05 Luminaires

LUMINAIRES
LUMINAIRE
• is a complete system for providing the kind
of light that we want.
• It consists of:
– The lamp
– The lamp socket
– The ballast (if required)
– The reflector
– The diffuser
– Shielding, and
– The Housing for all of these things.
What does it needs to produce light?
• Mounting spot
• A source of electricity
How can a luminaire be an
efficient producer of light?
• It must provide a balanced and glare-
free illumination.
In what way does these things

can be accomplished?
• Through the use of:
• Reflectors which shape the light output, and
• Shielding and diffusion devices that reduces
glare and distribute the light evenly.
Reflectors serve a twofold
purpose:
• they shape the light pattern of
the luminaire.
• they improve the efficiency of
the luminaire by directing the
usable light out of the luminaire
onto the work surface
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE OF GLOSSY
AND MATTE FINISH REFLECTORS?
• GLOSSY OR MIRRORED reflectors

–produce direct light
• while MATTE FINISH reflectors

–produce scattered, or diffuse light.
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE
PERFORMANCE OF A REFLECTOR?
1. the reflectivity of the reflector
material
2. the optical geometry of the reflector.
• Reflectivities range from about 60% for
standard white paint to 95% for polished
aluminum.
• The geometry of the reflector largely
determines the shape of the light pattern
emitted by the luminaire.
What are the types of reflectors?
• Parabolic Reflectors
• Darklight Reflectors
• Spherical Reflectors
• Involute Reflectors
• Elliptical Reflectors
Parabolic Reflectors
• most widely used reflectors.
• allow light to be controlled in a variety of
ways – narrow beam, wide-beam or
asymmetrical distribution, and provide for
specific glare limitation characteristics.
• When using larger radiating
sources –e.g. frosted
incandescent lamps – glare
will occur above the cut-off
angle; glare is visible in the
reflector, although the lamp
itself is shielded.
DARKLIGHT REFLECTORS
• By using reflectors with a variable parabolic
focal point (so-called darklight reflectors) this
effect can be avoided; brightness will then
only occur in the reflector of larger radiating
sources below the cut-off angle, i.e.
SPHERICAL REFLECTORS
• In the case of spherical reflectors the
light emitted by a lamp located at the
focal point of the sphere is reflected to
this focal point.
• Spherical reflectors are used
predominantly as an aid in
conjunction with parabolic reflectors
or lens systems.
INVOLUTE REFLECTORS
• Here the light that is
emitted by the lamp is not
reflected back to the light
source, as is the case with
spherical reflectors, but
reflected past the lamp.
• Involute reflectors are
mainly used with
discharge lamps to avoid
the lamps over-heating
due to the retro-reflected
light, which would result in
a decrease in
performance.
ELLIPTICAL REFLECTORS
• In the case of elliptical reflectors
the light radiated by a lamp
located at the first focal point of
the ellipse is reflected to the
second focal point.
• The second focal point of the
ellipse can be used as an
imaginary, secondary light
source.
• Elliptical reflectors are used in
recessed ceiling washlights to
produce a light effect from the
ceiling downwards.
SHIELDING AND DIFFUSION
DEVICES
• Shielding devices are used to
reduce the glare produced
by a luminaire; diffusion devices
are used to diffuse the
produced light, and to conceal
the bare lamps of the luminaire.
• Baffles
– An example of a shielding device is the
baffles used in conjunction with the
parabolic reflectors in a recessed
parabolic luminaire.
• DIFFUSERS
–Diffusers used with fluorescent
fixtures also influence the
distribution pattern of the
luminaire.
–The most common diffuser
employed in fluorescent fixtures
used for general area lighting is a
flat plastic sheet embossed with
some sort of diffusion pattern.
• The two most common plastics
used for this purpose are:
• polycarbonate, and
• acrylic.
LUMINAIRE HOUSINGS
Housings for luminaries can be :
• metallic, such as sheet steel or
• aluminum for general purpose,
or
• plastic for corrosive or high
abuse areas.
LUMINAIRE
CLASSIFICATIONS
• Luminaires used for area lighting
have been classified by the
Illuminating Engineering Society
(IES) according to their distribution
pattern and by the downward
and upward component of the
light generated.
In general, there are five
categories of luminaire/
lighting systems:
–General diffuse
–Direct,
–Semi-direct,
–Semi-indirect, and
–Indirect.
GENERAL DIFFUSE
• The general
diffuse lighting
pattern is one
that contains
equal distribution
in all directions.
DIRECT ILLUMINATION
• is the most efficient use of the
luminaire to provide lumens to the
work area.
• It also produces the greatest amount
of glare, unless shielded.
• Direct illumination is best used where
you desire a high ambient lighting
level, such as kitchens, day care
centers, and general work spaces.
SEMI-DIRECT ILLUMINATION
• Semi-direct luminaires have
an upward component.
• They must be either surface-
mounted or suspended.
• They are used for the same purpose as direct
luminaires, except that when suspended, the
upward component lights the ceiling, and
eliminates the ‘cave effect’ produced by the
suspended direct luminaire.
SEMI-INDIRECT AND
INDIRECT ILLUMINATION
• The semi-indirect and indirect
luminaires must be suspended to
utilize the upward reflected
component of light.
• These luminaires differ only in the
percentages of uplight and
downlight that they produce.
• Indirect luminaires produce almost
100% uplight, which provides a
diffuse, glare-free illumination
particularly well suited for use in a
room with heavy computer
terminal usage.
• Most manufacturers offer an
indirect luminaire which produces
about 10% direct illumination to
eliminate the dark area created
by the luminaire housing.
• Wall-mounted luminaires are classified in
the same manner as ceiling-mounted ones.
• One type of wall-mounted luminaire that
receives considerable use in modern
buildings is the cove light, which is usually
mounted near the ceiling, and is used in an
indirect pattern to illuminate the ceiling.

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LUMINAIRES

In what way does these things

• GLOSSY OR MIRRORED reflectors

• while MATTE FINISH reflectors

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