Glow-Lux Emergency Afterglow Lighting

PhotonBoy · #1 08-23-2003, 11:10 AM

Glow-Lux Emergency Afterglow Lighting

"American Environmental Products, Inc has developed Glow-Lux Emergency Afterglow Lighting, a bulb that glows in the dark even when the power has been turned off.

Glow-Lux is a new, patent-pending fluorescent light bulb technology currently under review for use by the Pentagon and other branches of the US military. CemcoLift, a division of Otis Elevator, and Mule Emergency Lighting also have Glow-Lux under review.

The bulbs, which take 15 minutes to charge, remain glowing for up to 24 hours after the power goes off, providing emergency illumination in low-light and no-power conditions."

Added:
Denver Post

http://www.glow-lux.com/

flashfan · #2 08-24-2003, 02:44 PM

The link didn't work for me.

I bought two 23-watt (highest wattage available) glowing spiral compact fluorescent bulbs not too long ago (don't know if these are the same ones described above by PhotonBoy). I was disappointed in the output. To my eyes, the 23 watts was considerably dimmer than "regular" 23-watt compact fluorescent bulbs.

That being said, the light did give off an eerie bluish glow when the light was turned off. Ample light to see your way around a darkened room, but I don't recall it glowing for anywhere near 24 hours. I guess I'll have to give it a more thorough test.

The light is useful during a sudden power outage, or for finding your way down a hall or to a bed after you turn off a room light. I've thought about trying some glow "paint" on the bulbs, but haven't gotten around to it. Also don't know if flammability would be a problem.

Tomas · #3 08-24-2003, 02:52 PM

This is a great idea that someone had, and a very logical one. Since we are looking at first generation lights at the moment, I would expect the efficiency and usefullness to increase over the next several generations.

I'd like to see these in our three elevators here in the apartment building. As it is now, if power fails, the elevators, of course, stop wherever thay happen to be. What's really bad about that, though, is that there is no backup lighting, no emergency alarm, and no communication system at that point.

I can just see one of our little old ladies dropping dead in the totally dark closed box should power fail, or one of our military types battering his way out of the box ...

I'll have to keep an eye on these tubes.

Mednanu · #4 08-24-2003, 09:19 PM

No emergency alarm !?

All elevators have built-in emergency alarms ! Listed below are the directions needed to activate the hidden alarm features in any modern elevator.

1) Remove Shoe
2) Beat the crap out of the elevator door while simultaneously yelling, "GET ME THE HELL OUTTA HERE !!".

I've found that this method works quite well for most situations even when the power has gone out. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

But seriously, I think we need this technology on our Submarines too. When the main lighting and even the backup lights go out there, you're pretty Fu¢&ed. When the water starts rising and attempts to end your life, it's nice to at least know how to navigate to a safer compartment or experience some illusion of control in order to mitigate the terror of your last moments of air....or even possibly escape if the water is shallow enough...

Tomas · #5 08-24-2003, 09:36 PM

Well, if *I* am in the elevator, I will have enough lights, hardware, and intelligence to get out should it be necessary. Normally, though, I would just wait a reasonable time for assistance. (If none showed up in what I considered a reasonable time, I would not vouch for the elevator being operational once I exited ... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] )

Mednanu, the emergency alarm you detail would indeed work in most instances, although if one has a harder impact object than a shoe, it would likely work even better ...

flashfan · #6 08-25-2003, 01:18 PM

Okay, so now I am embarrassed--I didn't complete my homework in my post above.

I tested only one of the two glowing light bulbs when I originally received them several months ago, and was so disappointed in the very dim output, that I just stuck the bulbs in a drawer.

Well, lo and behold, the bulb I tested was defective. I just tested both bulbs, and the second light bulb works great. Very bright, white light. I didn't have time to test/monitor the after-glow, but will try to do so soon.

sunspot · #7 08-25-2003, 01:51 PM

The bulb contains stronium aluminate. This is the glow powder that CPF folks have been playing with for well over a year. I've spilled so much of it, my house looks like a hippy hangout.
It's nice to see that someone is putting it inside of a bulb.

Post number 1976.

The_LED_Museum · #8 08-25-2003, 08:11 PM

Well, if you drop the bulb, it would once again be outside the bulb. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Steelwolf · #9 08-25-2003, 08:38 PM

I'm surprised no one on these forums has gone around his home painting all the lighting fixtures and switches with glow powder and bragged about it with accompanying beam shots. For myself, I only have some glow tape and it isn't very bright. I put them on the light switches, but since they aren't very bright, it wouldn't be useful putting them on the light itself.

vcal · #10 08-25-2003, 08:46 PM

[ QUOTE ]
sunspot said:The bulb contains stronium aluminate. This is the glow powder that CPF folks have been playing with for well over a year. I've spilled so much of it, my house looks like a hippy hangout.

[/ QUOTE ]Same thing at my house, Dana. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

vcal · #11 08-25-2003, 09:00 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Steelwolf said:
I'm surprised no one on these forums has gone around his home painting all the lighting fixtures and switches with glow powder and bragged about it with accompanying beam shots. For myself, I only have some glow tape and it isn't very bright. I put them on the light switches, but since they aren't very bright, it wouldn't be useful putting them on the light itself.

[/ QUOTE ]
mr.glow says:
You need to either mix up yer own paint or you can even get a powerful premixed luminous paint from www.glowinc.com ($9.US)

The paints have always been way better than the tape (that I've tried, anyway).

Back on topic.....
Saw a review 2 years ago re: the Nichia version of those fluor. tubes that said they weren't too impressive. But I've noticed about a 30% improvement on those phosphors in just the last 18 months.

-Those phosphors are what put the Nichia company on the world map.

LED-FX · #12 08-26-2003, 08:13 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Those phosphors are what put the Nichia company on the world map.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not exactly Nichia have been making phosphors for TV screens and fluro tubes since the 1950`s.

What put them on the map was backing Shuji Nakamura who developed blue and white LEDs.

Adam

flashfan · #13 08-27-2003, 02:56 PM

I tested the bulb in a small walk-in closet. Left the light on for about one hour to charge up. When the electricity is first shut off, there is plenty of light to see your way around, but that light dims quite rapidly. Even after just a few minutes, the light is significantly dimmer. At ten minutes, I could hardly discern anything in the small closet, although you could easily see the light bulb glowing on the fixture.

The light bulb utilizes a turquoise glow agent that is the same or very similar to the blue-green powder discussed on this board. However, a bottle of turq glow paint (glow powder in clear nail polish) is noticeably brighter and longer-lasting than the bulb.

Note that these are just my informal observations in an unscientific test.