my idea how to make Edison bulb more efficient?
i have an idea on how to make a Edison (incandescent) light more efficient,
by coating the bulb with a something that reflects infrared, but lets visible light through. this coating will reflect the infrared radiation (heat) back to the filament, heating it up much more. [update: i found there is a substance that can do this. its called Indium tin oxide]
another thing is instead of argon gas, have a complete vacuum. and a thick glass bulb.
I theorize the inside filament will heat up much more that normal, and the glass will stay cool to the touch. another good thing is the light will be higher in color temperature, because some of the red light may be unable to escape, raising the color temperature. the thick glass will resist breaking.
obtaining a vacuum is easy, but the special coating, is there anything in the world that exists? and will it do all the things stated above?
[update: again, i found there is a substance that can do this. its called Indium tin oxide]
by coating the bulb with a something that reflects infrared, but lets visible light through. this coating will reflect the infrared radiation (heat) back to the filament, heating it up much more. [update: i found there is a substance that can do this. its called Indium tin oxide]
another thing is instead of argon gas, have a complete vacuum. and a thick glass bulb.
I theorize the inside filament will heat up much more that normal, and the glass will stay cool to the touch. another good thing is the light will be higher in color temperature, because some of the red light may be unable to escape, raising the color temperature. the thick glass will resist breaking.
obtaining a vacuum is easy, but the special coating, is there anything in the world that exists? and will it do all the things stated above?
[update: again, i found there is a substance that can do this. its called Indium tin oxide]
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Aug 15, 2011. 4:56 PM-max- (author)
says:
what about Indium tin oxide? its transparent to visible light, and reflects infrared. right? will this work?
Jul 31, 2011. 3:13 PM-max- (author)
says:
OK. so the halogen gas makes the bulb last a bit longer. the point of this is to make the bulb more efficient
No, Halogen lamps ARE more efficient, in the ways you already suggested - they run hotter, and because the clever chemistry stops the tungsten evaporating, or more exactly REGENERATES the tungsten.
Steve
Steve
Jul 31, 2011. 4:51 PM-max- (author)
says:
i didn't read that, OK, they are, but im talking much more efficient. please, if you know of a substance that only lets the visible light through and reflects infrared, tell me. not what i already know (and forgot)
Jul 31, 2011. 8:02 PMorksecurity
says:
I don't know of anything which will reflect IR and only IR. There are things which will _absorb_ selected frequencies, but that wouldn't do what you're trying to do.
Aug 1, 2011. 8:10 AMorksecurity
says:
And note that your IR reflector, like the bulb enclosure, would have to be able to withstand high temperatures itself.
It's an interesting insight. If you can figure out how to make it work...
But given how much power one saves by switching from incandescent to other technologies -- and not wasting power on producing heat in the first place -- I suspect that this is not going to be economically competitive.
It's an interesting insight. If you can figure out how to make it work...
But given how much power one saves by switching from incandescent to other technologies -- and not wasting power on producing heat in the first place -- I suspect that this is not going to be economically competitive.
The argon gas stops the filament evaporating onto the glass. Making the element hotter and putting it in vacuum is a very bad idea, unless you want the inside to be blackened with tungsten.
Steve
Steve
Jul 31, 2011. 2:30 PM-max- (author)
says:
how and why does the gas stop the filament evaporating? i mention a vacuum because a gas will act like a heat-sink. say you run the modified bulb at half power, the traped heat will warm up the bulb to full brightness.
Essentially, the gas atoms bounce the evaporating tungsten atoms back again !
As Ork says, read about Halogen lamps - they really ARE clever.
Steve
As Ork says, read about Halogen lamps - they really ARE clever.
Steve
Jul 31, 2011. 6:43 PM-max- (author)
says:
im talking about something along the line of 60 lumens per watt
Jul 31, 2011. 6:41 PM-max- (author)
says:
but the gas inside will also transfer the heat from the filament to the entire inside, and then the glass, to the air outside. this means more energy is required to light the bulb.
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