subject: The Theory That Makes The Gadgets Work [print this page] Electroluminescent wire works as a coaxial capacitor, flicking an alternating current between the phosphor coated core wire and the thinner wound strand of copper that is coiled around it. Capacitors, which used to be called condensers, are used to create an electrical field in which the circuit"s energy is stored. In the case of electroluminescent wire the energy is transferred to light energy as the phosphor coating on the core wire is excited by the stored field.
In order for electroluminescent wire to work properly it needs to create a potential difference between the voltage of the core wire and the voltage of the wraparound coil. otential" in electronics, biology and physics refers to the energy capacity (measured in Hz, normally, or another recognised measurement of electrical energy such as kHz or joules) of a current producer. A potential difference is simply two differing values of potential so the electroluminescent wire generates its difference by turning the core wire and the coil wire into conductors, with differing voltage values applied.
The dielectric field generated by the potential difference creates a charge, positive on one conductor and negative on the other. The field, as noted, excites the phosphor coating on the core wire and so causes it to glow.
The most effective capacitors are ones where there is a large surface area to each conductor and a narrow separation between the conductors. In the case ofelectroluminescent wire this occurs as a result of the length of the two wires and their proximity to each other separated really only by the phosphor coating on the core wire.
Because of the high efficiency of the capacitor thus created, the electroluminescent wire is capable of running for hours from a very low power source. The wire can normally be run for several hours from a pair of AA batteries, in lengths of several hundreds of feet.
The light given off by the electroluminescent wire is cool that is it gives off no appreciable heat and so may be used in applications where a hotter light source would cause a problem. While the electroluminescent wire is normally powered using its own battery pack and inverter, it should also be possible to integrate the power source for the item with the power source for your entire project though in some cases the power you use for your project may be more than the wire requires.
The wires efficiency is also due to the fact that when it is hooked up and working, it becomes part of an LC circuit, otherwise known as a resonant circuit. Resonant circuits (the L stands for inductor and the C stands for capacitor, which are connected together) store energy as it oscillates on the resonant frequency of the circuit. IN practice this is like a tuning fork, which delivers a long and clear chime with only a small strike: the resonant circuit delivers an extraordinary length of illumination for the electroluminescent wire with only a very small power source.
