Mathematical Model Applied to Improve the Natural Lighting Design

Abstract

Daylighting must be considered as the greenest way to illuminate any space and one of the most important architectural design challenges and opportunities. Human life is strongly influenced by natural lighting, and nowadays we have to add to this factor the importance of energy conservation and pollution reduction objectives. The development of hollow light guides offers people the advantages of natural lighting and the benefits of reduced energy consumption systems, providing changes in architectural form of spaces where sunlight does not have direct access. Hollow Cylindrical Prismatic Light Guides (CPLGs) are transparent optical components able to transmit high diameter light beams in daylight buildings applications without relevant losses. The goal of this paper is to show a novel lighting design based on hollow prismatic light pipes, which let daylight to be introduced inside of buildings. An improved mathematical modelling to predict light transmission efficiency based on realistic software simulations and experimental models is presented.