Different Bulb Shapes

Incandescent Lamps
 General incandescent bulbs
 Three basic shapes:
a. General (A)
b. Globe (G)
c. Decorative (D): (in the shape of a flame, a drop of water, or other shapes)

 Most commonly used

 Least expensive
 Their soft, warm glow is reminiscent of candle light.
 Least efficient lighting source- approximately 90% of the electricity goes into heat
generation rather than light production.
 Bulbs convert power into light by passing electric current through a filament of tungsten
wire. The wire consists of mini coils.
 The current heats the tungsten filament until it glows.
 The glass bulbs are filled with an inert gas mixture primarily of argon and nitrogen.
 The bulb can be clear, diffuse, tinted or colored.
 It gives out attractive warm yellow light.
 Also called GLS – General Lighting Service Lamp – used for domestic purpose
 Standard incandescent lamps last about 750 – 1000 hours.
 Limited to the following applications due to poor energy characteristics:
a. Infrequent or short duration use
b. Where low-cost dimming is required
c. Where the point source characteristic of the lamp is important, as in focusing
fixtures
d. Where minimum initial cost is essential
Advantages & Disadvantages of Incandescent Lamps

-Special Incandescent Lamps (Tungsten Halogen)

1. Rough service and vibrations lamps are built to withstand rough handling and
continuous vibration, respectively, both of which conditions are extremely hard on general
service lamp filaments. Neither type is intended for general use, and both types have lower
efficacy than a general service lamp.
2. Extended service lamps are designed for 2500-hr life and are useful, as mentioned, in
locations where maintenance is irregular and/or relamping is difficult. So called "Long-Life”
lamps, which are guaranteed to burn for two, three, or five years, are lamps designed for
much higher voltages than that at which they operate. Since they normally sell at a high cost
and are very in efficient, their use is seldom advisable.
a. Reflector lamps
These are made in "R" and "PAR” shapes and contain a reflective coating on the inside
of the glass envelope; this gives the entire lamp accurate light beam control. Both types
are available in narrow or wide beam design, commonly called spot and flood,
respectively. R lamps are generally made in soft glass envelopes for indoor use,
whereas PAR lamps are hard glass, suitable for exterior application. Also available is a
lamp with an elliptical reflector bulb shape. This causes the beam to focus a few inches
in front of the lamp, permitting high-efficiency application in pinhole downlights or deep
baffle units where use of ordinary R lamps causes trapping and loss of the most of the
lamp's output.

Reflective lamps (R) emit almost twice the amount of light of that of incandescent lamps
of the (A – General) type based on equivalent energy consumption.

b. Interference (dichroic) filters.

Since filters had been previously used only in specialized applications such as
projection lamps to remove heat from the light beam, are now available in PAR lamps.
The basic filter is a thin film that operates on the interference principle rather than
absorption. Thus the surface remains relatively cool.

In one design that is utilized to limit the heat in the light beam, the film is applied to the
inside back of the lamp. It acts by transmitting infrared heat out of the lamp back while
reflecting light out the lamp front. Typical applications are now window displays, over
food counters, and in any location where a "cool beam" is desirable.

c. Low-voltage lamps
These lamps, in PAR shape and for 6-V operation, are available in extremely narrow
beam spread (5-10°) for special precision control floodlighting. The low voltage makes
their application to exterior work simplier.

d. Krypton gas
This gas in lamps in place of the usual nitrogen-argon mixture conducts heat more
slowly from the filament and results in the approximately 10% higher efficacy, longer
 life, and a smaller envelope. The cost premium for krypton lamps is approximately
50%. Applications are in long-life lamps to increase efficacy and in exterior spots and
floods to increase life and output.

e. Low voltage halogen lamp

Compact but effective. Provides up to 50% more light than conventional voltage
halogen system using same amount of energy. •Used for – accent or display lighting /
suspended down light or track-lights generally used in retail & commercial areas /
domestic areas. Halogen: a series of non-metal elements, comprising fluorine (F),
chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), astatine (At). The group of halogens is the only
periodic table group which contains elements in all three familiar states of matter (e.g.,
solid, liquid & gas) at standard temperature and pressure.

f. Energy-saving lamps
These are basically long-life lamps that are filled with krypton to raise efficacy. These
lamps can be substituted for standard lamps for appreciable savings in energy costs
and relamping costs, (see table below). Note that efficacy is still considerably below
that of a standard lamp. The use of krypton-filled lamps increases initial cost and
decreases energy cost.

g. Tungsten-halogen (quartz) lamp

This is a "gas filled tungsten incandescent lamp containing a certain proportion of
halogens." The halogens are iodine, chlorine, bromine, and fluorine. Thus the
quartziodine-tungsten filament lamp is a member of this class. The lamp is basically an
incandescent lamp, producing light and heat from the incandescence of its coiled
filament. Unlike the normal inert gas-filled incandescent lamp, the lamp envelope, which
is quartz to withstand high temperature, is filled with an iodine vapor that prevents the
evaporation of the tungsten filament.

Most common applications:

 Ordinary incandescent lamps are used in – residences, hotels & motels & some retail
environment where residence like quality is desired.
 Halogen lamps – residential down lights, outdoor lighting, hotels, motels, retail
display in recessed lighting, track lighting & other lamp holders in stores of all kinds.
 Low voltage halogen lamps – used in museums, galleries, residences, landscape
lighting, special effects like cove lighting and illumination inside and under cabinets
Fluorescent Lamps

 Introduced in 1937
 Aesthetically they are second class – unpopular with interior designer
 Widely used because they are more efficient than incandescent lamps.
 Glass tubes coated on interiors with phosphor – a chemical compound that emits light
when activated by ultraviolet energy.
 Air in the tube is replaced with argon gas & a small amount of mercury is added.

A. Preheat Lamps - the original fluorescent lamp was of a preheat design.

B. Rapid-start lamps- These are similar in construction to the preheat lamps; the basic
difference is in the circuitry. This circuit eliminates the delay inherent in preheat circuits
by keeping the leamp cathodes constantly energized (preheated). When the lamp circuit
 is energized, the arc is struck immediately. No external starter is required. Because of
this similarity of operation, rapid start lamps will operate satisfactorily in a preheat circuit.
The reverse is not true, because the preheat re¬ quires more current to heat the cathode
than the rapid-start ballast provides.

C. Instant-start fluorescent lamps- Slimline lamps are the best-known variety of instant-
start fluorescent lamps. They use a high voltage transformer to strike the arc without any
cathode preheating. These lamps have only a single pin at each end that also acts as a
switch to break the ballast circuit when the lamp is removed, thus lessening the shock
hazard.

D. Cold cathode tubes- The true cold cathode tubes uses a large, thimble-shaped
cathode and a high-voltage transformer that literally tears the electrons out of the large
cathode to strike the arc. These lamps have a very long life which, in contradistinction
to hot cathode lamps, is virtually unaffected by the number of starts. Cold cathode
lamps have a lower overall efficiency than the hot cathode types and are normally used
where long continuous runs are required, as in architectural-type lighting rather than in
lighting fixtures. Cold cathode lamps are readily dimmed and also operate well at
varying ambient temperatures.
Basic components of Fluorescent Lamp

 BULB: usually a straight glass tube - can be circular, U-shaped, or curved .

 PHOSPHOR: coating inside the bulb that transforms ultraviolet radiation into visible light.
The colour of the light produced depends upon the composition of phosphor.
 BASE: used to connect the lamp to the circuit & support it in the fixture.
 CATHODE: located at each end of the lamp. Cathodes are coated with a material that
emits electrons & usually are made of coiled coil or single coil tungsten wire.
 GAS: argon or a mixture of inert gas at low pressure – krypton sometimes is used.
 MERCURY: a minute quantity of liquid mercury is placed in the bulb to furnish mercury
vapour.

Compact Fluorescent Lamp

 It is a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent lamp.

 Some types fit into light fixtures formerly used for incandescent lamps.
 The lamps use a tube which is curved or folded to fit into the space of an incandescent
bulb.
 Smaller in size
 Different shapes: folded, spiral, circular
 Available in 9 watts to 26 watts.
 It saves 75% of energy.
 Generally used for commercial lights.

Lamp Life & Efficiency

 Fluorescent lamps 4/5 times more efficient.

 40 watt incandescent lamp produces 445 lumens.
40 watt fluorescent lamp produces 3050 lumens
 40 watt incandescent lamp – 1500 hours
40 watt fluorescent lamp – 20,000 hours

HID Lamps (High Intensity Discharge)

 Designed to emit a great deal of light from a compact, long-life light source.
 Most often used for street, parking lot lighting & for large indoor spaces like gymnasiums
& industrial work force.
 Energy efficient – producing 50 to 100 lumen per watt.
 Types Of Hid Lamps:
a. Metal Halide Lamps
b. Sodium Lamps
c. Mercury Vapour Lamps
 Metal Halide Lamp Sodium Lamp Mercury Vapour Lamps

a. Metal Halide Lamps

 Produce white light

 Available in many sizes – compact lamps used in track lighting & table lamps to huge
lamps for lighting stadiums.
 Colour of light slightly greenish – used where colour is not critical - e.g., sports arenas,
parking lots, landscape lighting & building floodlights.
 The color rendering index (CRI) is a quantitative measure of the ability of a light source
to reproduce the colors of various objects faithfully in comparison with an ideal or natural
light source. Light sources with a high CRI are desirable in color-critical applications such
as photography and cinematography.

b. Sodium Lamps
Two types:

 High pressure sodium lamp (HPS)

HPS works on principle of ionizing of sodium vapours – provides more light than any
other lamp – offer very high lumens/watt – yellow colour used on bridges, railway lines,
tunnels, road lighting, parking lots, heavy industrial work places, ware housing, security
lighting – where light colour is not so important.

 Low pressure sodium lamp (LPS)

LPS are even higher in lumens/watt – but colour is so poor that their use is limited to
security lighting.
c. Mercury Vapour Lamp

 Older type of lamp that remains in common use as streetlights & security lights.
 Compare to other HID lamps MVL have relatively poor color & low energy efficiency –
almost never used in new construction.
 It has a white light.
 Used on bridges, railway lines & bridges – but not in factories because it has a tendency
to flicker (an inconstant or wavering light).
 Also known as flood light.

Illumination Methods
Three Methods of Illumination
1. General
2. Local and Supplementary
3. Combined general and local
(a) General Lighting
This is a system designed to give uniform and generally, though not necessarily, diffuse
lighting throughout the area under consideration. The method of accomplishing this result
varies from the use of luminous ceiling to properly spaced and chosen downlights, but the
resultant lighting on the horizontal working plane must be same, that is, reasonably uniform.
It may be, but is not necessarily, task lighting.

(b) Local and Supplementary Lighting

These are two terms that are used interchangeably but have slightly different meanings. By
definition, local lighting provides a small, high-level area of lighting without contributing to the
general lighting, supplementary lighting also provides a restricted area of high intensity, but
supplements the general lighting. In actual practice, it is difficult to differentiate between the
two. A desk lamp, a high-intensity downlight on a merchandising display, and a track light
illuminating wall displays, all seem to answer both definitions, and in practice are referred to
as local, supplementary, or local-supplementary lights.

(c) Task Lighting

Lighting designed to provide a strong illumination for visually demanding activities. It needs
to be a glare- free. Effective task lighting enhances visual clarity and keeps the eye from
getting tired.
(d) Accent Lighting
Lighting that calls attention or adds interest to a particular object or unusual feature of
interest in a room. Highlight emphasizes illumination with a strong light; backlight illuminates
from behind in order to embrace depth or to separate the object from the background;
sidelights is light coming the side.

(e) Ambient Lighting

A hidden source of light that washes the room with aglow. It flattens an interior and creates
very little shadow.

(e) Aesthetic Lighting

Lighting itself can be a work of art. A neon sculpture would be purely decorative and is an
example of aesthetic lighting.

(e) Natural Lighting

Sunlight, Candlelight and Firelight. The quality of Sunlight will depend on the time of the day
and the season within the year.
Lighting Application
Residential lighting
A. Energy Considerations
 Provide means for reducing light levels in all areas. A kitchen during food
preparation does not have the same lighting requirements as kitchen being
entered for a "refrigerator raid." Low-level lighting provision should be made in all
rooms, including bathrooms. To accomplish this use high - low switches, simple
dimmers, multilevel ballast, and multilevel switching. An ancillary benefit is that
ambience can be changed thereby in multiuse rooms such as dining room, family
rooms, and finished basements.
 Provide local task lighting for difficult tasks such as the location at which family
accounts are handled.
 Provide switching for accent lighting.
 In large residences consider low-voltage control for its ease of remote control.
Considerable energy savings can be effected in this way.
 Provide time switches for exterior lights,
 Use daylight in areas normally occupied during daylight hours such as kitchens
and living rooms. Consider skylights with built-in artificial lighting for these areas.
B. Sources
Listed below are the appropriate sources to be used in different areas of a
residence:
 Work and utility areas including kitchens, laundry and workshop- fluorescent of
appropriate color
 Built-in architectural elements-fluorescent
 Bedrooms, portable lamps, accent lights-incandescent, tungsten halogen
 Circulation areas, stairwells, closets-incandescent
 Exterior: for short periods-incandescent; for long periods-HID
 Bathrooms: General incandescent or warm white fluorescent; mirror lighting-
incandescent
 All rooms~ daylight where possible
 All spaces· use incandescent when source is turned on and off frequently or
lighted for short periods only.