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From: DIETZ@RUTGERS.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: More efficient fluorescent lights
Message-ID: <11819@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 28-Oct-84 20:12:05 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.11819
Posted: Sun Oct 28 20:12:05 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 30-Oct-84 08:22:16 EST
Lines: 10


A group of physicists at GTE have shown (Science, 26-Oct-84) that if you
increase the density of Hg-196 in mercury fluorescent lights from natural
density of .146% to around 4% the bulb becomes about 5% more efficient.
Laser isotope separation should make this feasible.  While 5% doesn't
sound like much, the power consumed by fluorescent lights in the US averages
to around 50,000 megawatts, so this technique could "generate" 2500 MW.
The only change necessary is replacement of current fluorescent bulbs with
otherwise identical bulbs containing enriched mercury.
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