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    TShackel's Avatar
    TShackel Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Jan 5, 2017, 06:32 PM
    Can we construct a light bulb that matches the sun's blackbody spectrum?
    Hi, I have a question for electrical engineering experts about light bulbs and producing one most like the solar blackbody spectrum. I understand that a blackbody is defined by it's surface temperature, being a thermal radiator, and the sun is at around 5700 to 6000 Kelvin. I also heard that when you heat something up to 2500 K you start producing some UV radiation, while most is visible and thermal
    radiation at that temperature. It appears that Tungsten Halogen bulbs are
    the only current existing bulb that heats tungsten up to temperatures of
    around 3000 K and emits a blackbody spectrum like the sun. The problem again
    is that there is very little UV radiation at this temperature (and I am
    looking for more UV from a blackbody bulb), and so it is mainly visible and
    infrared radiation, some UV-A but very little or no UV-B, and so it's a far
    from perfect imitation of the solar blackbody at a temperature of 5700 K.

    Now I have a more specific question. Is it possible to create a
    high-intensity light bulb (similar to a halogen) that heats up some material to 5700 K (the tungsten melting point is only 3680 K so tungsten will not do it) so that it emits a larger amount of UV A and B radiation, and then filter out all the dangerous short-wave radiation (UV-C or if there are any x rays or gamma rays), leaving only the visible spectrum, the far, mid, and near infrared, and the UV A and UV B radiation only and not UV C or any other dangerous radiation? I also would want a bulb that can get to 75,000 to 100,000 lux like the sun from say 4-8 inches away (which halogens can already do), and has a good white-bluish light color just like the sun, which should be automatic if it's a blackbody at a temperature of 5700K.

    Thanks if you can answer me about the practicality of a such a light bulb and if any quartz bulb could withstand the radiation of a 5700K blackbody.

    Sincerely,

    Tim.
    hfcarson's Avatar
    hfcarson Posts: 1,003, Reputation: 49
    Ultra Member
     
    #2

    Jan 6, 2017, 05:03 AM
    Sounds like a good senior project or graduate dissertation...
    (It's likely that this already available)
    TShackel's Avatar
    TShackel Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #3

    Jan 7, 2017, 11:13 AM
    Do you have any idea if it is feasible from an engineering, materials, and feasibility standpoint to heat a material up to 5700 Kelvin temperature, (so it's melting point would need to be higher than 5700 K because we can't have it melting) and have it be safe in a light bulb, whether the light bulb be made of quartz which is what they currently do with hot halogen bulbs to make them safe?The reason I'm asking is because I'm trying to create an ideal bulb for seasonal affective disorder that would be most like the sun during the winter months including lux intensity, UV A and B content, and infrared. The reptile lighting industry seems to have the best high intensity bulbs that have UV radiation, but most of them are gas discharge lamps (mercury vapor or metal halide) and have peaks in the visible and uv spectrum areas which shows it's not a natural lighting source. Halogens on the other hand don't have peaks and have smooth blackbody spectral content since it glows as a result of tungsten being heated up instead of a gas discharge lamp. But it has very little UV A and no UV B typically simply because it's not hot enough.Any answer from someone in the know would be helpful.Thanks.

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