Mercury discharge lamps are used for indoor and outdoor lighting. Different types of these lighting elements have different names. The most common are the DRL lamp and the DRV lamp. Deciphering the names will help you understand what principle of action they have and how they differ from each other.
Content
- Varieties of lamps
- Low efficiency of DRV
- Features of phosphor lamps
Varieties of lamps
DRL marking means arc mercury phosphor, DRV marking - mercury tungsten arc. At first glance, it is difficult to distinguish between DRV and DRL lamps. The differences lie in their technical characteristics. The design of both light sources includes:
- Base / plinth. An element that receives electrical energy from the network due to the connection of the contacts of the lamp holder and the lamp.
- Quartz flask. It is filled with argon with the addition of a drop of mercury, has two main and two auxiliary electrodes. Serves as a burner
- Glass flask. It plays the role of a container in which a quartz flask and a base are placed. The inner surface of the flask is covered with a phosphor and filled with nitrogen.
Inside the tungsten lamp, along with a quartz bulb, is a tungsten coil. This spiral serves as a current-limiting element.
The high demand for arc mercury lamps is explained by their economical use. They are now used in various lighting devices instead of outdated incandescent lamps. Thanks to this, it is possible to avoid high costs associated with:
- with the purchase of modern lighting devices;
- with the installation of fastening systems;
- with the wiring of lighting lines.
In addition, mercury devices are significantly more efficient than other light sources. However, when comparing the performance of a phosphor and a tungsten lamp, there are some differences.
Low efficiency of DRV
As a result of a comparison of the light parameters of two types of lamps, it turns out that tungsten shows almost half the efficiency of work. This is due to the fact that as it heats up, the voltage of the torch increases, and the voltage of the tungsten coil, on the contrary, decreases.
In addition to the voltage difference, the luminescence efficiency DVR lamps are influenced by the presence of active ballastlimiting the current. In this case, no additional energy transfer occurs, therefore the burner lighting period is reduced by about 30%. As a result, the luminous flux drops, the lamp shows low efficiency.
Low technical performance is compensated by other properties. Among the advantages of mercury lamps with a tungsten coil inside, it is worth noting:
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the ability to use without ballast equipment; - warm white glow;
- high-quality color reproduction with a wider range of luminescence;
- voltage stabilization during operation;
- use as an alternative to the usual incandescent lamps.
These properties make it possible to use tungsten arc lamps not only as indoor lighting fixtures. They are also successfully used in open spaces, which include construction sites, parking lots, parks, streets. With the help of DVR 250 models, artificial irradiation of greenhouse plants is carried out.
Features of phosphor lamps
The phosphor lamp starts to glow after the voltage is applied to the electrodes located in the quartz burner. Argon gas readily ionizes, resulting in a glow discharge on both sides of the burner. Ionization decreases and passes into the space between the electrodes. The discharge quickly transforms from smoldering to arc, providing the combustion process.
Like other mercury arc devices, the DRL light bulb is sensitive to changes in temperature. When a charge appears in the burner, the inner space of the glass bulb, filled with argon, begins to glow with ultraviolet and green colors. But the presence of a phosphor on the walls of the flask causes the ultraviolet light to transform into red. The combination of green, red and blue ultimately gives the white color that everyone is used to seeing when working with phosphor lamps.
A distinctive feature of the DRL light bulb is that the value of its current exceeds the nominal value. Therefore, after the mains voltage passes through the amplitude value, all the energy accumulated by the inductance is transferred to the load (in this case, the voltage is drawn on the quartz bulb). It is for this reason that the glow efficiency of a phosphor lamp exceeds that of a tungsten lamp by 30%.
The DRL type lamp can function only with a ballast. A choke can be used as such a device. Since it acts as a current limiter, its power indicator should be equal to the power of a mercury lamp. The use of such a light bulb without ballast equipment is fraught with its instant breakdown.
The efficient operation of a phosphor lamp can only be ensured if all the parameters of the network match completely. DRL has the following technical characteristics:
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The power consumption range is 80-100 watts (depending on the number of electrodes). The most common are 250 watt bulbs. - Plinth type E27 or E40. Determined by the level of power consumption.
- The clock load is no more than 8 amperes.
- The minimum luminous flux is 3200 lumens (corresponds to the luminous flux of an 80 W lamp). The maximum intensity reaches 52,000 lumens.
- The term of work can be up to 10,000 hours.
All the necessary parameters are indicated on the body of the mercury lamp in the form of a marking. The standard marking consists of letters indicating the type of light bulb and numbers indicating its wattage.
Due to these characteristics, bulbs of this type are successfully used to illuminate large indoor and outdoor spaces where the intensity of lighting is of particular importance (parking lots, streets and etc. ). However, the device needs about 5-7 minutes to reach the maximum glow intensity. During operation, the DRL lamp flickers and constantly emits a quiet crackle.
