Achieving uniform efficient illumination with multiple asymmetric compound parabolic luminaires

Abstract

Luminaire designs based on multiple asymmetric nonimaging compound parabolic reflectors are proposed for 2-D illumination applications that require highly uniform far-field illuminance, while ensuring maximal lighting efficiency and sharp angular cutoffs. The new designs derive from recent advances in nonimaging secondary concentrators for line-focus solar collectors. The light source is not treated as a single entity, but rather is divided into two or more separate adjoining sources. An asymmetric compound parabolic luminaire is then designed around each half-source. Attaining sharp cutoffs requires relatively large reflectors. However, severe truncation of the reflectors renders these devices as compact as many conventional luminaires, at the penalty of a small fraction of the radiation being emitted outside the nominal cutoff. The configurations that maximize the uniformity of far-field illuminance offer significant improvements in flux homogeneity relative to alternative designs to date.