Svoboda Igor Nikolaevich
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Disputes about who was the true inventor of the incandescent lamp continue to this day. Basically, two names appear - Thomas Edison and Alexander Lodygin. In fact, the great discovery took place thanks to the hard work of many scientists.
Since ancient times, people have been looking for ways to illuminate at night. For example, analogues of the kerosene lamp were used in Ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean. To do this, a cotton wick was inserted into special clay vessels and olive oil was poured.
Residents of the Caspian Sea coast used a similar device, only instead of oil they poured oil into the vessel. In the Middle Ages, clay lamps were replaced by candles made of beeswax and lard.
But at all times, scientists and inventors have been looking for an opportunity to create a durable and safe lighting device.
After humanity learned about electricity, research reached a qualitatively new level.
For the invention of the first electric lamps suitable for commercial use, we have three scientists from different countries to thank. Independently of each other, they carried out their experiments and eventually achieved a result that turned the world upside down.
IMPORTANT! In the 70s of the 19th century, three patents were received for the latest devices - carbon incandescent lamps in vacuum flasks.
In 1874, the outstanding scientist Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin patented his incandescent lamp in Russia.
In 1878 Joseph Wilson Swan applied for a British patent.
In 1879, inventor Thomas Edison received an American patent.
It was Edison who created the first industrial company to produce incandescent lamps. The big credit is that he was able to achieve a long runtime of over 1,200 hours thanks to the use of carbonized bamboo fiber.
In the early 80s of the 19th century, Edison and Swan organized a joint company in Britain. It was called “Edison and Swan”. At that time it became the largest manufacturer of electric lamps.
In the 90s, Alexander Lodygin moved to America, where he proposed using a tungsten or molybdenum spiral. This was another technological breakthrough. Lodygin sold his patent to General Electric, which began producing electric lamps with tungsten filament.
And already in 1920, one of the company’s employees, William David Coolidge, told the world how tungsten filament could be produced on an industrial scale. That same year, another General Electric scientist named Irving Langmuir proposed filling a light bulb with an inert gas.
This is what significantly increased the operating period of the incandescent lamp, and also increased the light output.
Humanity still uses these devices to this day.
The history of the light bulb
Of course, the history of the creation of the lamp is inseparable from the development of such a science as electrical engineering. It dates back to the discovery of electric current in the 18th century. This discovery contributed to the fact that outstanding scientists from all over the world began to study and develop electrical engineering, which by that time had become an independent science.
ON A NOTE! A distinctive feature of the “Yablochkov candle” was that it did not require a vacuum. The filament, made of kaolin, did not burn out and did not lose its properties in the open air.
And, of course, speaking about the history of electrical engineering, one cannot help but recall the scientists who turned the world upside down - Alexander Lodygin and Thomas Edison. It was they who, conducting experiments independently of each other, created an electric lamp in the 70s of the 19th century.
Alexander Lodygin - inventor from Russia
His first lamps were a thin stick of coal sandwiched between three-dimensional copper rods. All this was in a closed glass ball.
This was still an imperfect device, however, they began to be actively used to illuminate buildings and streets of St. Petersburg.
In 1875, in partnership with Cohn, an improved electric lamp was produced. In it, the coals were replaced automatically, in addition, they were located in a vacuum. This development belongs to electrical engineer Vasily Fedorovich Ditrikhson.
In 1876, another researcher, Bulygin, also made adjustments. In its development, the ember moved forward as it burned.
At the end of the 70s, the incandescent lamp created by Lodygin and patented in Russia, France, Great Britain, Austria and Belgium finally came to the USA. Lieutenant Khotinsky went to the coast of America to receive ships built for the Russian fleet. It was Khotinsky who visited the laboratory and showed the “Lodygin lamp” and the “Yablochkov candle” to the American researcher Thomas Edison.
It is not known for certain how this influenced Edison’s train of thought, who himself was working on the creation of artificial lighting at that time. Be that as it may, it was Edison who brought the design of the incandescent lamp to a qualitatively new level, and also popularized it by organizing mass production. This helped to significantly reduce the cost, making it possible for even the poor to buy a lamp.
Alexander Lodygin also did not stop in his zeal to improve the incandescent lamp. After moving to the USA, in 1890, Lodygin received another patent - for a lamp with a metal filament made of refractory metals - octium, iridium, rhodium, molybdenum and tungsten. This was a real breakthrough in the field of electrical engineering. The invention was a resounding success, and in 1906 the patent for it was purchased by General Electric. By the way, this company belonged to Thomas Edison.
Edison's creation of the light bulb
It is generally accepted throughout the world that the electric light bulb was invented by the scientist Thomas Alva Edison.
Over the years, Edison experimented in the field of electrical engineering. For almost two years he searched for the perfect filament.
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The debate about who invented the incandescent lamp is still ongoing, but many scientists contributed to its creation. They tried many times to invent a durable and safe source of light, and these attempts bore first fruit with the development of electricity. It was then that the names of two inventors who gave the world lighting devices became known - Thomas Edison and Alexander Lodygin.
Before the advent of electricity, people used the simplest sources of lighting from an ordinary torch to lamps, which were lit using vegetable oil, oil, gas, and molten wax. Animal fat was often added to the lamp for long-term burning. A fabric wick was placed in it, which was then set on fire, and such a device was somewhat reminiscent of a candle under a transparent dome.
The creation of the light bulb occurred at a time when electricity appeared in cities and then began to spread throughout rural villages.
Scientists from Russia and abroad took part in the development of lighting devices. When Alexander Lodygin began working on lighting devices, there were already people who had worked with lighting devices before him:
- In 1809, Gerard Delarue invented a light bulb with a platinum filament.
- 30 years later, its coal model was invented in Belgium by Jobard.
- In 1854, a sample of a working light bulb was presented in Germany by Heinrich Goebel. It looked like a vessel, with a bamboo thread that was charred. For five years, Goebel was developing this light bulb, but returned to the first sample.
- 6 years later, the famous English Joseph Swan received a patent for his achievements in creating an incandescent light bulb. When problems arose with creating a vacuum space, Swan continued to improve his sample until he reached a new one. In it, a filament is created from carbon fiber, placed in a rarefied atmosphere, which is why the light bulb shines brightly.
In the early 1880s, Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan created a British company called Edison and Swan (known as General Electric since 1892).
In Russia, lighting devices were developed by Alexander Lodygin. His light bulbs were lit by a carbon rod in a flask with air evacuated. The first working models appeared in 1872. Three years later, Didrikhson finalized Lodygin’s invention.
He replaced the light bulb with carbon fibers, increasing its lifespan. In the 90s, Lodygin went to America, using tungsten filament in his inventions. In 1906, he sold the patent to General Electric, which began producing electric lamps with a tungsten filament.
Opening stages
The invention of incandescent lamps begins with the advent of electricity in the 18th century, which prompted many scientists to engage in their own experiments in the field of electronic technology:
- In 1800, a galvanic cell was created that served as a source of current, called the “Volta Column”.
- In 1809, a light bulb with a platinum spiral was created by Gerard Delarue.
- In 1854, Heinrich Goebel invented a lamp, similar to a vacuum vessel with a bamboo thread inside. For 5 years, Gebel was developing his lamp, but he could not patent it because he was an emigrant without money. But he found a use for his invention in lighting his own watch store.
- Another Russian inventor was P. N. Yablochkov, who invented an “electric candle” with a long service life. Its development began in Russia, and then in Paris. In 1876, an exhibition was held in London, where Yablochkov showed his invention. After this, his lamps began to be found in Paris, and then all over the world.
In order for the light bulb to shine for a long time and brightly, it was necessary to find a suitable material for the filament. At that time, scientists considered several options: tungsten and platinum were too expensive and rare, so they used coal, which was cheaper and more accessible.
What the first version of the lamp looked like
Frédéric de Moleyne patented a light bulb containing carbon with a platinum filament in 1841. Three years later, research into conductors failed due to the rapid melting of the platinum helix. In 1845, the scientist King replaced the platinum thread with a carbon stick, receiving a patent.
In 1854, an exhibition on electrical engineering was held in America, at which Heinrich Goebel presented his lamp. A bamboo thread was used as a conductor, and a bottle of eau de toilette was used as a body. Mercury was added to it and then poured out of the container to create a vacuum space. The disadvantage of this light bulb is its fragility and short operating time.
Thomas Edison's incandescent lamp bulb was made of glass, with the air completely evacuated, and the filament was made of a carbon rod. Having created his own company, he began producing electric lamps and other electrical system mechanisms.
Large-scale appearance of lamps on the market
Light bulbs appeared on the market due to their low cost and ease of use, compared to lamps that need to be lit with gas or gasoline.
The gradual evolution of incandescent lamps occurred due to their improvement for widespread use in various fields of activity:
- backlights for buttons and switches in radio equipment;
- car lights;
- used in laser printers.
Thomas Edison was also involved in bringing light bulbs to the market. He sold them for a low price, just over one dollar apiece.
Edison wanted to make lamps more affordable than other light sources. Therefore, the rapid production of lamps and their successful sale led to a reduction in the cost of light bulbs - only 22 cents.
Conclusion
The merit of Thomas Edison is that he promptly patented the inventions created before him, began improving them, began producing them, distributing them throughout the world. The incandescent light bulb had talented inventors, all of whom contributed to the development of electronic technology.
But Alexander Lodygin is considered the first creator of the light bulb.
We are all used to and do not notice such an ordinary and everyday thing as an electric light bulb. The maximum that the average person thinks about this topic is: “shouldn’t I replace the incandescent lamp with a more interesting design or switch to energy-saving technology?” Meanwhile, for its century it was a truly revolutionary thing! There is a debate about who is credited with inventing the first light bulb. Our compatriots are sure that this Russian engineer Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin, but scientists from different countries worked on this problem: Swan from England, Goebel from Germany, Delarue from France, all of them worked a lot in this area of scientific discoveries. Who invented the first light bulb?
Ancient prototypes
How did ancient people paint caves with rock paintings when there was no natural light? Torches and fires? But they emit smoke and soot, and you can’t draw much like that, three meters from the fire it’s already a little dark... Historians reflect on this topic and cannot come to a consensus. The only mention of lighting is that the Egyptian pyramids depict people holding lamps are very similar to electric lamps.
First experiments with an arc lamp
History of the invention of the electric lamp
Each student in physics class covered the topic of the history of the invention of electricity. It is generally accepted that the invention of the design of a working electric lamp belongs to Thomas Edison, who published his discovery in 1879. However, behind this invention there is a lot more hard work than we think.
The appearance of modern electric lamps was preceded by a large number of preparatory studies in different countries of the world by inventors and scientists. The achievements of previous generations were improved, experiments were carried out with different types of media in which the filament was placed, the light bulb was changed and improved. The history of the invention has many stages.
The task before the scientists was simple and complex at the same time - to obtain a design that could be used in everyday life. One of the promising directions turned out to be study of the incandescence effect of various materials.
If you pass an electric current through some metals, they will glow and produce a source of light. There was only one question - how to prevent the material from overheating, melting or burning. Many experiments have been carried out in this direction. Scientists knew that achieving a balance between the filament element and the environment in which it heats would mean a giant breakthrough.
What is combustion? First of all, this is direct contact with oxygen. Since it is contained in the environment, the only way to prevent the filament element from catching fire is to limit the heating element's exposure to air. Hence , you need a container, a lamp.
Contribution of Russian researchers
Edison era
It must be said that in addition to a brilliant mind, Thomas Edison had obvious talent as a businessman. He was the first to realize what enormous financial benefits the mass production of incandescent lamps promised. Edison began working on improving the design of the lamp in 1878 and immediately declared that he had solved the problem of the electric lamp. At that time, Edison was the inventor of the telephone and the phonograph, so they immediately believed him. Edison's statement was reflected in the stock exchange. Shares of gas companies rapidly crept down in price.
However Edison got a little excited. It was not possible to solve the problem immediately. The inventor had an idea to create a switch for normal operation of the lamp, so that there would be no excessive overheating of the filament element. But they did not fire at the right moment, which was unpleasant to the eye and led to flickering. The design was not applicable for mass production. The laboratory led by Edison conducted multiple experiments with experiments using different filament materials and different environments where it was placed.
The breakthrough was helped by a young physicist from the Princeton Institute surname Upton. Physicists began to study already received patents and discoveries in this area. And we came across the idea of the resistance properties of metals in relation to incandescent technology. It turned out that metals with the highest coefficient of resistance heat up more easily and do not burn. By the beginning of 1880, the first results began to appear. The design that worked best was a combination of a vacuum lamp and bamboo carbon rods in the form of a thread. This is how the first efficient electric lamp appeared.
In addition to the problem of improving the incandescent lamp, Edison also dealt with the problem of powering the lamp. His laboratory invented the lamp base and switch. After 2 years, Edison’s commercial talent revealed itself to its full extent. The Edison Electrical Light Company was founded, with a network of stations and branch stores throughout New York City, and the lamps were heavily advertised and sold. These were the first analogues of modern light bulbs.
Edison had a serious rival in England who was also working on the problem of improving the electric lamp. Englishman Swan I realized that using a pump you can create a better quality vacuum. But its carbon rod was too thick and left soot, so it was difficult to use in practice.
After analyzing Edison's successes, Swan began to use his discoveries in his lamps. He opened his own lamp manufacturing company. Edison did not ignore such impudence and filed a lawsuit for violation of copyright law. Disputes continued for some time, but both researchers decided to reconcile and join forces in one company. Thus, Edison Swan United, a major manufacturer of electric lamps throughout the world, appeared.
Which inventor is considered the first?
Both Russian and American inventors worked on their projects almost simultaneously.
Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin received a patent for the invention of the lamp in 1874, Thomas Edison began research five years later.
Of course, with all due respect to the commercial talent of T. Edison, the promotion and mass use of such a necessary and useful invention, the main place is rightfully given to the invention of the electric lamp Russian inventor A. N. Lodygin.
Modern incandescent lamps are modifications of Lodygin's invention, since they have a more efficient light flow, as well as excellent color rendering and higher efficiency. Today we have the right to be proud of our compatriot for his contribution to an ingenious and useful invention.
It is difficult to imagine how people used to exist without an electric lamp. When the electricity goes out for technical reasons, everyone around freezes in anticipation. There is a feeling that the pulse of the planet is slowing down. Let's try to trace the evolution of this device, which we simply cannot do without now.
A little history
Who invented the first incandescent light bulb? It is very difficult to answer this question specifically and without doubt. All this is because more than one specific person took part in the invention. At different times and at different stages of development of the electric lamp, many people contributed their work and knowledge to make it the way we see and know it now.
At first glance, the lamp may seem simple, but in fact it is quite a complex technology. Even in ancient Egypt and among the people of the Mediterranean oils were used to illuminate homes, which were poured into special vessels with wicks made of cotton threads. On the shores of the Caspian Sea, oil was used instead of oils. Already at that time, people were coming up with various technologies to help them see in the dark.
It is absolutely known that the incandescent lamp was invented in the 19th century. Throughout this time, many people have tried to invent and improve the "electric candle".
Several people took an active part in the invention of the electric light bulb, namely:
- Yablochkov Pavel Nikolaevich;
- Gerard;
- Delarue;
- Heinrich Goebel;
- Lodygin Alexander Nikolaevich;
- Thomas Edison;
- William David Coolidge.
Stages of invention development
The first incandescent lamp, which closely resembled a real one, was invented by Pavel Nikolaevich Yablochkov. He devoted his entire life to electrical engineering. Inventing innovations in this area and implementing all this in life was his main occupation. The first electric candle is also his invention. Thanks to his candles it became possible to illuminate cities at night. The first electric candles appeared on the streets of St. Petersburg. This candle was inexpensive and lasted for an hour and a half. After burning out, it had to be replaced with a new one. City janitors were responsible for the work. Later, to make their work easier, lanterns with automatic candle changes were invented.
In 1838, the Belgian Gerard managed to invent an electric lamp in which a carbon rod served as the light source and an electric current was supplied to it.
Two years after this, a resident of England with French roots, Delarue, came up with the idea of using a platinum filament for incandescence instead of coal. These two options were considered a huge impetus for the invention of the incandescent electric lamp, but in practice at that time their use was accompanied by many inconveniences. Carbon incandescent lamp was uncomfortable and burned out quickly, and an electric lamp using a platinum thread was distinguished by its high cost. Therefore, many continued to look for other alternative options, invented and implemented more and more new light sources. Everyone wanted the incandescent lamp to burn as long as possible, but many failed in their work on the invention.
In 1854, the German scientist Heinrich Goebel came up with the idea that an incandescent lamp would burn longer in a vacuum space. The burning time of the electric lamp was extended by several hours. Scientists spent several more years trying to ensure a complete vacuum in the lamp.
And only in 1874, our compatriot Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin managed to invent and create an ideal electric lamp that burned constantly. His brainchild passed all the tests. It was then that the real modern lamp was invented. Lodygin is therefore considered the discoverer, since his light bulb could have been on for almost half an hour. After the air was pumped out of her, she continued to work again. In 1983, for the first time, the streets of St. Petersburg were illuminated with Lodygin light bulbs. Alexander Nikolaevich came from a noble Russian family, despite the poverty of his family. His ancestor was a common ancestor with the Romanovs - Andrei Kobyla.
In America, they learned about these experiments and inventions of Alexander Nikolaevich, thanks to the naval officer N. Khotinsky. The Russian Empire ordered cruisers from America. During one of the naval officer's visits to America, he visited the laboratory of Thomas Edison and handed over to him the inventions of Yablochkov and Lodygin. Thomas Edison began trying to improve the seemingly perfect incandescent lamp. In 1879 he managed to do this. Instead of a coal rod, Thomas I tried using beech thread and achieved the desired result. The light bulb began to burn much longer.
Thomas went to this result for many days. He had to overcome more than 6,000 attempts with carbon threads. He always achieved what he wanted and found what he was looking for. His light bulbs could burn for a hundred hours. In November, Thomas allegedly patented his invention, which outraged Yablochkov; he made accusations against the American.
This invention was not the only merit of Thomas Edison. He also created a household rotary switch, without which it is difficult to imagine the operation of an electric light bulb, base and socket. His name is associated with the invention of the telephone transmitter, mimeograph and phonograph. He was the first to open large-scale production of light bulbs, which helped many people experience the beauty of electricity. Over the next ten years many scientists tried to improve the light bulb, but Thomas Edison was considered its inventor.
Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin continued, independently of his colleague and competitor from America, to create and modernize his brainchild. He was looking for a universal and long-lasting filament. He managed to achieve good success using tungsten and molybdenum filaments. It was expensive to produce lamps from these materials at that time, so the invention turned out to be ineffective and costly. In 1910, American explorer William David Coolidge managed to simplify the creation of tungsten filament, this became cheaper and made it possible to mass produce inexpensive incandescent light bulbs.
Let there be light!
The result is a modern incandescent light bulb, which consists of several important elements.
- Flask.
- The cavities of the flask (vacuum or gas-filled).
- The body of the filament.
- Electrodes (current input).
- Hooks for maintaining the glowing body.
- Lamp legs.
- External link of down conductor, fuse.
- Plinth housing.
- Base (glass) insulator.
- Contact bottom of the base.
Conclusion
Thus, Lenin himself had nothing to do with the creation of “Ilyich’s light bulb”. Several people worked almost simultaneously on this wonderful invention, which finally managed to dispel the darkness. Each of them made a significant contribution to the creation of a real electric light bulb. If you answer the question of who invented the lamp, you should definitely remember all these people. With your painstaking work they helped bring the invention from laboratories to our homes and fundamentally change people's lives for the better. All together and each individually is worthy of our attention, respect and gratitude.