[Stoves] Gas lamp efficiency

[AJH]

On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 10:58:44 -0500, Paul S. Anderson wrote:

>The data provided by Dr. Anil K. Rajvanshi who heads the Nimbkar Agricultural
>Research Institute (NARI) in Phaltan, India, gives alcohol the value of 2.82
>lumens per Watt.  That would be per Watt of thermal energy (?), and is 
>specific
>to the Noorie lantern.

I expect Anil will respond so I'll just re present the figures in a
slightly modified format.

I've added my own line using LEDs and TEG at 6% and 12% conversion. My
reasoning is that we have to consider the amount of light required and
the genset is really restricted to larger scale use.

 Bulb                 13.4 lm/W(e)    2.68 lm/W(t)
 Noorie kerosine                      2.03 lm/W(t)
 Noorie alcohol                       2.82 lm/W(t)
 Hurricane (kerosene)                 0.35 lm/W(t)
 Petromax (kerosene)                  1.27 lm/W(t)
 Fluorescent tube    60.0 lm/W(e)    12.00 lm/W(t)
 Bright LED & 6% TEG 60.0 lm/W(e)     3.60 lm/W(t)
 Bright LED &12% TEG 60.0 lm/W(e)     7.20 lm/W(t)

>The Noorie lamp uses a mantle.  What does it take to get the mantle to burn
>brightly?   

My understanding is that the thorium oxide that impregnates the silk
mantle is left as a fragile residue when the lamp is first used. This
oxide then becomes excited by the heat energy, the bright light
emitted is when atoms of the oxide spontaneously relax to a lower
energy state. In doing so they release the energy as a photon of
light.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/gas-lantern2.htm

AJH