The modern market is oversaturated with all kinds of light sources, and it is quite difficult to give preference to one of them. Experiments comparing fluorescent lamps and LED lamps have proved the great efficiency of the latter. But for a fair assessment, you need to understand the features of their work, areas of application and calculate which of them are most beneficial to use in everyday life.
The history of the creation of a gas-discharge light source
The official date for the invention of the fluorescent lamp is 1859. Although the prototype of the first daylight source 100 years earlier was invented by Mikhail Lomonosov. A glass ball filled with hydrogen ignited under the influence of electricity. Famous personalities such as Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, Carl Friedrich Moore and Peter Cooper Hewitt participated in the development stages of the production of discharge lamps.
However, Edmund Germer's device in 1926 turned out to be the final modification of daylight sources. Him and hisThe team proposed coating the glass flasks with a phosphor that converts ultraviolet light to a uniform white. The patent was later bought by the General Electric Company, and the lamps were distributed to consumers in 1926.
Working principle and classification
Unlike LED, fluorescent types of lamps, the most common in production, require special ballasts. An arc discharge burns between two electrodes located at opposite ends. Penetrating through gases and mercury vapor, the current forms UF radiation that is invisible to human eyes. The phosphor on the walls of the flask absorbs ultraviolet and turns it into visible light.
Discharge lamps come in high and low pressure. The first type is used in industry and for lighting non-residential premises. High-pressure mercury lamps are marked RVD. There are many modifications of them, but all subspecies are distinguished by the poor quality of the emitted light.
Low pressure fluorescent lamps are widely used in everyday life. Their main classifications:
- The shape of the flask is tubular and spiral.
- Power consumption.
- Emitted color spectrum: white LB, daylight LD, natural light LE.
- Destination - green LZ, yellow or red, ultraviolet LUV, blue reflex LSR.
Each type has its own scope, so it is important to choose lamps for a specific room.
Dignity of fluorescent lamps
Fluorescent lamps create a spectrum similar to solar radiation. Sources such as LDC, LDC, LEC, LEC do not distort colors. They provide economical energy consumption. But the most important thing to pay attention to when comparing fluorescent lamps and LEDs is the uniformity of the distribution of the light flux. Experiments show that gas-discharge light sources illuminate the space from the side, behind, and in front of themselves.
Using energy-saving lamps
Daylight sources are used wherever natural light is required: in museums, for shop windows, in laboratories, in printing houses. Linear fluorescent lamps are installed in banks and offices. Bright daylight gives a signal of awakening to the human brain and increases efficiency.
Compared to fluorescent lamps, LED lamps render colors worse. Energy-saving light sources do not distort the shades of objects due to natural light. CLEO type lamps are used in solariums, in production for curing UF glue, in beauty salons for drying gel polish. And they are also used in budget lamps for seedlings and indoor plants.
History of LEDs
Experiments proving the glow of a silicon carbide crystal from an electric current were carried out in 1907 by Henry Joseph Round and 14 years later by Soviet physicist Oleg Losev. However, the discovery of LEDs is credited to a team of scientists underby Nick Holonyak of the University of Illinois. They created red light sources suitable for industrial use. But, compared to fluorescent lamps, LEDs were not widely used at that time.
The green and yellow glow of crystals was discovered in 1972. A real breakthrough was the invention by the Japanese engineer Suji Nakamura of a blue LED, which, due to its combination with green and yellow lamps, received a white glow. The active use of such sources started only 10 years ago. And everywhere the use of LEDs began in 2012-2013.
How the lamp works
An LED is a semiconductor device that converts electricity into visible light. It consists of a chip on a substrate, a housing with contacts, and an optics system. The difference between LED lamps and fluorescent lamps is that the conversion of electricity into light occurs without significant power loss for heating, and the brightness of the lamp can be adjusted thanks to the built-in control unit.
The brightness of an LED is directly proportional to the current flowing through it. However, under the influence of electricity, the materials of the lamp heat up and melt. Cooling requires a heatsink in the body of the fixture, making them larger than similar fluorescent lamps.
Advantages of LED lamps and their disadvantages
LEDs are free of mercury and dangerousmaterials. They do not require disposal, do not harm nature. LEDs are a great solution for families with children and active pets. In addition, they have other advantages. Advantages of LED lamps over fluorescent lamps:
- instant on without warming up;
- the ability to control brightness and color using the remote control;
- saving electricity;
- large operating voltage threshold (from 80 to 230V);
- no heating of the lamp body;
- silent operation;
- ensuring good light transmission and clarity of objects.
To finally determine which lamp is better - LED or fluorescent, consider the cons of the latter option. The main disadvantage of this type is the high cost. Also, LEDs are larger in size compared to similar energy-saving lamps due to the need for a cooling radiator in the design. This does not allow them to be used in small devices. Another disadvantage is the direct orientation of the light. This distribution of radiation may seem unusual, so some buyers prefer to purchase fluorescent lamps.
Using LEDs
The absence of the influence of frequent switching on of light on the performance of LEDs allows them to be used in toilets, pantries, warehouses. LEDs are ubiquitous in street lighting due to their insensitivity to low temperatures.
Their main uses:
- highlighting architectural monuments;
- staircase lighting;
- basic and decorative lighting in everyday life;
- car lights;
- traffic lights;
- toys, industrial and household indicators;
- backlight screens, OLED displays.
Calculation of replacing fluorescent lamps with LEDs
Illumination level of about 1000 Lumens is provided by an 11W LED lamp. At an electricity tariff of 4.53 rubles/kWh, 60 minutes of its operation will cost 5 kopecks.
A 15W fluorescent lamp gives the same level of brightness. And the cost of an hour of her work is 6.8 kopecks. With continuous use, the lamp will last exactly 13 months.
However, 24/7 lighting is rarely needed in homes, as the average running time of appliances is 6 hours a day. Thanks to simple calculations, it turns out that the LED lamp should last about 16 years, and the fluorescent lamp - 4 years and 5 months.
For a year of work, she will have to pay 109 and a half rubles. Sixteen years of service will cost 1,752 rubles. During the same period of operation, fluorescent lamps need to be changed 4 times. Therefore, the cost of purchasing lighting fixtures will be added to the total amount.
The price of the annual operation of a fluorescent lamp is 148 rubles, 90 kopecks. Sixteen years of service will cost its owner 2382.4 rubles, not including the cost of four replacementslight sources. Considering that fluorescent lamps often fail earlier than the manufacturer's stated period, the benefits of using LEDs are obvious. Using matching LED lamps to fluorescent in brightness, you can save 2-3 times more money.
The choice of light sources must be done depending on several parameters: the type of room, voltage drops in the network, ambient temperature. LED lamps are more profitable. But due to distorted color reproduction and one-way light direction, it is not practical to use them in some cases.
