General Considerations Concerning Power Balance and Spectrum

Abstract

Important lamp properties such as luminous flux and light quality are determined by the radiant power and its spectral distribution. To obtain an insight into the relevant processes that determine the amount of useful — in the case of HPS lamps this means visible — radiation, it is important to have an overview of the power balance in the lamp. The power balance describes the most important steps in the conversion of the electric input power into visible, infrared and ultraviolet radiation on the one hand, and into power dissipated by thermal and non-radiative loss processes on the other.