High Pressure Sodium HPS

High pressure sodium or HPS bulbs are smaller than Low Pressure Sodium Lamps and contain some elements such as mercury, and have a dark pinkish light when first started, and a pinkish orange glow when they are warm up’d. Some HPS bulbs can momentarily produce a pure to bluish white light in between starting and at full light output. This is due from the mercury glowing before the sodium is completely heated. All HPS Bulbs reguire the use of a HPS Ballast. The sodium element is the main source of light from a HPS lamp, and it has to be extremely pressure broadened by the high sodium pressures in the light bulb; due to this widening and the gases emitted from mercury, colors of these elements under these lamps can be distinguished quite easily. HPS Lamps are widely used by hydroponic-growers for general growing purposes. ( They create flowering and budding in the plants) because of the wide color-temperature spectrum that the HPS Bulb produces and is relatively energy-efficient and does not cost much to operate.

HPS Systems are very efficient—about 100/110 lm/W—when measured for photopic lighting conditions. They are commonly used for outdoor lighting (HPS Fixtures) such as streetlights and where security lighting is needed.

Xenon at a very low pressure is needed as a “starter gas” in the High Pressure Sodium lamp. Xenon has one of the lowest thermal conductivity (Xenon) and the lowest ionization potential of all the non-radioactive noble gases (The noble gases are a section of chemical elements with like properties: under normal conditions, they are all odorless, colorless, monatomic gases, with a very low chemical reactivity. ). As a noble gas, because they are so stable, do not interfere with the chemical reactions in the fully operating HPS lamp. Most HPS Lamps require 5-10 minutes to reach full brightness.