Theses and Dissertations Collection

Light bulb flicker has been an issue for as long as light bulbs have existed, and many negative health effects associated with light flicker have been well established and documented. Previous research has largely focused on flicker related to incandescent bulbs and on steady-state flicker behaviors. However, the increasing adoption of light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, coupled with a growing prevalence of non-linear noise sources—such as switch-mode power supplies and variable frequency drives—is causing an increased need to better understand flicker behavior in a variety of bulb types. This thesis documents some of the basic principles of light measurement and flicker classification while also highlighting some of the relevant research into flicker behavior and IEEE guidance related to flicker. Having established a background in flicker behavior and measurement, this research then details the development of a physical testbed and python-based toolchain for generating, recording, analyzing, and displaying flicker behavior in several different bulb types. Finally, sample outputs are provided which demonstrate the ability of the testbed and toolchain to reliably and consistently analyze flicker behavior in light bulbs.