A 400 kilowatt argon arc lamp for solar simulation

A 400 kilowatt argon arc lamp for a solar simulator has been designed, operated, and evaluated. The lamp is designed to produce one solar constant on a test area 4.6 by 9.2 meters when used with a collimator. The divergence angle of the beam is about 1 deg. The lamp is designed to operate completely within a vacuum environment. Over 80 kilowatt of directed radiation was monitored and measured for a 25-hour period during a recent test. In another test, an arc was operated at 400 kilowatt for 110 hours without removal or refurbishing of the electrodes. These tests have proven the cleanliness and integrity of the radiation source.