Abstract:
A METHOD FOR SEALING THE NIOBIUM END CAP OF A CERAMIC ARC TUBE TO THE TANTALUM EXHAUST AND FILL TUBULATION COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PLACING THE TUBULATION THROUGH A CLOSE FIT APERTURE IN THE END CAP, POSITIONING A NIOBIUM OR TITANIUM RING OVER THE TUBULATION IN A POSITION CONTACTING BOTH THE END CAP AND THE TUBULATION AT THEIR JUNCTURE, AND PASSING SUFFICIENT ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH THE TUBULA-
TION TO CAUSE THE RING TO MELT AND SEAL THE END CAP TO THE TUBULATION.
Abstract:
The efficiency of a conventional high-pressure gaseous discharge lamp, such as a 400 watt mercury-vapor lamp, is increased by pulse-operating the lamp at power loadings which are higher than the average rated power input of the lamp. The highpower pulses are of such magnitude and duration that the resultant average power input does not exceed the power loading for which the lamp is designed and rated. This is achieved by generating a series of high-voltage pulses with a suitable circuit and applying the pulses to the lamp electrodes. Optimum results in the case of conventional high-pressure mercury-vapor discharge lamps having ratings of from 100 to 1,000 watts are obtained with pulses that have a magnitude of from 60 to 600 volts, are 0.2 to 5 milliseconds in duration and have a repetition rate of from 50 to 500 pulses per second. In order to prevent arc extinction between pulses, the latter are preferably superimposed on a ''''keep-alive'''' DC potential that constitutes from three to 20 percent of the rated average power input of the lamp.
Abstract:
Ignition of the arc between the main electrodes of a highpressure gaseous discharge lamp is achieved by placing an integral thermionic starting electrode adjacent one of the main electrodes and then concurrently heating the starting electrode and applying a low-voltage starting voltage to the starting electrode and the adjacent main electrode. After the resulting auxiliary arc has heated the adjacent main electrode, the operating voltage is applied across the main electrodes and the starting voltage is terminated, thus causing the arc to shift from the thermionic electrode to the other main electrode. The starting electrode is heated electrically by connecting it to an external power source through a pair of leads sealed through the lamp envelope.