It is not entirely correct to call a LED source a lamp. It is a lighting electronic unit with 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 requests. He will be able to evaluate the ratio of the power of incandescent lamps and LED light sources to illuminate an area of the same area, compare the material costs required for this.
Basic parameters of LED lamps
The strength of the light emitted by an incandescent lamp is determined by the power consumption of electrical energy.
The ratio of LED lamp and incandescent lamp shows that for devices in which emitting LEDs serve as a light source, it is necessaryapplying a number of additional parameters:
- the amount of luminous flux emitted, measured in lumens (lm) for the international system of units;
- power consumption of electrical energy by the LED device, measured in watts (W);
- the efficiency of the LED light source, which determines the amount of luminous flux when the device consumes 1 W of electrical power;
- color temperature that determines the shades of the emitted light (daylight, warm white, cool white);
- type of applied plinth with international classification;
- ripple factor, depending on the quality of the power source inside the product case;
- supply voltage of 12 or 220 volts;
- service life depending on the quality of the components used by the manufacturer.
Some additional parameters may be of interest to the consumer in the case of using LED lamps for street lighting or public areas. These include the class of degree of protection against moisture, dirt, operating temperature range, anti-vandal design of the housing.
LED lamp design
When comparing the appearance of incandescent and LED lamps, you can see only one familiar element - the base, which is used to connect to the AC mains. Of the main design elements of LED lighting devices (LED-lamps), the following can be distinguished:
- matte light diffuser of various shapes, replacing the glass bulb;
- light-emitting LED diodes located on an aluminum circuit board instead of a tungsten filament;
- Powerful finned heatsink made of highly conductive metal to dissipate excess heat from LEDs;
- driver electronic circuit located on the base of the base, which is an element of stabilizing the mode of operation of LED diodes.
Diffuser made of shatterproof material, metal heatsink protect the LEDs from shock from accidental external mechanical impact and make the structure shockproof.
Varieties of drivers
The stable constant glow of the LEDs is ensured by the flow of direct current through their structure. LED diodes cannot be connected directly to a 220 volt home AC power supply. The design of the LED lamp provides for the presence of a device in it that performs the function of a constant current source. It lowers the alternating voltage of the supply network to the required value, converts it into direct current and stabilizes its value.
Depending on the element base used by the developer, several types of electronic driver circuits can be distinguished:
- circuits using capacitors to step down AC voltage;
- circuits using a step-down mains voltage transformer;
- pulse circuits using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) oscillators.
Firsttwo groups belong to linear type drivers. They are distinguished by ease of assembly, the ability to adjust the output parameters over a wide range by changing the ratings of the elements included in their circuit. Their cost is relatively low. Pulse circuits using PWM generators assembled on microcircuits in one package are highly efficient. Their coefficient of performance (COP) reaches 98%.
How to choose an LED driver
The luminous flux of the lamp must provide the required level of illumination. For working premises, it is established by building codes and regulations (SNiP). When purchasing LED lamps, it should be taken into account that the manufacturer indicates the total power consumed by the product, which is the sum of the powers 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 linear type drivers can reduce it by up 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, which is commercially available in numerous online stores. This will save about 20% of the price of the LED lamp. 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 must provide an output voltage and operating current sufficientfor operation of LED diodes in nominal brightness mode.
Ratios of different types of lamps
The real ratio of incandescent lamps and LED lamps suggests that most often the consumer is interested in saving energy consumption when obtaining the same illumination from different light sources. The unit of measure for illuminance is lux. This value is measured by a device called a luxmeter. It shows the luminous flux of a light source per 1 m2 of the area it illuminates. A larger luminous flux also creates greater illumination. The brightness ratio of incandescent and LED lamps shows that the former consume about 8-10 times more power.
The above table 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 bulb with LEDs
The main consideration when replacing should be given to the type of base of the lamps to be replaced. They must have the same designation according to the international classification. The most common of these are E27 and E14. They are rated for 220V AC power.
It is advisable to use well-known brands. It will correspond to the characteristics declared by the manufacturer. Additionally, you can pay attention to the color temperature of the light. It corresponds to natural white light (4200K), warm white light (2700K) or cool white light (6400K).
Advantages and disadvantages of LED lamps
The ratio of LED lamp and incandescent lamp determines that the former has a lower power consumption. Its service life, declared by the manufacturer, exceeds 30,000 hours. This is well over 1,000 hours of continuous filament lamp operation. In addition, it has a higher mechanical strength of the body.
The ratio of watts of LED lamps and incandescent lamps shows that with the same power consumption, the former 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 suggests 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 of the DC ripple that feeds the LEDs. This results in a constant flickering of the light emitted by them, noticeable to the eye.
Conclusion
The ratio of LED lamp and 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. Costsjust keep in mind that the obvious advantages of LED lamps can be negated by a deceptive desire to save money by buying cheap products from unknown manufacturers.
