The History of Lighting
Can you imagine your life without lighting? Close your eyes for a moment and think that it was exactly like this, in the darkness, that our ancestors lived. In today's article we invite you to know a little more about the long History of Lighting.
Before the discovery of fire 125,000 years ago, Man was limited to natural daylight to carry out his tasks, usually dependent on vision. It was in the Paleolithic period that our ancestor Homo Habilis made one of the greatest discoveries in all of history, by mastering fire and lighting the first bonfires, the history of lighting began.
Before the discovery of fire 125,000 years ago, Man was limited to natural daylight to carry out his tasks, usually dependent on vision. It was in the Paleolithic period that our ancestor Homo Habilis made one of the greatest discoveries in all of history, by mastering fire and lighting the first bonfires, the history of lighting began.
Torches
The first instrument built by Man to carry fire, about 70,000 years ago, were primitive torches, which little by little were perfected. The first torches were made with tree trunks wrapped in animal fat.
Handheld or wall-mounted torches have progressed far beyond their rudimentary beginnings, but the basic principles have remained the same over the years.
The first instrument built by Man to carry fire, about 70,000 years ago, were primitive torches, which little by little were perfected. The first torches were made with tree trunks wrapped in animal fat.
Handheld or wall-mounted torches have progressed far beyond their rudimentary beginnings, but the basic principles have remained the same over the years.
Candles
Later, the first candles were born, built with vegetable fibers and animal fat, which were stored in stone and clay containers, as well as logs and shells, and became known as lamps.
Candlesticks dating back to the 4th century BC have been found in Egypt. On the other hand, Asian societies are believed to have produced whale blubber candles as early as 200 B.C. Evidence indicates that modern candles appeared in Rome in the 1st century B.C.
Due to the fact that they are made with animal fat and vegetable fibers, production was limited and the price was quite high, making them inaccessible to the majority of the population, and they were mainly used for liturgical purposes.
Later they started to be produced with beeswax, which did not have the unpleasant smell characteristic of candles of animal origin.
After 1860, paraffin was distilled from petroleum and was produced in large quantities, which made it possible to manufacture good quality candles at low cost, which allowed the lighting of homes with candles similar to today's candles.
Later, the first candles were born, built with vegetable fibers and animal fat, which were stored in stone and clay containers, as well as logs and shells, and became known as lamps.
Candlesticks dating back to the 4th century BC have been found in Egypt. On the other hand, Asian societies are believed to have produced whale blubber candles as early as 200 B.C. Evidence indicates that modern candles appeared in Rome in the 1st century B.C.
Due to the fact that they are made with animal fat and vegetable fibers, production was limited and the price was quite high, making them inaccessible to the majority of the population, and they were mainly used for liturgical purposes.
Later they started to be produced with beeswax, which did not have the unpleasant smell characteristic of candles of animal origin.
After 1860, paraffin was distilled from petroleum and was produced in large quantities, which made it possible to manufacture good quality candles at low cost, which allowed the lighting of homes with candles similar to today's candles.
Oil Lighting
Evidence of the use of oil in lighting comes 4,500 years ago in Ur, an ancient city in southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq).
The lamps were appearing little by little. These were containers with a rod in the center that generated the flame, using a fuel. The fuel used depended on availability, but it was common to use olive oil (in Mediterranean countries), sesame oil (in the East), walnut oil, fish oil, among others.
Oil lamps and candles were the main form of lighting in ordinary homes and remained largely unchanged until the Industrial Revolution.
Evidence of the use of oil in lighting comes 4,500 years ago in Ur, an ancient city in southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq).
The lamps were appearing little by little. These were containers with a rod in the center that generated the flame, using a fuel. The fuel used depended on availability, but it was common to use olive oil (in Mediterranean countries), sesame oil (in the East), walnut oil, fish oil, among others.
Oil lamps and candles were the main form of lighting in ordinary homes and remained largely unchanged until the Industrial Revolution.
Gas Lighting
From the lamp to the lamp was a rapid evolution. Initially made of clay, and later adapted to metal, the lantern consisted of a metal base with a glass frame and was initially fueled with animal and vegetable oil, which around the year 1800 was replaced by gas.
The burning gas was emitted through a labyrinth of underground pipes that led from the gas factory's supply tanks and through the streets to reach homes, churches, shops and city offices.
Although much brighter than oil lighting, up to 10 times the luminous efficiency of open flame lighting, gas lamps were still very dim by modern standards.
Over the years different types of gas have been used, such as methane, butane, propane, hydrogen and natural gas.
From the lamp to the lamp was a rapid evolution. Initially made of clay, and later adapted to metal, the lantern consisted of a metal base with a glass frame and was initially fueled with animal and vegetable oil, which around the year 1800 was replaced by gas.
The burning gas was emitted through a labyrinth of underground pipes that led from the gas factory's supply tanks and through the streets to reach homes, churches, shops and city offices.
Although much brighter than oil lighting, up to 10 times the luminous efficiency of open flame lighting, gas lamps were still very dim by modern standards.
Over the years different types of gas have been used, such as methane, butane, propane, hydrogen and natural gas.
Incandescent lamp
The first work on incandescent lamps dates back to around 1840. But the world of lighting would certainly not be the same without the invention of the electric light bulb by Thomas Edison in 1879. This innovation replaced gas lighting and is currently the main source of lighting. artificial in the world.
The first successful prototype was developed on October 22, 1879, and the incandescent light from this lamp burned for 13 and a half hours. A few months later, Edison discovered a carbonized bamboo filament that burned for 1200 hours. This was the revolutionary lighting technology needed to establish electricity as the primary source of energy for indoor and outdoor lighting and which has become the lighting standard for decades.
In 1881, Edison's company manufactured complete systems consisting of dynamo, cables, switches, sockets and lamps. This system was used to light factories, large stores and the homes of the richest families.
By 1910 gas lighting could no longer compete with electric lighting due to its economy, convenience and safety, and electric lighting became the standard.
Incandescent lamps have been improved over the years and by 1920 they had an efficiency close to 15 lumens/watt.
The first work on incandescent lamps dates back to around 1840. But the world of lighting would certainly not be the same without the invention of the electric light bulb by Thomas Edison in 1879. This innovation replaced gas lighting and is currently the main source of lighting. artificial in the world.
The first successful prototype was developed on October 22, 1879, and the incandescent light from this lamp burned for 13 and a half hours. A few months later, Edison discovered a carbonized bamboo filament that burned for 1200 hours. This was the revolutionary lighting technology needed to establish electricity as the primary source of energy for indoor and outdoor lighting and which has become the lighting standard for decades.
In 1881, Edison's company manufactured complete systems consisting of dynamo, cables, switches, sockets and lamps. This system was used to light factories, large stores and the homes of the richest families.
By 1910 gas lighting could no longer compete with electric lighting due to its economy, convenience and safety, and electric lighting became the standard.
Incandescent lamps have been improved over the years and by 1920 they had an efficiency close to 15 lumens/watt.
Fluorescent lamp
Incandescent lamps would continue to dominate the lighting world until the introduction of fluorescent lamps.
Edmund Germer and his colleagues produced working versions of fluorescent lamps in the late 1920s. Germer's initial goal was to create a UV light source that could be operated without elaborate electrical control. By coating the inside of the lamp with UV fluorescent material, Germer found it to be an innovative light source and patented fluorescent lamps in 1926.
Although early fluorescent lamps required unusual high voltage connectors to operate, their high efficiency compared to incandescent lamps was significant, which created demand that grew at an unprecedented rate, contradicting the initial idea that these lamps would be in limited demand due to their complexity.
Incandescent lamps would continue to dominate the lighting world until the introduction of fluorescent lamps.
Edmund Germer and his colleagues produced working versions of fluorescent lamps in the late 1920s. Germer's initial goal was to create a UV light source that could be operated without elaborate electrical control. By coating the inside of the lamp with UV fluorescent material, Germer found it to be an innovative light source and patented fluorescent lamps in 1926.
Although early fluorescent lamps required unusual high voltage connectors to operate, their high efficiency compared to incandescent lamps was significant, which created demand that grew at an unprecedented rate, contradicting the initial idea that these lamps would be in limited demand due to their complexity.
LED
Most people think that LED technology is relatively recent, mainly because it only became affordable in the last decade. However, technically, Henry Joseph Round invented the first LED in 1907. Unfortunately, the pale yellow light that resulted from his experiment was not enough to illuminate a room. As this first test looked like a failure, no one developed this technology again for decades.
In 1927, Russian scientist Oleg Losev built the first light emitting diode, or light emitting diode in English (LED), while working with radio receivers. He observed a point of greenish light emitted at the contact point when direct current passed through a contact junction at the silicon carbide point. Losev was the first to propose a theory of how they worked and to visualize practical applications for LEDs, when he published his findings in a Russian scientific journal.
Nick Holonyak, Jr., an engineer working at General Electric, made a monumental discovery in 1962 when he developed an LED that emitted visible light, that is, emitted light that could be seen in the visible spectrum of frequency. It was a red LED.
M. George Craford, Holonyak's student, building on his mentor's research, developed, in 1972, a much brighter red LED light, and managed to improve the emission of another color by creating the first LED to emit visible yellow light.
In 1993, Shuji Nakamura, who worked at Nichia Corporation, was the innovator behind the blue LED. The blue LED was important because it could be combined with yellow light, thus creating the desired white light. Considered a major advance in lighting technology, his work was recognized and Nakamura won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics.
With the increasing use of LEDs, as a result of various advantages that you can know here, the LED story is not over yet. On the contrary, new developments are made frequently and LED technology continues to advance into new areas.
It is fascinating to see the evolution of Enlightenment over the past century and try to imagine the innovations that the future holds.
Most people think that LED technology is relatively recent, mainly because it only became affordable in the last decade. However, technically, Henry Joseph Round invented the first LED in 1907. Unfortunately, the pale yellow light that resulted from his experiment was not enough to illuminate a room. As this first test looked like a failure, no one developed this technology again for decades.
In 1927, Russian scientist Oleg Losev built the first light emitting diode, or light emitting diode in English (LED), while working with radio receivers. He observed a point of greenish light emitted at the contact point when direct current passed through a contact junction at the silicon carbide point. Losev was the first to propose a theory of how they worked and to visualize practical applications for LEDs, when he published his findings in a Russian scientific journal.
Nick Holonyak, Jr., an engineer working at General Electric, made a monumental discovery in 1962 when he developed an LED that emitted visible light, that is, emitted light that could be seen in the visible spectrum of frequency. It was a red LED.
M. George Craford, Holonyak's student, building on his mentor's research, developed, in 1972, a much brighter red LED light, and managed to improve the emission of another color by creating the first LED to emit visible yellow light.
In 1993, Shuji Nakamura, who worked at Nichia Corporation, was the innovator behind the blue LED. The blue LED was important because it could be combined with yellow light, thus creating the desired white light. Considered a major advance in lighting technology, his work was recognized and Nakamura won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics.
With the increasing use of LEDs, as a result of various advantages that you can know here, the LED story is not over yet. On the contrary, new developments are made frequently and LED technology continues to advance into new areas.
It is fascinating to see the evolution of Enlightenment over the past century and try to imagine the innovations that the future holds.