Journal of Physical Science and Application 4 (1) (2014) 20-25

DA VID

PUBLISHING

Investigation of the Effect on the Electrode Characteristics by a Metal Ring Encircling the Electrode
Yoshio Watanabe and Tomohiro Yamaguchi
Faculty of Engineering, Kanagawa University, Yokohama 221-8686, Japan

Received: October 10, 2013 / Accepted: October 31, 3013 / Published: January 15, 2014. Abstract: Hg-dispenser method is employed in a fluorescent lamp manufacturing. In this method, one of the electrodes is surrounded by a metal ring which is used as a Hg-dispenser. Effect on the electrode fall characteristics by the metal ring encircling the electrode is investigated. The electrode fall voltage is measured by two methods. Cathode fall voltage operated on 50 Hz and 50 kHz shows that electrode fall voltage is affected by the metal ring encircling the electrode if it locates the same position to the electrode. Voltage-spike appears at the current rising phase of cathode cycle in the case of 50 Hz operation. It might be explained as follows: Ni-ring surrounding the electrode is charged up by electrons during anode cycle. Then this negative charge on Ni-ring causes voltage-spike formation following cathode cycle to increase emission current from the cathode. However, it has not been clear whether the effect by Ni-ring encircling the electrode is the reason for the short electrode life or not. Key words: Fluorescent lamp, electrode, Hg-dispenser, space charge, life-time.

1. Introduction
Mercury is filled in a fluorescent lamp as a discharge medium. To control a quantity of filling mercury, the method using an Hg-dispenser has been developed [1, 2]. The compound containing mercury is painted on a Nickel-made ring, and Ni-ring is mounted near one of the electrodes in the discharge tube as shown in Fig. 1. After lamp making, the mercury is released into the discharge space by heating Ni-ring. Short electrode life of the lamp using a Hg-dispenser has been reported from the lamp company. According to the lamp company, short electrode life was occurred at the electrode encircled by Ni-ring. However, it has not been clear yet whether Ni-ring encircling the electrode causes short electrode life or not, since the information was limited and unpublished. Electrode life is mainly determined by cathode fall
Corresponding author: Yoshio Watanabe, Ph.D., professor, research field: plasma phsics and illuminating engineering, E-mail: watalab@kanagawa-u.ac.jp.

characteristics. When the electrode is encircled by a metal ring, the electrode fall voltage characteristics must be affected by Ni-ring to some extent. In this paper, the influence by Ni-ring on the electrode fall voltage characteristics is investigated [3].

2. Experiments
The view of the lamp employed in the experiment is shown in Fig. 1. The lamp specification is basically the same as an ordinary 40 W fluorescent lamp (FL40S), which is usually operated on sinusoidal discharge current of 50 Hz or 60 Hz. The tube diameter is 32 mm
Probe Probe

Ni-ring Electrode (b) (a) Fig. 1 View of Ni-ring, a probe and an electrode configuration in the experimental lamp. (a) top view (b) side view. Ni-ring

Investigation of the Effect on the Electrode Characteristics by a Metal Ring Encircling the Electrode

21

and the tube is filled with Ar-Hg mixture gas. Electrodes are made of tungsten coil coated with oxide. The layout of Ni-ring, the electrode and a probe for measurement is illustrated in Fig. 2. One Ni-ring is set around one of the pair electrodes. The employed operation frequencies are 50 Hz, DC and 50 kHz. The discharge current range examined is 0.1~0.4 A in rms value. The ambient temperature of the lamp during the experiment was kept to around 25C. The electrode fall voltage is measured by two methods. One is the voltage waveform obtained by the lamp of which discharge distance is about 10 mm to prevent a positive column formation. The other is the discharge voltage potential waveform obtained by the probe located in front of the electrode, as shown in Fig. 2b.

Anode cycle I

V Cathode cycle
(a)

Anode cycle

3. Experimental Results
In this paper, experimental results obtained at discharge current of 0.3 A are presented as typical data. The data obtained at other current value were essentially the same with those at 0.3 A. 3.1 50 Hz Operation at 0.3 A The discharge voltage waveforms taken by the lamp with short discharge distance of 10 mm are shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3, upper side of voltage waveform is at anode cycle of the electrode surrounded by Ni-ring, and lower side of voltage waveform is at cathode cycle of the electrode surrounded by Ni-ring. In the case of short discharge distance, the discharge voltage is almost equal to the electrode fall voltage. Moreover,
I

V Cathode cycle

(b)

Anode cycle

V Cathode cycle
(c) Fig. 3 Discharge voltage, V, and discharge current, I, waveforms taken by the lamp with short discharge distance at 50 Hz. Discharge current is 0.3 A. (a) Ni-ring; behind the electrode; (b) Ni-ring; the same position to the electrode and (c) Ni-ring; in front of the electrode.

Fig. 2 Arrangement of Ni-ring, a probe and an electrode.

anode fall voltage is not formed, when the electrode is immersed in a negative glow produced by cathode fall voltage, due to the short discharge distance [4]. Fig. 3a is taken by the lamp shown in Fig. 2a in which Ni-ring is located behind the electrode. By this configuration, anode fall voltage is not formed on the

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Investigation of the Effect on the Electrode Characteristics by a Metal Ring Encircling the Electrode

both sides of the electrodes. Then voltage waveform is similar between the upper side and the lower side. Namely, Ni-ring does not affect the voltage characteristics of cathode fall and anode fall when Ni-ring is located behind the electrode. Fig. 3b is taken by the lamp shown in Fig. 2b in which Ni-ring is located at the same position to the electrode. By this configuration, Ni-ring surrounding the electrode affects the cathode fall characteristics as well as the anode fall characteristics. The voltage waveform when the electrode surrounded by Ni-ring acts as a cathode is nearly the same as the one shown in Fig. 3a, but a small voltage-spike encircled by a circle in Fig. 3b appears at the rising phase of the cathode cycle of current. Anode fall voltage is produced at the phase when the electrode surrounded by Ni-ring acts as an anode. Fig. 3c is taken by the lamp shown in Fig. 2c in which Ni-ring is located in front of the electrode. In this case, anode fall voltage accompanying with anode oscillation is produced on the both sides of the electrodes. The results shown by Figs. 3 indicate that Ni-ring affects cathode characteristics, if Ni-ring is located at the same position to the electrode. Next, to avoid the inference by the opposite electrode without Ni-ring, the electrode fall voltage waveform is measured by the tube with a probe in which Ni-ring is located at the same position to the electrode and the discharge distance is 100 mm. The results are shown in Fig. 4. The electrode surrounded by Ni-ring acts as a cathode during the upper side of voltage waveform, and acts as an anode during the lower side of voltage waveform. Fig. 4a is Ni-ring potential waveform, Vr, without connecting to the electrode. Fig. 4b shows the probe potential waveform, Vp, in which Ni-ring is not connected to the electrode. Fig. 4a is basically the same with the one shown in Fig. 3a and is very similar to the one in Fig. 4b. However, the cathode voltage at current rising phase encircled by a circle in Fig. 4a shows a little concave compared with the curve in Fig. 4b. When Ni-ring is connected

to the electrode, the probe voltage waveform during cathode-cycle shows and shown in Fig. 4c. 3.2 DC Operation at 0.3 A Using the lamp with short discharge distance of 10 mm, the lamp is operated on DC current of 0.3 A. The photographs showing the discharge condition are shown in Fig. 5. The electrode in the left side acts as an anode in the left column pictures, while the electrode on the left side acts as a cathode in the right
I Vr I Vr I Vr

high frequency oscillation

occurrence at two portions of cathode-cycle voltage,

0.2 A

0.3 A
(a)

0.4 A

Vp I

Vp I

Vp

0.2 A

0.3 A
(b)

0.4 A

Vp

Vp I I

Vp

0.2 A

0.3 A

0.4 A

(c) Fig. 4 Voltage waveforms of Ni-ring and the probe by the lamp in which Ni-ring is located at the same level to the electrode. (a) Ni-ring potential, Vr. Ni-ring is free; 5 V/div; (b) Probe potential, Vp. Ni-ring is free; 5 V/div and (c) Probe potential, Vp. Ni-ring is connected to the electrode; 5 V/div.

Investigation of the Effect on the Electrode Characteristics by a Metal Ring Encircling the Electrode

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Cathode

Anode

I V

Anode

Ni-ring
(a)

Cathode

Ni-ring

Cathode

Anode
(a)

Anode

I Ni-ring
(b)

Cathode

Ni-ring V Anode

Cathode

Anode Ni-ring

Cathode Ni-ring
(b)

(c) Fig. 5 Photograph of discharge around the electrodes operated on DC current of 0.3 A. (a) Ni-ring is behind of the electrode; (b) Ni-ring is the same position to the electrode and (c) Ni-ring is in front of the electrode.

I V

column pictures. Blue light sphere is a negative glow produced by electrons from the cathode. Comparing the photographs in Fig. 5, it is obvious that the intensity of the cathode spot in the left side picture of Fig. 5b is stronger than the others. The photograph in left side of Fig. 5c shows that the anode is not immersed in the negative glow, since Ni-ring prevents the negative glow to enlarge. 3.3 50 kHz Operation at 0.3 A Waveforms of the discharge voltage, V, and current, I, by the lamp with short discharge length of 10 mm operated on 50 kHz are shown in Fig. 6. The voltage V in Fig. 6 is regarded as a cathode fall voltage in the case of high frequency operation, since positive discharge column does not exist due to the short discharge distance as mentioned above, and anode fall voltage also does not exist due to high frequency operation [5].

(c) Fig. 6 Discharge voltage waveform operated on 50 kHz by the lamp with short discharge length. (a) Ni-ring is behind of the electrode; 10 V/div; (b) Ni-ring is the same position to the electrode; 10 V/div and (c) Ni-ring is in front of the electrode; 10 V/div.

The cathode fall voltage waveforms taken by each Ni-ring position in the lamp show a symmetry waveform against both sides of up and down. The influence by Ni-ring on cathode fall voltage characteristics is not so obvious. However, the waveform of the cathode fall voltage in Fig. 6b is a little bit different from those in Figs. 6a and 6c. Namely, a small voltage-spike takes place at cathode

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Investigation of the Effect on the Electrode Characteristics by a Metal Ring Encircling the Electrode

potential rising phase in Figs. 6a and 6c. This voltage-spike on high frequency operation is observed at a fluorescent lamp without Ni-ring as reported in Ref. [5]. However, when Ni-ring is located at the same position to the electrode, Fig. 6b shows that this voltage oscillation is suppressed. This result indicates that if Ni-ring encircling the electrode locates to the same position of the electrode, it gives certain effect on the cathode fall characteristics at high frequency operation as well as 50 Hz operation.

4. Discussion
Anode fall voltage will be formed when ions in front of the anode are removed and electron space charge layer is formed on the surface of the anode. When the anode is immersed in a negative glow formed in front of the cathode, ions produced in the negative glow flow into the anode surface, then anode fall voltage will disappear. The experiment results show that anode fall voltage easily formed by encircling the electrode by Ni-ring even if discharge length is short. This result indicates that Ni-ring encircling the electrode is charged by electrons from the plasma during anode cycle of the electrode. The negative charges on Ni-ring attract ions from anode region effectively. When the polarity of the electrode changes from anode cycle to cathode cycle, negative charges on Ni-ring may remain for a while. In fact, the potential of Ni-ring shown in Fig. 4a at discharge current rising phase is somewhat lower than the potential of the probe shown in Fig. 4c which shows the voltage potential in front of the electrode. This indicates that Ni-ring is charged negatively during current increasing phase of cathode cycle. The direct effect by Ni-ring during cathode cycle is not so distinct, but the results shown in Fig. 3b and Fig. 6b may indicate that if Ni-ring is located to the same position of the electrode, it affects the cathode fall characteristics. Fig. 3b obtained by 50 Hz operation shows that a small voltage-spike appears at the rising

phase of discharge current, when the electrode is encircled by Ni-ring. The formation mechanism of the voltage-spike is considered as follows. When the electrode turns to cathode cycle, electron current emitted from the cathode may be less than the current demanded by the operating circuit at that phase. In that case, cathode fall voltage should increase to enhance the current to the value demanded by the operating circuit [6]. When the electrode is encircled by Ni-ring, electric field formed in front of the electrode is suppressed by the negative potential of Ni-ring, and then the voltage-spike appears to increase the voltage potential of the electrode. Fig. 4c obtained by 50 Hz operation shows that twin high frequency oscillation on the cathode-cycle voltage of the electrode encircled by Ni-ring is produced when Ni-ring is connected to the electrode potential. On the contrary, twin high frequency oscillation is suppressed when Ni-ring is free, and is shown in Fig. 4b. The formation of twin high frequency oscillation is explained as follows [7]: when thermal electron emission from the electrode exceeds the conducting electron current, a negative potential minimum is formed in front of the cathode. Then ions vibrate in this negative potential valley. Twin high frequency oscillation is normally observed in a fluorescent lamp operated on 50 Hz [6]. Ni-ring used in Hg dispenser method is usually not connected to the electrode, thus twin high oscillation should exist in the tested lamp as well as an ordinary fluorescent lamp. The result shown in Fig. 4b may suggest that thermal electron emission from the cathode spot of the electrode is suppressed if Ni-ring is encircling the electrode and is not connected to the electrode. Concerning about Fig. 6b obtained by 50 kHz operation, the data also show that Ni-ring affects the cathode fall characteristics. However, the voltage-spike disappears at the rising phase of the cathode cycle in the case of 50 kHz operation that is the opposite phenomenon to the one at 50 Hz operation. Up to now, it is hard to explain this result.

Investigation of the Effect on the Electrode Characteristics by a Metal Ring Encircling the Electrode

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As anode fall voltage will not be formed in the case of high frequency operation, the electric field distribution by Ni-ring would be different from 50 Hz operation.

Acknowledgments
The authors wish to express their appreciation to Mr. Kanazashi and Mr. Niimae for their cooperation of the experiment. The authors also wish to express their appreciation to Hitachi Lighting Corporation for their kind support to us.

5. Conclusions
Electrode life in a discharge lamp is mainly determined by cathode characteristics. When a metal ring encircles an electrode at the same position of the electrode, cathode characteristics are surely affected by the metal ring. However, it has not been clear whether Ni-ring encircling the electrode affects the electrode life or not. The results obtained by the investigation are as follows. When Ni-ring is located at the electrode, Ni-ring is charged by electrons during anode cycle of the electrode in the case of 50 Hz operation. The negative charges on Ni-ring will suppress the formation of electric field in front of the electrode during successive cathode cycle, by which the voltage-spike at current rising phase is formed. However, the magnitude of the voltage-spike produced by Ni-ring during cathode cycle is small. Thus, it is difficult to conclude that electrode short life is produced by Ni-ring used in an Hg-dispenser.

References
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