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Comparison between Xenon Lamp and Other Light Sources

Xenon Lamps have a moderate light effect (about 20 to 50 lumens watts depending on the type) and a useful high brightness. The brightness of the useful luminous area of short-arc Xenon Lamps is close to that of the sun (2x105 hectares), and the cathode luminance of some Xenon Lamps above 10 kilowatts with water-cooled electrodes can exceed the brightness of the sun by up to 10° hectares. The reason why Xenon Lamps are so prominent is mainly because they have good color appearance and color rendering, reasonable light effect and high brightness.

Compared with short-arc mercury lamps, the real advantage of Xenon Lamps is that they can emit all the light immediately. Xenon Lamps can emit strong continuous ultraviolet radiation. Compared with hydrogen discharge lamps or low-pressure mercury lamps that can emit effective radiation at a wavelength of 253.7 nanometers, Xenon Lamps have much higher radiance and rated power.

In the infrared region, its significant peak is about 900 nanometers, and there is a continuous spectrum band up to 3000 nanometers. If calculated proportionally, its radiance is more than twice that of sunlight. The radiation intensity is also higher than that of incandescent light sources and other infrared radiation sources because its energy is concentrated in the arc gap, which is only a few millimeters long.

Some disadvantages of Xenon Lamps limit their use, mainly the high cost and the need for large and cumbersome control devices. Compared with other projection light sources, although the price of each lamp is higher, its long life can also match it in terms of long-term use costs. When using short-arc Xenon Lamps, necessary protective measures must be taken against high-voltage starting pulses, large amounts of ultraviolet radiation, and possible explosion hazards. Straight-tube Xenon Lamps are cheaper, have lower current for a certain power, and can use high current, which is more convenient and has no risk of explosion. However, in fact, explosions of short-arc xenon lamps are rare.

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