LED bulbs for 220 V: features, device, basic parameters

Tungsten filaments are gradually disappearing into oblivion, being replaced by more advanced and efficient lighting methods. LED bulbs for 220 V are becoming noticeably popular, which until recently served as decorative elements or simply additional light sources. The price of these devices became affordable, which made it possible to use them instead of traditional ones.

Principle of operation and device

A light-emitting diode (LED) lamp is a package electronic semiconductor device based on LED technology, designed to emit light under the influence of an electric current. The first practical LEDs appeared in the 1960s and generated radiation in the red spectrum of electromagnetic waves visible to the human eye. More recent research has led to the creation of orange, yellow and blue LEDs. A particularly difficult technological challenge was to increase the amount of light from these devices.

The LED itself consists of a semiconductor crystal under a transparent polymer cover and two contacts. Like a conventional diode, it passes an electric current in only one direction, during the passage of which the electrons in the crystal give up excess energy in the form of light.

Each such device does not emit white light, familiar to the human eye, and operates on direct current, while in the electrical household network flows an alternating current with a much higher voltage than is required for operation semiconductors. Therefore, a 220 volt LED lamp is a complex device consisting of the following components:

• one or more LEDs;
• voltage converter;
• housings with plinth;
• optical part.

The basis for most modern lamps is a blue LED board combined with a white phosphor. Due to the phenomenon of photoluminescence, the latter converts the absorbed light into radiation with a given spectrum. This unit is covered with a transparent plastic lid, whose task is to diffuse light and minimize glare. If it is necessary to create a directed beam, lenses and reflectors are mounted in the cover.

The electronics block contains modules for converting AC voltage to DC and monitoring the conversion. All these elements, together with the base, are united by the case, which at the same time serves as a heat sink.

main parameters

The compatibility of 220 V LED lamps with the lighting devices for which they are intended is primarily determined by the base and the geometry of the housing with the bulb. The performance quality of LED devices is described by parameters slightly different from traditional incandescent lamps.

Power and luminous flux

Previously, it was believed that to understand how intense the light from a light bulb is, enough information about its power. This logic does not apply to LED lighting. The power indicator for LED devices only determines the current consumption and is not significant.

As technology is constantly improving, the match between energy consumption and the amount of light emitted varies from model to model. Depending on the technology used, LED devices of the same power can vary significantly in brightness. Measuring their luminous flux in lumens is used as an accurate parameter to determine the efficiency of LED devices. For a comparative understanding of the brightness of lamps made in other technologies, you can rely on the following list:

• Traditional incandescent lamps - 6-14 lm / W.
• High power incandescent lamps - 16 lm / W.
• Halogen lamps - 14-19 lm / W.
• Fluorescent lamps - 50 lm / W.

In the case of LED devices, it can be conventionally considered that 1 W of power consumption for LEDs is equivalent to a 10-watt incandescent lamp in terms of luminous efficiency. But this ratio will only be effective up to 5 watts. Above this value, the indicators of the allocated power for LED lamps decrease:

• 4 W - about 40 W of a conventional lamp;
• 6W - LED corresponds to a standard 50W lamp;
• 7 W - about 60 W;
• 8 W - no more than 66 W;
• 10 W - corresponds to 70 W of a traditional light bulb;
• 12 W - comparable to 75 W incandescent;
• 18 W - replaces a 100 W classic light bulb.

These values ​​will be valid provided the LED devices are made up of high quality components.

Beam temperature and width

An incandescent lamp is essentially a heating device. It converts only 2% of electricity into light, which also gives a feeling of warmth. In this sense, it is much more comfortable than that generated by LED-devices - their light is somewhat colder. The color temperature indicator (measured in Kelvin) helps to visualize some comparisons. For example, a wax candle light is 2000 K and an incandescent lamp is 2800 K. Unfortunately, these are almost unattainable values ​​for LEDs, which rarely operate in the range below 3000 K.

For better orientation, such a list of color temperatures will be useful.:

• 2500 K - very warm light;
• 2500-3500 K - slightly colder than incandescent lamps;
• 3500-4500 K - neutral (for example, light from a fluorescent lamp in a laboratory);
• 4500-5000 K - cool;
• 5000-6500 K is cold and unpleasant.

The color temperature indicator does not always fully reflect the spectral features of the lighting. Light from lamps with the same temperature, directed at the same object, can cause various distortions in reflections, i.e. the color of the illuminated object will be perceived to be uneven. The degree of correspondence of the color of the illuminated object to the reference is called the Ra color rendering index, which determines this correspondence in the range from 0 to 100.

The human eye is comfortable with light sources with Ra from 80 to 100. This does not mean that you need to stay away from street lamps with Ra below 80, but it does indicate the inappropriateness of using such sources at home.

Beam width is another important metric for LEDs, but not essential for traditional bulbs. For most devices based on tungsten filament heating, it practically approaches 360 degrees, and for LED - this is a constructively laid down indicator that rarely exceeds 180°. The dependence is such that the larger the angle, the more the light is scattered from the beam.

Other indicators

According to the standard of international IP codes, the degree of protection is determined by two values: against solid objects (0-6) and against liquid substances (0-8). In the case of LED bulbs, the following classes are most popular:

• IP20 - minimum protection, common indoor use;
• IP44 - designed to work in outdoor lighting fixtures;
• IP65 - lamps are able to work outdoors without additional shelter;
• IP66 - also resistant to weather conditions, but better tolerate moisture, capable of repeated immersion in water;
• IP67 - very high degree of protection, can work under water;
• IP68 - the highest hermeticity, lamps of this class can work at great depths.

LED lamps are primarily about durability, amounting to more than 50 thousand hours. In order for LEDs to last so long, you need to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. They may indicate compliance with a certain temperature regime, the destructiveness of the neighborhood with intense sources of radiant heat and moisture, or the inadmissibility of disrupting the ventilation of the lamp. A very important parameter affecting the lifespan of an LED is its resistance to frequent switching on and off. This largely depends on the quality of the device - good lamps from renowned manufacturers can withstand up to 100 thousand cycles.

The ability to pair with a dimmer is also an important indicator for LED. Incandescent lamps have no restrictions on installation in devices with a light intensity adjustment function, but among LED, only some models have this capability and are often able to work only with a specific device. On the other hand, LED manufacturers offer sets of lamps with intelligent control via smartphones, allowing you to change the color, intensity of illumination of individual lamps and build complex light scenes.

LED technologies are far from being new today. But their use everywhere instead of halogen, fluorescent and traditional lighting methods is just beginning. Over the next few years, LED bulbs are likely to replace most other forms of lighting in residential and commercial buildings. These fixtures not only reduce energy and operating costs, but also offer new opportunities for lighting manufacturers.