The Nightsword project
- Thread starter get-lit
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Merry Christmas to all you NightSword followers and of course, the designer!
My heart skips a beat whenever I see this thread active!
My heart skips a beat whenever I see this thread active!
get-lit
Flashlight Enthusiast
All this time I'd been confused why my beamcalc had been overestimating the power of the Nightsun SX-16 by nearly three fold. I just discovered the stock Nightsun lamp is only 56,000 Lumen with a massive 5.6mm arc gap. I'd been assuming it used one of the better selections of the Osram XBO 1600W lamps. BVH, if you could rig one in, you'd see about 2.7x increase in Lux.
Non-Enhanced Nightsun with stock lamp...
Non-Enhanced Nightsun with OSRAM XBO 1600W/HS XL OFR or OSRAM XBO 1600W/HSC XL OFR lamp...
(EDIT: This is incorrect.. I've just measured the luminous area of this lamp at 3.35mm long by 2.3mm wide, not 3.2mm x 1mm)
Non-Enhanced Nightsun with stock lamp...
Non-Enhanced Nightsun with OSRAM XBO 1600W/HS XL OFR or OSRAM XBO 1600W/HSC XL OFR lamp...
(EDIT: This is incorrect.. I've just measured the luminous area of this lamp at 3.35mm long by 2.3mm wide, not 3.2mm x 1mm)
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get-lit
Flashlight Enthusiast
Massive difference. I'm dumbfounded why a lamp with 5.6mm arc gap is used in such a size/weight critical application for airborne use.
get-lit
Flashlight Enthusiast
He might know more about the lamp. I think it just happens to be the lamp that's been in use for eons.
The OEM lamps for the NightSun have been made by Advanced Radiation Corp (ARC) for quite a long time. I would assume as Get-lit says, it's been that way for Eons. Spectrolab is the designer of the lamp, not ARC. ARC just builds and supplies them meeting the MFG's spec. Would be fun to try to rig an Osram lamp in. Shorter gap would mean less KV for ignition so that would not present an obstacle. As long as running Voltage and Amperage is close, seems like it would not be an obstacle.
The good news is that the NightSword will perform significantly better than my SX-16 and in a hand-held format.
The good news is that the NightSword will perform significantly better than my SX-16 and in a hand-held format.
get-lit
Flashlight Enthusiast
They may not have wanted the beam to be too collimated because then flood mode would have much greater hole, unless a smaller reflector is used. But you can't go much smaller because the lamp base has large diameter and needs a lot of clearance for high voltage. So going with smaller reflector would have greatly reduced light gather with the same vertex diameter for safe lamp base clearance. So I'm guessing the larger arc gap was used to make the light more versatile with less flood hole issue.
That makes sense, I can imagine that helicopters take advantage of the adjustable beam spread depending on how close or far away they are from their target.
get-lit
Flashlight Enthusiast
So, every so often I keep going back and pounding my head against the wall about the doughnut hole issue in flood mode with this project's high etendu configuration. It's something I haven't been comfortable with all along. Well now it's resolved, and the solution is so simple. The alignment design and construction is actually more simple than before. I'm not ready to disclose how it's done but I'm keeping BVH up to speed and he is providing helpful feedback. The reduced space required for the alignment assembly, in addition to some other changes, is allowing me to greatly reduce the overall housing size, and not only keep horizontal center of gravity in check, but also vertical.
get-lit
Flashlight Enthusiast
Some time ago, the issue of Mercury startup time had gotten the best of me and I'd decided to make live comparisons to the best of the Xenons.
The issues that had prevented me from going with Xenon in the past are luminous efficiency and the size and weight of the power supply making the system completely unportable while also requiring only 240V AC input. With certain Xenon lamps however, I can design a power supply from the ground up that operates extremely efficient on DC input with a total system weight of under 11 lbs for 1600W as opposed to say around 100 lbs.
Separating the AC to DC component in the power supply design and eliminating the massive transformers allows the power supply to be incredibly smaller and lighter for portable DC operation, with acceptible DC input from 10-80VDC. For running the power supply off 110VAC, 12VDC converters are available for cheap.
I've also devised a method to greatly extend the usable output range so that much lower wattage lamps could be used. Traditional power supplies have a narrow output range because lower watt Xenons are damaged by the startup phase of power supplies designed for higher watt lamps.
My first live comparison is that of the hot spots of the Mercury lamp next to the 1600W Xenon through a double layer of #10 welding shield plus a single layer #5 welding shield, and I like the result. In the photo below, Mercury is on the left and 1600W Xenon is on the right. Although difficult to tell, the Xenon is measurably much brighter at the center of the hot spot, even though the Mercury has two significant advantages in the test. Firstly, the Mercury is a brand new lamp and the Xenon is near EOL. Secondly, Mercury is a "greener" output than Xenon's pure white, therefore the Xenon is more filtered by the green welding shields.
Double layer of #10 welding shield plus a single layer #5 welding shield..
Below are the lamps under #10 welding shield..
Below are the lamps half way through cool down..
Next, I have on order for testing my favorite Xenon on paper, the XStage 2000W. This lamp has 170,000 cd/cm^2 average luminance and can be driven continuously at over 2500W with 208,000 cd/cm^2. However, this lamp may or may not be suitable for the power supply design I have planned and I would have to perform an electrical test of the lamp's startup nature as well. I will receive this lamp for testing this week.
Finally, I also have on order the Ushio version of the famed and long gone XBO 500W/RC OFR with 260,000 cd/cm^2 average luminance. This is no longer in production by either company for quite some time. But for a price, Ushio is producing one for me with the option to order a run of them if all goes well. I ordered a month ago and it should arrive in a few weeks.
I'm excited to compare first hand all of the lamps that have always been at the top of my want list. I will post further comparisons as soon I receive the next two lamps.
The issues that had prevented me from going with Xenon in the past are luminous efficiency and the size and weight of the power supply making the system completely unportable while also requiring only 240V AC input. With certain Xenon lamps however, I can design a power supply from the ground up that operates extremely efficient on DC input with a total system weight of under 11 lbs for 1600W as opposed to say around 100 lbs.
Separating the AC to DC component in the power supply design and eliminating the massive transformers allows the power supply to be incredibly smaller and lighter for portable DC operation, with acceptible DC input from 10-80VDC. For running the power supply off 110VAC, 12VDC converters are available for cheap.
I've also devised a method to greatly extend the usable output range so that much lower wattage lamps could be used. Traditional power supplies have a narrow output range because lower watt Xenons are damaged by the startup phase of power supplies designed for higher watt lamps.
My first live comparison is that of the hot spots of the Mercury lamp next to the 1600W Xenon through a double layer of #10 welding shield plus a single layer #5 welding shield, and I like the result. In the photo below, Mercury is on the left and 1600W Xenon is on the right. Although difficult to tell, the Xenon is measurably much brighter at the center of the hot spot, even though the Mercury has two significant advantages in the test. Firstly, the Mercury is a brand new lamp and the Xenon is near EOL. Secondly, Mercury is a "greener" output than Xenon's pure white, therefore the Xenon is more filtered by the green welding shields.
Double layer of #10 welding shield plus a single layer #5 welding shield..
Below are the lamps under #10 welding shield..
Below are the lamps half way through cool down..
Next, I have on order for testing my favorite Xenon on paper, the XStage 2000W. This lamp has 170,000 cd/cm^2 average luminance and can be driven continuously at over 2500W with 208,000 cd/cm^2. However, this lamp may or may not be suitable for the power supply design I have planned and I would have to perform an electrical test of the lamp's startup nature as well. I will receive this lamp for testing this week.
Finally, I also have on order the Ushio version of the famed and long gone XBO 500W/RC OFR with 260,000 cd/cm^2 average luminance. This is no longer in production by either company for quite some time. But for a price, Ushio is producing one for me with the option to order a run of them if all goes well. I ordered a month ago and it should arrive in a few weeks.
I'm excited to compare first hand all of the lamps that have always been at the top of my want list. I will post further comparisons as soon I receive the next two lamps.
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Really looking forward to learn more about your two new lamps.
As far as I know, no one has ever tried the 500W ultra short arc in a searchlight application before, so that should be interesting.
BTW, the mercury lamp looks amusingly tiny beside the Xenon :laughing:
As far as I know, no one has ever tried the 500W ultra short arc in a searchlight application before, so that should be interesting.
BTW, the mercury lamp looks amusingly tiny beside the Xenon :laughing:
The 300 Watt Mercury lamps in my Locators are only 2.35" in length and the arc chamber diameter is .400". Downside......25 Hr life. GE MARC300 EZS
Talk about the cliche "He who burns the brightest, burns the shortest"
Talk about the cliche "He who burns the brightest, burns the shortest"
get-lit
Flashlight Enthusiast
PolarLi, the XStage lamp will be even larger. For the Mercury lamp's size, it's intensity and efficacy is amazing. I'm sure you're quite familiar with this lamp. If only it didn't take so long to start up.
BVH, it has too small an Anode to dissipate heat and the internal volume is not large enough to keep the envelope from darkening quickly. "He who burns the brightest, burns the shortest".. and at 25 hours that lamp didn't even make the 27 club of lamps
BVH, it has too small an Anode to dissipate heat and the internal volume is not large enough to keep the envelope from darkening quickly. "He who burns the brightest, burns the shortest".. and at 25 hours that lamp didn't even make the 27 club of lamps
Davekan
Newly Enlightened
Cool pictures. I also like both of those lamps. The little 500 has a luminous area of only .8 mm x .7 mm That should make a very narrow beam. I still like the Xstage bulb because they are easy to get, and have very high intensity, and way more lumens.
Just to let you know my 3000 watt power supply only weighs about 35 lbs. It also has 120 volt 500 watt in it that probably can be removed to make it even lighter.
That is a great idea, to go DC/DC, to make it even smaller, and also weigh less.
Dave
Just to let you know my 3000 watt power supply only weighs about 35 lbs. It also has 120 volt 500 watt in it that probably can be removed to make it even lighter.
That is a great idea, to go DC/DC, to make it even smaller, and also weigh less.
Dave
get-lit
Flashlight Enthusiast
Hi Dave, Xenon power supplies weighed more back when I decided on the Mercury lamp. Now there's a new PowerGems 3000W power supply that weighs only 13 lbs. Very nice! But still is AC input only and not capable of being converted to DC input by circumventing the AC/DC conversion, according to the manufacturer.
The power supply I'm making will weigh just a few lbs and accept 10-80VDC. Also, the entire system I have planned will be fully submersible in salt water. It could be operational underwater if not for the lamp itself. The issue that prevents fully encapsulated power supplies is they require ventilated cooling surfaces of specific components and encapsulation/conformal coatings are all very much thermally insulating. So I came up with a method to make the encapsulation/conformal coating actually much more thermally conductive than an aluminum heat sink while also being fully electrically insulating. This would also help to reduce weight because the coating would eliminate the need for heat sinks while also being even more thermally conductive.
Here is video of salt water submersion with a DC fan I've insulated
(The fan has been in the salt water for over a month and runs every time)
The power supply I'm making will weigh just a few lbs and accept 10-80VDC. Also, the entire system I have planned will be fully submersible in salt water. It could be operational underwater if not for the lamp itself. The issue that prevents fully encapsulated power supplies is they require ventilated cooling surfaces of specific components and encapsulation/conformal coatings are all very much thermally insulating. So I came up with a method to make the encapsulation/conformal coating actually much more thermally conductive than an aluminum heat sink while also being fully electrically insulating. This would also help to reduce weight because the coating would eliminate the need for heat sinks while also being even more thermally conductive.
Here is video of salt water submersion with a DC fan I've insulated
(The fan has been in the salt water for over a month and runs every time)
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