US2030445A - Gaseous electric discharge lamp device - Google Patents

Gaseous electric discharge lamp device Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US2030445A
US2030445A US751953A US75195334A US2030445A US 2030445 A US2030445 A US 2030445A US 751953 A US751953 A US 751953A US 75195334 A US75195334 A US 75195334A US 2030445 A US2030445 A US 2030445A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
container
lamp device
temperature
anode
electric discharge
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
US751953A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Gooskens Henricus
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
General Electric Co
Original Assignee
General Electric Co
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by General Electric Co filed Critical General Electric Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2030445A publication Critical patent/US2030445A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02—Details
    • H01J61/52—Cooling arrangements; Heating arrangements; Means for circulating gas or vapour within the discharge space
    • H01J61/523—Heating or cooling particular parts of the lamp

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a gaseous electric discharge lamp device generally and more particularly the invention relates to such devices the gaseous atmosphere of which consists of or comprises the vapor of a relatively difficultly vaporizable metal, that is a metal the vapor pressure of which is less than 1 mm. at a temperature of 200 C.
  • the container of the device must be at an elevated temperature and a heat conservator, such as an evacuated jacket, which reduces the dissipation of heat from the lamp container, is useful in this connection.
  • the vapor pressure in vapor lamp devices is determined, in general, by the lowest temperature existing in the container and during the operation of the device the surplus vaporizable metal is deposited on the part of the container having the lowest temperature.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide means in a gaseous electric discharge vapor lamp device whereby the efiiciency and the useful operating life of the lamp device is increased.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp unit comprising an efficient, long-lived gaseous electric discharge lamp device and a heat conservator for said lamp device. Still further objects and advantages attaching to the device and to its use and operation will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following particular description.
  • the invention comprises a heat source mounted in operative relation to the part of the lamp container which is at the lowest temperature during the operation of the device which heat source revaporizes such quantity of the metal deposited on said low temperature container part that the vapor pressure in the lamp device is increased above that pressure which would exist in said lamp at the temperature 45 of said low temperature container part. Part of the vaporous material condenses again on said low temperature container part.
  • the metal vapor is thus circulated and I have discovered that this circulation of the metal vapor increases the 50 efiiciency of the lamp device considerably and slows up the depreciation of the lamp device, that is, the intensity of the light emitted by the device diminishes very slowly during the life of the lamp device which, of course, increases the 55 useful operating life of. the device.
  • the heat source When a continuous circulation of the metal vapor is desired the heat source is mounted and regulated in such manner that while the lowest temperature part of the container is heated there by the temperature thereof still remains below 3 the temperature of the other parts of the con- When desired the vaporizable metal is heated intermittantly and locally.
  • An anode of the lamp device is used as the heat source, when desired, said anode having such structure that the 30 temperature thereof increases when the operating voltage of the lamp device increases.
  • a heat conducting element extending from the anode to the vaporizable material is useful in transferring heat from said anode to said vaporizs able material.
  • the operating voltage of the lamp device increases when the vapor pressm'e falls below a certain value.
  • the anode temperature thus 20 depends upon the vapor pressure and when the vapor pressure falls to the level at which the voltage between the electrodes increases the anode temperature is increased by the more intense electron bombardment thereof and the vaporizable 25 metal is heated to the vaporization temperature thereof. The vapor pressure is thus built up to the desired level and the desired operation of the lamp is resumed.
  • FIG. 1 is a front elevational, partly sectional view of one embodiment of the invention.
  • Fig. 2 is aperspective view of one element of the 35 embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 3 is a front, elevational View of another embodiment of the invention.
  • the new and novel lamp unit comprises a gaseous electric discharge lamp device and a heat conservator therefor.
  • Said lamp device comprises a bulbshaped container I having electrodes 3, 4 and 5 sealed therein, a starting rare gas therein, such as argon or neon, and a vaporizable material therein, such as sodium.
  • the interior of said container I is divided into two chambers, a stem chamber and an electrode chamber, by the septum 2, such as a resilient chrome-steel or glass disc.
  • the electrode 3 is the cathode and consists of a filament, such as a tungsten or nickel filament, wrapped around said first named filament, and a coating of electron emitting material. such as barium oxide, applied to said filaments.
  • Said cathode 3 is wound in the form of a helix.
  • Said electrode 4 is an anode and consists of a metal strip bent in the form of a ring.
  • Said electrode 5 is another anode and is made of a thin wire, such as a tungsten wire, having a diameter of about 0.75 mm.
  • Said anodes 4 and 5 are equidistant from said cathode 3 and are mounted on opposite sides of said cathode 3.
  • the end of said container I has a protruding cup-shaped part 1 and an extension 6 of the anode 5 extends into said cup-shaped part 7.
  • the anode 5 and the extension 6 thereof is made of a single piece of bent wire looped as shown in perspective in Fig. 2.
  • the leads 8 of the electrodes 3, 4 and 5 are of nickel, for example, and are surrounded over their entire length by tubes 9 of insulating material, such as magnesium oxide tubes. I prefer to allow a small space between said leads 8 and said tubes 9 so that the spaces on either side of the septum 2 are connected by long, narrow passages. These passages facilitate the manufacture of the gaseous electric discharge lamp device by making it possible to evacuate all parts of said container I through a single exhaust tube communicating with either of the spaces in said container I. After the lamp device has been operating a few hours the passages are closed by deposits of condensed metal vapor and the spaces on either side of the septum 2 are completely closed off from each other during the rest of the life of the gaseous electric discharge lamp device.
  • the welded joint between the anode 5 and the lead 8 therefor is surrounded by the insulating tube 9 so that said joint is protected from the gaseous electric discharge during the operation of the lamp device.
  • the container I has a starting, rare gas therein, such as argon or neon, at a pressure of approximately 1 to 10 mm. and a quantity of one or more relatively diflicultly vaporizable metals, that is a metal having a vapor pressure of less than 1 mm. at a temperature of 200 C., is introduced into the part of said container I surrounding said electrodes 3, 4 and 5.
  • a starting, rare gas therein such as argon or neon
  • a quantity of one or more relatively diflicultly vaporizable metals that is a metal having a vapor pressure of less than 1 mm. at a temperature of 200 C.
  • Sodium, cadmium, thalium, magnesium, potassium, lithium and zinc are examples of metals having such pressure at this temperature.
  • the vapor of such metals is at an effective pressure in said lamp device the light emitted by the device is rich in rays characteristic of the metal vapor.
  • the vaporizable material is sodium.
  • the anode leads are electrically connected so that are discharges take place simultaneously between said cathode 3 and each of the anodes 4 and 5.
  • the anodes 4 and 5 are connected separately to the alternating current source.
  • Said container I is surrounded by a doublewalled glass jacket I0 having the space between the walls thereof evacuated and which reduces the dissipation of heat from the walls of said container I.
  • the container I and the jacket I0 are both equipped with bases, of insulating material when desired, which frictionally engage with the socket II.
  • a resilient heat insulating, ring I2 consisting of a coiled spring covered with asbestos, for example, is interposed between said container I and the inner wall of said jacket I0 and is located at a part of said container I. adjacent said septum 2.
  • Said ring I2 closes off the space surrounding the part of container I enclosing said electrodes 3, 4 and 5 from the ambient atmosphere of the lamp unit.
  • the structure of the lamp unit is such that the protruding part I is at a lower temperature than the other parts of the lamp device which form the enclosing walls of the space about the electrodes 3, 4 and 5. While this result may be obtained in many Ways, as disclosed in co-pending application Serial Number 750,713, filed October 30, 1934, the inventors being Gilles Holst and Willem Uyterhoeven, in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing this result is obtained by mounting the anode 4 closer to the septum 2 than the distance between the anode 5 and the end of container I. The upper portion of this part of container I is thus heated to a higher temperature by the discharge between said electrodes 3, 4 and 5 than the lower portion of this part of container I. The protruding part I, which is at the greatest distance from the discharge, is at the lowest temperature during the operation of the lamp device and deposits of condensed vapor take place in said part I.
  • the wire anode 5 is of such diameter that when the vapor pressure in the lamp device and the arc discharge voltage are at values such that the lamp device operates at its maximum efiiciency the temperature of said wire anode 5 is relatively low and the wire 6 conducts very little heat to the solid sodium deposited in the cup-shaped part I of the container I.
  • the vapor pressure diminishes to the extent that the arc discharge voltage increases the temperature of the anode 5 increases as pointed out heretofore.
  • the heat conducted by said wire 6 from said anode 5 to the sodium in said cup I is thus increased and the sodium is heated to the vaporization temperature thereof and vaporizes.
  • the vapor pressure is thus restored to normal and normal operating conditions again exist in the lamp device.
  • the above described structure and operation of the lamp device is not only advantageous during the operation of the lamp device but also is advantageous in the starting of the lamp device since during the starting period the vapor pressure is rapidly raised to the effective pressure thereof and the lamp device emits an intense light shortly after it is started into operation.
  • FIG. 3 of the drawing is similar in all respects to that shown in Fig. 1 except that in this embodiment the anode 5 is similar in structure to the anode 4 and both said anodes 4 and 5 are connected to and supported by the said current lead.
  • a small heating element I3, which is an electric resistance, is connected to the anode 5 and to one of the leads of cathode 3.
  • the end of container I is substantially conical in shape and the heater I3 is mounted closely adjacent the conical end.
  • a coating I4 of a heat conducting material such as graphite, which increases the radiation of heat from the coated portion of said conical part is applied to said conical part.
  • the coated portion of the conical part is at the lowest temperature of any part of the electrode chamber of said container during the operation of the lamp device.
  • the condensed sodium is still suificiently liquid to flow down to the part of said container heated by the element I3 by which it is revaporized. Continuous circulation of the sodium vapor thustakes place which increases the efiiciency and the use:- ful life of the amp device.
  • a gaseous electric discharge lamp device comprising a containe electrodes sealed therein, a startinggas and a quantity of vaporizable material therein, means for maintaining a part of said container at a lower temperature than the other parts thereof and a heater mounted in said container adjacent the lowest temperature part thereof.
  • a gaseous electric discharge lamp device comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a starting gas and a quantity of vaporizable materialtherein, means for maintaining a part of said container at a lower temperature than the other parts thereof and a heater mounted in said container adjacent the lowest temperature part thereof, the temperature of said heater being controlled by the discharge current between said electrodes.
  • one of said electrodes being an anode the temperature of which is responsive to changes in voltage inthedischarge between .a wire ring anode the temperature of which is responsive to changes in voltage in the discharge between said electrodes, and means to conduct the heat from said anode to the vicinity of the lower temperature part of said container.
  • a gaseous electric discharge lamp device comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a starting gas and a quantity of vaporizable material therein, means for maintaining a part of,
  • said electrodes comprising two anodes and a cathode and a heater mounted in said container adjacent the lowest temperature part thereof, said heater being a resistance 'connected in series with one .of said anodes and said cathode.
  • a lamp unit comprising in combination a heat conservator and a gaseous electric discharge lamp device comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a starting gas and a quantity of vaporizable material therein, .means for maintaining a part of said container at a lower temperature than the other parts thereof and aheater mounted in said container adjacent the lowest temperature part thereof.

Landscapes

  • Discharge Lamp (AREA)
  • Discharge Lamps And Accessories Thereof (AREA)
  • Lasers (AREA)
US751953A 1933-11-09 1934-11-07 Gaseous electric discharge lamp device Expired - Lifetime US2030445A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL433671X 1933-11-09

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2030445A true US2030445A (en) 1936-02-11

Family

ID=19786175

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US751953A Expired - Lifetime US2030445A (en) 1933-11-09 1934-11-07 Gaseous electric discharge lamp device

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US2030445A (en))
BE (1) BE406110A (en))
DE (1) DE683436C (en))
FR (1) FR780928A (en))
GB (1) GB433671A (en))
NL (1) NL41239C (en))

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4232360A (en) * 1978-01-11 1980-11-04 General Electric Company Heat recovery high intensity discharge lamp constructions

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4232360A (en) * 1978-01-11 1980-11-04 General Electric Company Heat recovery high intensity discharge lamp constructions

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE406110A (en))
GB433671A (en) 1935-08-19
DE683436C (de) 1939-11-06
FR780928A (fr) 1935-05-06
NL41239C (en))

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3445719A (en) Metal vapor lamp with metal additive for improved color rendition and internal self-ballasting filament used to heat arc tube
US2006081A (en) Electrode for vapor electric devices
NO142945B (no) Anordning for fremstilling av stoepestykker av metall
US2103041A (en) Gaseous electric discharge lamp device
US2765420A (en) Lamp electrode
US2549355A (en) Fluorescent lamp
US3562571A (en) Mercury-vapor discharge lamp with amalgam-type vapor-pressure regualtor and integral fail-safe and fast warmup compone
US2492619A (en) Electrical discharge tube
US2030445A (en) Gaseous electric discharge lamp device
US1961719A (en) Gaseous electric discharge device
US2103078A (en) Gaseous electric discharge lamp
US2156068A (en) Gaseous electric discharge lamp
US2241345A (en) Electron emissive cathode
US2087759A (en) Gaseous electric discharge device
US2273450A (en) High pressure metal vapor lamp
US2020708A (en) Gaseous electric discharge lamp device
US3069581A (en) Low pressure discharge lamp
US2056631A (en) Gaseous electric discharge lamp device
US2039772A (en) Electric radiation device
US2022219A (en) Electric lamp
US2009211A (en) Gaseous electric discharge device
US2001510A (en) Lamp unit
US2089325A (en) Discharge electric lamp
US1961814A (en) Electrical discharge device
US1994306A (en) Gaseous electric discharge device