Light delivery control system and method

• US 7,505,123 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Vanderspurt, Thomas H., Schmidt, Wayde R., Benoit, Jeffrey T.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, SANG H
• Application Number:
  US11/927,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20080049432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 356 72- 73, 250/341, 250/359.1, 362290-291, 362/354, 362/342, 378/98.2, 378/98.8, 385/37, 385/40, 204/157.15, 204/157.3
• US Class Current: 356/73
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0826 Fibre array at source, distributing
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/14 Mode converters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design

Abstract

A method that redistributes light from a light source. The controller can redistribute light to make an irradiance profile of the light source more uniform or make the irradiance profile match a fluid flow profile. The irradiance profile may be controlled by modifying light leakage from a plurality of waveguides or changing the light-directing properties of reflectors and/or lenses.

Claims

1. A method of controlling light delivery to a photocatalytic surface, comprising:

emitting light from a light source to a photocatalytic surface;

controlling how a light distributor modifies an irradiance profile of the light before the light reaches the photocatalytic surface based upon data from at least one of a fluid flow sensor or a light sensor; and

comparing the irradiance profile of the light with a desired irradiance profile, and commanding the light distributor to modify the irradiance profile to match the desired irradiance profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired irradiance profile is a substantially uniform irradiance profile.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a fluid flow profile as the data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling an amount of light leakage from at least one of a plurality of waveguides of the light distributor.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising controlling a radius of curvature of the at least one of the waveguides.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising controlling a cross-sectional area of the at least one of the waveguides.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising controlling a characteristic of at least one scattering center of the plurality of waveguides.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising creating, eliminating, or modifying said at least one scattering center.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising controlling at least one of a temperature, an electric field, or a magnetic field relative to particles, bubbles, or liquid crystal material of said at least one scattering center.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling at least one of a shape, a position, or an orientation of a reflector associated with the light source.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling at least one of a shape, a position, or an orientation of a lens associated with the light source.

12. The method of claim 1, including controlling how the light distributor modifies the irradiance profile based upon data from the fluid flow sensor and the light sensor.

13. The method of claim 1, including controlling how the light distributor modifies the irradiance profile based upon data from the fluid flow sensor.

14. The method of claim 1, including controlling how the light distributor modifies the irradiance profile based upon data from the light sensor.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling an actuator that is coupled to the light distributor to influence the light distributor.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising influencing at least one characteristic selected from a radius of curvature of the light distributor, a cross-sectional area of the light distributor, or a refractive index of the light distributor.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising influencing at least one characteristic selected from a temperature, a pressure, a mechanical strain, an electric field, or a magnetic field to influence the amount of light leakage from the light distributor.

18. A method of controlling light delivery to a photocatalytic surface, comprising:

emitting light from a light source to a photocatalytic surface;

controlling how a light distributor modifies an irradiance profile of the light before the light reaches the photocatalytic surface based upon data from at least one of a fluid flow sensor or a light sensor; and

controlling an amount of light leakage from at least one of a plurality of waveguides of the light distributor, wherein at least one of said plurality of waveguides comprises a core having a first refractive index and a cladding having a second refractive index, and wherein the step of controlling the amount of light leakage comprises controlling a relationship between the first and second refractive indices.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising controlling at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a mechanical strain, an electric field, or a magnetic field in an area near said at least one waveguide.