Patent Application
20050248279
This invention relates to high intensity arc discharge lamps and more particularly to high intensity arc discharge metal halide lamps having high efficacy.
Due to the ever-increasing need for energy conserving lighting systems that are used for interior and exterior lighting, lamps with increasing lamp efficacy are being developed for general lighting applications. Thus, for instance, arc discharge metal halide lamps are being more and more widely used for interior and exterior lighting. Such lamps are well known and include a light-transmissive arc discharge chamber sealed about an enclosed pair of spaced apart electrodes, and typically further contain suitable active materials such as an inert starting gas and one or more ionizable metals or metal halides in specified molar ratios, or both. They can be relatively low power lamps operated in standard alternating current light sockets at the usual 120 Volts rms potential with a ballast circuit, either magnetic or electronic, to provide a starting voltage and current limiting during subsequent operation.
These lamps typically have a ceramic material arc discharge chamber that usually contains quantities of metal halides such as cerium iodide (CeI3) and sodium iodide (NaI), or praseodymium iodide (PrI3) and NaI, or other rare earth halides such as dysprosium iodide (DyI3), holmium iodide (HoI3), and thulium iodide (TmI3), and thallium iodide (TlI), as well as mercury to provide an adequate voltage drop or loading between the electrodes, and the inert starting gas. Keeping the lamp operating voltage below 110V rms results in relatively safe operation of the lamp and its ceramic arc discharge chamber. Such lamps can have an efficacy as high as 105 LPW at 250 W with a Color Rendering Index (CRI or Ra) higher than 60, with Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) between 3000 K and 6000 K at 250 W.
Of course, to further save electric energy in lighting by using more efficient lamps, high intensity arc discharge metal halide lamps with even higher lamp efficacies are needed and lamps which maintain well their luminous output over the operational duration thereof. The lamp efficacy is affected by the shape of the arc discharge chamber. If the ratio between the distance separating the electrodes in the chamber to the diameter of the chamber is too small, the relative abundance of Na between the arc and the chamber walls leads to a lot of absorption of generated light radiation by such Na due to its absorption lines near the peak values of visible light. On the other hand, if the ratio between the distance separating the electrodes in the chamber to the diameter of the chamber is too great such as being greater than five, initiating an arc discharge in the arc discharge chamber is difficult because of the relatively large breakdown distance between the electrodes. In addition, such lamps perform relatively poorly when oriented vertically during operation in exhibiting severe colors segregation as the different buoyancies of the lamp content constituents cause them to segregate themselves from one another to a considerable degree along the arc length.
Another problem with such metal halide lamps is the gradual reduction of the light output over the lamp operational duration due to the reduced light transmission through the walls of the arc discharge chamber. The darkening of the chamber wall is mainly attributable to sputtering of the electrode tungsten material during the starting of light emission in the chamber of the lamp, and to the evaporation of the electrode tungsten material in that chamber during subsequent lamp operation. In many instances, such coating of the arc discharge chamber walls by tungsten not only results in poor lamp output light lumen value maintenance but also to the premature failure of the lamp.
That such objectionable coating of the arc discharge chamber walls does not occur more quickly and completely than it typically does is generally thought to be due to a regenerative tungsten halide transport cycle phenomenon occurring in the chamber in which the deposited tungsten metal on the wall is returned to the electrodes thereby tending to keep the chamber walls clean. In this cycle, the tungsten material deposited on the chamber walls is thought to combine there with iodine from the ionizable constituents provided in the chamber to form tungsten iodide which then evaporates from the chamber wall to thereafter impinge on the electrodes. There, the tungsten iodide disassociates there with the iodine evaporating to thereby leave the tungsten deposited on the electrodes. An efficient halogen cycle of this sort results in excellent lamp light output lumen value maintenance and a long operational duration for the lamp.
One condition known for an efficient halogen cycle is the presence of a small amount of oxygen in the discharge chamber when the lamp is being operated. Thus, a metal halide lamp has been used with oxygen dispensers containing tungsten oxide (WO2) and calcium oxide (CaO) to avoid arc discharge chamber tungsten coating and to extend lamp life. A small amount of free oxygen is released at a controlled rate into the chamber to aid in maintaining the halogen cycle. Success requires that the release of free oxygen be controlled. When too small an amount of oxygen is released, the halogen cycle will not operate as well resulting in early coating of the chamber walls. If, on the other hand, too much oxygen is released, the tungsten electrodes suffer extensive corrosion resulting in a short lamp operational duration due to electrode failure. Further alternatives include providing oxygen in the form of oxytrihalides such as niobium oxytriiodide (NbOI3) or mercury oxide (HgO) or molecular oxygen or compounds containing oxygen to the chamber constituents. Metal oxyhalides, particularly tungsten oxyhalides, such as WOI2, WO2Br2 and WOBr2, will be formed during the operation of the lamp. However, such additions add expense to the manufacture of the lamp. Thus, there is a desire for a lamp that provides good efficacy with the output light lumen value well maintained while being operable by currently used ballast circuits.
The present invention provides an arc discharge metal halide lamp for use in selected lighting fixtures comprising a discharge chamber having visible light permeable walls of a selected shape bounding a discharge region through which walls a pair of electrodes are supported in the discharge region and which are spaced apart from one another by a distance Le. These walls about the discharge region have an average interior diameter over Le that is equal to D so they are related to have Le/D<2.75 with D exceeding 2.0 mm. Ionizable materials are provided in this chamber discharge region comprising a noble gas, a metal halide and mercury in an amount sufficiently small so as to result in a voltage drop between the electrodes during lamp operation that is less than 110 V rms at a selected value of electrical power dissipation in the lamp such that wall loading of the discharge chamber during operation equals or exceeds 33 W/cm2, or so that the lamp can be operated at selected values of electrical power dissipation therein that result in wall loadings of the discharge chamber during operation sufficient to maintain output luminosity of the discharge chamber after 12,000 hours of lamp operation at ninety percent or more of that output luminosity the discharge chamber provided during lamp operation at 100 hours of lamp operation. The walls of the discharge chamber comprise a metal oxide material and are approximately 0.8 mm thick.
Referring to
A remaining portion of access wire 14 in the interior of envelope 11 extends to, and partially supports, a support plate, 17a, formed of nickel plated steel, through a ceramic insulator, 17a′. Insulator 17a′ is approximately centered with respect to plate 17a in extending therethrough to be positioned on both sides thereof. A further support plate, 17b, also formed of nickel plated steel and having a turned up center tab, 17b′, to leave an opening therethrough at the center thereof, is used with support plate 17a to support and capture a shroud, 18, formed as an optically transparent, truncated cylindrical shell of borosilicate glass to limit gaseous flows in the interior thereof so as to maintain relatively constant temperatures therein. Support plates 17a and 17b each have tabs at the periphery thereof bent perpendicular thereto so as to parallel the envelope length axis with the more interior tabs maintaining the position of shroud 18 with respect to support plates 17a and 17b, and with the exterior ones used in the assembly process. Two other such mounting tabs each support a conventional getter, 19, to capture gaseous impurities within envelope 11.
Access wire 15 with the first obtuse bend therein past flare 16 directing it away from the envelope length axis, is bent again at a right angle and terminated. Access wire portion 15′ is welded to this terminating portion of wire 15 past this last bend therein to extend substantially parallel that axis, and further bent again in a semicircular arc to have the succeeding portion thereof extend substantially perpendicular to, and more or less cross that axis near the other end of envelope 11 opposite that end near which wire 15 is fitted into base 12.
A ceramic arc discharge chamber, 20, configured about a contained region as a shell structure having ceramic walls, such as polycrystalline primarily alumina walls, or primarily densely sintered Al2O3, or primarily sapphire, that are translucent to visible light, is shown in one possible configuration in
Chamber 20 has a pair of relatively small inner and outer diameter ceramic truncated cylindrical shell portions, or tubes, 21a and 21b, that are shrink fitted into a corresponding one of a pair of tapered structures, 22a and 22b, about a centered hole therein at a corresponding one of the two open ends of a primary central portion chamber structure, 25, positioned therebetween. Primary chamber structure 25, formed as a truncated cylindrical shell with a diameter designated as D, has this diameter as a relatively larger diameter truncated cylindrical shell portion between the chamber ends, and chamber 20 has very short extent smaller diameter truncated cylindrical shell portion at each end thereof with a partial conical shell portion there as the tapered structure joining the smaller diameter truncated cylindrical shell portion there to the larger diameter truncated cylindrical shell portion. The wall thickness of the arc discharge chamber is chosen to be about 0.8 mm. These various portions of arc discharge tube 20 are formed by compacting alumina powder into the desired shape followed by sintering the resulting compact to thereby provide the preformed portions, and the various preformed portions are joined together by sintering to result in a preformed single body of the desired dimensions having walls impervious to the flow of gases.
Chamber electrode interconnection wires, 26a and 26b, of niobium each are axially attached by welding to a corresponding lead-through wire extending out of a corresponding one of tubes 21a and 21b. Wires 26a and 26b thereby reach and are attached by welding to, respectively, access wire 14 in the first instance at its end portion crossing the envelope length axis, and to access wire 15 in the second instance at its end portion first past the far end of chamber 20 that was originally described as crossing the envelope length axis. This arrangement results in chamber 20 being positioned and supported between these portions of access wires 14 and 15 so that its long dimension axis approximately coincides with the envelope length axis, and further allows electrical power to be provided through access wires 14 and 15 to chamber 20.
In addition, a tungsten electrode coil, 32a, is integrated and mounted to the tip portion of the other end of the first main electrode shaft 31a by welding, so that electrode 33a is configured by main electrode shaft 31a and electrode coil 32a. Electrode 33a is formed of tungsten for good thermionic emission of electrons while withstanding relatively well the chemical attack of the metal halide plasma. Lead-through wire 29a, spaced from tube 21a by a molybdenum coil, 34a, serves to dispose electrode 33a at a predetermined position in the region contained in the main volume of arc discharge chamber 20. A typical diameter of interconnection wire 26a is 1.2 mm, and a typical diameter of electrode shaft 31a is 0.6 mm.
Similarly, in
The internal dimensions of arc discharge chamber 20 including the relative positioning of electrodes 33a and 33b therein are selected to achieve high luminous efficacy (>90 Lm/W) that can be realized in combination with good color properties (Color Rendering Index CRI or Ra>86, Correlated Color Temperature CCT ˜3,650 K). Such chambers configured with Le/D<2.75 with D>2 mm will have these characteristics. Preferably, chambers with Le/D=1.00 and D=10.7 mm are used so as to better obtain these properties.
Furthermore, lamps having arc discharge chambers with wall loadings during operation equal to or greater than 33 W/cm2 have been found to better maintain the initial values of their output luminous flux over the lamp operational duration. Wall loading here is defined as the quotient obtained by dividing the dissipated power of the lamp during operation by the surface area of the entire interior surface of arc discharge chamber 20 which also correlates highly with the chamber wall operating peak temperature. As is seen in
The lamp voltage V1a was, and is preferably chosen to be, at most 110V. Thereby, these lamps can be operated using standard electronic and magnetic ballast circuits. The electrical data found for the 33 W/cm2 test group and the 28 W/cm2 control group are very similar. The voltage rise for both lamp groups is about 1.50 V/1000 hours due to electrode melt back and to certain chemical changes occurring within the discharge chamber.
Thus, lumen value maintenance for these lamps was found to be favorably affected by keeping the chamber wall temperature at about 1,283 K. This is practically accomplished by choosing the wall loading at about 33 W/cm2 which is easily achieved by selecting Le/D=1. When increasing the ratio Le/D up to 2.75, the chamber wall temperature must be maintained at about 1283 K or more, but no greater than 1,400 K, through increasing the power consumed by the lamp by increasing the electrical current therethrough. The inside diameter D of chamber 20 should be larger than 2 mm to provide enough volume to establish a discharge arc of enough volume to generate the desired luminous flux output from the chamber.
Lamps with a wall loading of 33 W/cm2 are found to have higher efficacy, better lumen value maintenance and excellent color properties. At 3,000 hours, the lamps with a wall loading of about 33 W/cm2 exhibited a lumen value maintenance of about 92%. The lumen value maintenance of a control group that had a wall loading of about 28 W/cm2 is 85%. At 12,000 hours, the lumen value maintenance of the 33 W/cm2 lamps still exceeds 90%.
The lamps have excellent color properties and they emit white light with color point co-ordinates (x, y) along the black-body-line (BBL). At 100 hours, the 28 W/cm2 and the 33 W/cm2 lamps have an average correlated color temperature CCT of 3,577 K and its color point coordinates are (0.3976, 0.3790). Throughout the lamps operational duration, the change in the CCT and in coordinates (x, y) of both groups are very similar to one another.
Knowing that the service life of metal halide lamps depends on the wall loading of the discharge chamber used therein, the higher wall loading of 33 W/cm2 was found not to have compromised the operational duration of the lamps. Extensive life testing demonstrated that the operational durations of these lamps was more than 14,000 hours. There were no failures recorded at 14,000 hours of operation.
Although the chemical reactions that occur at the ceramic arc tube wall are not well understood, a wall loading of 33 W/cm2 appears to release free oxygen from the arc discharge chamber wall into the discharge during the operation of such lamps as indicated above. Such free oxygen is released under the influence of chemical reactions occurring with the constituents enclosed in the chamber.
A small amount of oxygen appears to be needed to maintain the tungsten halogen cycle in the lamp described above when the lamp is in operation. The result of an efficient halogen cycle is the diminishment of wall blackening and an improvement in lumen value maintenance.
Arc discharge chambers with wall loadings equal to or greater than 33 W/cm2 appear to have more wall reactions resulting in greater removal and transport of ceramic arc discharge chamber structural material. Especially, the areas where the salts reside exhibit extensive corrosion. Using spectroscopic measurements, AlI3 was found to be formed near the wall and apparently free oxygen is being released there into the discharge reactions.
Moreover, the ceramic arc discharge chamber structural material, polycrystalline primarily alumina walls as stated above, in particular, Al2O3, may be an integral part of the lamp chemistry. Hence, during lamp operation, free oxygen is generated from the chamber wall and released to the discharge reactions. Ceramic chamber metal halide lamps operated with a wall loading of 33 W/cm2, or higher, appear to generate sufficient free oxygen to favorably influence the tungsten halogen cycle. Consequently, during lamp operation, tungsten deposited on the chamber wall is removed and transported back to the electrodes keeping the walls very clean. The regenerative cycle prevents the deterioration of the bulb wall transmission resulting in higher lumen value maintenance and a longer operational duration for the lamp.
In greater detail in connection with the above chamber wall loading comparison, 25 lamps 10 of
Five groups of these lamps 10 each having therein such an arc discharge chambers 20 were operated with each such group having a corresponding one of the following wall loadings of about 28, 33, 36, 39 and 46 W/cm2 maintained in the lamps of that group during operation to measure lamp performance over various operational durations. Either magnetic or electronic ballast circuits are suitable to operate the lamps for this purpose. During this testing, photometry and electrical data were recorded at 100; 250; 500; 750; 1,000; 1,500; 2,000; 3,000 hours of operation, etc. as the basis for the tables below. The lumen value maintenance was calculated for each lamp from this data and compared for the different groups. In addition, visual inspection of these lamps was performed periodically to estimate the degree of blackening of the arc discharge chambers involved at these different operational durations.
The typical results for lamps in two of these groups, those operated with a wall loading of 28 W/cm2 in lamps dissipating during operation 150 Watts, and those operated with a wall loading of 33 W/cm2 in lamps dissipating during operation 180 Watts, are summarized in Table I and Table II, respectively. The data presented there is the average of the corresponding five lamps forming each of these two groups. After 3,000 hours of operation, the lumen value maintenance of the lamps with a wall loading of 33 W/cm2 is on the average 7% greater than that of the lamps with a wall loading of 28 W/cm2. At 12,000 hours, the lumen value maintenance of the 33 W/cm2 lamps still exceeds 90%. The arc discharge chambers of this latter group appear to be less blackened, and thus more transparent, in comparison with the lamps of the 28 W/cm2 group.
The lamps in both groups have excellent color properties, and the change of color coordinated temperature CCT of each group shown in
The testing also showed that those two groups of lamps operated with wall loadings correspondingly of about 36 W/cm2 and of about 46 W/cm2 likewise exhibit better lumen value maintenance than does the group operated at the wall loading of 28 W/cm2. Table III shows the lamp operating voltage, luminous efficacy, lumen value maintenance, correlated color temperature CCT and the color rendering index CRI versus operational duration for the group of lamps operated with a wall loading of 39 W/cm2. From the data shown in Tables I and II, the luminous efficacy and the lumen value maintenance improves gradually as the operating wall loading of the lamps is increased.
However, the groups of lamps operated with wall loadings higher than 33 W/cm2 such as 36, 39 and 46 W/cm2 were found to suffer somewhat enhanced chemical attacking of the ceramic wall of the arc discharge chamber that can lead to an increased operating voltage across the lamps and so to a reduction of the operational duration of the lamps in service. In particular, the group of lamps operated with a wall loading of 46 W/cm2 showed increased chemical erosion of the wall in the area thereof where the salts are deposited. In addition, these lamps have steeper lamp operating voltage rise over the operational duration thereof due to the chemical changes occurring inside the arc discharge chambers therein and to the electrode damage.
Bearing in mind the service duration of these lamps depends upon the wall loading of the arc discharge chambers therein, a greater wall loading of about 33 W/cm2 seems not to compromise the operational duration of the lamp in service. Extensive life testing demonstrated that the operational duration of these lamps was more than 14,000 operating hours. Furthermore, there were no lamp failures recorded in 14,000 operating hours.
Thus, the wall loading of the arc discharge chamber in the lamp during operation thereof should be chosen to be about 33 W/cm2 or somewhat more. Thereby, these lamps are suitable for being operated in existing fixtures used for operating metal halide lamps. In such an arrangement, the metal halide lamps described above can be provided having a long lifetime, good color rendering, high efficacy and excellent lumen value maintenance. Especially, such lamps, operated with a wall loading of around 33 W/cm2, combine high luminous flux, improved lumen value maintenance, good color properties and excellent lamp operational duration.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
