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Electroluminescent wire (often abbreviated to EL wire) is a thin copper wire coated in a phosphor which glows when an AC voltage is applied to it. It can be used to decorate vehicles or structures, much as rope light or Christmas lights are often used. Unlike these types of strand lights, EL wire is not a series of points but produces an unbroken line of visible light. Moreover, it is extremely thin and flexible, and thus may be used, for example, in clothing or costumes. Electroluminescence is an optical phenomenon and electrical phenomenon where a material such as a natural blue diamond emits light when an electric current is passed through it. ...
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Green screen A phosphor is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon of phosphorescence (sustained glowing after exposure to light or energised particles such as electrons). ...
City lights viewed in a motion blurred exposure. ...
International safety symbol Caution, risk of electric shock (ISO 3864), colloquially known as high voltage symbol. ...
Section of a string of Christmas lights Christmas lights (also sometimes called fairy lights, twinkle lights or holiday lights in the United States) are strands of electric lights used to decorate homes, public/commercial buildings and Christmas trees during the Christmas season, mostly in the West. ...
Structure
EL wire's construction consists of five major components. First is a solid-copper wire core. This core is coated with a phosphor. A very fine wire is spiral wound around the phosphor coated copper core. This fine wire is electrically isolated from the copper core. Surrounding this 'sandwich' of copper core - phosphor - and fine copper wire is a clear PVC sleeve. Finally, surrounding this thin clear PVC sleeve is a colored clear PVC sleeve. PVC may refer to the following: Polyvinyl chloride, a plastic Premature ventricular contraction, irregular heartbeat Permanent virtual circuit, a term used in telecommunications and computer networks Param Vir Chakra, Indias highest military honor. ...
An electric potential of approximately 90 - 120 volts at about 1000 Hz (cycles per second) is applied between the copper core wire and the fine wire that surrounds the phosphor coated copper core. The wire can be modelled as a coaxial capacitor with about 1 nF of capacitance per foot, and the rapid charging and discharging of this capacitor excites the phosphor to emit light. Capacitors: SMD ceramic at top left; SMD tantalum at bottom left; through-hole tantalum at top right; through-hole electrolytic at bottom right. ...
A resonant oscillator is typically used to generate the high voltage drive signal. Because of the capacitance load of the EL wire, using an inductive (coiled) transformer makes the driver a tuned LC oscillator, and therefore very efficient. The efficiency of EL wire is very high, and thus a few hundred feet of EL wire can be driven by AA batteries for several hours. Cross coupled LC oscillator with output on top An electronic oscillator is an electronic circuit that produces a repetitive electronic signal, often a sine wave or a square wave. ...
Three-phase pole-mounted step-down transformer. ...
Rechargable AA batteries An AA battery (IPA pronunciation: or ) is a dry cell-type battery commonly used in portable electronic devices. ...
Manufacture EL wire was originally developed by Elam EL Industries, using the Lytec registered name, and is manufactured in Israel and China. EL wire is now available from other manufacturers.
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