EP0788140B1 - Elektrodenlose Hochleistungsentladungslampe mit einer Borsulfid enthaltende Füllung - Google Patents

Elektrodenlose Hochleistungsentladungslampe mit einer Borsulfid enthaltende Füllung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0788140B1
EP0788140B1 EP19970100888 EP97100888A EP0788140B1 EP 0788140 B1 EP0788140 B1 EP 0788140B1 EP 19970100888 EP19970100888 EP 19970100888 EP 97100888 A EP97100888 A EP 97100888A EP 0788140 B1 EP0788140 B1 EP 0788140B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
lamp
envelope
accordance
fill
active component
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19970100888
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0788140A2 (de
EP0788140A3 (de
Inventor
Walter P. Lapatovich
Scott J. Butler
Jason R. Bochinski
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Osram Sylvania Inc
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Osram Sylvania Inc
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Publication date
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Publication of EP0788140A2 publication Critical patent/EP0788140A2/de
Publication of EP0788140A3 publication Critical patent/EP0788140A3/de
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02—Details
    • H01J61/12—Selection of substances for gas fillings; Specified operating pressure or temperature
    • H01J61/16—Selection of substances for gas fillings; Specified operating pressure or temperature having helium, argon, neon, krypton, or xenon as the principle constituent
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J65/00—Lamps without any electrode inside the vessel; Lamps with at least one main electrode outside the vessel
    • H01J65/04—Lamps in which a gas filling is excited to luminesce by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation, e.g. for indicating plasma display panels
    • H01J65/042—Lamps in which a gas filling is excited to luminesce by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation, e.g. for indicating plasma display panels by an external electromagnetic field

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to electrodeless discharge light sources, and particularly to electrodeless lamps having a fill energized by high frequency, e.g., microwave power.
  • HID high intensity discharge
  • mercury-free lamp which has been developed is a mercury-free high pressure sodium lamp having a fill of sodium and a high pressure (above atmospheric) of an inert gas.
  • sodium halide and oxyhalide lamps are described in U.S. Patents Nos. 4,672,267, 4,801,846, and 5,070,277. Like all lamps containing reactive chemical fills, these lamps are subject to wall reactions which can affect the optical properties of the arc lamp and alter the chemistry from that initial to the lamp.
  • mercury-free lamp sulfur, selenium, or compounds thereof are included in the lamp fill, and are excited by electromagnetic power in excess of about 50 watts/cc, preferably in excess of 100 watts/cc.
  • Other known electrodeless lamps containing metal halides or oxyhalides have good color rendering properties and high lumen output. However, most of these also include mercury.
  • the present invention provides an electrodeless high intensity discharge lamp having a boron sulfide-based fill which may be energized by high frequency power, e.g., microwave power supplied to the lamp to produce a light emitting plasma discharge without the need for mercury in the lamp.
  • high frequency power e.g., microwave power supplied to the lamp to produce a light emitting plasma discharge without the need for mercury in the lamp.
  • a small amount of mercury may be included in the lamp envelope to improve resistive heating of the lamp.
  • an emission may be produced in the lamp in accordance with the invention without the presence of mercury or mercury compounds.
  • the invention is an electrodeless high intensity discharge lamp including a sealed light-transmissive envelope, a volatilizable chemical fill within the envelope, an inert gas or nitrogen within the envelope to assist in starting the lamp, and means for coupling high frequency power to the envelope to produce a light emitting plasma discharge within the envelope.
  • the fill includes boron sulfide as a primary active component.
  • the inert gas or nitrogen is at a pressure of less than 1013 mbar (760 torr)at ambient temperature.
  • the lamp is a mercury-free electrodeless high intensity discharge lamp.
  • the lamp may include as a secondary active component an amount of a metal halide, e.g., sodium iodide, lithium iodide, scandium iodide, or combinations thereof, within the envelope sufficient to augment the emission wavelength of the fill during operation of the lamp.
  • a metal halide e.g., sodium iodide, lithium iodide, scandium iodide, or combinations thereof
  • the invention is a mercury-free electrodeless high intensity discharge lamp including a sealed light-transmissive envelope, a volatilizable chemical fill within the light-transmissive envelope, xenon gas within the light transmissive envelope to assist in starting the lamp, and means for coupling high frequency power at about 13 - 6000 MHz to the light transmissive envelope to produce a light emitting plasma discharge within the light transmissive envelope.
  • the fill includes boron sulfide as a primary active component, the amount of the primary active component being about 1 - 10 mg for each cm 3 of volume within the light transmissive envelope.
  • the xenon gas is at a pressure of about 27-270 mbar (20 - 200 torr) at ambient temperature.
  • the fill further includes a secondary active component selected from sodium iodide, lithium iodide, scandium iodide, and combinations thereof.
  • An exemplary embodiment of the electrodeless HID lamp in accordance with the present invention is a mercury-free electrodeless HID lamp including a volatilizable chemical fill and an inert gas or nitrogen sealed within a light-transmissive envelope.
  • the primary active component of the fill is boron sulfide.
  • active component is meant a volatilizable light emitting component, the primary active component being the component having the most predominant spectral emission.
  • precursors of the desired active component e.g., boron sulfide compound. The precursors are introduced to the lamp envelope to produce, e.g., the desired boron sulfide compound by chemical reaction during operation of the lamp.
  • the light emitted by the reacted primary active component precursors is in the desired range, e.g., in the yellow to red range for a lamp fabricated with boron sulfide precursor starting materials.
  • sulfur or a volatilizable compound of sulfur may also be included in the fill as a secondary active component.
  • secondary active component is meant a radiating component which adds a spectral component where the primary active component emission is absent, to fill out or augment the spectrum and improve lumen and color properties of the lamp fill.
  • the boron sulfide component emits in the yellow to near infrared range of the spectrum, having a peak emission at 812 nm, and the sulfur or sulfur compound component, if present, emits in the blue to green range.
  • Typical sulfur compound additives are indium sulfide (InS) and arsenic sulfide (As 2 S 3 ).
  • a small amount of a metal halide may be added to the lamp fill as a secondary active component, e.g., an amount only sufficient to augment the emission wavelength of the fill during operation of the electrodeless HID lamp.
  • Typical metal halides include halides of sodium, e.g., sodium iodide emitting in the yellow green region, or other metal halides such as lithium iodide and indium iodide emitting in the red and blue regions, respectively.
  • the lamp envelope is coupled to a high frequency power source to produce a light emitting plasma discharge within the envelope.
  • no mercury or mercury compounds are introduced to the lamp envelope.
  • a small amount of mercury may be added to improve resistive heating of the lamp, typically about 1 - 35 mg/cm 3 of volume of the light transmissive envelope.
  • the presence of mercury or mercury compounds is not required to produce an emission in the lamps described herein.
  • the inert gas or nitrogen mentioned above is present within the envelope at subatmospheric pressure (less than 1013 mbar (760 torr) at ambient temperature) to facilitate starting of the lamp, i.e., establishing the light emitting plasma discharge within the envelope.
  • These gases may be any of the Group VIII inert gas elements, nitrogen, or a combination of these.
  • the preferred inert gas is argon, krypton, or xenon; most preferred is xenon.
  • the preferred pressure for the inert gas is about 1.3 - 933 mbar (1 - 700 torr), more preferred is about 27-933 mbar (20 - 700 torr), most preferred is about 27-270 mbar (20 - 200 torr).
  • the inert gas is readily ionized by the available high frequency power, and rapidly transits to a thermal arc.
  • the inert gas is easier to ionize, but transition to the thermal arc is slower and the lamp requires a longer warm-up time.
  • the inert gas is more difficult to ionize, requiring a higher power application to establish the thermal arc.
  • the amount of volatilizable active fill components within the envelope depends on the volume of the envelope. Preferably, an excess of the active components is present within the envelope, i.e., a sufficient amount for the lamp to operate in saturated mode with condensate present at operating temperature. If an excess of the active components is present the fill amount is not critical. The preferred amount is about 1 - 100 mg per cm 3 of envelope volume; most preferred, about 1 - 10 mg/cm 3 . Alternatively, the lamp may be operated in unsaturated mode, with no condensate present at operating temperature. However, for operation in the unsaturated mode, the fill amount must be selected more precisely. The amount of fill in the unsaturated mode is preferably 0.1 - 1 mg/cm 3 .
  • the lamp envelope is coupled to a high frequency power source to produce a light emitting plasma discharge.
  • the lamp is powered by a high frequency RF source operating at about 13 - 6000 MHz.
  • the power source operates within the ISM bands (Industrial, Scientific and Medical bands, established by the Federal Communications Commission) throughout that region of the electromagnetic spectrum, most preferably in the ISM bands centered around 915 and 2450 MHz.
  • the discharge is initiated in the inert gas, which then heats and volatilizes the chemical fill, increasing the vapor pressure within the envelope.
  • the active component or components then begin to dissociate and ionize, emitting within the spectral ranges mentioned above.
  • the plasma arc temperature is influenced by the vapor pressure within the envelope and the power applied thereto.
  • the arc temperature influences the distribution of population in the excited molecular electronic state.
  • the wavelength of the maximum emission may be shifted slightly by varying the power applied to the envelope.
  • the high operating pressure of the vaporized active component(s) provides thermal insulation to isolate the core of the discharge, raising the arc core temperature and permitting population of the higher vibrational levels of the excited state(s) of the active component(s).
  • the preferred high frequency power source for the lamps disclosed herein is a microwave power source.
  • a microwave power source including a plurality of electric field applicators spaced around the envelope.
  • a power splitter and phase shifter cause the electric field applied to the envelope by the applicators to rotate at the frequency of the power source.
  • Such a power source is disclosed in U.S. Patent 5,498,928.
  • another type of high frequency power source may be utilized, e.g., that disclosed in above-referenced Patent 5,070,277 or other known high frequency applicators.
  • the applicator used should permit the lamp to be small with a well concentrated high frequency powered plasma.
  • the entire applicator preferably is mountable within an optical device which is optimizable for collection of the emitted light independently of the microwave power source.
  • the lamp capsule or light transmissive envelope, is fabricated from vitreous silica (commonly called quartz), synthetic silica, hard glass, ceramic (e.g., polycrystalline alumina or yttria), or a single crystalline material such as a crystalline alumina (sapphire).
  • the lamp capsule also may be fabricated from a broad range of other materials, including lower temperature glasses than are usable with prior art electrodeless HID lamps. The lower temperature glasses are permitted because the volatilizable primary active material vaporizes at a lower temperature than prior art primary active materials, and is less chemically reactive with the glass than the metal salts used in conventional HID lamps.
  • electrodeless HID lamp 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes spherical electrodeless lamp capsule 12, described in more detail below, and electric field applicators 14 and 16 on either side of and in close proximity to lamp capsule 12.
  • Applicators 14 and 16 are used for nonresonant coupling of high frequency electromagnetic power to lamp capsule 12.
  • applicators 14 and 16 are two of four electric field applicators of the system described in US Patent 5,498,928.
  • the electric field applicators are preferably helical couplers or helical coils.
  • the electric field applicators are spaced around lamp capsule 12 in a plane intersecting the center of the lamp capsule and spaced at 90° intervals with respect to the lamp capsule center.
  • a high frequency power source (not shown) supplies high frequency power to a power splitter (not shown) and phase shifter (not shown) such that the electric field applied to lamp capsule 12 by the four applicators rotates at the frequency of the power source.
  • a pair of applicators may be located above and below lamp envelope 18, aligned with its axis of rotation (not shown).
  • Envelope 18 of lamp capsule 12 is fabricated of a light transmissive material through which the high frequency power passes substantially unattenuated.
  • the material of lamp envelope 18 may be quartz, synthetic silica, hard glass, ceramic, or a single crystalline material such as sapphire.
  • Lamp envelope 18 is shown in Figure 1 as spherical, but may be of any shape conventional for electrodeless lamp capsules, e.g., generally prolate or oblate ellipsoidal in cross section, e.g., a cross section normal to the plane of excitation.
  • lamp envelope 18 has an approximately circular cross section in the plane of excitation.
  • the inner diameter of lamp capsule 18 is preferably about 1 - 12 mm, more preferably 2 - 8 mm.
  • lamp envelope 18 may have one or more dimples, as dimple 20, extending into its interior volume to assist in controlling distribution of fill condensate 22. Condensate 22 forms a ring around dimple 20.
  • Lamp envelope 18 contains an ionizable inert gas or nitrogen, preferably xenon, at about 27-270 mbar (20 - 200 torr)at ambient temperature.
  • Lamp envelope 18 also contains, as the primary active component of the fill, a vaporizable fill material made up of boron oxide (B 2 O 3 ) and sulfur (S 2 ) which, when heated, react to form boron sulfide (B 2 S 3 ), as described above.
  • boron metal and diatomic sulfur may be used as the starting materials, or purified B 2 S 3 may be introduced directly to the lamp.
  • This boron sulfide primary active component when volatilized, is partially ionized and partially excited to radiating states so that useful light is emitted by the discharge.
  • the power source is activated, establishing an electric'field at the center of the lamp envelope and ionizing the inert gas or nitrogen component.
  • the molecules of the active component(s) vaporize, diffuse into and, if present as compounds, dissociate in the arc, producing light.
  • a 60 W electrodeless HID lamp was prepared by filling a standard tubular electrodeless HID lamp capsule, 3 mm ID, 5 mm OD, 10 mm internal length, with a boron sulfide fill formed in situ (added as boron oxide and S 2 ). No mercury was added to the lamp capsule.
  • the emission spectrum of the lamp fill is shown in Figure 2, showing a peak emission at 812 nm, with additional peaks arising from the krypton inert fill gas.
  • the lamp capsule was sealed and mounted within a high frequency RF source to provide high frequency power to the lamp at 915 MHz.
  • the lamp operated in unsaturated mode, providing 400 lumens of light.
  • the correlated color temperature of the lamp was 3295 K; the general color rendering index was not measured.
  • the invention described herein presents to the art novel, improved electrodeless HID lamp having a boron sulfide fill.
  • the lamp requires no mercury or mercury salts and no substantial amount of metal halides to produce useful light.
  • the boron sulfide fill emits in the yellow to red range of the visible spectrum and, if the additives described above are included in the fill, the emission may be shifted or broadened to include the yellow-green, blue, or ultraviolet ranges of the spectrum.

Claims (13)

  1. Elektrodenlose hochintensive Entladungslampe (10), die folgendes umfaßt::
    einen zugeschmolzenen lichtdurchlässigen Kolben (12);
    eine verdampfbare chemische Füllung in dem Kolben, wobei die Füllung als primären aktiven Bestandteil Borsulfid enthält;
    ein Edelgas oder Stickstoff in dem Kolben, um das Zünden der Lampe zu unterstützen, wobei das Edelgas oder der Stickstoff bei Umgebungstemperatur bei einem Druck von unter 1013 mbar (760 Torr) vorliegt; und
    ein Mittel (14, 16) zum Ankoppeln von hochfrequenter Leistung an den Kolben, um in dem Kolben eine lichtemittierende Plasmaentladung zu erzeugen.
  2. Lampe nach Anspruch 1, die eine quecksilberfreie elektrodenlose hochintensive Entladungslampe ist.
  3. Lampe nach Anspruch 2, die weder Quecksilber noch Metallhalogenide enthält.
  4. Lampe nach Anspruch 1, weiterhin mit einer Menge eines Metallhalogenids als sekundärer aktiver Bestandteil in dem Kolben, die ausreicht, die Emissionswellenlänge der Füllung während des Betriebs der Lampe zu erhöhen.
  5. Lampe nach Anspruch 4, bei der das Metallhalogenid aus der Gruppe bestehend aus Natriumiodid, Lithiumiodid, Scandiumiodid und Kombinationen daraus ausgewählt ist.
  6. Lampe nach Anspruch 1, bei der die Menge des primären aktiven Bestandteils ausreicht, damit beim Betrieb der Lampe ein Kondensat des primären aktiven Bestandteils in dem Kolben vorliegt.
  7. Lampe nach Anspruch 1, bei der die Menge an dem primären aktiven Bestandteil ungefähr 1 - 100 mg pro cm3 Kolbenvolumen beträgt.
  8. Lampe nach Anspruch 7, bei der die Menge an dem primären aktiven Bestandteil ungefähr 1 - 10 mg pro · cm3 Kolbenvolumen beträgt.
  9. Lampe nach Anspruch 1, bei der das Edelgas oder der Stickstoff bei Umgebungstemperatur bei einem Druck von ungefähr 27 - 933 mbar (20 - 700 Torr) vorliegt.
  10. Lampe nach Anspruch 9, bei der das Edelgas oder der Stickstoff bei Umgebungstemperatur bei einem Druck von ungefähr 27 - 270 mbar (20 - 200 Torr) vorliegt.
  11. Lampe nach Anspruch 9, bei der das Edelgas oder der Stickstoff Stickstoff, Xenon, Krypton oder Argon ist.
  12. Lampe nach Anspruch 1, bei der das Mittel (14, 16) die hochfrequente Leistung bei ungefähr 13 - 6000 MHz anlegt.
  13. Lampe nach Anspruch 1, bei der der lichtdurchlässige Kolben (12) aus einem lichtdurchlässigen Material ausgewählt aus der Gruppe bestehend aus Quarzglas, synthetischen Siliziumoxid, Glas, Saphir und Keramik hergestellt ist.
EP19970100888 1996-02-01 1997-01-21 Elektrodenlose Hochleistungsentladungslampe mit einer Borsulfid enthaltende Füllung Expired - Lifetime EP0788140B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US59547596A 1996-02-01 1996-02-01
US595475 1996-02-01

Publications (3)

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EP0788140A2 EP0788140A2 (de) 1997-08-06
EP0788140A3 EP0788140A3 (de) 1997-11-12
EP0788140B1 true EP0788140B1 (de) 2001-09-05

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EP19970100888 Expired - Lifetime EP0788140B1 (de) 1996-02-01 1997-01-21 Elektrodenlose Hochleistungsentladungslampe mit einer Borsulfid enthaltende Füllung

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EP (1) EP0788140B1 (de)
JP (1) JPH09213282A (de)
CA (1) CA2196361A1 (de)
DE (1) DE69706453T2 (de)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
KR101160817B1 (ko) * 2004-12-27 2012-06-29 세라비젼 리미티드 무전극 백열 전구
US8702465B2 (en) 2008-05-07 2014-04-22 Ceravision Limited Method of manufacturing an electrode-less incandescent bulb
DE102011055486A1 (de) * 2011-11-18 2013-05-23 Dritte Patentportfolio Beteiligungsgesellschaft Mbh & Co.Kg Hochfrequenzlampe sowie Verfahren zum Betreiben einer Hochfrequenzlampe
GB201208369D0 (en) * 2012-05-10 2012-06-27 Ceravision Ltd Plasma crucible sealing

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS55116787A (en) * 1979-03-02 1980-09-08 Nec Corp Fluorescent display tube
JPS55116788A (en) * 1979-03-02 1980-09-08 Nec Corp Fluorescent material
JPS57109888A (en) * 1980-12-26 1982-07-08 Toshiba Corp Fluorescent lamp
US4672267A (en) 1986-04-04 1987-06-09 Gte Laboratories Incorporated High intensity discharge device containing oxytrihalides
US4801846A (en) * 1986-12-19 1989-01-31 Gte Laboratories Incorporated Rare earth halide light source with enhanced red emission
US5070277A (en) 1990-05-15 1991-12-03 Gte Laboratories Incorporated Electrodless hid lamp with microwave power coupler

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH09213282A (ja) 1997-08-15
CA2196361A1 (en) 1997-08-02
DE69706453T2 (de) 2002-06-06
EP0788140A2 (de) 1997-08-06
EP0788140A3 (de) 1997-11-12
DE69706453D1 (de) 2001-10-11

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