Light Source Spectral Control for Sea Turtle Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light sources that aim to minimize disturbance to short wavelength-sensitive animals while ensuring human safety are often expensive, complex, and provide inadequate lighting for human tasks, particularly in terms of color recognition and safety.
Innovation Solution
A light source with a controlled spectral power distribution across specific wavelength ranges (380 nm to 680 nm) that balances minimal disturbance to animals with sufficient lighting for humans, using a combination of LEDs or phosphor-based light sources, ensuring a high color rendering index and reduced emission in the 680 nm to 780 nm range for energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a monochromatic light source emitting at wavelengths between 590 and 650 nm is used, then disturbance to sea turtles is minimized, but the lighting is unpleasant and provides insufficient safety for humans
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the spectral power distribution parameters (P_l, P_s, P_m) across different wavelength ranges. By adjusting the ratios of integral power distribution in long wavelength (600-680 nm), short wavelength (380-505 nm), and medium wavelength (505-600 nm) ranges, the invention achieves a balance that reduces turtle disturbance while maintaining human safety and visual comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite approach by combining multiple LED types (red, green, blue) or a combination of LED and phosphor materials to create a light source with a specific composite spectral power distribution. This composite structure enables simultaneous achievement of animal-friendly characteristics and human-safe lighting qualities.
2Reliability
If an incandescent or fluorescent light source is used, then lighting is pleasant and provides good safety for humans, but it causes significant disturbance to sea turtles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the spectral parameters of conventional light sources by using LED technology with controlled phosphor down-conversion. The spectral power distribution is engineered to have P_l >= 0.70 (reducing short wavelength content that disturbs turtles) while maintaining adequate P_s and P_m values for human visual comfort and safety, thus resolving the contradiction between human safety and animal protection.
3Reliability
If a light source with high spectral coverage across all visible ranges is used, then color recognition and human safety are improved, but energy efficiency decreases due to unnecessary emission in the 680 nm to 780 nm range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the unnecessary long wavelength emission (680-780 nm) from the light source spectrum. By using LED technology with specific phosphor combinations, the invention achieves adequate color rendering and human safety through controlled emission in the 380-680 nm range, while eliminating energy-wasting emission in the 680-780 nm range where animals are sensitive but humans have reduced visual perception.
4Ease of manufacture
If a simple and cost-effective light source design is used, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but achieving the required spectral control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical or optical spectral control systems with an electrical/optical solution based on LED technology. By using electrically controllable LED modules with integrated phosphor materials, the invention achieves precise spectral power distribution control (P_l, P_s, P_m ratios) through electrical parameters rather than mechanical adjustments, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining spectral precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides effective and energy-efficient lighting that reduces disturbance to short wavelength-sensitive animals while enhancing human safety through improved color recognition and visibility, with a focus on maintaining a simple and cost-effective design.
Implementation Method 1
The light source comprises a plurality of LEDs
Implementation Method 2
at least a part of a wall of the discharge vessel being provided with a luminescent layer
Implementation Method 3
a luminescent layer comprising a mixture of a red emitting phosphor and at least two phosphors
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The invention relates to a light source for generating light having a spectral emittance in at least a part of the range of 380 nm to 680 nm. The light has a spectral power distribution ?(?) as a function of the wavelength ? over a first range of 600 nm <= ? <= 680 nm, a second range of 505 nm <= ? <= 600 nm, and a third range of 380 nm <= ? <= 505 nm. A first ratio of the integral power distribution over said first range to that of a range of 380 nm l <= 0.95, A second ratio of the integral power distribution over said second range to that of a range of 380 nm m >= 0.08, A third ratio of the integral power distribution over said third range to that of a range of 380 nm s >= 0.03 or Ps >= 0.015 if Pl >= 0.75 A respective radiation emission peak in each of the first, second and third wavelength range has a full width half maximum (=FWHM) of at least 12 nm.