THE FLAME ARC LAMP
About 1844 Bunsen investigated the effect of introducing various chemicals in the carbon arc. Nothing was done, however, until Bremer, a German, experimented with various salts impregnated in the carbon electrodes. In 1898 he produced the so-called flame arc, which consisted of carbons impregnated with calcium fluoride. This gave a brilliant yellow light most of which came from the arc flame, and practically none from the carbon tips. The arc operated in the open air and produced smoke which condensed into a white powder.
The two carbons were inclined downward at about a 30-degree angle with each other, and were of small diameter but long, 18 to 30 inches, having a life of about 12 to 15 hours. The tips of the carbons projected through an inverted earthenware cup, called the “economizer,” the white powder condensing on this and acting not only as an excellent reflector but making a dead air space above the arc. The arc was maintained at the tips of the carbons by an electro-magnet whose magnetic field “blew” the arc down.
Two flame arc lamps were burned in series on 110-volt circuits. They consumed 550 watts each, giving an efficiency of about 35 lumens per watt on direct current. On alternating current the efficiency was about 30 l-p-w. By use of barium salts impregnated in the carbons, a white light was obtained, giving an efficiency of about 18 l-p-w on direct current and about 15½ on alternating current. These figures cover lamps equipped with clear glassware. Using strontium salts in the carbons, a red light was obtained at a considerably lower efficiency, such arcs on account of their color being used only to a limited extent for advertising purposes.
Constant Current Transformer, 1900.
This converted alternating current of constant voltage into constant current, for use on series circuits.
These arcs were remarkably efficient but their maintenance expense was high. Later, about 1908, enclosed flame arcs with vertical carbons were made which increased the life of the carbons, the smoke being condensed in cooling chambers. However, their maintenance expense was still high. They have now disappeared from the market, having been displaced by the very efficient gas-filled tungsten filament incandescent lamp which appeared in 1913.