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Fiber Optic
Military Applications |
US NAVY SHIP ISLAND NUMERAL
LIGHTING
SHIP ACCOMMODATION LADDER
LIGHTING
SHIP SIGN LIGHTING |
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CVN 73 - U.S.S. GEORGE
WASHINGTON
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Commercial development, technical advances, and
greater production volume have now made remote
lighting systems a feasible option for use on U.S.
Navy ships. Remote lighting systems provide
significant advantages over current incandescent
and fluorescent lighting methods through radical
differences in the way they operate. Traditional
light sources require lamps with a filament, which
must be located at the areas to be lighted. Power
must be supplied for the lamp through electrical
cabling. With remote lighting systems, the light
source does not need to be located at the site,
which is illuminated. Light reaches the site
through a carrier, in most cases a fiber optic
cable. Power is required only at the light source,
not at the illuminated site. This greatly reduces
the physical limitations placed on current
lighting, allowing remote lighting systems to be
used in areas, which were not possible before.
 The
advantages of using remote lighting systems in the
magazines or hazardous material storage areas are
readily apparent. Explosion proof fixtures would no
longer be required. The light source would be
installed external to the magazine or hazardous
storage area. Optical fiber would enter the
magazines through penetrators using the same
methods as current electrical cable. No electrical
current or heat is carried on the optical fiber so
that it would not require any special treatment for
use in the magazine. Pictured is the magazine trunk
aboard the DDG51,
Remote lighting systems provide many other benefits
as well. One light source can be used to deliver
light to more than one fixture. There is easy
access to the light source for lamp replacement.
The use of more energy efficient light sources
reduces power requirements. Optical fiber is
resistant to the harsh marine environment and
reduces the need and size for potentially corroding
metal fixtures. The color of the lighting can
changed from white to red to amber, or wavelengths
compatible with night vision devices (NVD) very
easily through the use of filters located a the
light source. Multiple sets of lighting fixtures do
not need to be installed to provide different
colors. All of the benefits greatly reduce the
demand for maintenance on lighting systems. Life
cycle costs can also be reduced where incandescent
and fluorescent light fixtures are currently
subjected to salt air, green water, stack gases,
etc. Remote light sources can be buried behind the
bulkhead or under the deck so that they are no
longer exposed. The light carrier and beam shaping
device can be designed to have inherent resistance
to the harsh environmental conditions using
composites and corrosion resistant metals as
required for mounting hardware and fixtures.
The use of high intensity, high efficiency light
sources have been shown to lower installation and
maintenance costs. With greater lumens per watt
output, these light sources also trim power
requirements with a resultant savings in fuel
costs. There are also very strict regulations
governing the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC),
which will also affect the availability, and
replacement of fluorescent lamps.
 More
difficult to assess on a quantitative basis are the
other benefits gained by the use of remote lighting
systems. For example, what is the cost attached to
a sailor receiving a shock from incandescent lights
strung on an accommodation ladder? The optical
fiber alternative is seen in the attached picture
aboard DDG51. Fiber optic cable is safe to use
because it carries no electrical current, resulting
in no risk of shock or ignition except at the light
source.
The decreased size of the efficient remote light
sources and low density of optical fiber yield a
weight savings compared to heavy fluorescent
fixtures. Damage control is simplified because the
fiber optic cable is easily repaired by inserting
new sections at any breaks without the need for
turning off the light source. No EMI/EMP shielding
is required because there is no metallic component
to transmit a current. RCSR becomes a simpler task
because the light source is buried within the skin
of the ship and the optical fiber with any
associated lens assembly is low profile.
Remote lighting systems use a light carrier such as
optical fiber that allows for the placement of the
light source at a readily accessible site removed
from the area being lit. New generation light
sources are much more efficient, as high as 140
lumens/watt as compared to about 20 lumens/watt for
incandescent lamps. The greater efficiencies are
possible because the energy is converted into
useful light rather than heat.
 Successful installations, such as the numeral
lighting aboard the CVN73 show the resilience and
potential of optical fiber lighting, where as many
as 200 twenty watt incandescent lamps were replaced
with 6 sixty watt high efficiency, long life lamps.
The feasibility of other uses for remote lighting
was shown by demonstration held on the USS Harpers
Ferry (LSK49) and USS Austin (LPD4). Temporary
installations of the metal halide system were used
to provide lighting for the LCAC landing craft
line-up-lines, flight deck markings. The painted
lines in the well deck used by LCAC coxswains for
entry line-up and landing positioning are subject
to wear and difficult to see in the best of
conditions. Side lit optical fiber can be laid in
the wood/composite planking and bumper boards to
clearly mark these lines and aid in depth
perception. The color change capability of the
light source can be utilized to change from white
to red or NVD compatible wavelengths.
Other potential areas for optical fiber
illumination would be refrigerated spaces where the
use of incandescent fixtures is extremely
inefficient. Optical fiber carries no heat and its
-40 degrees F minimum operating temperature allows
it to easily cope with the reduced temperatures in
refrigerated spaces. In the case of spaces like
ballast tanks and voids, which are rarely entered,
an economical approach would be to permanently
install the optical fiber and attach portable light
sources when illumination is needed. The optical
fiber is resistant to fuels, seawater, etc., so
immersion in these liquids would not be a problem.
Systems Conformity to Navy Requirements
The Fiber:
. Flame Propagation - Mil-C-24642A of 31, Oct. 1994
- Passed
. Smoke Index - NES711 Issue 2, DDG51 Ship Spec
Section 332 - Smoke Index = 45: Passed
. Toxicity Index - NES 713 Issue 2, DDG51 Ship Spec
Section 332 - Toxicity Index = 5: Passed
. Illumination source Passed MIL-DTL-16377, Grade A
Shock, Mil-STD-167 Vibration
The Illuminator:
. Mil. Spec. MIL-DTL-16377 (Grade A Shock)
. Classified as Type II (Incandescent light source)
. Mil-STD-167 Notice 1 Dated 19 June 1987
(Vibration)
. Fanless
. Submersible Unit / Non Corrosive / Non Toxic
. Redundant Systems Available
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The U.S. Navy replaced one hundred and thirty 25
watt incandescent lamps with only six 60 watt xenon
metal halide lamps and Lumenyte fiber optics.
United States Navy determined an 88% energy
savings.
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LHD 1 - U.S.S. WASP |
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LHD 3 - U.S.S. KEARSARGE |
Original Incandescent Numeral Illumination |
Lumenyte LEF Fiber Optic Illumination Technology |
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CV 67 - U.S.S. JOHN F. KENNEDY |
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| Daytime Port Side View |
Nighttime Starboard View |
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Lumenyte has also provided fiber optic Island
Numeral Illumination on the LHA 4 - U.S.S. NASSAU. |
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Additional ships outfitted with
this fiber optic lighting technology include the LHD 5 - U.S.S. BATAAN
and the LHD 2 - U.S.S. ESSEX. |
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Accommodation Ladders |
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| U.S. Navy Accommodation ladders using Lumenyte LEF
to provide a safe source of lighting where water
and electricity don't mix. |
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MAGAZINE TRUNK
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Fiber Optic Lighting for Elevator Shafts and
Trunks
5/54" MAGAZINE TRUNK |
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Some of the most difficult places to light on
offshore rigs and ships are elevator shafts, access
trunks and emergency egress trunks. The Lumenyte
lighting system offers an advanced fiber optic
lighting solution for these areas. |
Lumenyte's fiber optic lighting system has been
specifically designed for these applications.
Utilizing our patented Linear Emitting Fiber (NLEF)
that will withstand oils, fuels, paint, and adverse
marine conditions, the system provides even
transmission of light while eliminating hazardous
wiring and hard to reach fixtures. The
illuminator/light source can be installed in "easy
to reach" or remote locations simplifying and
reducing installation and life cycle costs.
In some cases, conventional lighting does not exist
in elevator shafts because it will obstruct the
evolution of the platform. In other cases,
conventional lighting configurations in access
trunks and emergency egress trunks do not provide
adequate lighting for personnel to transgress from
level to level, creating a potential safety hazard
to personnel.
Imagine, a fiber optic lighting system that can be
easily installed, essentially flush mounted,
transmitting adequate lighting evenly throughout
the entire length of the trunk or shaft, that
requires low maintenance and increases safety.
The length of the shaft or trunk will determine how
many illuminators will be required for the
application. Remember, with Lumenyte's fiber optic
lighting system, there are no limitations to the
location of the light source as there are with
conventional lighting products. |
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| Fiber optic weather guidance. Enables vertical take
off and landing of the Marine's Harrier jet. |
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LUMENYTE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
ILLUMINATION FIBER OPTICS SINCE 1980 |
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