Modern sources of artificial light convert electrical energy light energy and a re of two general types: incandescent sources

and discharge sources. Incandescent Lamps Incandescent sources produce light by heating substances to a temperature at whi ch they glow and are luminous. lncandescence can be achieved by heating with a f lame but in an electric lamp, such as the light bulb, a metal wire is heated by an electric current. Discharge Lamps http://www.arca53.dsl.pipex.com/index_files/Lamps.htm Discharge lamps produce light by passing an electric current through a gas or va pour that has become ionised and hence able to conduct electricity. At low gas p ressures, a luminous arc or discharge is formed between the electrodes and usefu l quantities of light are given off. Discharge lamps need special control gear i n their circuits and the colour quality of their light is often poor. The fluore scent tube is one type of discharge lamp. Incandescent Lamps 1. Tungsten Filament Lamps Tungsten-Halogen Lamps Tungsten-halogen lamps have filaments which run at higher temperatures with the presence of a small quantity of a halogen gas, such as iodine or bromine. When t ungsten evaporates from the filament it is deposited on the hot wall of the lamp where it combines with the iodine. This new compound is a vapour which carries the tungsten back onto the lamp and re-deposits it on the hot filament, while th e iodine is also re-cycled. Discharge Lamps Gas-discharge lamps are a family of artificial light sources that generate light by sending an electrical discharge through an ionized gas, i.e. a plasma. In operation the gas is ionized, and free electrons, accelerated by the electric al field in the tube, collide with gas and metal atoms. Some electrons in the at omic orbitals of these atoms are excited by these collisions to a higher energy state. When the excited atom falls back to a lower energy state, it emits a phot on of a characteristic energy, resulting in infrared, visible light, or ultravio let radiation. Some lamps will convert the ultraviolet radiation to visible ligh t with a fluorescent coating on the inside of the lamp's glass surface. The fluo rescent lamp is perhaps the best known gas-discharge lamp. Low pressure discharge lamps Low-pressure lamps have working pressure much less than atmospheric pressure. Fo r example common fluorescent lamps operate at a pressure of about 0.3% of aspmos pheric pressure. Fluorescent lamps, the most common lamp in office lighting and many other applic ations, produces up to 100 lumens per watt Low pressure sodium lamps, the most efficient gas-discharge lamp type, producing up to 200 lumens per watt, but at the expense of very poor color rendering. The almost monochromatic yellow light is only acceptable for street lighting and si milar applications. High pressure discharge lamps High-pressure lamps have a discharge that takes place to greater than atmospheric pressure. For example, a has an arc tube under 100 to 200 torr pressure, about pressure; some automotive HID headlamps have up to 50 eric pressure. in gas under slightly less high pressure sodium lamp 14% to 28% of atmospheric bar or fifty times atmosph

Metal halide lamps. These lamps produce almost white light, and attain 100 lumen per watt light output. Applications include indoor lighting of high buildings, parking lots, shops, sport terrains. High pressure sodium lamps, producing up to 150 lumens per watt. These lamps pro duce a broader light spectrum than the low pressure sodium lamps. Also used for street lighting, and for artificial photoassimilation for growing plants High pressure mercury-vapor lamps. This lamp type is the oldest high pressure la mp type, being replaced in most applications by the metal halide lamp and the hi gh pressure sodium lamp.

High-intensity discharge lamps A high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp is a type of electrical lamp which produce s light by means of an electric arc between tungsten electrodes housed inside a translucent or transparent fused quartz or fused alumina arc tube. Compared to o ther lamp types, relatively high arc power exists for the arc length. Examples o f HID lamps include: Mercury-vapor lamps Metal halide lamps Ceramic discharge metal halide lamps Sodium vapor lamps Xenon arc lamps Ultra-High Performance (UHP) HID lamps are typically used when high levels of light over large areas are requ ired, and when energy efficiency and/or light intensity are desired. The type of lamp is often named by the gas contained in the bulb; including neon , argon, xenon, krypton, sodium, metal halide, and mercury, or by the type of el ectrode as in carbon-arc lamps Luminous Efficacy The ability of a lamp to convert electrical energy to light energy is measured b y its efficacy which is given by the following formula. Efficacy = Light output (lumens) / electrical energy input (Wat ts) UNIT: lumens/watt (lm/W). The electrical running costs of a lamp can be calculated from its efficacy. The luminous efficacy of a lamp varies with its type and its wattage so exact da ta should be obtained from the manufacturer. A GLS bulb has an efficacy range of 8 to 18 lm/W, a high pressure mercury fluore scent MBF lamp has a range of 35 to 58 lm/W and a low pressure sodium (SOX) lam p has a range of 100 to 200 lm/W.

Fluorescent gas discharge lamps work by passing an electric current through a ga s or vapour so that a luminous arc is established within a glass container. The energised gas atoms emit ultra-violet (UV) radiation and some blue green lig ht. A coating of fluorescent powders on the inside of the glass absorbs the UV r adiation and re-radiates this energy in the visible part of the spectrum. The fl uorescent coating therefore increases the efficiency of the system and allows th e colour quality of the light to be controlled. Tubular Fluorescent Lamps(using mercury vapour) and Compact Fluorescent Lamps Life expectancy is defined as the number of hours of operation for a lamp until

50% of them fail. This means that it is possible for some lamps to fail after a short amount of time and for some to last significantly longer than the rated la mp life. T Types of electric lighting include: incandescent light bulbs arc lamps gas discharge lamps, e.g., fluorescent lights and compact fluorescent lamps, neo n lamps, flood lamps, modern photographic flashes lasers light-emitting diodes, including OLEDs sulfur lamps