Tubular and Compact Fluorescent Lamp

Synonyms

Low-pressure mercury gas discharge lamps

Definition

Lamp that produces light as a result of an electrical discharge, generated between two electrodes, in a low-pressure mercury vapor that is contained in a transparent tube whose inside is coated with fluorescent powder that converts the ultraviolet part of the emitted radiation from the discharge in visible light.

Types of Tubular Fluorescent Lamps

Fluorescent lamps belong to the family of low-pressure mercury gas discharge lamps. They are by far the most widespread discharge lamp types. They are available in both tubular and compact versions. Although the operating principle of compact fluorescent lamps is largely the same as that of the tubular version, their construction and performance are in many ways different from that of the tubular version [2, 3].

Working Principle

The discharge tube of a fluorescent lamp is filled with an inert gas and a little mercury and has an electrode sealed into each end (Fig. 1). To...