Breakthrough New Technology Could Triple Light Bulb Efficiency

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have reportedly made a breakthrough in light bulb technology which could increase the efficiency of bulbs currently on the market by as much as three times.

Existing models in the EU, the USA and Canada rely on the use of LED and compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, which have replaced Thomas Edison’s traditional tungsten filament bulbs over the past decades. This is because they were found to be far more efficient – though MIT researchers have refined old technology to bring tungsten back and make it even more effective than its successors.

The History of the Light Bulb

US inventor Edison came up with the first light bulb in the 1880s, heating a filament of tungsten wire to temperatures upwards of 2,700°C. This incandescent model produced light due to the immense heat of the wire – though it has been found to be incredibly inefficient, with only 1% - 3% of all energy used actually being converted into light.

As a result, its use has been phased out in the States, Canada and the EU. Instead, CFL and LED technology has become the norm. This is more expensive but vastly more efficient, converting roughly 13% of energy into light.

However, the MIT team believe they may be able to bring about a comeback for tungsten by recouping much of the energy lost to heat and feeding it back into the filament, thus increasing efficiency levels even further. Their findings have been published in the scientific journal Nature Nanotechnology.

How the Tungsten Reboot Works

The new tungsten models work via the employment of nanotechnology, which captures the infrared rays as they come off the filament and feeds them back to their source. The rays are then reabsorbed and reintegrated into the wire, generating more light in the process.

The ingenuity of the technology lies in the stacking of layers of a crystal capable of manipulating light. Visible waves of light are allowed through the crystalline structure, while infrared waves are reflected back to their source. In this manner, pilot projects have managed to increase the efficiency of the tungsten bulb to as much as 6.6%. That’s already around three times as efficient as existing incandescent technology, but the MIT team aren’t satisfied yet. They hope to surpass LED and CFL technology by the same margin, earmarking a total efficiency rating of 40% once the technology has been fully developed.

“Thomas Edison was not the first one to work on the design of the light bulb, but what he did was figure out how to mass produce it cheaply and keep it stable longer than 10 hours, these are still the two critical criteria. These are the questions we are trying to answer now,” explained Professor Marin Solijacic to BBC News.

Greener Light Bulbs for a Greener Tomorrow

If the expectations of the team are realised, these new ultra-efficient light bulbs could provide a valuable resource in ensuring healthy, energy-efficient buildings, which will not only save companies and homeowners a small fortune in energy bills, but could also do wonders for the environment as a whole.  

“We have this huge challenge that the world is facing right now, global warming and energy efficiency and this gives you one more tool in the toolbox to meet that huge challenge,” Professor Solijacic went on. “We are very excited about the potential.”