WO2019238973A1

WO2019238973A1 - Lighting system for extreme environmental conditions

Info

Publication number: WO2019238973A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/065829
Authority: WO
Inventors: Morten H. Christensen; Michael Schulze; Martin Zipkat
Original assignee: Sabik Offshore Gmbh
Priority date: 2018-06-15
Filing date: 2019-06-17
Publication date: 2019-12-19

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting system for use in extreme environmental conditions, as they occur in offshore wind farms, for example. The lighting system comprises an optical system (100) for generating illumination light, an energy store (200) and control and monitoring electronics, wherein the optical system and the energy store are arranged in, and the control and monitoring electronics (300) are arranged on and/or in, a stainless steel tube (400). The illumination light exits the tube through a light outlet opening (410) and illuminates an object or transmits information by means of a light signal.

Description

Lighting system for extreme environmental conditions

The invention relates to a lighting system for extreme environmental conditions and its use.

Due to the extreme environmental conditions, there are special lighting systems in the maritime environment, such as offshore wind turbines or oil platforms

environmental and functional requirements. They have to be very robust against waves, wind loads, icing and vibrations of the supporting structure, have a high UV resistance and high corrosion resistance in salty air. They must be extremely reliable and available as continuously as possible. They must have a high degree of protection against the ingress of moisture and an increased resistance to lightning strikes. A lifespan of at least 25 years is desirable.

From a technical point of view, assembly should be quick and uncomplicated, especially with regard to the electrical connection. In addition, simple service with the longest possible service intervals should be achieved. Other requirements are minor

Power consumption, integrated function monitoring, autonomous emergency operation at least for a limited period in the event of failure of the stationary energy supply or the higher-level control system, as well as low system costs.

Known solutions, however, have a number of disadvantages. Different materials are combined, such as stainless steel with aluminum and / or coatings with aluminum, which are susceptible to corrosion and mechanical loads. The solutions for an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) used in known systems are large and heavy and are difficult to service offshore, which is due to their high weight and the narrow mounting locations in the supporting structures.

Often there is a separate retention mechanism for the lighting systems including one

Lightning rod, cable duct, covers and, as a result, complex planning and laying of the necessary electrical installations required.

The complex mechanical structure of the known systems from a large number of individual parts ultimately results in correspondingly high costs. The object of the invention is therefore to propose a lighting system in which the disadvantages mentioned are eliminated. In particular, what should be proposed

Lighting system easy to assemble, maintain and be efficient.

The object of the invention is achieved by a lighting system according to claim 1 and a use according to claim 15. Further preferred refinements of the invention result from the other features mentioned in the subclaims.

A lighting system according to the invention for extreme environmental conditions, such as those prevailing in offshore use, is provided with an optical system for generating one

Illumination light, an energy store, a stainless steel tube with a light exit opening, and control and monitoring electronics. The optical system and the

Energy stores are arranged in the stainless steel tube and the control and monitoring electronics in and / or on the stainless steel tube. The optical system is arranged and aligned in the stainless steel tube so that the illuminating light is at least partially through the

Light exit opening emerges. It is of course also within the meaning of the invention if the stainless steel tube consists of another material, for example a plastic.

An optical system for generating an illuminating light is a functional unit or component of the device according to the invention, which is arranged and designed to generate an illuminating light. This illuminating light is

electromagnetic radiation, in particular in the wavelength range of visible light, which is generated and directed onto an object or several objects in order to make this or these more visible and / or to generate visual signals for the transmission of information, both especially in difficult visibility conditions.

The energy store, also called the “battery pack”, is intended to ensure the autonomous functioning of the lighting system according to the invention in the event of a failure of a primary energy supply and / or of a higher-level control system by doing this

Lighting system for a limited time, depending on the load capacity and the

Depends on the state of charge of the energy storage, provides the necessary energy. Stationary energy supply is understood to mean the supply and provision of energy for operating the lighting system at the place of use. The energy store thus acts as a local emergency power supply and can be recharged using the stationary energy supply. A higher-level control system will be explained elsewhere. The lighting system according to the invention is connected on site to the stationary energy supply and / or communication media, that is to say the lighting system is connected to or connected to supplies of energy and communication media provided at the installation site. By means of these connections, the stationary provided energy and communication media are supplied to the lighting system according to the invention. Communication media essentially comprise wired and wireless means for data and information exchange between the lighting system and

for example a higher-level control system.

The control and monitoring electronics are intended to transmit signals to the individual electronic components of the lighting system and to receive them in order to control and monitor the lighting system.

All mentioned components of the lighting system according to the invention are arranged in and / or on a single tube, which is preferably formed from or with stainless steel.

The optical system is arranged in the stainless steel tube, that is to say inside the tube, and is arranged and aligned in such a way that the illumination light generated can at least partially leave the tube through a light exit opening.

The light exit opening can be an opening in the jacket of the tube or the opening at the ends of the tube in the axial direction. The light exit opening acts like a diaphragm and limits the exit light in its exit angle, which allows effective and targeted illumination of objects and / or emission of light signals and at the same time minimizes so-called light pollution. The aforementioned targeted lighting also brings about better visibility at sea, since the illuminated object is sharply demarcated from its surroundings.

An embodiment of the lighting system according to the invention with more than one

Light exit opening can advantageously targeted lighting of objects and / or

Enable the transmission of visual signals. The arrangement of the optical system in the tube particularly protects it from external influences.

The energy store is also arranged inside the tube, which in this way also protects it from external influences such as wind, ice, waves, rain, bird strikes and the like protects.

The control and monitoring electronics are arranged in and / or on the stainless steel tube.

This is to be understood to mean that the control and monitoring electronics on the

Stainless steel tube attached, that is attached and / or at least partially arranged in the tube or can protrude into this.

The control and monitoring electronics are preferably also connected to the energy store and this to the optical system. With regard to the energy store, the control and monitoring electronics monitor the state of charge of the energy store, the

Functionality, the occurrence of malfunctions and controls, among other things, the charging of the energy store and the provision of the energy of the energy store in the event of a failure of the stationary energy supply and / or the higher-level control system to the consumers, in particular the optical system and the control and monitoring electronics. The control and monitoring of the optical system can also be carried out via the connection of the control and monitoring electronics to the energy store and the optical system. This includes the initiation of the lighting, i.e. the switching on, especially depending on

Monitoring data, as well as monitoring with regard to functionality and the occurrence of malfunctions.

The arrangement of all essential components of the lighting system in and / or on the stainless steel tube provides a compact, easy-to-use and assemble system which is also effectively protected against external influences. The lighting system according to the invention can thus be assembled and configured at another location, and then attached and aligned to a support structure at its place of use, for example by means of clamps.

In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the light exit opening is arranged and / or formed at or near a first end of the stainless steel tube. If the opening at the tube end acts as a light exit opening, it is therefore arranged or formed at one end of the tube. However, the light exit opening can also be designed as an opening in the jacket of the tube and be arranged at the end of the tube. However, it can also be arranged at a distance from the end of the tube, so that it is arranged close to its end. In this case, the length of the optical system which is positioned in the stainless steel tube should mean approximately at one end. Another preferred embodiment is that the light exit opening of the stainless steel tube is designed to allow the illuminating light to exit the stainless steel tube radially or axially. Accordingly, it is preferred, on the one hand, if the light exit opening corresponds to the opening of the tube at one of its ends, that is to say the illuminating light exits the optical system in a direction that corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the tube and leaves the tube in the axial direction. Alternatively, it is preferred if the illuminating light exits the tube through the light exit opening in a direction that corresponds to the radius or the radii of the tube. However, it is also within the scope of the invention if a light exit opening

is provided, which allows light to exit in the radial and axial directions.

Another preferred embodiment provides that the stainless steel tube is bent by at least one radius. This does not mean the radius that describes the pipe diameter, but at least one bending radius around which the pipe is bent, at least in sections. It can be bent in different directions by bending around different radii, in order in this way to form a shape of the tube which enables the optimal illumination of an object and / or emission of light signals by the optical system.

Another embodiment of the invention is the arrangement of the control and

Monitoring electronics at a second end of the stainless steel tube. In the case of an arrangement of the light exit opening and thus also of the optical system at a first end of the tube, the arrangement of the control and monitoring electronics means at a second end which is arranged at the opposite end of the tube. In any case, the arrangement of the control and monitoring electronics is provided at one end of the tube. This means that there is no need for complex routing of lines and cable ducts. This configuration relates only to the position with respect to the tube and is not intended to restrict the possibility of also at least partially arranging the control and monitoring electronics in the tube.

The control and monitoring electronics are advantageously arranged in a housing, in particular a plastic housing. The housing is intended to protect the control and monitoring electronics from external influences such as weather, waves, ice, bird strikes and the like. The use of plastic for the housing proves to be advantageous in terms of weight reduction and corrosion resistance. In addition, the tax and

Monitoring electronics are preassembled or preconfigured in such a housing and connected to the other components of the lighting system according to the invention at another time and / or at a different location. For example, this Connection by flanging to the pipe, screwing or using clamps.

It is further preferred if the housing has two separate chambers and / or entries for feeds to the stationary energy supply and communication media. The chambers can be separated in particular by arranging or forming a partition in the housing. For example, the sensitive control and monitoring electronics can be arranged in a first chamber and the connections for the supplies of the stationary energy supply and communication media in a second. Of course, these connections are connected to the control and monitoring electronics. However, the separation of the chambers enables simple and effective protection of the control and monitoring electronics from external influences and / or damage during the connection of the feeds for the energy and communication media, which takes place on site.

Alternatively or additionally, the housing has inlets for supplying the stationary energy supply and communication media. This means openings through which these feeds, usually in the form of cables or lines, into the housing

can be introduced. These entries are preferably to be formed at a position of the housing and in a manner which prevents the ingress of moisture, rain and foreign bodies or at least significantly minimizes them. This can be achieved, for example, by means of flexible sealing systems and / or closures, and a downward alignment of the inlets with respect to the installation position.

The housing can be formed with a removable cap. This cap, or in other words a lid, is intended to enable the housing to be opened easily, for example in order to check or make the connections to the feeds of the stationary energy supply and communication media.

The design of the cap in connection with the formation of two separate chambers in the housing is particularly preferred, the removable cap in the region of the chamber with the connections for the supplies of the stationary energy supply and

Communication media is provided. In this way, the control and monitoring electronics remain protected against external influences and / or damage during the opening of the cap, for example for connecting said feeds.

The opening area of the cap with a circumferential seal is even more preferred sealed. The opening area of the cap corresponds to the opening of the

Housing when the cap is removed or opened. All around this opening of the housing or alternatively along the edge of the cap itself is in this

Design provided a circumferential seal, in particular a single circumferential seal. When the cap is closed, this allows the contour or the edge of the cap to be sealed with the housing, so that none after the cap is closed

Moisture can penetrate into the housing and damage the connections or the control and monitoring electronics inside.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the stainless steel tube has cutouts for receiving the housing and / or for receiving connections. In the stainless steel tube, recesses, openings or openings should be provided, into which the housing and / or various connections, for example for connecting the control and

Monitoring electronics with the energy storage and / or the optical system, at least partially inserted into the tube or can be arranged in it. Such connections can be protected and the connection area can be mechanically stabilized.

According to a next preferred embodiment of the invention, the optical system with a light source, at least one mirror, at least one lens, an electronic control, means for electrical, thermal and / or optical monitoring, a housing, a stopper and / or a waterproof connector for Energy storage trained.

The light source is intended to generate the illuminating light. Energy is supplied to it, whereupon the light source converts and emits the energy into electromagnetic radiation, in particular in the wavelength range of visible light. The light source can preferably be a single LED (light emitting diode) or can also comprise a plurality of LEDs. It can be provided that the light source generates electromagnetic radiation in different wavelength ranges, ie in different colors, so that the

Lighting can be adjusted in a light signal to be generated depending on the ambient conditions or on the information to be transmitted.

The illuminating light can be guided in a desired direction by means of at least one mirror, so that the illuminating light can be guided from the inside of the tube to the light exit opening and through it to the outside.

At least one lens in the optical system can be provided to block the generated light shape, for example to bundle, or to influence the direction of propagation of light. This is preferably done using a Fresnel lens, a reduced-volume and low-mass design of an optical lens.

It is extremely advantageous to arrange at least one lens and at least one mirror in a mirror-lens combination in order to guide the illuminating light emitted by the light source in the desired shape and direction. In addition, the stainless steel tube or the light outlet opening in the stainless steel tube can also be designed in such a way that they influence the optics in the desired manner, for example that the light outlet opening acts like a further screen.

An electronic control can be provided to control the light source. The color, the intensity of the light source and / or an illumination pattern can thus be generated. For the purposes of the invention, an illumination pattern is intended to be a chronological sequence of phases with illumination and phases without illumination, such as a defined flashing of the light source. The control takes place via the control and monitoring electronics of the lighting system according to the invention and is supplied to the light source via the electronic control of the optical system.

In addition, means for electrical, thermal and / or optical monitoring can be provided in order to monitor the functionality of the optical system and to be able to detect malfunctions or defects at an early stage. These means for electrical, thermal and / or optical monitoring can comprise an ambient light sensor, a moisture sensor and / or a 3-axis acceleration sensor.

An ambient light sensor can be used to determine whether lighting and / or the emission of a light signal is / are necessary. If the ambient light falls below a predetermined limit value due to the occurrence of twilight or bad weather, this is detected by means of an ambient sensor and the desired control of the light source for generating the illuminating light and / or light signal is initiated by the control and monitoring electronics.

A humidity sensor can detect the humidity in the ambient air. This is a measure by which the presence of a leak in the optical system can be recognized. If this is the case, a warning message can be generated to prompt an exchange or repair of the optical system. A 3-axis acceleration sensor is known per se. Such sensors determine whether a movement is taking place and in which direction. From this, a change in position of an optical system can be determined and derived whether the optical system is still in the correct orientation.

The aforementioned components of the optical system are preferably arranged on a printed circuit board. A particularly preferred arrangement is when the light source is arranged on the printed circuit board and the printed circuit board has an opening or recess at a distance from it, a shaped mirror also being positioned above the printed circuit board. The light source emits the illuminating light, which is guided outwards by means of the shaped mirror in the direction of the cutout in the printed circuit board. The circuit board thus also acts as an aperture and is designed according to the distance of the light source from the object to be illuminated and its size.

Alternatively or additionally, the optical system can be designed with a housing, in particular a plastic housing. This enables the optical system to be installed quickly and easily and can therefore also be replaced in the event of a defect. In addition, the housing protects the optical system from mechanical influences and against moisture and thus creates the necessary degree of IP protection. The use of plastic makes the housing light and corrosion-resistant. The housing can be designed in such a way that the optics are influenced in the desired manner and thus form an inexpensive secondary optics.

For example, the design of the housing, in particular its shape, in conjunction with the use of a Fresnel lens can achieve the homogenization of the horizontal intensity distribution of the light source.

A plug can be provided in order to close off the optical system or the tube in which the optical system is arranged, and thus to protect it from external influences. This has the necessary diameter to close the opening at the end of the pipe. This stopper can preferably be formed from or with stainless steel or brass in order to effect heat dissipation, that is to say the removal of the heat generated by the light source during operation.

The optical system preferably has a watertight plug connection to the energy store. This plug connection provides the energy of the energy store to the optical system. The connector can also be used to transmit signals between the optical system and control and monitoring electronics if the control electronics and the electronic control of the optical system is suitably designed. The watertight design of the plug connection is intended to prevent short circuits due to moisture penetrating into the pipe. The waterproof connector can be designed as a circular connector.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the lighting system according to the invention, the energy store with six to twelve nickel-metal hydride cells which are connected in series, a temperature sensor, a fuse, a watertight plug connection to the optical system, elements for securing the position in the stainless steel tube, one

Pressure compensation element, means for forming a high degree of IP protection and / or a watertight plug connection to the control and monitoring electronics.

The energy store thus has six to twelve nickel-metal hydride cells connected in series, which preferably have a cylindrical design. Nickel-metal hydride cells have the advantage that they can use the energy stored in them within a short time

can deliver constant voltage. The number of nickel-metal hydride cells depends on the expected energy requirement of the lighting system according to the invention, that is, how long the lighting system has to autonomously bridge a failure of the stationary energy supply and / or a higher-level control system. The cylindrical shape of the nickel-metal hydride cells allows the cells to be packed tightly, so that a compact energy store can be formed.

A temperature sensor detects whether the energy store is overheating as a result of a defect or during charging, that is, it is becoming too warm. If such overheating is detected, the

Charging is interrupted or the lighting system is switched off to avoid damage. In such a case, a warning or error message is ideally transmitted to a higher-level control system in order to initiate a check and, if necessary, an exchange of the energy store.

A fuse can be provided in the energy store, which triggers if the current intensity exceeds a certain value for a sufficiently long time. This is to avoid damage caused by exceeding the current.

The energy store can have a watertight plug connection to the optical system, in particular the counterpart to the watertight one formed on the optical system

Plug connection. As already stated, the plug connection is used to provide energy the optical system and, if applicable, the transmission of control signals.

Alternatively or additionally, elements for securing the position of the energy store in the stainless steel tube can be provided. These can be plastic caps, screws and other elements that prevent the energy storage device from slipping in the tube.

The energy store can have a pressure compensation element. such

Pressure compensation elements are intended to ensure adequate ventilation and thus pressure compensation with the surroundings in order to avoid damage to the components of the energy store as a result of pressure changes. Such pressure changes can arise, for example, from changes in temperature or from differences in height before and during assembly, but also from strong weather fluctuations and storms. The constant pressure equalization protects the energy store and also prevents or at least reduces the condensation inside the energy store.

The energy storage device is to be protected against the ingress of moisture or wetness by means of a high degree of IP protection. In the simplest case, this is achieved using a shrink tube.

Finally, the energy store can be designed with a watertight plug connection to the control and monitoring electronics. This is used to provide energy and to transmit control signals and sensor data between the energy store and the control and monitoring electronics.

In the lighting system according to the invention, the control and

Monitoring electronics with pluggable connection terminals, a waterproof plug connection to the energy storage, two signaling light sources, integrated lightning protection, a local power supply, a communication interface to a higher-level control system, a charge controller, a battery management system and / or a communication interface for communication with a service application.

The plug-in connection terminals are intended to connect the feeds of the stationary energy supply and / or communication media to the control and monitoring electronics, and simply by plugging the feeder into the pluggable connection terminals provided for this purpose. In this way, the feeds, for example the supplied cables, can be connected quickly and easily, but also removed again. The watertight plug connection to the energy store serves to connect the control and monitoring electronics to the energy store and is designed such that no moisture can penetrate into the plug connection and lead to short circuits or the like there. It can be designed as a counterpart to the watertight plug connection of the energy store to the control and monitoring electronics.

The control and monitoring electronics can have two signaling light sources which serve to display the position and, if appropriate, the functionality of the lighting system. The signaling light sources are preferably designed as LED light sources.

Lightning protection includes precautions against the harmful effects of lightning strikes, so it should prevent or at least minimize them. A common version is the version with a so-called lightning arrester, which guides the lightning current path along a defined, low-resistance path and leads it past the object to be protected. The grounding for lightning protection can

for example, by an electrically conductive connection using a screw connection or a clamp with the stainless steel tube.

A local power supply should be available, which is to be understood as a line network for distributing the energy of the supplied stationary energy supply and / or the energy storage to the consumers within the lighting system.

The existence of a communication interface to one is of great advantage

higher-level control system. Such a higher-level control system is used, among other things, to control a large number of lighting systems according to the invention in an offshore wind farm. A communication interface is required to transmit the control signals from this higher-level control system to one or more lighting systems, but also to transmit information from one or more lighting systems to the higher-level control system. In the broadest sense, it is to be understood as a network interface that serves to transmit the necessary information.

Alternatively or additionally, a battery management system can be provided. One of these is provided for monitoring, regulating and protecting the energy store. It therefore serves to monitor the state of charge of the energy store and, if necessary, to initiate the charging process and, in particular, to prevent overcharging. Deep discharge can also be recognized and prevented by a battery management system. In addition, the Functionality of the energy store are monitored in order to detect malfunctions and defects in the energy store, errors in the charging process and the like and, if appropriate, to generate error information.

A charge controller can be included in the control electronics. This technically implements the charging process. Overcharging can be prevented by limiting the charging voltage. In addition, the charge current depending on

State of charge and / or temperature can be limited.

The charge controller advantageously interacts with the battery management system in order to monitor the functionality of the energy store and to avoid damage caused by charging and discharging.

The control electronics can have a communication interface to a service application, in particular a Bluetooth interface. Bluetooth is a common wireless one

Communication interface between electronic devices, especially mobile devices such as mobile phones or tablets. This communication interface is to be used to implement an information or data exchange between a lighting system according to the invention and the service application on a preferably mobile device. A service application is a software application that receives, evaluates and / or displays the exchanged information, but also enables inputs and the transmission of information and control commands to the control device or control electronics.

For example, the battery status, i.e. the status of the battery, is to be replaced

Energy storage with regard to state of charge, functionality and the like, but also so-called monitoring data, i.e. monitoring data that determine the functionality and

Describe operating data of the lighting system. This enables a so-called SCADA system (SCADA, English for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) to be implemented, which means monitoring and controlling technical processes by means of a control device or a higher-level control system. Monitoring does not have to take place within the offshore wind farm, but can also take place onshore, i.e. on land.

The lighting system according to the invention can be used for optical monitoring and / or for generating and emitting floodlights, nautical signals and / or point lights.

Floodlights are used, for example, to illuminate day markings, work surfaces and Ascent ladders needed at sea. Among other things, nautical signals include the 5 nautical miles fire for marking objects and obstacles in the fairway of ships, for example marking the outer limits of an offshore wind farm. They are characterized by a specific light color, a specific vertical and horizontal radiation or intensity profile and a specific, internationally standardized identifier in the form of a blink code.

Point lights produce a highly concentrated light beam of very high intensity and are used, for example, for lighting, i.e. illuminating, turbines along one

Helicopter corridors used in an offshore wind farm and illuminate them especially in the dark and poor visibility.

Alternatively or additionally, the lighting system according to the invention can be used within the scope of the optical monitoring in order to detect the ambient brightness as precisely as possible and without being influenced by the light source, in order to automatically switch on the lighting system when darkness sets in and to switch it off again as the brightness increases. Optical monitoring also includes monitoring the luminous flux of the light source so that an alarm can be triggered in the event of a defect or failure.

The lighting system according to the invention and its use allow a targeted emission of an illuminating light in order to illuminate an object and / or to generate light signals for the transmission of information. This makes the lighting system highly efficient. Training with a rechargeable energy storage makes a local backup system unnecessary and thus simplifies on-site service.

Due to its design with plastic and stainless steel in all areas that come into contact with sea air, the lighting system is resistant to external influences and corrosion. The accommodation of all essential components in one tube and the small number of individual components leads to a compact construction and therefore simple

Handling, as well as lower costs. Since the optical system, energy storage and control and monitoring electronics are preferably coupled by means of plug connections, simple installation of the lighting system, but also simple replacement of individual components on site, is possible. The components can also be reused in this way. Using a higher-level control system, monitoring can be carried out from land and the

Availability of the lighting system can be monitored at any time. The various configurations and embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application can be advantageously combined with one another, unless otherwise stated in the individual case.

The invention will be described in the following using an exemplary embodiment and associated with it

Drawings explained in more detail. The figures show:

FIG. 1 perspective views of a first and second embodiment of the lighting system according to the invention,

FIG. 2 perspective views of selected details of the lighting system from FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 further perspective views of selected details of the

Lighting system of Figure 1,

FIG. 4 further perspective views of selected details of the

Lighting system of Figure 1,

Figure 5 shows another perspective view and a sectional view

selected details of the lighting system from FIG. 1,

6 shows perspective views of a further embodiment of the

lighting system according to the invention,

FIG. 7 shows a sectional illustration of the lighting system from FIG. 6,

Figure 8 Exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the optical

Systems,

FIG. 9 exploded view of an alternative exemplary embodiment of the optical system, and

FIG. 10 overview of the mode of operation of the environmental monitoring by means of the lighting system according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows perspective views of a first and second embodiment of the lighting system according to the invention. The individual components are shown in FIG. 1 a, while only the overall system is shown in FIG. 1 b. The details are shown in the following figures.

The lighting system according to the invention in FIG. 1 a is formed with an optical system 100, an energy store 200 and control and monitoring electronics 300, which are to be arranged in a stainless steel tube 400. The stainless steel tube 400 has a light exit opening 410 at one end, which allows light exit in the radial direction. Is this Optical system 100 in the first, in Figure 1 a in the upper end of the stainless steel tube 400, it is aligned so that the generated illuminating light can at least partially pass through the light exit opening 410 to the outside.

In this embodiment, the tube 400 is bent in FIG. 1 a, so that an angle of approximately 90 ° is reached. The lighting system can, for example, on the back of a

Scoreboard attached and aligned so that the top of the

Lighting system or tube 400 over the display panel and protrudes on the front and the light exit opening 410 and thus the illuminating light on the

Scoreboard is directed.

At the other end, in FIG. 1 a the lower end of the stainless steel tube, a recess 420 of the tube 400 is provided, which enables coupling to the control and monitoring electronics 300.

In Figure 1 b, the tube 400 is not bent, but straight. The light exit opening 410 can be formed at the marked two positions, that is to say allow radial or axial light exit.

FIG. 2 shows perspective views of selected details of the lighting system from FIG. 1. The end of the energy store 200 facing the optical system 100 is shown in FIG. 2a. At its end, a watertight plug connection 240 is formed, which finds a corresponding counterpart 130 on the optical system 100 in FIG. 2b. The optical system 100 is formed with a plastic housing 110 and a plug 115 for closing the tube 400.

FIG. 2 c shows how the optical system with the light exit opening 410 is positioned before being inserted into the tube 400.

Further details of the first embodiment of the lighting system according to the invention are illustrated in FIG. 3. In doing so and also in general, only additional ones are mentioned below

added components explained in more detail.

The energy store 200 is formed with a multiplicity of nickel-metal hydride cells 210, which is covered with a shrink tube 260 in order to ensure a sufficiently high degree of IP protection. At the lower end of the energy store 200, marked with a dash-dot line and Shown somewhat larger in FIG. 3b, a pressure compensation element 230 is provided. In addition, a plastic end cap 220 and a screw 225 is arranged, by means of which the

Energy storage 200 within the tube 400 in its position, that is secured against slipping. Also at the lower end of the energy store 20 is a waterproof one

Plug connection 250 is provided for connection to control and monitoring electronics 300.

FIG. 4 shows some details of the control and monitoring electronics 300. In FIG. 4, the control and monitoring electronics 300 has a counterpart 310 to the waterproof one

Plug connection 250 of the energy store is formed. In addition, two signaling LEDs 360 are provided, with which the lighting system can indicate its position and, if appropriate, its functionality. In addition, the control and monitoring electronics 300 with a housing 320 and entries 325 for the stationary supply of energy and

Communication media trained. Through these, the cables are led into the housing 320 and to the connections to the control and monitoring electronics 300.

FIG. 4b shows that the tube 400 has a cutout 420 which corresponds to the rear of the housing 320 and the plug connection 310. Is the pipe 400 in

Mounted in the use position, the connection is stabilized by this positive engagement and the connection area of the plug connections 310 and 250 is protected from external influences.

FIGS. 4b and 4c also show the grounding plate 350 and the screw 355, with which the grounding plate 350 is connected to the stainless steel tube 400 for grounding and interference suppression of the lightning protection.

The position of the signaling LEDs and the lead-in 325 for the stationary supply of energy and communication media is illustrated once again in FIG. 5a.

5b shows the connection or the plug connection 250 of the energy store and plug connection 310 of the control and monitoring electronics 300 within the stainless steel tube 400. The housing 320 is divided into a chamber 335A and a chamber 335B by a partition 337. Chamber 335A is the sensitive one

Electronics housed (not shown in detail), and in chamber 335B are pluggable

Connection terminals 370 are provided, into which the feeds for the stationary supply of energy and communication media are inserted for connection to the lighting system can be. Through this simple plug connection, the connection of the

Lighting system on site quickly and easily and can be separated just as quickly in the event of an exchange or repair.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a further configuration of the lighting system according to the invention, which essentially differs in the configuration of the control and monitoring electronics 300. It initially has a different external shape, but also an embodiment of the housing 300 with a removable cap 320. FIGS. 6a, b and c also show the connection area between housing 320 and tube 400 with recess 420 before and after assembly.

A sectional illustration of the configuration of the lighting system according to FIG. 6 is shown in FIG. 7. The housing 320 has a cap 330 which runs with a circumferential seal 340 in the contact area between the housing 320 and the cap 330. In addition, the housing 320 is divided with a partition 337 in a chamber 335A and a chamber 335B so as to

Protect electronics in chamber 335A from damage and external influences when connecting the inlets for the stationary supply of energy and communication media with or in the pluggable connection terminals 370.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the optical system 100 as it is required to generate a floodlight for the illumination of ID boards or day markings, work surfaces or ladders.

The control electronics 170, a white pinhole power LED 150 and sensors 155 such as an ambient light sensor are arranged on a printed circuit board 160. A shaped mirror 145 is arranged above the LED 150. The printed circuit board 160 also has a cutout 165. The

Ambient light sensor 155 detects the ambient brightness, so that the control and

Monitoring electronics can recognize a need for lighting and controls the LED so that it generates and emits illuminating light.

If the LED 150 is controlled so that it emits light, this is passed through the mirror 145 in the direction of the recess 165 and through it. The illuminating light generated in this way illuminates the object to be illuminated with great homogeneity and the lowest possible power consumption at the required brightness. The cutout 165 of the printed circuit board 160 acts as an aperture and limits the light pollution outside the area to be illuminated. The circuit board 160 with the components arranged on it is shown in FIG arranged a housing 1 10 and closed with a plug 1 15 made of stainless steel to the outside, which also serves to cool the optical system 100. This optical system 100 is then inserted into a tube 400 and connected to the energy store 200. In this embodiment, a radial light emission from the tube 400 is provided.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the optical system 100 for generating a nautical signal, such as the 5 nautical mile fire. For this purpose, several yellow, red or white high-power LEDs 150 and a Fresnel lens 140 are arranged on the printed circuit board 160.

The position of the LEDs 150 and the geometry of the Fresnel lens 140 are matched to one another in such a way that the required vertical intensity profile is obtained with the lowest possible power consumption. The geometry of the housing 110 of the optical system 100 homogenizes the horizontal intensity profile in such a way that the illuminating light is emitted as uniformly as possible over a radiation angle of 184 °. The generated illumination light emerges radially from the optical system 100 or the tube 400. The

The light exit opening 410 (not shown) can be adjusted in size so that a smaller horizontal radiation angle is achieved. This enables low-power marking of a wind farm to the outside by means of the lighting system according to the invention. Visibility of this nautical signal inside such a wind farm is not necessary. However, the housing 110 can also be divided such that one half of the housing 110 with an adapted geometry as secondary optics for the nautical signal and the other half without it

adapted geometry is used to generate a floodlight.

In addition, in the embodiments in FIGS. 8 and 9, moisture sensors for early detection of housing leaks and 3-axis spotting sensors for detecting the correct alignment of the optical system can also be present, as can be seen in FIG

Use position horizontally in Figure 8 and vertically in Figure 9.

To design the optical system as point lighting or point light (not shown) for identifying turbines in a corridor for helicopters within a wind farm, a plurality of white high-performance LEDs 150 are combined with a Fresnel lens 140. The direction of radiation of the optical system 100 is guided in the direction of the tube axis, so the light emerges at the front opening of the tube 400. The lighting system is attached to a support structure of a turbine in such a way that the illuminating light emerges at a very acute angle to the support structure, usually referred to as a tower. This is achieved by slightly bending the pipe. Here too, a combination with other sensors can be used to monitor the lighting system. FIG. 10 contains an overview of the functioning of the environmental monitoring by means of the lighting system according to the invention. The task for the lighting system and in particular the optical system 100 is to determine the ambient brightness 520 as precisely as possible and preferably without being influenced by the light from the light source 510, in order to switch on the light source 510 when darkness sets in and to switch it off again as the brightness increases. In addition, the luminous flux of the LED (s) 510 is to be monitored optically in order to trigger an alarm in the event of an impermissible degradation or a total failure of the LED (s) 510. This is in addition to the electrical monitoring of the LED (s) via the

Monitoring of flow current or LED current can be seen, since there is the rare error that the electrical parameters of the LED (s) have not changed and that they still emit / emit too little light.

For this purpose, an analog photo sensor 500 with a spectral sensitivity in the range of visible light is arranged such that the ambient light 520, but also the illuminating light 510 of the optical system 100, fall on the photo sensor 500. The output signal of the

Photosensor 500 is amplified with an amplifier 530 with a logarithmic characteristic curve, thereby spreading the lower brightness range for precise ambient light measurement in twilight and compressing the upper one for overdrive-free measurement of the very intense LED light.

The LEDs are controlled from a pulse-width-modulated current source 580, which enables fine-level intensity control. If the maximum relative duty cycle, also referred to as duty cycle, is limited to a value less than 100%, for example 95%, two measuring phases are always available when the illuminating light is switched on:

1.LED on: measurement of LED light plus ambient light

2. LED off: measurement of ambient light

When the illumination light is switched off, however, only measurement phase 2 is available for the continuous detection of the ambient light.

A pulse generator 570 now generates a narrow sampling pulse in synchronism with the pulse width signal, which is either at the end of measurement phase 1 or measurement phase 2. This will make it

Transient response of the photo sensor 500 optimally taken into account. The sampling pulse controls a sample and hold arrangement 540, 545, at the output of which an A / D converter 550 digitizes the signal and passes it to a microcontroller 560. This now also generates the pulse width signal and controls the sample and hold pulse position (measurement phase 1 or measurement phase 2).

The de-logarithmic measured value from measurement phase 1 minus the de-logarithmic measured value from measurement phase 2 then results in a linear measure for the brightness 510 of the LEDs without being influenced by the ambient light 520. The de-logarithmic measured value from measurement phase 2 results in a linear measure for the ambient brightness 520 without being influenced by the LED -Light 510.

reference numeral

100 optical system

110 Optical system housing

115 stoppers

130 watertight plug connection to the energy storage

140 lens

145 mirrors

150 light source

155 sensor

160 pcb

165 Cut-out in printed circuit board

170 control electronics

200 energy stores

210 NiMH cells

220 plastic end cap

225 screw connection

230 pressure compensation element

240 watertight plug connection to the optical system

250 watertight plug connection to control and monitoring electronics

260 heat shrink tubing

300 control and monitoring electronics

310 watertight plug connection to the energy storage

320 housing

325 introductions for stationary energy supply and communication media

330 cap

335 chamber

337 partition

340 circumferential seal

350 grounding plate

355 screw

360 signaling light sources 370 connection terminals

400 tube / stainless steel tube

410 light outlet

420 Cut-out to accommodate connections

500 photosensor

510 light source

520 ambient light

530 amplifier

540, 545 sample and hold arrangement

550 A / D converter

560 microcontroller

570 pulse generator

580 power source

Claims

claims

1. Lighting system for extreme environmental conditions with an optical system (100) for generating an illuminating light, an energy store (200), a tube, in particular stainless steel tube (400) with a light outlet opening (410), and control and monitoring electronics (300), wherein

the optical system (100) and the energy store (200) are arranged in the stainless steel tube (400) and the control and monitoring electronics (300) in and / or on the stainless steel tube (400), and

the optical system (100) is arranged and aligned in the stainless steel tube (400) in such a way that the illuminating light at least partially exits through the light exit opening (410).

2. Lighting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Light exit opening (410) is arranged and / or formed at or near a first end of the stainless steel tube (400).

3. Lighting system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the

Light exit opening (410) of the stainless steel tube (400) is formed that the

Let the illuminating light exit radially or axially from the stainless steel tube (400).

4. Lighting system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stainless steel tube (400) is bent by at least one radius.

5. Lighting system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control and monitoring electronics (300) at a second end of the

Stainless steel tube (400) is arranged.

6. Lighting system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control and monitoring electronics (300) in a housing (320), in particular a plastic housing, is arranged.

7. Lighting system according to claim 6, characterized in that the housing (320) has two separate chambers (335) and / or inlets (325) for supplying the stationary energy supply and communication media.

8. Lighting system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the housing (320) is formed with a removable cap (330).

9. Lighting system according to claim 8, characterized in that the opening region of the cap (330) is sealed with a circumferential seal (340).

10. Lighting system according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the stainless steel tube (400) has cutouts (420) for receiving the housing (320) and / or for receiving connections.

11. Lighting system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical system (100) with a light source (150), at least one mirror (145), at least one lens (140), an electronic control (170), means (155 ) for electrical, thermal and / or optical monitoring, a housing (1 10), a plug (1 15) and / or a watertight plug connection (130) for

Energy store (200) is formed.

12. Lighting system according to claim 1 1, characterized in that the means for

electrical, thermal and / or optical monitoring include an ambient light sensor, a humidity sensor and / or a 3-axis acceleration sensor.

13. Lighting system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the energy store (200) with six to twelve nickel-metal hydride cells (210) which are connected in series, a temperature sensor, a fuse, one

waterproof plug connection (240) to the optical system (100), elements (220, 225) for securing the position in the stainless steel tube (400), a pressure compensation element (230),

Means (260) for forming a high degree of IP protection and / or a watertight plug connection (250) to the control and monitoring electronics (300) is formed.

14. Lighting system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control and monitoring electronics (300) with pluggable connection terminals (370), a waterproof plug connection (310) to the energy store (200), two Signaling light sources (360), an integrated lightning protection, a local

Power supply, a communication interface to a parent

Control system, a charge controller, a battery management system and / or a communication interface for communication with a service application.

15. Use of a lighting system according to one of the preceding claims for the generation and radiation of floodlights, nautical signals, point lights and / or optical monitoring.