![]() ![]() Since the tubes can be produced in almost any shape, they are visible even in daylight, and a large number of colors can be created by different combinations of gases and coatings in the tube, neon signs quickly became very popular. In the US, the first neon signs were acquired by a Packard car dealer in Los Angeles, for $1250 apiece. The neon tube, as we know it, was developed by a French engineer, Georges Claude in 1910, and first demonstrated in the Paris Motor show of that year. These were the first gas discharge tubes and were mass-produced mainly for entertainment purposes. In the 19th century, with the advent of electrical generators, several scientists started to experiment with gas tubes and electricity, resulting in the invention of the Geissler tube, by the German physicist and glassblower Heinrich Geissler in 1857. Later, it was showed that the glow came from static electricity in the partial vacuum in the mercury tube. The history of the gas discharge lamp starts in 1675, when Jean-Félix Picard, a French astronomer, observed that the empty space of his mercury barometer emitted a faint glow as the mercury jiggled. History A modern version of the Geissler tube. Fortunately, they are now in production again. Power levels of several kilowatts can be easily produced this type of lamp. Of course we can’t forget to mention nixie tubes, which are a type of cold cathode neon lamp, popular for building retro clocks. High intensity lamps are another type of gas discharge lamp where a high power arc is formed between tungsten electrodes. ![]() Cold cathode lamps: In these, the electric arc results from the high voltage applied between the electrons, that ionizes the gas and conduction can take place.Hot cathode lamps: the electric arc between the electrodes is created via thermionic emission, where electrons are expelled from the electrodes because of the high temperature.High pressure: such as the metal halide, high pressure sodium and mercury vapor lamps.Īnother classification comes from the heating method of the cathode:.Low pressure: includes the neon lamp, fluorescent lamps and low pressure sodium lamps.Gas discharge lamps can be classified by the pressure of the gas: The light color depends on the emission spectra of the atoms in the gas, and also on the gas pressure, among other variables. The basic process that generates light is the return of the ions to the ground energy state, with the emission of a photon of light. When the voltage between the electrodes exceeds certain threshold, the gas ionizes and begins conducting electricity. The neon lamp is a type of gas discharge lamp, they generate light when an electrical discharge travels through an ionized gas, or plasma. Neon lights are that kind of nostalgic item that everybody seems to love. ![]()
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