One of the very first electric light sources was the legendary incandescent lamp. Her patent was accepted in 1879. Since then, for a long time this device has been used by mankind in many fields of activity. However, today the incandescent lamp is gradually becoming a thing of the past. It has been replaced by more economical light sources.
There are certain advantages and disadvantages that characterize incandescent lamps. The characteristics of these devices, as well as their applications and varieties, deserve detailed consideration. Also, their comparative characteristics with other lighting devices used today will allow us to draw conclusions about the appropriateness of using incandescent lamps.
Lamp device
Lamps with incandescent lamps, the characteristics of which will be discussed in detail below, used to be found in almost every home. The use of these devices was very simple and convenient. The device of the incandescent lamp is easy to understand. It consists of a glass flask with a tungsten filament inside. This container can be filled with gas or vacuum.
Tungsten filament is located on special electrodes through which electricity is supplied to it. These conductors are hidden by the base. It has a thread, making it easy to screw the lamp into the socket. When electricity is supplied through the network through the base, the current is supplied to the tungsten filament. She's heating up. At the same time, light is sent to the environment. All incandescent lamps work on this principle. There are a huge number of their varieties.
Key Features
Incandescent lamps have certain properties. The characteristics of these devices are measured by different indicators. The power range of these appliances, designed for domestic purposes, is from 25-150 watts. Lamps up to 1000 W can be used for street lighting and industrial applications.
During operation, the tungsten filament heats up to 3000 °C. The output of the light flux in this case can vary from 9 to 19 Lm / W. In this case, the device can operate at a rated voltage of 220-230 V. Some devices are designed for 127 V networks. The frequency is 50Hz.
The size of the base for such devices can be 3 types. This is indicated on the label. If it is 14 mm, this is the E14 base. Accordingly, 27 mm is E27, and 40 mm is E40. The larger the base, the greater the power characteristic of the lighting device. It can be threaded, pinned, single or double ended.
Under normal circumstancesIncandescent lamps last about 1,000 hours.
Varieties
Incandescent lamps, the technical characteristics of which were discussed above, are of several types. There are several principles by which the presented devices are classified.
First of all, incandescent lamps are distinguished by the shape of the bulb. It can be spherical (the most common), tubular, cylindrical, spherical. There are other, rarer varieties. They are used to create a certain decorative effect (for example, in Christmas tree garlands).
The flask coating can be transparent or matte. There are also mirror varieties. The purpose of the lamp is also quite diverse. It can be used for general or local lighting, as well as for special needs (for example, quartz-halogen species).
The flask can be filled with vacuum, as well as inert gases, such as argon, xenon. There are also halogen incandescent bulbs.
Voltage characteristic
The current-voltage characteristic of an incandescent lamp is non-linear. This is because the resistance of the filament depends on temperature and current. In this case, the nonlinearity has an ascending character. The greater the current, the stronger the resistance of the tungsten conductor.
The curve is rising because the dynamic resistance value is positive. At any point, the higher the current increase, themore voltage drop. This contributes to the automatic formation of a stable regime. With a constant voltage value, the current cannot be changed due to internal reasons.
Volt-ampere characteristics show that, thanks to all the above regularities, an incandescent lamp can be switched on directly to the mains voltage.
Continuous power supply
Incandescent lamps, the characteristics of which allow them to be used for domestic purposes, are most often powered by a constant source of electricity. It is also considered to be a resource of unlimited power. Therefore, the mains voltage is often considered to be the nominal voltage of the incandescent lamp.
But it is worth noting that quite often the mains voltage and its nominal value are somewhat different. Therefore, in order to improve the performance of illuminators, GOST 2239-79 was developed. It introduces 5 supply voltage intervals. It must comply with incandescent lamps used for domestic purposes.
Limited power supplies
Incandescent lamps rated for use in special applications may be powered by limited sources (battery, accumulator, alternator, etc.).
Their average actual voltage does not match the rated value. Therefore, for incandescent lamps powered by limited current sources, an indicator such as the calculatedvoltage. It is equal to the average value at which it is allowed to operate an incandescent lamp.
Marking
To understand what type of lamp is on sale, a special marking of these products has been developed. To choose the right type of device, you should familiarize yourself with the generally accepted conventions.
For example, a 60 W argon bispiral incandescent lamp, the characteristics of which allow it to be used for domestic purposes, will be marked as B235-245-60. The first letter means the physical qualities or design features of the product. If there is a second letter in the marking, this is the purpose of the lamp. It can be railway (ZH), aircraft (SM), switchboard (KM), automobile (A), searchlight (PJ).
The first digit in the marking indicates voltage and power. The second numerical value is revision. This allows you to choose the right lamp for a particular lighting fixture.
Benefits
Incandescent and LED lamps, the comparative characteristics of which are compared when buying a particular device, are quite different. The advantage of devices with a tungsten filament is their cheap cost. There are a number of features that distinguish incandescent lamps from LED, fluorescent light sources.
Presented devices used earlier work stably at low temperatures. They are also not afraid of small power surges in the network. This allows them to be used for quite a long time.
If the voltage decreases for some reason, the incandescent lamp will still work, albeit with less intensity. Also, such devices are not afraid of high humidity. They are easy to connect to the network, it does not require any additional equipment.
If an incandescent bulb breaks, no hazardous substances will enter the air (as happens with energy-saving varieties of lighting). Therefore, they are considered safer.
Flaws
However, the characteristics of incandescent lamps contain quite significant drawbacks. Fluorescent lamps, as well as diode varieties of lighting devices, are used much more today for several reasons.
First of all, a significant disadvantage of devices with a tungsten filament is the low level of light output. The spectrum of radiation is dominated by yellow, red shades. This makes the lighting look unnatural.
In comparison with new lamps, the incandescent principle is characterized by a low service life. With deviations in the rated voltage of the network, it is reduced even more.
The bulb of an incandescent lamp is rather fragile. For this reason, it is most often used with a ceiling. And this further reduces the intensity of lighting inside the room.
Also, incandescent lamps consume much more electricity. Compared to fluorescent, LED varieties, this deviation is really impressive. Therefore, in order to save energy resources, you should choose newtypes of devices. This contributes to the gradual phasing out of incandescent lamps.
