerance; series or semi-parallel types exist — follow pairing tables from the luminaire/OEM. (Representative superimposed ignitor classes cover HS/MH 70–400 W ranges.)
• Open vs enclosed use: OSRAM notes NAV-T/NAV-E are suitable for open and enclosed luminaires (outdoor only in suitable luminaires). Respect the fitting’s rating and shielding. 

OSRAM HPS vs OSRAM Mercury-Vapour vs LED Retrofits — buyer logic

LEDVANCE’s OSRAM NAV LED press note explicitly targets street/HPS replacement: up to 52% energy reduction and lifetime to 50,000 h, drop-in with CCG/capacitor/ignitor in many cases (verify model). Use when energy and maintenance dominate the business case.

OSRAM HPS Selection Checklist (what to verify before you buy)

1. Exact lamp code & cap — NAV-T vs NAV-E; E27/E40; wattage. Cross-check against luminaire label. (See OSRAM NAV-T 250 W and NAV-E/4Y datasheets for naming.)
2. Ballast + capacitor + ignitor — match datasheet values (ignition 3.3–5.0 kVp window typical; PF capacitor µF value from sheet). 
3. Operating environment — ambient in canopy, enclosure type (open/enclosed), re-strike expectations after dips
4. Lifetime/OPEX target — consider SUPER 4Y for fewer relamps
5. Compliance — keep documentation against IEC 62035 (lamp safety) for audits

Typical mistakes to avoid

• Mixing lamp/ballast wattages (e.g., 150 W lamp on 250 W choke) → overcurrent/early failure.
• Using an under-rated ignitor or wrong topology → no-strike or rapid pulsing.
• Skipping PF capacitors on large banks → utility penalties/nuisance trips.
• Assuming open-lumen use without checking the luminaire rating → glare/thermal issues. (Datasheets specify “outdoor only in suitable luminaires”.) 

OSRAM HPS Integration Notes for Street & Outdoor Networks

• Keep one lamp family per wattage across a network to stabilize colour and lumen depreciation patterns.
• Record ignitor type and maximum lead length in pole schedules (especially for superimposed types).
• For mid-life energy programs, plan a lane-by-lane swap to NAV LED where gear compatibility allows; validate photometry and dimming strategy first.
• Maintain a PF-correction plan for cabinets feeding large strings of HPS to hit site PF requirements (consult lamp datasheet for capacitor values).

Why source OSRAM HPS from Bank of Lamps

• EU stock (Latvia) of core NAV-T/NAV-E and SUPER 4Y wattages with coordinated ballasts/ignitors and capacitors.
• Audit-ready packs: datasheets + IEC references (e.g., 62035) bundled for tender files
• Cross-reference support: mapping legacy HPS/MV lists to current OSRAM NAV or NAV LED options with ROI notes.