Engineering & Recycling

ENERGY SAVERS

Fibre optic cables have been in use for decades for transmitting data of all types, including voice, images and computer files. Massive fibre-optic undersea cables form the backbone of the global telephone network and the Internet, carrying over 85 per cent of all communication traffic over 26 million kilometres. They function at the speed of light.

Now, light for daily use can also be piped through cables based on a similar technology. The latest advances in architectural, institutional, interior, industrial and special-purpose lighting, based on fibre-optics and light emitting coatings, are nothing short of miracles. Netex Solutions of Mumbai have introduced these dramatic new lighting technologies in India. Schott Fibre Optics of Germany is the pioneer in this field and the largest manufacturer of glass fibre-optic lighting systems in the world. The other leading manufacturers are TIR Systems of Canada, ELAM of Israel, Regent of Italy, MCS-Israel and Group C Lighting of the United Kingdom. Netex Solutions represents all these manufacturers in India.

Waves of light and shadow areated by optical fibres

According to Shaunak Shah, CEO of Netex Solutions, Mumbai, more than 50 per cent of all fires in buildings, anywhere in the world, are caused by electrical short-circuits or wiring faults. The cost of new electrical installation and subsequent operation and maintenance can be enormous, as in a showroom, for example.

"Fibre-optic lighting systems ensure that the source of light is physically located far away from where the lighting is needed. This eliminates the need for electrical wiring within the premises. The premises to be illuminated can be free from the danger of fire caused by electrical short-circuits or faults. In most cases, where it is mandatory for the premises to be insured, the additional initial cost of installing the new lighting systems can be recovered through reduced insurance premiums within five years," Shah says.

The basic system

The fibre-optic lighting system is made up of three basic elements: a dedicated light source, a multi-cable harness, and usage-specific optical end-fittings mounted on the tips of each of the "tails" in the harness. The light source, located within a boxed enclosure, contains a powerful high-efficiency lamp, such as a quartz-halogen lamp or a metal-halide discharge lamp. It is mounted in an optical "collector" that creates a highly focused beam of light for being injected into the harness. Additional components such as motors, lenses and colour filters can be used to generate a variety of lighting effects.

Light guides of different optical-fibre quality and size in the harness convey the light to various optical output fittings. The output fittings can be tailored to suit the exact technical and aesthetic requirements of each lighting application. The light pipe fibres are designed for low attenuation for the white light spectrum and optimal light collection, permitting the design of surprisingly long systems with great distances between the light source and the tail ends. The output fittings typically consist of a mounting bezel, a ball fitting for angular adjustment and an optical lens to converge the wide-angle light stream emerging through the ends of the light pipe fibres. The shape of the output beam of light can be varied infinitely from a tiny spot to a wide "wash" of even light from the floor to the ceiling, or from one wall to another. The output fittings can also be custom-designed as solid bent tubes or flexible pipes, and are the only small visible parts of the entire lighting system. They can even be terminated inside existing luminaries.

Light pipes provide absolutely safe and and almost zero-maintenance lighting in hazardous and high-security area

These lighting systems can be equipped with glass or plastic fibres. Glass fibres are preferable because they provide greater and more uniform light output, are encased in HFFR (Halogen-Free Flame Retardant) sheathing and therefore do not propagate fires, do not require maintenance and ensure a permanent installation that can last as long as the structure does. Up to 550 tails can be used per light source.