DIETZ@RUTGERS.ARPA (10/29/84)
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. -------
Cramer%ti-csl.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa (10/29/84)
From: Nichael <Cramer%ti-csl.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa> Query: What percentage of the "generated" 2500 MW would be required to conduct the Laser isotope seperation? NLC -------
ltn@lems.UUCP (Les Niles) (11/21/84)
In article <sri-arpa.11819> DIETZ@RUTGERS.ARPA writes: > >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. >------- OK, but how much of that 2500 MW is going to be used up by the laser isotope separation??? -Les Niles