Historical Development of Lamps:
Early Oil Lamps (c. 3500 BC): The earliest recorded use of lamps dates back to ancient civilizations like
Mesopotamia, where simple oil lamps with wicks made from plant materials or fibers were used to produce light.
According to (Luckiesh M. 2023) It will be noted that the light sources throughout the early ages were flames,
the result of burning material. This principle of light production has persisted until the present time, but in the
latter part of the nineteenth century, certain departures revolutionized artificial lighting. However, it is not the
intention to enter the modern period in this chapter except to follow the progress of the oil lamp through its period
of scientific development. The oil lamp and the candle were the mainstays of artificial lighting throughout many
centuries. The fats and waxes that these light sources burned were many but in the later centuries, they were
chiefly tallow, sperm-oil, spermaceti, lard-oil, olive-oil, colza-oil, bees-wax, and vegetable waxes. Those fuels
that are not liquid are melted to liquid form by the flame's heat before they are consumed. The candle is of the
latter type and despite its present lowly place and its primitive character, it is really an ingenious device.
Diagram of oil lamp features (Westenholz, 2004).
Candle Illumination (c. 3000 BC): Candles, made from materials like tallow or beeswax, were used for
illumination in various cultures. They provided a more controlled and sustained source of light than early oil
lamps. According to (Wang 2021) the use of candles dates back as far as 3,000 B.C., when ancient Egyptians
used papyrus reeds dipped in animal fat that they then lit to use as torches. Similarly, ancient Romans dipped
wicks into tallow, a rendered form of
animal fat, to create another early form
of the candle. Other components of
candles include plants, insects, seeds,
and nuts which have been identified in
Chinese, Japanese, and Indian
civilizations.
Thanks
to
its
accessibility and affordability, tallow
continued to be a popular ingredient
for candle-making through the Middle
Ages, particularly in England and
France, where, like today, candles
were a popular gift. Beeswax was also
ideal since it gave off a bright flame
and minimal smoke; however, it was
much more expensive than tallow.
Whale Oil Lamps (18th Century): According to (Kovel R. et al. 2003) Few people stayed up at night in the
years before 1800 because there were so few sources of light. An open fire, a candle or a rush dipped in oil could
be lit.Then whale oil lamps became popular. Whaling was an important industry in New England in the early
1800s. Whale oil was used to light streets in Europe and America. It was the fuel for lighthouse beacons and the
headlights of locomotives. Homes were also lit with lamps that burned whale oil. A whaler could collect up to
2,000 30-gallon barrels of oil on a voyage.
In 1844, the oil sold for about 80 cents a
gallon, and a voyage could be worth almost
$50,000. In 2003 dollars, that would be
almost $ 1 million.
The demand for whale oil as a fuel declined
in the 1840s because it was so expensive,
and newer lamps were able to burn lard oil.
Whale-oil lamps had a font to hold the oil
and a tube that held the wick. The font could
be plain or made of fancy-colored glass.
Most also had a stem that held the light high
on the table to give better light. Today we
would find the light too dim to use while
reading, but these lamps made it possible to
do a few chores in the evening in the 19th
century.
Gas Lighting (19th Century): A long, long time ago, before electricity, fire was the only weapon against
darkness. According to (Sweeney 2019) Ancient civilizations made use of torches but by 4500 B.C. oil lamps
made out of shells or hollow rocks were in use. Candles were introduced some 1500 years later. Oil lamps burned
plant- and animal-derived oils, whilst candles
burnt wax and tallow. While the light produced
was sufficient to read at night, it was too soft and
localized to illuminate any significant space. In
addition, wax and oil were high maintenance,
necessitating regular trimming of the wick, and
their portable vehicles constantly threatened
spillage. Society was looking for more, and one of
the most popular resources of the late 1700’s
provided the answer.
In 1792, William Murdoch, a Scottish inventor,
equipped his home with pipes that delivered coal
gas to lamps, giving birth to “gas lighting. The
coal gas combined with oxygen in the air to
produce carbon dioxide, water vapour, heat and
light. Coal gas is made by burning coal inside a
closed container, which separates its constituent
parts into hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and
methane, as well as some solid by-products. Other
common gaseous fuels include propane, butane,
and ethylene. Sound familiar? These are still used
for camping stoves, where light, compact, and
reliable fuel comes in handy.
Incandescent Lamps (late 19th Century): Long before Thomas
Edison patented -- first in 1879 and then a year later in 1880 -- and
began commercializing his incandescent light bulb, British
inventors were demonstrating that electric light was possible with
the arc lamp. In 1835, According to (Mohamed 2022) the first
constant electric light was demonstrated, and for the next 40 years,
scientists around the world worked on the incandescent lamp,
tinkering with the filament (the part of the bulb that produces light
when heated by an electrical current) and the bulb’s atmosphere
(whether air is vacuumed out of the bulb or it is filled with an inert
gas to prevent the filament from oxidizing and burning out). These
early bulbs had extremely short lifespans, were too expensive to
produce or used too much energy.
When Edison and his researchers at Menlo Park came onto the
lighting scene, they focused on improving the filament -- first
testing carbon, then platinum, before finally returning to a carbon
filament. By October 1879, Edison’s team had produced a light bulb
with a carbonized filament of uncoated cotton thread that could last
for 14.5 hours. They continued to experiment with the filament until
settling on one made from bamboo that gave Edison’s lamps a lifetime of up to 1,200 hours -- this filament
became the standard for the Edison bulb for the next 10 years. Edison also made other improvements to the light
bulb, including creating a better vacuum pump to fully remove the air from the bulb and developing the Edison
screw (what is now the standard socket fittings for light bulbs).
Fluorescent Lamps (20th Century): Fluorescent lamps, which use a different technology to produce light by
exciting phosphors with ultraviolet light, were developed in the early 20th century and became widely used for
commercial and residential lighting. Today fluorescent lamps light up our lives. They illuminate stores, streets
and offices, and are even becoming common for certain uses in homes. Compared to incandescent lamps,
fluorescent lamps last longer, require less energy and produce less heat, advantages resulting from the different
way in which they generate light (Bellis 2019).
Incandescent lamps contain a thin filament,
typically made of tungsten, through which
electricity runs. The filament’s resistance to the
electricity causes it to heat up and glow. A
fluorescent lamp, on the other hand, contains no
filament. Instead, it features two electrodes, one at
each end of a long, cylindrical bulb. Inside the bulb
is a gas (normally argon) and mercury vapor. As
electrons travel from one electrode to another, they
excite mercury atoms. When these atoms settle back
into an unexcited state, they give off photons of
ultraviolet light. The human eye cannot detect this
light naturally. Instead, a phosphor that coats the
inside of the bulb gives off visible light when it is
hit with ultraviolet photons.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) (1980s): CFLs were introduced as energy-efficient alternatives to
traditional incandescent bulbs in the 1980s. According to (Smith 2016) they became popular for their longer
lifespan and reduced energy consumption. Experience curves are useful for understanding technology
development and can aid in the design and analysis of market
transformation programs. Here, we employ a novel approach
to create experience curves, to examine both global and North
American compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) data for the years
1990–2007. We move away from the prevailing method of
fitting a single, constant, exponential curve to data and
instead search for breakpoints where changes in the learning
rate may have occurred. Our analysis suggests a learning rate
of approximately 21% for the period of 1990–1997, and 51%
and 79% in global and North American datasets, respectively,
after 1998. We use price data for this analysis; therefore our
learning rates encompass developments beyond typical
“learning by doing”, including supply chain impacts such as
market competition.
We examine correlations between North American learning
rates and the initiation of new programs, abrupt technological
advances, and economic and political events, and find an
increased learning rate associated with design advancements and
federal standards programs. Our findings support the use of segmented experience curves for retrospective and
prospective technology analysis and may imply that investments in technology programs have contributed to an
increase in the CFL learning rate.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) (1960s and beyond):
LEDs, first developed in the 1960s, have
revolutionized the lighting industry. They are highly
energy-efficient on the study of (Patel 2017), have long
lifespans, and offer versatile lighting options. LEDs
have become the dominant technology for various
applications, from residential lighting to displays.
The traditional model of scientific discovery involves
scientists making fundamental discoveries in
laboratories, while engineers advance this knowledge
through the invention of practical devices. However,
the path is not always linear, as science and technology
are symbiotic. The most effective advances often
follow a cyclical path where science and technology
feed each other, with engineering often leading to
discoveries. For example, the steam engine was
developed before thermodynamic principles were
elucidated, and Alexander Graham Bell invented the
telephone with only a basic understanding of electricity
and signal transmission. The transistor effect and the technological invention of the transistor are examples of
how scientists and engineers work together. Sometimes, breakthroughs come from engineering research leading
to or contradicting established science, as seen with the discovery of the blue gallium nitride light-emitting diode
(LED) (Buorget 2008). The impact of blue LEDs is significant, as it revolutionized the way we light our world,
replacing red and green LEDs with high-efficiency, long-lasting white LED lamps.
Technological Development of Lamps:
Advancements in Filament Materials: Incandescent bulbs saw improvements in filament materials, including
tungsten, which increased their efficiency and lifespan. Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a popular additive
manufacturing process that uses thermoplastic polymers to create 3D geometry products. The properties of the
final part produced, such as mechanical, thermal, and electrical conductivity, are significantly influenced by the
filament materials used. This article reviews the state-of-the-art materials for FFF filaments, including various
types of filaments, including pure thermoplastics, composites, bioplastics, and composites of bioplastics.
Reinforcements like particles, fibers, and nanoparticles are incorporated into these composite filaments to
improve the build part properties. The article (Dey 2021) discusses the performance, limitations, and opportunities
of each type of FFF filament, as well as the challenges and requirements for filament production from different
materials. It also highlights potential research directions to stimulate future filament development and the
importance of using bioplastics and their composites for developing eco-friendly filaments. The article provides
a concise review of fundamental knowledge about FFF filament and highlights the potential for future
development.
Halogens: Halogen bulbs, a variation of incandescent lamps, incorporate halogen gases to extend filament life
and enhance brightness. According to (Harnden 2001) Elmer Fridrich developed the first halogen tungsten lamp
prototypes with Emmitt Wiley. The first test use of the lamps was on aircraft wingtip lighting in 1955. The team
later developed the double-ended halogen lamp in 1959. Fridrich also pioneered electroluminescent lamp
technology in the same period. Fridrich continued to develop improvements in the lamp until his death in 2010.
General Electric. Nela Park. Cleveland, Ohio.
The halogen lamp is also known as a quartz halogen and
tungsten halogen lamp. It is an advanced form of incandescent
lamp. The filament is composed of ductile tungsten and is
located in a gas-filled bulb just like a standard tungsten bulb,
however, the gas in a halogen bulb is at a higher pressure (7-8
ATM). The glass bulb is made of fused quartz, high-silica
glass, or aluminosilicate. This bulb is stronger than standard
glass in order to contain the high pressure. This lamp has been
an industry standard for work lights and film/television
lighting due to its compact size and high-lumen output. The
halogen lamp is being replaced slowly by the white LED array
lamp, miniature HID, and fluorescent lamps. Increased
efficiency halogens with 30+ lumens per watt may change
sales decline in the future.
LED Technology: LEDs have seen significant advancements in terms of efficiency, color rendering, and costeffectiveness (Cheng 2006) This paper discusses the power circuit design of high power LEDs as a potential
replacement for traditional lighting devices. It focuses on constant current flyback and heat distribution,
highlighting the potential of LEDs in replacing traditional lighting. To ensure reliability, protection circuits like
current, voltage, and temperature are needed. Lowering unit costs and utilizing suitable optics are crucial for a
proper and reliable power circuit. The paper also emphasizes the need for suitable optics to control the light
pattern from LEDs.
Smart Lighting: Recent developments include smart bulbs and lighting systems that can be controlled remotely
via smartphones or integrated with home automation systems. According to (Soheilian, M. 2021) Smart lighting
has arisen in commercial and industrial settings throughout the years, with an emphasis on energy savings. With
technological advancements, smart lighting may now provide chances for users in residential contexts to provide
a comfortable ambiance and maintain user well-being in addition to energy savings. Currently, most smart lighting
research is focused on energy savings in non-residential areas; however, home situations have not been examined.
As a result, a literature analysis was carried out to offer an overview of the influence of smart lighting systems on
energy and well-being in the domestic setting. The majority of current research is focused on building and
developing a smart lighting system in a controlled setting, with just a minimal evaluation of well-being.
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