When the College installed energy-conserving 22-watt bulbs in the early 1980s, students began turning toward additional light sources, including halogen lamps, until the College banned them at the beginning of this year.
The more than 1,000 student-owned halogen lamps on campus will be prohibited this Fall term both for energy reasons -- the widespread use of halogens outweighs the energy conserved by the 22 watt bulbs -- and for safety reasons.
In response to concerns about halogen lamps, a team of students taking the introductory course Engineering 21 designed a safer halogen lamp last term. The team consisted of Kermit Cook '00, Paul Krakow '00, Myles Merrell '99 and Darren Perry '98.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning about tubular halogen bulbs in July 1996. According to the CPSC, 500 watt halogen bulbs can reach temperatures of about 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. By comparison, a typical 75 watt incandescent bulb has an operating temperature of about 260 degrees.
Perry wrote in an e-mail message that since it would be unlikely to "reduce the temperature of the bulbs, we decided to change the design of the lamp, and hopefully reduce the risk of fire associated with its predecessor."
The new design consists of a deeper metallic housing for the bulb, ventilation, a temperature sensor, 'kill switches' inside the shade and a tempered glass shield that fits over the top of the shade, Perry said.
The deeper bowl may alter the aesthetic value of the lamp, Engineering Professor Charles Sullivan said, but it accomplishes the more practical goal of separating debris that land on the shield from the bulb.
In a video-taped experiment, the group demonstrated the effectiveness of their invention by following the standard guidelines used to test lamps.
Their lamp passed the "cheesecloth test," in which a piece of cheesecloth was draped over the lampshade for seven hours and the cheesecloth remained unharmed.
Perry wrote that the shade of the original halogen lamp was engulfed in flames within seven minutes.
Although the new design does not resolve the energy concern, the College has another solution in mind.
Dartmouth students will return to campus in the fall to find improved lights in all the residence halls. The College spent $180,000 on replacing 1,800 lights with T8s and T12s, fluorescent fixtures that produce more lights than the old 22-watt variety.
If students still feel that they would like to have a second light source, director of Residential Operations Woody Eckels suggested they buy desk lamps or non-halogen pole lamps. College-recommended lights will be available at Hanover Hardware.
Meanwhile, the lamp group is trying to patent their invention.
Eckels said even if such a lamp were on the market, the College would still proceed with its ban due to the energy-consumption problem.
