The advent of the tungsten filament and especially the gas-filled
lamp sounded the doom of all other electric illuminants except the
magnetite and mercury arc lamps. All other incandescent lamps have now
practically disappeared. The flame arc as well as the enclosed carbon
arc lamp are hardly ever seen. The simplicity of the incandescent
lamp, its cleanliness, low first cost, low maintenance cost and high
efficiency of the tungsten filament have been the main reasons for its
popularity.
TYPES AND SIZES OF TUNGSTEN LAMPS NOW MADE
There are about two hundred different types and sizes of tungsten
filament lamps now standard for various kinds of lighting service. For
110-volt service, lamps are made in sizes from 10 to 1000 watts. Of
the smaller sizes, some are made in round and tubular-shaped bulbs for
ornamental lighting. In addition there are the candelabra lamps used
in ornamental fixtures. Twenty-five- to five hundred-watt lamps are
made with bulbs of special blue glass to cut out the excess of red and
yellow rays and thus produce a light approximating daylight.
For 220-volt service lamps are made in sizes of from 25 to 1000 watts.
For sign lighting service, 5-watt lamps of low voltage are made for
use on a transformer located near the sign to reduce the 110 volts
alternating current to that required by the lamps. Lamps are made from
5 to 100 watts for 30-volt service, such as is found in train lighting
and in gas engine driven dynamo sets used in rural homes beyond the
reach of central station systems. Concentrated filament lamps are
made for stereopticon and motion picture projection, floodlighting,
etc., in sizes from 100 to 1000 watts, for street railway headlights
in sizes below 100 watts and for locomotive headlights in sizes from
100 to 250 watts. For series circuits, used in street lighting, lamps
are made from 60 to 2500 candlepower. Miniature lamps cover those for
flashlight, automobile, Christmas-tree, surgical and dental services,
etc. They range, depending on the service, from ½ to 21 candlepower,
and in voltage from 2½ to 24.
[Illustration: STANDARD TUNGSTEN LAMPS, 1923.
This illustrates some of the two hundred different lamps regularly
made.]
STANDARD VOLTAGES
Mention has been made of 110-volt service, 220-volt service, etc.
In the days of the carbon incandescent lamp it was impossible to
manufacture all lamps for an exact predetermined voltage. The popular
voltage was 110, so lighting companies were requested in a number of
instances to adjust their service to some voltage other than 110. They
were thus able to utilize the odd voltage lamps manufactured, and this
produced a demand for lamps of various voltages from 100 to 130. Arc
lamps had a resistance (reactance on alternating current) that was
adjustable for voltages between 100 and 130.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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