Abstract
The main objective of this work is to provide a better understanding of the warm-up phase of high-intensity discharge lamps. As an example of application, we chose the high-pressure mercury lamp. Based on two-dimensional fluid model parameters, such as the electric current, the length and the diameter of the burner are modified and the effect of the convective transport is studied. This allows us to obtain a thorough understanding of the physics of these lamps in their transitory phase. The simulation of the warm-up phase is a must for the proper predictions of the lamp behavior and can be conducted by solving the energy balance, momentum, and Laplace's equations for the plasma, using the frame of the local thermodynamic equilibrium coupled with the energy balance of the wall. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3436597]