Coil for removing heat from a lamp through direct contact coolant flow

Abstract

A fluoropolymer coil is adapted to be wrapped around a lamp, such as a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp, and adapted to have a coolant, such as water, flowing through the coil. The coil can cool the lamp, provide improved lamp life expectancy, and allow the lamp to be kept closer to a plant canopy when the lamp is used in hydroponic applications, for example. The coil provides direct contact with the lamp to remove heat through conduction while not subjecting the lamp to high temperatures as other units that envelope the lamp. The coil may discourage algae growth while not significantly reducing the light emitted from the lamp and through the coil. The coil is lightweight, requires no cleaning or adjusting or o-ring replacement, and can work with most hoods in the hydroponics industry, not requiring its own special hood or fixture.

1 . A lamp cooling system comprising:
 a tube geometry adapted to fit around and in contact with a lamp, the tube geometry providing a coolant flow path therewithin; and   a pump adapted to move a cooling fluid through the coolant flow path via coolant tubing connected to the tube geometry.   
     
     
         2 . The lamp of  claim 1 , wherein the tube geometry is tube coil. 
     
     
         3 . The lamp cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising first and second end plates disposed on each end of the tube geometry. 
     
     
         4 . The lamp cooling system of  claim 3 , further comprising threaded rods extending between and connected to the first and second end plates. 
     
     
         5 . The lamp cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the tube geometry is a fluoropolymer coil. 
     
     
         6 . The lamp cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising a safety switch disposed in series with the coolant tubing. 
     
     
         7 . The lamp cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the safety switch includes a switch to disconnect power from the lamp when a lack of coolant flow through the coolant tubing is detected. 
     
     
         8 . The lamp cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the safety switch includes a time delay mechanism that delays sending power to the lamp until coolant flow over a predetermined period of time is detected. 
     
     
         9 . The lamp cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the safety switch includes a delay to prevent short cycling of the lamp. 
     
     
         10 . A method for cooling a lamp, comprising:
 wrapping a fluoropolymer coil about the lamp, providing direct contact between the lamp and the coil; and   flowing coolant through the coil during operation of the lamp.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising controlling power supplied to the lamp with a safety switch, the safety switch starting the lamp after detecting flow through the coil for a predetermined period of time, the safety switch disconnecting power to the lamp if flow through the coil stops, and the safety switch providing a delay to prevent short cycling of the lamp.