Incandescent Bulbs Return To the Cutting Edge

lee1 writes "A law in the US that is due to take effect in 2012 mandates such tough efficiency standards for lightbulbs that it has been assumed, until recently, that it would kill off the incandescent bulb. Instead, the law has become a case study of the way government regulation can inspire technical innovation. For example, new incandescent technology from Philips that seals the traditional filament inside a small capsule (which itself is contained within the familiar bulb). The capsule has a coating that reflects heat back to the filament, where it is partially converted to light. The sophisticated ($5.00) bulbs are about 30% more efficient than the old-fashioned ($0.25) kind, and should last about three times as long. So they are less economical than compact fluorescents, but should emit a more pleasing spectrum, not contain mercury, and, one supposes, present the utility company with a more desirable power factor."

Comments

lasers?

[Anonymous Coward]

There was an article a month or so ago about how this guy used lasers to (I'm guessing) increase the surface area on the filament, thus increasing efficiency by something like 40%.

http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=3385

Maybe both can be used for a super-lightbulb?

-xed

Re:lasers?

[RDW]

Philips already has production tungsten halogen bulbs with standard bayonet and screw fittings ('EcoClassic 50' here in the UK) that only use about 50% of the power required by conventional tungsten lamps:

http://www.lighting.philips.com/gl_en/news/press/innovations/2008/home_ecoclassic.php?main=global&parent=4390&id=gl_en_news&lang=en

Right now these are only available in lower wattages, and the 100W replacement still draws 70W like those in the NYT article ('EcoClassic 30' over here). But it looks like existing technologies should be able to bring down the power consumption of this class of bulbs across the board. Lots of details, teardowns of current devices and predictions of future developments here:

http://www.eceee.org/press/B_Class_lamps/BClassHalogens_and_beyond-eceeeReportDecember12.pdf

Re:only 30% more efficient?

[Anonymous Coward]

The "mercury" issue should be easily solved by disposing the bulbs in the correct way

Breakage - accidents happen in the home, office and ...... car(?) OK forget the car for now. the is the list of steps to safely dispose of broken CFL coils (bulbs) -

      Before Clean-up: Ventilate the Room

      1. Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
      2. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
      3. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

            Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

      4. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
      5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
      6. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
      7. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

            Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

      8. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
      9. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
    10. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
    11. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

            Disposal of Clean-up Materials

    12. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
    13. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
    14. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

            Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Ventilate the Room During and After Vacuuming

    15. The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
    16. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

a great way to spend the afternoon, huh?

Re:Canada eh!

[aoteoroa]

Well partially true... Alberta has some vast reserves of oil and natural gas, but just like oil it is sold at international market rates. They don't sell it any cheaper to albertans just because its extracted here.

Re:I'm sorry but...

[Chatterton]

hum, hum...

Incandescent: 2.0-2.2% efficiency
Halogen: 2.4-2.9% efficiency
Compact fluorescent: 8â"11% efficiency

We are far from your 5% and 75% efficiency...But your point is valid but not so staggering...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_efficacy#Examples_2

Re:only 30% more efficient?

[hldn]

Huh, 2 tablespoons of Mercury weigh a pound? What planet are these guys living on? They're off by a factor of _ten_ (22 tablespoons of Mercury weigh about a pount, assuming 15 ml per Tsp).

huh? you need to go back to either a science class or a math class.

density of mercury = 13.534 g/cm^3 (cm^3 = milliliter)
1 pound = 453.59237 grams
1 pound of mercury = 453.59237 / 13.53400 = 33.5150266 ml
33.5150266 ml = 2.26655574 US tablespoons

Re:A modest proposal

[u38cg]

Also, you can apparently get modded up despite calling them crackheads and dumb in the same post. Mods are asses. Neener neener.