LIGHT SOURCES

6-7
Table
6-1. Effect of Hot-Cold Resistance on Current in an
Incandescent Filament
(Laboratory conditions)
120-VOLT
NORMAL
CURRENT
(amperes)
THEORETICAL
INRUSH: BASIS
HOT-TO-COLD
RESISTANCE
(amperes)
ACTUAL MAX.
CURRENT
INRUSH BY
TEST
(amperes)
TIME FOR CURRENT TO
LAMP
WATTAGE Reach
Max. Value
(seconds)
Fall to
Normal Value
(seconds)
75
100
200
300
500
750
1,000
0.625
0.835
1.67
2.50
4.17
6.25
8.33
9.38
13.0
26.2
40.0
67.9
101.9
142.4
7.2
9.0
17.2
26.2
45.7
51.7
65.2
0.0004
.0007
.0008
.0011
.0014
.0021
.0031
0.07
.10
.10
.13
.15
.17
.23
Vacuum and Gas-Filled Lamps
The vacuum type of lamp was the only type available until 1913 and
vacuum construction is still employed in 110- to 125-volt lamps consuming
less than 40 watts. Lamps of 40 watts and above in the 110-125 volt
range are usually gas filled.*
The bulb of an incandescent lamp is filled with gas to introduce pressure
on the filament in order to retard evaporation. While the gas conducts
some heat away from the filament, this is more than offset by the higher
temperatures at which the filament may be operated.
Inert gases, that is, those that do not combine chemically with the fila-
ment lead-in wires and supports, must be used, and, other things being
equal, the best gas is the one with lowest heat conductivity. Nitrogen was
first used because of its lower cost, purity, and availability; argon was
recognized as better than nitrogen in many ways but it was scarce and
relatively expensive. Present-day lamps have an atmosphere of argon
and nitrogen mixed in varying proportions depending on their type.
Argon alone ionizes at normal circuit voltages and tends to arc between
the lamp lead-in wires.
The rate of evaporation of a metal when surrounded by a gas varies with
the size of the molecule of the gas. Krypton gas has a lower heat conduc-
tivity than either nitrogen or argon and if used for lamps would permit a
20 to 25 per cent gain in efficiency over the present 40-watt lamp rating.
This gain would be less for the higher wattage lamps. However, krypton
is at present too expensive to be used for all general-service lamps since
its use would increase the present cost of the lamp perhaps by a factor of
two. Its use is practical today only in special types of lamps such as the
small miner's cap lamps, w
r
here high efficiency has a high money value
since it prevents excessive drain on the battery, permits the use of smaller
bulbs, and reduces the over-all weight of apparatus required to produce a
given number of lumen-hours.
Vacuum lamps are known as type B. Gas-filled lamps are known as type C.