US2152987A - Gaseous electric discharge lamp device - Google Patents

Gaseous electric discharge lamp device Download PDF

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Publication number
US2152987A
US2152987A US174848A US17484837A US2152987A US 2152987 A US2152987 A US 2152987A US 174848 A US174848 A US 174848A US 17484837 A US17484837 A US 17484837A US 2152987 A US2152987 A US 2152987A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
lamp device
anode
electrodes
electric discharge
discharge lamp
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
US174848A
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English (en)
Inventor
Eduard G Dorgelo
Elenbaas Willem
Hendricus J Lemmens
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General Electric Co
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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
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Publication of US2152987A publication Critical patent/US2152987A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
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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
    • H01J61/52—Cooling arrangements; Heating arrangements; Means for circulating gas or vapour within the discharge space
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/82—Lamps with high-pressure unconstricted discharge having a cold pressure > 400 Torr
    • H01J61/822—High-pressure mercury lamps

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to gaseous electric discharge lamp devices generally and more particularly the invention relates to mercury vapor discharge devices of the liquid cooled type 5 capable of operation with vapor pressures in the order of atmospheres.
  • Devices of this type are now known in the art and the structural details and operating characteristics of such devices are described in co-pending application Serial Number 46,952, filed October 26, 1935.
  • Such liquid cooled devices consist of an elongated, tubular container having a pair of solid electrodes sealed therein one at each end thereof which project a short distance, preferably less than about 5 mm., from a quantity of vaporizable metal, such as mercury or an amalgam, partly surrounding the solid electrode. Due to the fact that the solid electrodes project but a slight distance from the surrounding vaporizable metal 20 and the fact that the lamp device is cooled by liquid flowing over its exterior surface the heat generated at the solidelectrodes during the operation of the device is conducted therefrom to the liquid cooling medium where it is dissipated at such rate that the temperature of the solid electrodes is kept below that at which a rapid deterioration thereof would take place.
  • Such devices are capable of operation with current loads of 400 watts per cm. of the discharge path and higher and the arc discharge therein is constricted by the high vapor pressure which is in the order of atmospheres. While such devices are successfully operated on alternating current it is frequently desirable to operate this type of device on direct current. We have observed that when a lamp device of this type having electrodes of the same size and which is suitable for operation on alternating current is operated on direct current the life thereof is considerably shorter than when the lamp device is operated on alternating current.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a gaseous electric discharge lamp device of the above type which is capable of operation on direct current and which has a long useful operating life. 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 cause of the dif- -ficulty is a more rapid vaporization of the mercury about the electrode serving as the anode than of the mercury about the electrode serving as the cathode during the operation of the device due to the fact that the projecting part of the anode, which is the same size as the corresponding part of the cathode, is heated to a higher temperature by the discharge incident at these electrodes.
  • the quantity of mercury about the anode is reduced and less of the surface of the anode covered thereby.
  • the conduction of heat from the anode through the mercury is reduced and the temperature of the anode increases to shorten the useful life thereof and of the lamp device.
  • the solution thereof is comparatively simple and we have solved the problem by enlarging the anode with respect to the cathode.
  • the anode is 1.5 to times larger in cross section than the cathode.
  • the increased size of the anode resultsin a lower voltage drop thereat and less heat is generated thereat during the operation of the device.
  • the larger size of the anode increases the dissipation of heat therefrom by conduction through the mercury to the cooling medium for the lamp device.
  • the heat dissipated by radiation from the exposed part of the anode is also increased due to the larger area of said part.
  • the heat dissipated from the anode by conduction and convection through the vapor from the mercuryabout the anode is increased by the increased area of the anode.
  • the anode of a lamp device having this structure is not at too high a temperature during the operation of the device on direct current and the lamp device has a long useful operating life.
  • the gaseous electric discharge device comprises an elongated tubular container l of vitreous material, such as quartz, having an insidediameter of about 2 mm. and an outside diameterof about 4 mm.
  • Two solid electrodes 2 and 3 consist of tungsten wire and are sealed into said container I, one at each end thereof. Said electrodes 2 and 3 are prolongations of the tungsten current leads 4 and 5, respectively. When desired, a graded seal is interposed between the quartz container and the current leads 4 and 5.
  • Said electrode 2 is the cathode and is about 600 microns in diameter.
  • the diameter of the anode 3 is about 1006 microns.
  • the cathode 2 is heated to an are discharge supporting temperature by the discharge incidient thereat and, when desired, is coated or impregnated with an activating material having high electron emissivity characteristics, such as an alkaline earth oxide.
  • Said electrodes 2 and 3 are immersed for the greater part of their length in a quantity of mercury 6 and project therefrom a distance of about 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
  • the container I has a starting gas therein, such as argon, at a pressure of about 50 mm. at room temperature. The distance between said electrodes 2 and 3 is about 12.5 mm.
  • the gaseouselectric discharge lamp device is mounted in a cylindrical vessel 1 of vitreous material which is closed at both ends by stoppers 8 and 9 of a material impervious to water, such as rubber.
  • the current leads in and H connected to the electrode leads! and 5, respectively, of the gaseous electric discharge device pass through said stoppers 8 and 9, respectively.
  • the current leads ID and I l are surrounded by tubes l2 and I3, respectively, which consist of an electrically insulating, water proof material, such as glass.
  • the vessel 1 is provided with two tubes, one at each end thereof, so that a cooling fluid, such as water,
  • i may be passed through the vessel 1.
  • the are water passing over the surface of the gaseous electric discharge lamp device conducts heat away from said lamp device to prevent the development of excessive temperatures in said lamp.
  • the discharge device is connected in series with a ballast resistance to the'terminals of direct current source which has a voltage of about 600 volts.
  • the series resistance should permit a current of about 2 amperes to flow through the lamp device when the arc discharge therein is at operating voltage between the electrodes is then about 500 volts which corresponds to a mercury vapor pressure of about atmospheres.
  • the current load on the device is about 800 watts per cm. of length of the discharge path.
  • the lamp device described above has a long useful operating life and is capable of operation on direct current. It will be understood, of course, that while the lamp unit is useful in the illuminating field generally and particularly for picture projection purposes it is also useful in therapeutic or hygienic work when the vessel fl consists of a material which transmits the ultra violet rays emitted by the discharge device.
  • a gaseous electric discharge lamp device of the high pressure type comprising an elongated, tubular container having electrodes sealed therein at each end thereof and a quantity of vaporizable metal partly surrounding each of said electrodes, one of said electrodes being a cathode and the other of said electrodes being an anode, the part of said anode projecting from said vaporizable metal being 1.5 to 5 times larger in cross section than the corresponding part of said cathode to prevent excessive temperatures thereat during the operation of the device.
  • a gaseous electric discharge lamp device of the high pressure type comprising an elongated, tubular container having electrodes sealed therein at each end thereof and a quantity of vaporizable metal partly surrounding each of said electrodes, said electrodes projecting a distance of about 0.5 to 1.5 mm. beyond said vaporizable metal, one of said electrodes being a cathode and the other of said electrodes being an anode, the part of said anode projecting from said vaporizable metal being 1.5 to 5 times larger in cross section than the corresponding part of said cathode to prevent excessive temperatures thereat during the operation of the device.

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  • Discharge Lamp (AREA)
  • Lasers (AREA)
  • Discharge Lamps And Accessories Thereof (AREA)
  • Discharge Heating (AREA)
US174848A 1936-11-28 1937-11-16 Gaseous electric discharge lamp device Expired - Lifetime US2152987A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEN40093D DE716566C (de) 1936-11-28 1936-11-28 Insbesondere zum Aussenden von Strahlen dienende, kuenstlich gekuehlte Hochdruckquecksilberdampfentladungsroehre

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2152987A true US2152987A (en) 1939-04-04

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ID=25944450

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US174848A Expired - Lifetime US2152987A (en) 1936-11-28 1937-11-16 Gaseous electric discharge lamp device
US333654A Expired - Lifetime US2245406A (en) 1936-11-28 1940-05-06 Artificially cooled high-pressure mercury-vapor discharge tube

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US333654A Expired - Lifetime US2245406A (en) 1936-11-28 1940-05-06 Artificially cooled high-pressure mercury-vapor discharge tube

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (2) US2152987A (de)
DE (1) DE716566C (de)
FR (2) FR829884A (de)
GB (2) GB484143A (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2467687A (en) * 1946-07-08 1949-04-19 Gen Electric High-pressure discharge lamp
US2528969A (en) * 1945-03-07 1950-11-07 Michael Reese Res Foundation Lamp
US3597650A (en) * 1969-09-23 1971-08-03 Union Carbide Corp Arc radiation sources

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2682006A (en) * 1950-03-22 1954-06-22 Scopicon Inc Means for preventing external coating of water-cooled electric lamps
US2673940A (en) * 1951-04-28 1954-03-30 Gen Aniline & Film Corp Process and means for preventing film deposits in lamps

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2528969A (en) * 1945-03-07 1950-11-07 Michael Reese Res Foundation Lamp
US2467687A (en) * 1946-07-08 1949-04-19 Gen Electric High-pressure discharge lamp
US3597650A (en) * 1969-09-23 1971-08-03 Union Carbide Corp Arc radiation sources

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR51111E (fr) 1941-08-08
GB538533A (en) 1941-08-07
US2245406A (en) 1941-06-10
DE716566C (de) 1942-02-02
GB484143A (en) 1938-05-02
FR829884A (fr) 1938-07-08

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