6-26

I E S LIGHTING HANDBOOK
The life depends on the number of times the lamp is started and the type
of service. There may be more variation in the life of individual lamps of
type H6 than in the life of lamps of other types.
Type 119. The 3,000-watt, type A-H9 mercury lamp is a tubular source
about
Iys
inches in diameter and
54f
inches in length over all. The light
source length is about 48 inches. The lamp has a porcelain base at either
end with single-contact terminals. The rated life is 3,000 hours, based
on 5 hours operation per start. Its initial light output rating (after 100
hours operation) is approximately 120,000 lumens.
Type A-H9 requires about 7 minutes to reach full light output under
normal conditions. If the current is interrupted or drops sufficiently to
extinguish the arc, about 8 minutes cooling will be required before the arc
will restrike.
Mercury-vapor-discharge lamp auxiliary equipment. Ballast for type
Hi, H4, H5, and H6 lamps is provided in the form of step-up autotrans-
formers with voltages sufficiently high to establish the arc without exter-
nal starting mechanisms. Magnetic shunts or separate reactors are used
as a means of regulating the lamp currents. Power factor correction is
obtained by primary capacitors in the case of single lamp units and,
where two lamps are operated from a single ballast, by phased circuits.
Figure 6-19 shows typical circuits.
FIG. 6-19. Typical circuits for operating mercury vapor lamps: (a) single-lamp
circuit; (b) two-lamp circuit.
Transformers for the type A-H9 lamp are made for 115-, 230-, 460-, and
575-volt circuits. All have taps for 95, 100, and 105 per cent of rated line
volts and include a built-in capacitor for power factor correction.
The autotransformer and connection leads are carried into a wiring com-
partment for direct conduit connection of line and lamp. The total
power consumed by lamp and transformer is about 3,220 watts for the
230-volt transformer.
21
Sodium-Vapor Discharge Lamps
Electric discharge lamps using sodium vapor possess inherent possibili-
ties for high luminous efficiency because the wavelength of the monochro-
matic yellow radiation from such a discharge is very close to that of maxi-
mum luminosity in the spectrum. Efficiencies of 100 lumens per watt
have been obtained with experimental sodimn lamps and 50 lumens per
watt is secured in practice. The two sodium lamps in commercial use