Future lighting technologies

[UVLaser]

I've noticed that a lot of the new lighting technologies that are coming out usually require a secondary part in order to operate. For example plasma lamps and induction lamps need a magnetron/induction coil to work and LED lamps need a step down circuit so they don't burn out from the high voltage. I'm guessing that goes for OLED and PLED too.

Question 1: Is this going to be the future of lighting?(Needing secondary parts to operate)

Question 2: Am I not up to date with current lighting technologies?

Question 3-4: Are there any good news type websites that are updated frequently? Also does anybody know if there are any scientific journals that are geared towards new lighting technologies?

Thanks for reading!

 

[jason 77]

Well needing "secondary parts" isn't really a "new" thing. Fluorescents, any of the high intensity bulbs, and arc lights all need a ballast of some sort. And all the low voltage halogen lighting systems need a step down transformer of some kind. Look up next time you are in Costco or Sams club those big bulbs lighting everything are attached to a big metal box which contains a ballast driver circuit.
As far as a website or magazine geared mainly for "future lighting" I don't really know of any, except for this one! LOL I just browse all the scientific websites like sciencedaily.com and the like...

 

[blasterman]

None of the state of the art lighting technologies are directly compatible with straight from the grid power. They all require ballasts or drivers to convert into a useable energy format. This also gives more fuel to the arguement against decentralized power, blah, blah, blah.

In theory, LEDs could be run in long series, and with a proper bridge rectifier and cap be used on native power grids with little conversion complexity, but it's not exactly a main stream solution.

Also note that somebody running solar power, or on a 12volt source can run LEDs virtually native.

 

[fyrstormer]

Two words: Arc Reactor. oo:







(I wish)

 

[mahoney]

I run LEDs in series off 120 volts AC with just a bridge rectifier. It works fine, and is a way to use up all those old luxeons and other "obsolete" power LEDs. I suppose it would be possible to make the LEDs be the rectifier and eliminate that secondary part, but the flashing might be annoying.

New lighting technologies probably will continue to need secondary parts for a while, and the economics of selling lights around the world where power comes in different voltages may argue for keeping the light engine the same and just changing a component/setting of the driver as needed for the local market's power

 

[UVLaser]

Thanks for posting!
I was hoping during the last couple of years that I missed, something new came out but apparently not much happened.
Remember the aluminum foil lamp? Any updates on it? I can't seem to find any article after 2007. Bummer
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070604123731.htm
At least I found a site that is somewhat good.

 

[Vesper]

Just read this yesterday.

http://www.newsinfusion.com/philips/

 

[UVLaser]

Just read this yesterday.

http://www.newsinfusion.com/philips/

I'm guessing by "remote phosphorous technology" they mean the inside of the glass/plastic casing is coated with phosphor? Does this also mean that the blue LED inside is omnidirectional? Or are they using optics/reflector inside to spread the light?

Side note: Who the hell came up with the design for this light? Just make it look like a regular light bulb. Seriously it looks more like a door knob then a light bulb. I understand that LEDs need heat sinking but the whole top half looks ridiculous.

 

[jtr1962]

I'm more amazed at the fact they're evidently cooking the hell out of the LED, resulting in only a 25,000 hour life ( as opposed to 100,000+ hours if the temperatures were kept reasonable ). Don't even get me started on the "The new lamp uses an innovative design and remote phosphor technology to deliver the same soft white light and shape consumers are familiar with in an incandescent." Marketing speak for "people are idiots and won't tolerate a product that differs even one iota from what they are used to". Sheesh, give your customers more credit than that.

As for the funny design, that's exactly what happens when you're constrained by marketing to design something based more on appearance than functionality. Hint to GE-if people want to use something which looks like a 60 watt incandescent bulb in both physical appearance and light color, guess what, that's exactly what they'll buy, not an overpriced replacement which compromises LED life on account of its small size. Did they ever consider that someone buying LEDs might actually be looking for something a little different, both in terms of appearance and color temperature? Just look at what's happening with CFLs. The biggest growth areas now are neutral white and daylight. Hmm, maybe people don't want LEDs to imitate an incandescent lamp.

 

[oldwesty4ever]

Interesting you pointed out daylight and neutral white CFLs are growing in popularity. Here in Southern California I don't see that many daylight and bright white CFLs in use, just a few here and there. However I've heard many complaints that warm white CFLs are inferior to incandescents. I agree with them they are terrible.

 

[blasterman]

Depends on the CFL.

A 2700k CFL looks nothing like a 100watt incan, even though the color temp is similiar.

Also, most of our experiences with low CCT CFLs are the cheapest we can throw in the grocery cart and have terrible phosphor mixes. I once experimented with four different brands to light a corner of a poker room, and even though all four were 'warm-white' none of them had the same color. The cheapest chinese bulbs like Feit, etc., had the worst color with excessive green/yellow while better brands like Sylvania were actually quite nice.

Also note that CFL isn't the 'end all' technology in terms of small format fluorescent. Bi-pin / quad-pin CFLs are typically much better in quality and have commercial phosphor mixes that are more appealing because their market is more discriminating and desires consistency. Case in point are national Restaurant chains that have changed over to bi-pin/quad-pin to replace incan, and done so aethestically well.

If we yanked every incan in america and replaced it with a decent quality low CCT commercial CFL we wouldn't hear much griping. If we replaced those same incans with 160 lumen-per-watt cool-white Crees we'd hear a lot more screaming.