US2473642A - Low-pressure electric discharge device - Google Patents

Low-pressure electric discharge device Download PDF

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Publication number
US2473642A
US2473642A US1454A US145448A US2473642A US 2473642 A US2473642 A US 2473642A US 1454 A US1454 A US 1454A US 145448 A US145448 A US 145448A US 2473642 A US2473642 A US 2473642A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
envelope
lamp
radiation
krypton
mercury
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
US1454A
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English (en)
Inventor
Clifton G Found
Wilford J Winninghoff
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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
Priority to US1454A priority Critical patent/US2473642A/en
Priority to FR978747D priority patent/FR978747A/fr
Priority to CH271514D priority patent/CH271514A/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2473642A publication Critical patent/US2473642A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/70—Lamps with low-pressure unconstricted discharge having a cold pressure < 400 Torr
    • H01J61/72—Lamps with low-pressure unconstricted discharge having a cold pressure < 400 Torr having a main light-emitting filling of easily vaporisable metal vapour, e.g. mercury

Definitions

  • argon is generally used as a filling gas with mercury in order to facilitate starting of the devices and to permit the devices to operate with a cathode voltage drop which is below the disintegration voltage.
  • the nominal argon filling gas pressure is about 3.5 mms. If the pressure is reduced much below this value, the life of such de-. vices is shortened because of an increase in cathode voltage drop during starting at such low gas pressures.
  • the argon pressure is increased above the 3.5 mm. value, there is a decrease in efliciency, such decrease in efiiciency for a device of a given physical size being due to an increased voltage drop in the device which accompanies the increase in pressure.
  • the energy loss at the electrodes which, in the lamp under consideration, is about 6 watts.
  • radical improvements may be made in low pressure positive column electric discharge devices by using as the ionizable medium, which supports the arc discharge, mercury and an inert gas of the group consisting of krypton and xenon, or mixtures thereof, so that the quantity of radiation is a function of the lamp current, and .so that the maximum or optimum quantity of radiation is obtained by correlating the wall loading of the enclosing envelope to the inert starting ae'raoca l 3 gas pressure.
  • the operating temperature of the device and the ionizaoie medium pressure are controlled to obtain operation of the device within a region of the radiation output-envelope temperature characteristic in which the radiation output does not vary more than per cent with respect to themaximum value of the latter characteristic.
  • low pressure positive column electric discharge devices having given electrical specifications with respect to power input, that is, volta e and current supplied to the device terminals
  • a low pressure electric discharge device having specified voltage and current consumption, of the same length but with a smaller diameter than that of a reference device and obtain the same amount of radiation therefrom, thereby making it possible to obtain a device of the same or greater radiation output at lower cost due to the reduction in bulb size or diameter.
  • Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment of our invention as applied to a low pressure positive column fluorescent lamp.
  • Fig. 2 is a set of curves showing the radiation output-lamp life characteristic for a fluorescent lamp constructed in accordance with our invention for difierent pressures of krypton employed as the fllling gas.
  • Fig. 3 is a radiation output-bulb or envelope temperature characteristic for such a lamp; and
  • Fig. 4 is a radiation output-current characteristic showing the relationship between radiation or lumens output with respect to current for diiferent constant values of mercury vapor pressure.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates a low pressure positive column fluorescent lamp, which isone type of device to which our invention may be applied.
  • the lamp comprises an enclosing envelope I, constructed of glass, quartz or other material pervlous to the radiation to be emitted, and having positioned therein spaced electrodes 2 and 3, which may be of the thermionic or filamentary type, although our invention is not limited to this type of electrode, and may be used with electrode constructions of any type or configuration whether operated as hot or cold electrodes, and whether activated or not.
  • the electrodes 2 and 3 illustrated may be of the filamentary type constructed of a refractory metal, such as tungsten, and which may be provided with activating coatings of an alkaline earth metal, such as oxides or carbonates thereof.
  • the electrodes 2 and 3 may be supported by lead-in wires 4, I and 8, 1, respectively, which also serve as electrical connections to the electrodes from externally accessible contact pins II, II and l2, I: which are supported by bases I and 9.
  • lead-in wires 4, I and 8, 1, respectively which also serve as electrical connections to the electrodes from externally accessible contact pins II, II and l2, I: which are supported by bases I and 9.
  • the use of two pins at each end of the lamp for connection to the electrodes is, of course optional, the form of such structure depending upon the nature of the electrodes employed.
  • a quantity of mercury indicated by the globule I4 and a filling or starting gas, which is an inert gas from the group consisting of krypton and xenon, or mixtures thereof.
  • the quantity of mercury used may be somewhat in excess of that required duringnormal operation of the lamp; and the pressure of the mercury vapor during operation may range from about 3 to 20 microns, having a cold pressure of about 1 to 3 microns. .
  • the stated operating range of mercury vapor pressure corresponds approximately to the preferred envelope temperature operating range of 30 C. to 50 C. indicated in Fig. 3.
  • any suitable voltage or current controlling means such as a variable-voltage leakage reactance auto-transformer may be com nected between an alternating current supply circult and the lamp terminals to control the current supplied to the lamp.
  • the mercury supporting the arc discharge serves primarily as the source of 2537 Angstrom unit line radiation which in turn excites a phosphor or fluorescent material II which is preferably placed on the interior surface of the envelope and which converts the invisible ultra-violet radiation (2537 Angstrom unit radiation) into visible radiation.
  • wall loading means the energy or power dissipated per unit area, such as milliwatts per square centimeter, of the envelope area, not including the losses at the electrodes.
  • the energy input to the positive column of a low pressure positive column electric discharge device is considered as the energy or power input to the lamp terminals minus the losses at the electrodes.
  • the wall loading is the difierence between the above defined energy input to the positive column minus the energy radiated out of or from the lamp, all divided by the surface area of that portion of the lamp surrounding the positive column which in most instances is sub-- stantially the entire tubular envelope area.
  • the energy radiated is the wattage value of the visible radiation or light emitted by the lamp.
  • the energy radiated from such a lamp is of course the number of watts of 2537 Angstrom unit radiation.
  • wall loading takes into consideration all conversion losses, which latter term does not include electrode losses.
  • the lumens output for this current may be determined from characteristics such as that generally shown in Fig. 4 where constant mercury pressure curves show the rela-- tionship between the relative lumens output and the current.
  • curves A and B of Fig. 4 represent mercury vapor pressures of increasing magnitude in the order named.
  • curve A of Fig. 4 represents a higher value constant mercury vapor pressure than curve B.
  • the same features as to gas filling pressure and wall loading may be incorporated in the lamp, the envelope area or diameter being determined to bring the voltage to the given value and the wall loading within the stated range from 7 to 21 milliwatts per square cm., inclusive.
  • the envelope diameter is decreased as compared with the prior art lamps, however, the
  • the lamps so constructed show good maintenance, as evidenced by the curves shown in Fig. 2, for the different indicated values of pressure. These curves are not to be construed as indicating a limitation on the pressure range intended andbeneflcial, but to indicate merely the direction of variation due to changes in pressure.
  • an electric discharge device comprising an envelope, electrode means within said envelope and an ionizable medium therein consisting of mercury and an inert gas of the group consisting of krypton and xenon,
  • an electric discharge device comprising an envelope, electrode means within said envelope and an ionizable medium therein consisting of mercury and an inert gas of the group consisting of krypton and xenon,
  • an electric discharge device of the low pressure positive column type for producing ultraviolet radiation comprising an envelope, electrode means within said envelope and an ionizable medium therein consisting of mercury and an inert gas of the group consisting of krypton and xenon, or mixtures thereof, said inert gas pressure lying within the range from 1 to 12 millimeters of mercury and the wall loading of the envelope surface lying within the range from 7 to 21 milliwatts per square centimeter, inclusive.
  • a low pressure positive column electric discharge device comprising an envelope, electrode means within said envelope and an ionizable medium therein consisting of mercury and krypton, the pressure of said krypton lying within the range from 1 to 6 millimeters of mercury and the wall loading of the envelope surface lying within the range from 7 to 21 milliwatts per square centimeter, inclusive, to establish a region of operation with respect to the radiation output-envelope temperature characteristic in which the output 'does not vary more than 5 per cent with respect to the maximum value for ambient temperatures of about 25 C.
  • a low pressure positive column electric discharge lamp of the fluorescent type comprising a tubular envelope, electrode means within said envelope and an ionizable medium therein consisting of mercury and an inert gas of the group consisting of krypton and xenon, or mixtures thereof, said inert gas pressure lying within the range from 1 to 12 millimeters of mercury and the wall loading of the envelope surface lying within the range from 7 to 21 milliwatts per square centimeter, inclusive, so that said discharge device operates within a region of the radiation output-envelope temperature characteristic in which the lumen output does not gas from th group consisting of krypton and xenon at a pressure not exceeding 12 millimeters, which comprises controlling the current to obtain a wall loading of the envelope to have a value within the range of 7 to 21 milliwatts per square centimeter.
  • the method of operating a low pressure positive column electric discharge device having spaced electrodes in an envelope and employing an ionizable medium consisting of mercury and a' gas from the group consisting of krypton and xenon at a pressure not exceeding 12 millimeters which comprises controlling the current to obtain a wall loading of the envelope to have a value within the range of 7 to 21 milliwatts per square centimeter and to effect operation within the region of the radiation output-envelope temperature characteristic near the maximum value thereof.

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  • Discharge Lamp (AREA)
US1454A 1948-01-09 1948-01-09 Low-pressure electric discharge device Expired - Lifetime US2473642A (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US1454A US2473642A (en) 1948-01-09 1948-01-09 Low-pressure electric discharge device
FR978747D FR978747A (fr) 1948-01-09 1949-01-07 Perfectionnement à la fabrication des lampes à décharge à basse pression
CH271514D CH271514A (de) 1948-01-09 1949-01-08 Elektrische Niederdruck-Entladungslampe.

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US1454A US2473642A (en) 1948-01-09 1948-01-09 Low-pressure electric discharge device

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2473642A true US2473642A (en) 1949-06-21

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Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US2473642A (de)
CH (1) CH271514A (de)
FR (1) FR978747A (de)

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2671184A (en) * 1949-12-01 1954-03-02 Gen Electric Flashing discharge device
US2673942A (en) * 1948-10-26 1954-03-30 Gen Electric Starting circuit for electric lamps
US2714685A (en) * 1951-08-25 1955-08-02 Westinghouse Electric Corp Low pressure fluorescent and discharge lamps
US2714684A (en) * 1949-06-29 1955-08-02 Westinghouse Electric Corp Low pressure fluoresecent and discharge lamps
US2714682A (en) * 1952-06-27 1955-08-02 Westinghouse Electric Corp Low pressure fluorescent and discharge lamps
US2800600A (en) * 1953-09-14 1957-07-23 James E Drennan Glow discharge tube
US2802129A (en) * 1952-08-21 1957-08-06 Westinghouse Electric Corp Low pressure fluorescent and discharge lamps
US3778662A (en) * 1972-10-31 1973-12-11 Gen Electric High intensity fluorescent lamp radiating ionic radiation within the range of 1,600{14 2,300 a.u.
US4935664A (en) * 1988-09-20 1990-06-19 Gte Products Corporation Diffuse discharge lamp
US4994705A (en) * 1989-03-27 1991-02-19 Hughes Aircraft Company Water-cooled, low pressure gas discharge lamp
US20150028767A1 (en) * 2012-01-27 2015-01-29 Igor Georgievich Rudoy Method for generating radiation at resonant transitions of metal atoms

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE957877C (de) * 1953-07-07 1957-01-17 Muralto Locarno Tessin Dr. med. Federico Wehrli (Schweiz) Gerät zum Behandeln von Blut, Blutplasma od. dgl. mit Sauerstoff und gegebenenfalls mit ultraviolettem Licht

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB404271A (en) * 1931-12-26 1934-01-08 Ets Claude Paz & Silva Improved production of ultra-violet and luminous radiations by electric discharge apparatus
US2177710A (en) * 1938-04-22 1939-10-31 Gen Electric Fluorescent sign lamp
US2195517A (en) * 1935-10-12 1940-04-02 Gen Electric Gaseous electric discharge device
US2255431A (en) * 1939-10-21 1941-09-09 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Molded fluorescent lamp

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB404271A (en) * 1931-12-26 1934-01-08 Ets Claude Paz & Silva Improved production of ultra-violet and luminous radiations by electric discharge apparatus
US2195517A (en) * 1935-10-12 1940-04-02 Gen Electric Gaseous electric discharge device
US2177710A (en) * 1938-04-22 1939-10-31 Gen Electric Fluorescent sign lamp
US2255431A (en) * 1939-10-21 1941-09-09 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Molded fluorescent lamp

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2673942A (en) * 1948-10-26 1954-03-30 Gen Electric Starting circuit for electric lamps
US2714684A (en) * 1949-06-29 1955-08-02 Westinghouse Electric Corp Low pressure fluoresecent and discharge lamps
US2671184A (en) * 1949-12-01 1954-03-02 Gen Electric Flashing discharge device
US2714685A (en) * 1951-08-25 1955-08-02 Westinghouse Electric Corp Low pressure fluorescent and discharge lamps
US2714682A (en) * 1952-06-27 1955-08-02 Westinghouse Electric Corp Low pressure fluorescent and discharge lamps
US2802129A (en) * 1952-08-21 1957-08-06 Westinghouse Electric Corp Low pressure fluorescent and discharge lamps
US2800600A (en) * 1953-09-14 1957-07-23 James E Drennan Glow discharge tube
US3778662A (en) * 1972-10-31 1973-12-11 Gen Electric High intensity fluorescent lamp radiating ionic radiation within the range of 1,600{14 2,300 a.u.
US4935664A (en) * 1988-09-20 1990-06-19 Gte Products Corporation Diffuse discharge lamp
US4994705A (en) * 1989-03-27 1991-02-19 Hughes Aircraft Company Water-cooled, low pressure gas discharge lamp
US20150028767A1 (en) * 2012-01-27 2015-01-29 Igor Georgievich Rudoy Method for generating radiation at resonant transitions of metal atoms
US9392677B2 (en) * 2012-01-27 2016-07-12 Igor Georgievich Rudoy Method for generating radiation at resonant transitions of metal atoms

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH271514A (de) 1950-10-31
FR978747A (fr) 1951-04-17

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