high intensity discharge lamps (original) (raw)

Acronym: HID lamps

Definition: gas discharge lamps operating with high power density

Category: article belongs to category non-laser light sources non-laser light sources

Related: gas discharge lampsarc lampsflash lampssodium vapor lampsmercury vapor lampsmetal halide lamps

DOI: 10.61835/0ak Cite the article: BibTex BibLaTex plain textHTML Link to this page! LinkedIn

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What are HID Lamps?

High intensity discharge lamps (HID lamps) are gas discharge lamps which are operated with a high power density. They are generally made as short-arc lamps, i.e., with a small distance between anode and cathode. Further, they are typically arc lamps, i.e., continuously operating lamps rather than flash lamps. The relatively small light-emitting volume allows for collimation or focusing of the generated light, which is essential for some applications such as searchlamps or projection displays.

Different technologies can be used for such high intensity discharge lamps, for example metal halide lamps, xenon lamps, sodium vapor lamps and mercury vapor lamps. They mainly differ in terms of the materials used in the discharge, but also in other details like electrode materials and shapes, operation voltage and current, shape and material of the envelope (e.g. fused silica or transparent ceramics), etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp?

A high intensity discharge (HID) lamp is a type of gas discharge lamp which is operated with a high power density. They are usually short-arc lamps, featuring a small distance between the electrodes.

Why is the small light-emitting volume of HID lamps useful?

Their small light-emitting volume allows the generated light to be efficiently collimated or focused, which is essential for applications like searchlamps or projection displays.

What are the main types of HID lamps?

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