Aerial Lighting Glare Reduction via Cutoff Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerial lighting systems for sports fields, such as baseball fields, often cause glare for players due to the placement and aiming angles of lighting sources, leading to inadequate illumination of the ball in the air and insufficient contrast, which can reduce playability. Additionally, low-mounted uplights are not feasible in venues like major league baseball fields where lighting poles between spectators and the field are not allowed, necessitating a different approach to reduce glare.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using directed light sources from LED luminaires mounted at or near the top of poles to create illumination patterns with horizontal or vertical cutoffs, ensuring that the light source is not directly visible to players, thereby reducing glare while maintaining adequate illumination of the ball and its background. This is achieved by identifying critical sighting directions of players and directing lighting to provide cutoff visibility of the light source, ensuring that the lighting meets accepted standards for both the playing field and aerial space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If lighting intensity is increased to improve aerial lighting, then illumination of the ball in the air is improved, but perceived glare by players increases
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination pattern is segmented into multiple zones: a first zone with higher illumination intensity for aerial space, a second zone with lower illumination intensity for the playing field, and a third zone that is substantially free of light for player protection. This spatial segmentation allows different lighting conditions in different areas simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the lighting pattern have different illumination qualities tailored to their specific needs: the aerial zone receives high-intensity light for ball visibility, the playing field receives moderate light for player comfort, and the player zone receives minimal light to eliminate glare. Each zone's lighting characteristics are optimized for its specific function.
2Illumination intensity
If lighting poles are installed to provide aerial lighting, then illumination standards are met, but glare is caused to players due to pole placement and aiming angles
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting solution transitions from traditional vertical pole-mounted luminaires to a horizontal or elevated mounting configuration that projects light in a controlled pattern. By changing the mounting dimension and light projection angle, the system creates a cutoff pattern that blocks direct line-of-sight to the light source while maintaining aerial illumination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cutoff pattern as an intermediary element between the light source and the players. This cutoff pattern acts as a visual barrier that blocks the direct view of the intense light source from player positions, thereby mediating the harmful glare effect while preserving the useful aerial illumination.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If low-mounted uplights are used to reduce glare, then perceived glare is reduced, but they are not feasible in venues where lighting poles between spectators and the field are not allowed
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is designed to be universally applicable across different venue types by eliminating the need for low-mounted uplights on field-side poles. The elevated or horizontal mounting configuration with controlled cutoff patterns can be installed on existing infrastructure in various venues, making the solution adaptable to both new construction and retrofit scenarios regardless of venue-specific restrictions.
Data Source
AI summary
Discussed herein is a new way to light baseball fields or other target areas (e.g., target areas including a plane and an aerial space) according to accepted standards or desired levels which provides both target area lighting and uplighting and in a manner that reduces or eliminates glare for certain playing positions while maintaining lighting levels across both the target area and the aerial space above the target area without necessitating the use of low-mounted uplights.