Electrodeless Lamp Using Microwave Excitation for Solar Simulator Spectrum
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas discharge lamps face issues with spectrum changes and intensity attenuation due to chemical reactions between electrodes and additives, and external filters degrade light emission efficacy, while existing electrodeless lamps do not meet the AM 1.5 G standard for solar simulators.
Innovation Solution
An electrodeless lamp using metal bromides such as indium bromide, antimony tribromide, and rare earth metal halides, excited by a microwave generator, providing a continuous full spectrum radiation from 350 nm to 1,100 nm, with a bulb housing made of quartz and a conductive mesh to ensure stable and efficient light emission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional gas discharge lamps use electrodes to excite filling substances, then light emission is achieved, but chemical reactions between electrodes and additives cause spectrum changes and intensity attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes electrodes from the lamp system entirely, transitioning from a conventional gas discharge lamp with electrodes to an electrodeless lamp. This extraction of the harmful component (electrodes) eliminates the chemical reactions that cause spectrum changes and intensity attenuation, thereby resolving the contradiction between spectrum stability and service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a microwave generator as an intermediary energy source to excite the filling substances without direct electrode contact. The microwave energy acts as a mediator that transfers energy to the filling substances (mercury and metal halides) through electromagnetic radiation, enabling light emission without the harmful electrode-filling substance interactions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If external filters are disposed to adjust spectrum output, then spectrum adjustment is achieved, but light emission efficacy is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of how spectrum adjustment is achieved - instead of using external filters to block or absorb unwanted wavelengths, the invention adjusts the spectrum by selecting specific filling substances (mercury and particular metal halides) that naturally emit the desired spectrum. This parameter change from post-emission filtering to pre-emission spectral design eliminates the energy loss associated with filtering.
3Duration of action of moving object
If conventional lamps are used for long usage time, then continuous operation is achieved, but high temperature initiates chemical reactions causing intensity attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
By removing electrodes from the system, the patent eliminates the source of high-temperature chemical reactions that occur during long usage. The electrodeless design with microwave excitation operates at lower temperatures and without the electrode material that would react with filling substances, thereby maintaining intensity stability during continuous operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The electrodeless lamp achieves a long service life with minimal light decay, meets the AM 1.5 G standard, and can be used as a standard light source for solar simulators, offering improved spectrum stability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
exciting the filling substances by use of radio frequency (RF) or microwave energies
Implementation Method 2
The electrodeless lamp, which is also a kind of gas discharge lamp, provides a light source by filling a sealed and transparent lamp body thereof with a chemically inert gas and one or more active components (e.g., mercury, sulfur, selenium, tellurium or metal halides) and exciting the filling substances by use of radio frequency (RF) or microwave energies
Implementation Method 3
A quartz bulb housing of the microwave sulfur lamp is filled with sulfur
Implementation Method 4
a conductive mesh to ensure stable and efficient light emission
Data Source
AI summary
An electrodeless lamp driven by a microwave generator is disclosed. The electrodeless lamp includes a first infill composed of mercury-free metal halide and provides a continuous full spectrum radiation including ultraviolet ray, visible light, and infrared ray. Thereby, the electrodeless lamp, which meets the standard of AM 1.5 G, has advantages of environmental friendliness, high efficacy lighting, long service life, and low light decay, and therefore, have become applicable in the field of solar simulators.