Sodium Vapor lamp

• A lamp in which an electric discharge takes place throughout a metallic vapor is known
as a vapor lamp.
• These lamps are available in two types like sodium vapor lamp and mercury vapor
lamp which emit different colors of lights.
• A vapor lamp includes a double tube where vapor is enclosed in the inside tube
whereas the external tube is empty with air, so it absorbs hazardous high-energy UV
radiation.
• It mainly works through vaporized sodium metal by creating an electric arc.
• These lamps are mostly used in street lights and industrial purposes.
• Two electrodes like E1 & E2 are mounted within a G1 glass tube including sodium
with a small quantity of argon or neon gases. This G1 glass tube is placed in a G2
evacuated external tube.
• Capacitor (C), choke (L) & a small step-down transformer ‘T’ is connected in series
with the lamp.
• Inductor functions like overload protection for stabilizing the discharge. The
transformer used is for reducing the voltage supply & stabilizing the arc.
• All these capacitors, choke & transformer is connected in series with vapour lamp
for heating the cathode electrode ‘E1’.
• Working:
• Sodium is usually in the form of a solid deposited on the sides of the tube walls.
• When the potential is applied, it generates a discharge within the neon gas, which
produces sufficient heat to evaporate the Na generates red-orange color light.
• The heat produced by the emission of neon gas changes into solid sodium vapor.
After fifteen minutes, it starts generating complete yellow light.
• Sodium vapor lamps are available in 50 Watt, 100 Watt, 200 Watt, 500 Watt.
Fluorescent Lamp
• A fluorescent lamp is a low weight mercury vapour lamp that uses
fluorescence to deliver visible light.
• When we switch ON the supply, full voltage comes across the lamp and as well as
across the starter through the ballast.
• At that full voltage first the glow discharge is established in the starter. This is
because the electrodes gap in the neon bulb of starter is much lesser than that of
the fluorescent lamp.
• Then gas inside the starter gets ionized due to this full voltage and heats the
bimetallic strip. That causes to bend the bimetallic strip to connect to the fixed
contact and current starts flowing through the starter
• As soon as the current starts flowing through the touched contacts of the neon bulb of the
starter, the voltage across the neon bulb gets reduced there will be no more gas discharge
taking place and hence the bimetallic strip gets cool and breaks away from the fixed
contact.
• At the time of breaking of the contacts in the neon bulb of the starter, the current gets
interrupted, and hence at that moment, a large voltage surge comes across the inductor
• V=L di/dt
• This high valued surge voltage comes across the fluorescent lamp (tube light) electrodes
and strikes penning mixture (mixture argon gas and mercury vapor).
• Gas discharge process gets started and continues and hence current again gets a path to
flow through the fluorescent lamp tube (tube light).
• The discharge of mercury atoms produces ultraviolet radiation which in turn excites the
phosphor powder coating to radiate visible light.
• Starter gets inactive during glowing of fluorescent lamp (tube light) because no current
passes through the starter in that condition.
• Advantages
• More energy efficient than incandescent lamps
• Longer operational lifespan
• Better light diffusions and distribution
• Less heat emission

• Disadvantages
• More expensive
• Not a better alternative than LED lamps
• Health and environmental issues
 High Pressure Mercury Vapor Lamp
• A gas discharge lamp that uses an electric arc through the vaporized
mercury to produce light is known as mercury vapor lamp.
• It consists of an inner tube containing mercury vapor and it is made of hard glass.
• It also has an outer glass cover which protects the inner tube from coming in
direct contact with the atmospheric temperature variations and also absorbs the
UV rays emitted by the lamp during operation.
• The inner tube has a percentage of argon gas.
• The lamp has two main electrodes viz. main electrode 1 & 2, which are made of
tungsten wire and an auxiliary (or starting) electrode which is spaced very close
to one of the main electrodes.
• When the circuit of the lamp is completed, the supply voltage appears between the main electrode-1
and the auxiliary electrode. As the distance between the two electrodes is very small so the argon gas
coming between these two electrodes is immediately ionized. As a result of the ionization of the gas
between electrodes, a glow appears between the two electrodes.
• A small current starts flowing through the starting resistor which is in series with the auxiliary
electrode. This current results in building up of pressure due to heating up of mercury which is
originally in the condensed form.
• Ultimately, the gaseous medium between the main electrodes is ionized and the current starts
flowing between the electrodes. It is no longer controlled by the high starting resistance but by the
choke in the main circuit.
• Also, there is a capacitor used in the lamp circuit which improves the power factor of the circuit
which will otherwise be very low due to high inductance of the choke present in the circuit.
• Advantages of Mercury Vapor Lamp
• The chief advantages of the mercury vapor lamps are listed below.
• These lamps produce a clear white light.
• They provide the light with high intensity.
• The mercury vapor lamps are energy efficient.
• They are available in different shapes, sizes and ratings.
• Mercury vapor lamps have relatively longer life span, about 24000 hours.
• Disadvantages of Mercury Vapor Lamp
• The disadvantages of the mercury vapor lamps are given as follows −
• Mercury vapor lamps require 5 to 8 minutes warm up before fully glowing the
lamp.
• Mercury vapor lamps are very sensitive for the voltage.
• Their maintenance of lumen is poor.
• Their cooling time is about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Applications of Mercury Vapor Lamp
• Some areas of applications of the mercury vapor lamps are given as follows −
• In households like garage, storeroom, etc.
• In industrial areas
• For street lightings
• In stairwells
• In security areas, etc.
• Applications of Mercury Vapor Lamp
• Some areas of applications of the mercury vapor lamps are given as
follows −
• In households like garage, storeroom, etc.
• In industrial areas
• For street lightings
• In stairwells
• In security areas, etc.