Lighting planners at Osram would not argue if their contribution to the lighting system at the Allianz Arena in Munich, the venue for the finals of the 2006 World Cup, were also to be placed in the "world champion" category. Not only does this apply to the spectacular façade of the Arena but also to the electrode-less high-performance fluorescent lamps installed at the nearby underground station at Fröttmanning."Endura" is the name Osram has given to this ring-shaped induction lamp. It has such an incredibly long life of 60,000 hours, equivalent to 24 hours a day for seven years. This is possible because these lamps have no parts that can wear out. In this high-performance fluorescent lamp the discharge needed to generate light does not take place between two electrodes, as in a conventional fluorescent lamp, but in a closed ring which has no beginning and no end. The energy is injected from outside via two ferrite rings by means of magnetic fields.
Lighting designers at Osram Light Consulting have planned around 150 of these lamps to illuminate the underground station in Fröttmanning. These high-intensity lamps will provide tens of thousands of football fans with their first highlight as they arrive on underground trains running every two-and-a-half minutes. An elegant vaulted 8000 square metre roof made of translucent Teflon-coated fibre-glass fabric overarches the ground-level concourse. The roof is divided into 25 zones that look like the chambers of a hang glider. It is held up by a tree-like tubular structure.
The Munich city authorities have installed the luminaires in the 14 pillars that support this roof structure – hidden from the view of passengers. They shine upwards to the roof which then reflects the light back down onto the platforms. This results in uniform illumination, gives life to the structures and offers an impression of space, which in turn gives people a sense of security despite the crowds.
The quality of the light from Endura lamps is very high, with a colour rendering index of Ra >80. The light colours available are Warm White (830) and Cool White (840), each in 100 W and 150 W versions. The lamps operate exclusively with the appropriate Quicktronic QT Endura electronic control gear. This produces a high-frequency current, generates the necessary ignition voltage and restricts the lamp current after ignition has taken place. It also ensures that the lamp starts instantly without flickering, continues to operate without flickering and can be restarted in the hot state.
