Designing a Dimmable Light Switch - Essay Example

Designing a dimmable light switch Introduction With the arrival of electri domestic life soon became much more comfortable and convenient. The light bulb rapidly transformed to other forms of artificial lighting, and by the early decades of the twentieth century, electric lighting was already an established feature in many homes. Its numerous advantages over other forms of artificial lighting were readily apparent. Electric light was much safer than burning animal fat, wax, oil, or gas indoors; it was easier to operate and instantly responsive to the flick of a switch; and, above all, it was clean. Over a century later it is difficult to appreciate just how dingy and dirty the old forms of artificial lighting (and heating) could be. (Hynds, 78) Walls and ceilings, continually discolored by fumes from gas jets and smut from candles, had either to be decorated in such a way as to disguise the dirt or repainted and repapered with depressing regularity. Electric light brought about a new quality of light in more than one sense, since it made it more practical for interiors to be decorated in lighter, brighter colors. For the first time, there was a reasonable expectation they would stay that way. Discussion Technically lighting has improved immeasurably since the early days of electrification. But, in many situations, its effects are still no better orchestrated. Many homes today are overly bright but; oddly enough, possess too few sources of light. (Cacace, 98) The result is either a harsh and uncomfortable glare or a bright diffused level of illumination that cancels out any possibility of drama or interest exactly the same basic disadvantages that were first remarked upon nearly a hundred years ago. Figure1: Dimmable Light Many of these principles address the fundamental importance of avoiding glare. Glare is caused when there is too great a disparity between the brilliance of the light source and its surrounding context. It is inherently uncomfortable because the eye is unable to accommodate such extremes readily, and therefore the process of continually adjusting between light and dark creates a feeling of tiredness and unease. Since the eyes natural tendency is to try to flatten or "correct" such discrepancies in the surrounding light levels, where lighting conditions give rise to glare there is always a great risk of eyestrain. Watching a bright; flickering television screen in the dark is bad for your eyes for precisely this reason. So is reading a book in a dim or darkened room, with only a task lamp at your side casting a bright flood of light onto the white page. Everyone is familiar with the unwelcome, almost painful, experience of being suddenly dazzled and blinded by the strong glaring beam of oncoming headlights. Perhaps less severe, but no less uncomfortable, are rooms that are lit by a single un-shaded source. The figure 2 explains the structure of a dimmable light. In a dimmable light, its inputs are formed by a pulse to fasten the light, with a dimmer that sets the current dim value, and its control system activates to reveal the status of the control system. If the signal is failed to send in every 60 s, the light switches and stops working at safe mode, i.e. its dim value will be taken as 100%. Outputs of such lights are produced by a status line that indicates the current status of the light: Figure 2: Dimmable Light Structure Lights that can be moved, adjusted, angled, or dimmed provide greater creative scope than immovable arrangements. By making sure the effect of individual lights can be altered, a lighting plan can remain responsive to changing circumstances and needs. Lighting requirements can and do change on a daily basis. Dimmable lights are an obvious way of providing the means to alter atmosphere and mood. Lights that can be swiveled or angled to highlight various tasks and activities permit these activities to take place in different locations as the need arises. Fluorescence works in a different way from the other common home light sources. As briefly outlined before, an electrical charge passing through a tube filled with argon or krypton gas "excites" the gas to produce invisible radiation, which in turn interacts, with phosphors coating the inside of the tube, causing them to fluoresce, or glow.( Sternheim, 436) Since this process takes place at a low temperature, less energy is consumed. First devised in the late 1930s, fluorescent light quickly became a serious rival to tungsten in commercial and industrial buildings, where it’s extremely long life (up to 8,000 hours) and low operating cost constituted a powerful economic argument in its favor. Fluorescent bulbs do not fail suddenly, but gradually weaken over time. Visually, fluorescent light is cool, bright, and diffuse, qualities that may be acceptable in workshops and showrooms but are less welcome in the home, where the light can seem both bland and chilly. Manufacturers have gone to some lengths to devise new types of fluorescence that are warmer in appearance the color being determined by the precise mixture of phosphors in the coating. While some of these products represent a significant improvement over the standard fluorescent, the light still contains "spikes" in its spectral pattern, which makes it generally poor at color rendering. Unlike earlier versions, fluorescent lamps can now be dimmed, but the process is expensive. Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Shape     Code     Watts     Incandescent Wattage Comparison Base Type   Available Color Temp. Initial Lumens   MOL (in)   Diameter (in)       Spiral 24514-ADIM 14 60 Medium 2750K 900 4.625 1.88 24518-ADIM 18 75 Medium 2750K 1150 4.875 2.13 24518-ADIM5K 18 75 Medium 5000K 1150 4.875 2.13 24524-ADIM 24 100 Medium 2750K 1600 4.75 2.13 24524-ADIM5K 24 100 Medium 5000K 1600 4.75 2.13 A19 61914-ADIM 14 60 Medium 2750K 800 4.75 2.38 61916-ADIM 16 60 Medium 2750K 900 4.75 2.38 61916-ADIM5K 16 60 Medium 5000K 900 4.75 2.38 A21 62120-ADIM 20 75 Medium 2750K 1050 5.25 2.63 R20 32009-ADIM 9 30 Medium 2750K 360 5.0 2.5 32014-ADIM 14 50 Medium 2750K 560 5.0 2.5 32016-ADIM 16 60 Medium 2750K 640 5.0 2.5 R30 33016-ADIM 16 65 Medium 2850K 730 5.63 3.74 33016-ADIM5K 16 65 Medium 5000K 730 5.63 3.74 R40 34016-ADIM 16 65 Medium 2850K 750 5.63 4.8 34019-ADIM 19 75 Medium 2850K 900 5.63 4.8 34019-ADIM5K 19 75 Medium 5000K 900 5.63 4.8 PAR30 93014-ADIM 14 50 Medium 2850K 600 4.63 3.75 93016-ADIM 16 45 Medium 2850K 640 4.63 3.75 93016-ADIM5K 16 45 Medium 5000K 640 4.63 3.75 93019-ADIM 19 60 Medium 2850K 775 4.63 3.75 PAR38 93820-ADIM 20 65 Medium 2850K 930 5.0 4.75 93823-ADIM 23 75 Medium 2850K 1030 5.0 4.75 93823-ADIM5K 23 75 Medium 5000K 1030 5.0 4.75 Dimmer Control 800005-WHITE Analog Dimmer for Dimmable CFLs, Dimmable LEDs and Incandescent/Halogen Bulbs Conclusion The recent introduction of halogen bulbs that can be run at lower voltages has increased the popularity of this type of light source. Low-voltage halogen systems, a rarity a decade ago, are now commonplace in many contemporary interiors. Low-voltage halogen has the same basic aesthetic characteristics as the standard household-current version: it provides a crisp, white light that is good for color rendering and is dimmable. But the bulbs are much smaller and more compact, giving the light source a sparkling effect and making it much more discreet. It is small wonder that these tiny twinkle lights found their original application in window display and retail environments. In the home, the applications are similar. Low-voltage halogen scores highly for unobtrusive accent and display lighting. The miniature size of the bulbs mean that reflectors can be more precise, allowing the light to be concentrated into a narrow beam, highlighting whatever you want to bring into focus, from a countertop to a decorative collection. Works Cited Cacace, L.M. and Tucksmith, R.K. (2003) "The List: the 500 Largest U.S. Corporation" Fortune. P. 98 F.Hynds. (2003-2004) First Year Physics Laboratory Manual, University of Toronto Bookstores. 2004. Toronto, Canada. P.73-79 M.M.Sternheim, J.W.Kane. (2006) General Physics, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Canada. P.432-438 Read More