It is not entirely correct to call an LED source a lamp. It is a lighting electronic unit that has its own technical characteristics. After getting acquainted with the main ones, the reader will be able to choose a device, the use of which will fully satisfy all his requirements and needs. He will be able to assess the ratio of the power of incandescent lamps and LED light sources to illuminate a territory of the same area, compare the material costs necessary for this.
The main parameters of LED lamps
The intensity of the light emitted by an incandescent lamp is determined by the power consumption of electric energy.
The ratio of the LED lamp and the incandescent lamp shows that for devices in which emitting LEDs are the light source, a number of additional parameters are necessary:
- the magnitude of the emitted light flux, measured in lumens (lm) for the international system of units;
- power consumption of electrical energy by an LED device, measured in watts (W);
- the efficiency of the LED light source, which determines the amount of light flux when the device consumes 1 W of electric power;
- color temperature that determines the shades of the emitted light (daylight, warm white, cold white);
- type of cap used, with international classification;
- ripple factor, depending on the quality of the power source inside the product;
- supply voltage of 12 or 220 volts;
- service life, depending on the quality of components used by the manufacturer.
Some additional parameters may interest the consumer in the case of the use of LED lamps for street lighting or common areas. These include the class of degree of protection against moisture, dirt, operating temperature range, anti-vandal performance of the case.
LED lamp design
When comparing the appearance of incandescent and LED lamps, you can see only one familiar element - the base, with which you connect to an AC network. Of the main structural elements of LED lighting devices (LED-lamps), the following can be distinguished:
- matte light diffuser of various shapes, replacing a glass bulb;
- light-emitting LED diodes located on an aluminum printed circuit board, instead of a tungsten filament;
- powerful finned radiator made of metal with high conductivity to remove excess heat from the LEDs;
- driver electronic circuit located on the base of the base, which is an element of stabilization of the LED diodes operating mode.
A diffuser made of unbreakable material, a metal radiator protects the LEDs from shock in case of accidental external mechanical stress and makes the design shockproof.
Varieties of drivers
A stable constant luminescence of LEDs is provided by the flow of direct current through their structure. LED diodes cannot be connected directly to a 220 volt home AC network. The design of the LED lamp provides for the presence in it of a device that performs the function of a constant current source. It lowers the alternating voltage of the supply network to the required value, converts it to direct current and performs stabilization of its value.
Depending on the component base used by the developer, several types of driver electronic circuits can be distinguished:
- capacitor circuits for reducing AC voltage;
- circuits using a step-down voltage transformer;
- pulse circuits using pulse width modulated (PWM) generators.
The first two groups are linear type drivers. They are distinguished by ease of assembly, the ability to adjust the output parameters over a wide range by changing the values of the elements included in their circuit. Their cost is relatively low. Pulse circuits using PWM generators assembled on microcircuits in a single package are highly efficient. Their coefficient of performance (COP) reaches 98%.
How to choose an LED driver
The luminous flux of the lamp should provide the necessary level of illumination. For workrooms, it is established by building codes and building codes (SNiP). When purchasing LED lamps, it should be borne in mind that the manufacturer indicates the total power consumed by the product, which is the sum of the power of the LED diodes used and the power consumed by the electronic circuit. The most common drivers consume 1-2 watts.
It is necessary to take into account the efficiency, which depends on the driver circuit. The simplest inexpensive drivers of the linear type can reduce it to 80%. The use of matte light diffusers reduces the luminous flux by another 15-20%.
The driver can be purchased as a separate finished product or assembled independently from the designer, available in numerous online stores. This will save about 20% of the price of LED lamps. With this method of solving the problem, it is necessary to take into account the parameters of the maximum power output by the device, which should not be less than the load power. The circuit should provide an output voltage and operating current sufficient for the LED diodes to operate in nominal brightness mode.
The ratio of different types of lamps
The real ratio of incandescent and LED lamps suggests that most often consumers are interested in saving energy while receiving the same illumination from different light sources. The unit of measurement for illumination is lux. This value is measured by a device called a luxmeter. It shows the luminous flux of the light source per 1 m 2 of the area illuminated by it. A luminous flux of a larger magnitude also creates greater illumination. The ratio of the brightness of incandescent and LED lamps shows that the former consume about 8-10 times more power.
The table below is based on the use of special measuring instruments. It gives a visual representation of the ratio of the power of incandescent lamps, LED and energy-saving light sources.
Replacing an incandescent lamp with LEDs
When replacing, the main attention should be paid to the type of cap of the lamps to be replaced. They should have the same designation according to international classification. The most common of these are E27 and E14. They are designed to connect to an AC 220 V.
It is advisable to use products of famous brands. It will comply with the specifications declared by the manufacturer. Additionally, you can pay attention to the color temperature of the light. It corresponds to natural white light (4,200 K), warm white light (2,700 K) or cold white light (6,400 K).
Advantages and disadvantages of LED lamps
The ratio of the LED lamp and the incandescent lamp determines that the first of them has lower power consumption. Its service life declared by the manufacturer exceeds 30,000 hours. This is significantly more than 1,000 hours of continuous operation of lamps with a filament. In addition, it has a higher mechanical strength of the housing.
The ratio of watts of LED lamps and incandescent lamps shows that, with the same power consumption, the first of them emit a significantly greater luminous flux, while creating higher illumination.
The main disadvantage of LED light sources today is their high price. Such lamps emit light in one direction, which implies their use in table lamps or in ceiling structures with a large number of emitters installed at different angles.
Unscrupulous manufacturers often offer LED lamps for sale, the drivers of which do not provide a sufficient level of smoothing DC ripple that feeds the LEDs. This leads to a noticeable eye by the constant flickering of the light emitted by them.
Conclusion
The ratio of the LED lamp and the incandescent lamp will allow the reader to choose the necessary light source, taking into account all the costs of its acquisition and subsequent operating costs. It is worth only taking into account that the obvious advantages of LED lamps can be nullified with a misleading desire to save by buying cheap products from unknown manufacturers.