Everlasting light (new highly efficient light bulb on the drawing board)

economist ^ | 9/6/2007

[Freep EE]

I know, I almost took a job there a few years ago

[El Sordo]

Three words: LED

[FastCoyote]

Great observation on the amount of energy used upstream. You don’t need huge cooling fins on a diode lamp.

This thing may be practical only at larger luminens

[Uncledave]

Many years ago, this strange brain of mine thunk “Hey, why can’t we use clothes dryer heat (exhaust) to warm and add moisture to a home in cold, dry climates. I know it would still have to be filtered and vented, but?

I was thinking of doing something this for my home. Did you figure out a way to do it?

[wizr]

I like mmichaels1970 answer (#56) in the short term. But, no, I don’t know what the exhaust might contain that may harm us.

Another idea was to vent swamp coolers through the attic access; thereby cooling and moving attic heat at the same time. Also turned down.

[ovrtaxt]

Because the lamp has no filament, the scientists who developed it think it will last for thousands of hours of use—in other words, for decades.

Thousands doesn't equate to decades. A 2000 hour lamp will last a couple of years.

I'd like to see the specifics.

[ken21]

yeah, in the winter chill i like to sit next to an incandescent lamp while i’m reading and soak up the heat.

[Malsua]

UV curing is done in a similar fashion and has been around for a long time.

[ckilmer]

Oddly this reminds me of John Kanzius work. He uses radio waves to crack hydrogen out of salt water. the result is an electrical flame. Here's more detail on Kanzius hydrogen fuel project.

[joebuck]

"I realize the lowly incandescent bulb is not energy efficient, but I love it's warm, amber light. I hate those bright curly-cue light bulbs that everyone keeps pushing on me."

I finally ran into one of those curly bulbs this summer on vacation - there was one in the lamp next to the bed. I wouldn't have noticed it except when I was in bed reading at night. I looked up at the light bulb when I noticed how bad the light was for reading. They are bad light to read by so none in my office/reading room.

[mbraynard]

and has products already

Where may I buy them?

[mbraynard]

It is a dud in the context here.

What would you think if 95% of every gallon of gasoline you poured into your car leaked out the bottom?

[mbraynard]

Don't be so rediculous.

Energy use continues to grow rapidly. Besides, the percentage of profit on the gross revenues of a power company are tiny.

[Politicalmom]

Get them a NuWave oven. :)

[Old Professer]

[Old Professer]

Where do think the other 50% went?

[Old Professer]

I’ve got one of the original SCR shop battery chargers 6/12V; it has a built-in light bulb in the circuit that acts as a resistor.

I’ve had it for 30 years now, still works although the cooling fan is getting quite noisy; the original incandescent bulb (about the size of a half dollar, shaped like a laboratory flask) is still burning bright.

[Publius6961]

You got panty "hoes"???

: )

[HamiltonJay]

Calling the lightbulb a DUD of an invention in any context is rediculous.. .thats like calling the Transistor a Dud, or the telephone... or the automobile

Only a nut job can claim one of the greatest inventions of humanity is a dud.

The incandecent light did exactly what it was designed and intended to do, it is not nor ever was a “dud” in any context.

[alicewonders]

In the antique lamp catalogs I've looked at, they sell the Victorian light bulbs using a carbon filament rather than tungsten.

Do you see a difference?

The ones I've tried are clear glass with a thicker filament & pointed end on the top of the bulb. They come on slowly and put off a lovely warm glow, different than the usual incandescent. They don't put off a bright light, but they're not dim and they do make the room look great.