Light Bulbs - Most Heat, Least Cost

Like an electric heater radiant element, perhaps? Here's a high temperature one in a metal housing:

Operating cost is the price per kWh from the utility provider, multiplied by the kW of the appliance multiplied by the time that it is on for.

These all make heat. The one on the right could be 100W/115V depending on the bulb.

Are trying to keep something from freezing?

Somewhere at home I have a heater that is meant to screw into a light bulb socket. It is about the size of a light bulb, its a ceramic cone with groves and the heating element wire sits in the groves as it wraps around the cone. On the small part of the cone is a fitting to screw into a light bulb socket.

What is the heat you want it to produce and the light?

Do you want a bulb that can withstand the heat or that produces the heat?

In the TRIZ there is always a principle of splitting it- go for a high efficiency heater (to produce the heat- to the watts/ cals you need) and a bulb separately (to produce the lux/candela that you need again efficiently) - why do you want to have them married when they are both comfortable as single?

Quartz heaters reach about 950^oC, and energy is a function of power and time, so multiply your electric utility rate (cost per kW-hr) times your bulb kilowattage.

See here for energy stuff. Here is a brochure for an example.

Good old fasioned heat lamps give fair light but direct a good deal of heat in the direction they are pointed. Very cheap to buy too!

My Zerox copier uses a long quartz halogen bulb for thre fuser heater.

What temperature are you trying to achieve?

DJ,

I googled "ceramic heat emmiter" and got this.

Jon

Halogen bulbs produce higher heat than tungsten filiment bulbs and last longer.

A typical 100W incandescent bulb produces less than 2W of light. The rest of the energy must be emitted as heat. Messing about trying to get better than 98% is probably a waste of time.

If you explain why you need the 'highest temperature' light bulb you will likely get much better answers.

What is your power supply/how much power is available?

Do you actually need illumination or is heat your only objective?

How is the lamp positioned in the metal housing?

Do you need the heat to be omni-directional or focused in a single direction?

There are simply too many variables to give you a good answer, though I would be inclined to agree that Quartz Halogen Lamps will give you both a bright light and a lot of heat (depending on wattage) at a moderate cost. A carbon arc lamp may give you more, but it will cost more, and has a number of added safety issue related to it.

Generally speaking after about 1 - 5 minutes the lamp will be as hot as it is going to get, everything around it will achieve maximum heat levels after a fairly short time depending on the conductivity of the materials in question (aluminum will heat up faster then brass, metal will heat up faster than ceramic or glass... The reverse is true as well, materials that heat up faster will cool faster) and peak temperatures will be affected by the materials as well... depending on what your objectives are you may want to involve some of the folks on the 'Chemical and Material Science' section for information on the thermal properties of your materials...

Thank you so much for yor responce on light bulbs and heat. The answers, and questions you ask have given somethings, that I will check.

I am working on developing something that will heat a liquid as close to 200 degrees as possible and keep it there with the least cost to keep it there. it will be 6 gal, the thing is it will be used 10 to 15 ft away. while the liquid is away from the heat source it will cool down and must be reheated. the liguid is not used up, it is a closed loop.

Thank you.

DJ

Metal pail?

Why not a band heater.

You could probably have an extension cord making it a portable unit.

200°F or 200°C

If °F What about a kettle element.

I'm guessing lighting will not be your best solution... I think GW and Randall are on the right path... if the liquid is in a container it should be feasible to use an electric heating element either internally or externally, even if the container is mobile...

Using an electric heating element will also allow you to use a thermostat so you can maintain exactly the temperature you are looking for (within the precision range of the thermostat you buy).

If you absolutely need to use light to achieve this goal the only source I can think of that will be dependable would be LASER... now we're talking about some $$$ and major safety issues...

while the liquid is away from the heat source it will cool down and must be reheated.

I would start checking into insulating options, there are lots of amazing insulators out there that may prevent heat loss well enough that you don't need to worry as much about re-heating...