Method and apparatus for operating a mercury vapor lamp
AssigneeUnion Carbide Corporation
InventorHarden Henry Troue
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mercury vapor lamp is rendered substantially independent of the thermal environment by connecting each sealed end to a heat sink which is maintained at below 100.degree.C and located sufficiently close to the sealed ends to hold the seal temperature to below 400.degree.C.
Claims6
A method for continuously operating at least one mercury vapor UV lamp in any gaseous environment existing in a confined optical enclosure;
- said lamp consisting of a single elongated quartz envelope, a quartz to metal seal at each end and an exposed terminal at each end;
- the improvement comprising the steps of:
- a. providing at least one thermally conductive heat sink independent of said lamp and locating said heat sink so that it does not contact said single elongated quartz envelope;
- b. mechanically connecting only each exposed terminal of said lamp to said thermally conductive heat sink;
- c. maintaining said heat sink at a temperature below 100.degree. C by passing a cooling liquid therethrough;
- d. and locating said heat sink in such close physical proximity to said quartz to metal seal so that the seal temperature is held below 400.degree. C.
Apparatus for photopolymerizing chemical coatings comprising an enclosure having a radiation chamber therein;
- an inlet tunnel to said radiation chamber and an outlet tunnel from said radiation chamber;
- a plurality of terminal assemblies mounted in said radiation chamber;
- a plurality of mercury vapor lamps having sealed ends and exposed power terminals mounted in said terminal assemblies so that the exposed power terminals only are connected to the terminal assembly;
- each of said terminal assemblies having water passages therein for carrying cooling water sufficiently close to the power terminals of said mercury vapor lamp to keep said sealed ends below a temperature of 400.degree. C.
In a mercury vapor lamp for generating ultraviolet light consisting of a single elongated quartz envelope surrounding two tungsten electrodes located at opposite ends of the envelope, a quartz to metal seal at each end and an exposed terminal at each end, the improvement comprising:
- terminal means located adjacent each opposite end of said envelope in close physical proximity thereto but in contact only with said exposed terminal;
- means for electrically coupling said terminal means across a source of alternating current and means for passing a cooling liquid through said terminal means at a predetermined rate so that the temperature of the molybdenum strip is held below 400.degree. C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.