Electrodeless Lamp

An electrodeless lamp or induction light is a light source in which the power required to generate light is transferred from outside the lamp envelope to inside via electromagnetic fields, in contrast with a typical electrical lamp that uses electrical connections through the lamp envelope to transfer power. There are three advantages of eliminating electrodes:

• Extended lamp life, because the electrodes are usually the limiting factor in lamp life.
• The ability to use light-generating substances of higher efficiency that would react with metal electrodes in normal lamps.
• Improved collection efficiency because the source can be made very small without shortening life, a problem in electroded lamps

Two systems are described below – one, plasma lamps, based on the use of radio waves energizing a bulb filled with sulfur or metal halides, the other, fluorescent induction lamps, based upon conventional fluorescent lamp phosphors.