Convective Venting in Compact Fluorescent Fixtures

Many compact fluorescent fixture systems present a highly constricted thermal environment to the lamp. This results in elevated lamp wall temperatures causing reduced light output and efficiency of the fixture system. Dissipating heat from the interior of the fixture to the surrounding plenum can increase the fixtures light output and efficacy by more than 15%, allowing the light output and efficacy to reach 98%-99% of maximum. One way of achieving this thermal dissipation is through the convective venting of the fixture; this inhibits thermal stratification within the fixture housing and permits upward convective flows to cool the lamp. In an enclosed fixture, minimum lamp wall temperature (MLWT) can exceed 50°C; the proper venting configuration can reduce this temperature to 40-45°C.