Will incandescent make a comeback?

Thread Starter

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,220
I worked in the incandescent bulb manufacturing industry for a few years, back in the early 90's. This is a very interesting development for a market that has shrinked considerably in the last decade:

In theory, the crystal structures could boost the efficiency of incandescent bulbs to 40%, making them three times more efficient than the best LED or CFL bulbs on the market.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35284112
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
We still haven't run out of uses where an incandescent bulb is the best thing for the job, but I am happily surprised at the idea a dying industry can improve because of the competition. If they all want to race each other to make a better product, I say let them!
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
And then the LED guys will boost their efficiencies to beat the new incandescents, and away we go.
Great article, thanks.
The LED guys don't need MIT nano-technology glass blowers to improve their technology, they are still pushing each other to improve. In 2009, the efficiency was around 9%, now approaching 14% for commercial products.
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
That is fascinating work, but I couldn't help but chuckle at:

"In theory, the crystal structures could boost the efficiency of incandescent bulbs to 40%, making them three times more efficient than the best LED or CFL bulbs on the market."

Who's theory, and what is it? They didn't say anything about how they might get from 6.6% (half of current LEDs) all the way up to 40%, or costs. But it sure sounds cool as long as you don't have the facts.
 

Thread Starter

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,220
That is fascinating work, but I couldn't help but chuckle at:

"In theory, the crystal structures could boost the efficiency of incandescent bulbs to 40%, making them three times more efficient than the best LED or CFL bulbs on the market."

Who's theory, and what is it? They didn't say anything about how they might get from 6.6% (half of current LEDs) all the way up to 40%, or costs. But it sure sounds cool as long as you don't have the facts.
Yeah, I saw that too, and thought along the same lines... then again, if the researchers are wrong in that 40% estimation, even a 20% efficiency would make this technology 50% more efficient than LEDs and CFLs. So I think it's a research very much worth continuing.
 

Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
What's the confustion about?

U
using nanotechnology, they've built a structure that surrounds the filament of the bulb and captures the leaking infrared radiation, reflecting it back to the filament where it is re-absorbed and then re-emitted as visible light.
 
Top