MH Lamp
A metal halide lamp is a type of high - intensity discharge (HID) lamp that is widely used for various lighting applications due to its high luminous efficacy and excellent color rendering properties.
Outer Bulb: Surrounding the arc tube, there is an outer bulb. Its main function is to protect the arc tube from the environment and to reduce the ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by the arc tube. The outer bulb can be clear or coated with a phosphor material. The phosphor coating can help to improve the color quality and luminous efficiency of the lamp by converting some of the UV radiation into visible light.
When the lamp is turned on, an initial high voltage pulse is applied across the electrodes to ionize the gas (argon) in the arc tube. Once the gas is ionized, the resistance drops, and a current starts to flow through the arc. The flowing current heats up the mercury and metal halide salts, causing them to vaporize. The mercury vapor is the primary source of conducting electrons, and the metal halide vapor releases metal atoms when it is excited by the electrical discharge. These excited metal atoms emit light at specific wavelengths as they return to their ground state. The combination of the emissions from different metal atoms and the mercury vapor results in a broad - spectrum light output.
High Luminous Efficacy: Metal halide lamps are very efficient in converting electrical energy into light. They can produce a large amount of light output per unit of power consumed. This makes them suitable for applications where high - intensity lighting is required, such as in sports stadiums, industrial facilities, and large - area outdoor lighting.
Good Color Rendering: They have a high color - rendering index (CRI), which means that they can accurately reproduce the colors of objects. This is important in applications such as retail stores, art galleries, and museums, where the true colors of products or artworks need to be shown. For example, in a clothing store, a metal halide lamp can make the colors of the clothes look more vivid and accurate, enhancing the visual appeal of the merchandise.
Long Service Life: Compared to traditional incandescent lamps, metal halide lamps have a relatively long service life. The typical lifespan of a metal halide lamp can range from 10,000 to 20,000 hours, depending on the operating conditions and the quality of the lamp.
