Marine LED lighting system and method

• US 8,858,012 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sierra Space Corporation
• Original Assignee: Orbital Technologies Corporation (Sierra Nevada Co. LLC)
• Inventors: Crabb, Thomas M., Morrow, Robert C., Emmerich, Jeffrey C., Gustafson, Marty
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US13/782,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20130239475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 362/101, 362/231, 362/234, 362/295, 119/266
• US Class Current: 362/101
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/249 Lighting means with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/06 Arrangements for heating or lighting in, or attached to, receptacles for live fish
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 31/10 by light emitting elements located inside the reactor, e.g. LED or OLED
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/06 of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/805 Horticultural

Abstract

A method and apparatus of lighting a marine habitat for growth utilizing an LED light system. The light system includes an LED light source, a power supply for such light source and a controller for controlling the activation status and the intensity of the LED light source.

Claims

1. A lighting system for a marine habitat, the lighting system comprising:

a housing disposed over an open top of the marine habitat;

an LED light source comprising a plurality of individual LEDs mounted to an inner surface of said housing, the inner surface facing the open top of the marine habitat;

a power supply sufficient to drive said LED light source, wherein each of the individual LEDs emits its own particular wavelength of light within a spectral range;

a controller connected with said power source, the controller configured for controlling an activation status and intensity of each of the plurality of LEDs, wherein the controller provides programmable control of a spectral content of said LED light source; and

a cooling system configured to dissipate heat from said LED light source mounted to the inner surface of the housing.

2. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein said LED light source comprises driver electronics configured to individually control a number of the individual LEDs, the cooling system configured to dissipate the heat from said LED light source mounted within said housing by drawing air over the driver electronics.

3. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein said LED light source, when the individual LEDs are activated, delivers programmable spectrally controlled light with spectral output sufficient to support marine growth.

4. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein said LED light source includes ultraviolet LEDs.

5. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein said LED light source, when activated, provides light at a wavelength within the spectral range of about 380 nm to about 690 nm.

6. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein said LED light source comprises a light engine having a plurality of individual red and blue emitting LEDs including at least about 50% red emitting LEDs and at least about 30% blue emitting LEDs.

7. The lighting system of claim 6 wherein said light engine is capable of providing a predetermined variable light intensity of from 0 to 1000 micromols per square meter per second.

8. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein each of said individual LEDs provides a color of light other than red, blue or green light at a wavelength in the spectral range from 380 nm to about 690 nm.

9. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein an intensity of each of said individual LEDs is controlled to provide independent spectral control as a function of time for selection of light at a wavelength from about 380 nm to about 690 nm used by marine plant life to support photosynthesis.

10. A lighting system for a marine habitat, the lighting system configured for supporting marine growth and comprising:

a housing disposed over an open top of the marine habitat with an LED light source mounted thereto on an inner surface thereof, the inner surface facing the open top of the marine habitat;

a power source configured for driving said LED light source, wherein each of the individual LEDs emits its own particular wavelength of light within a spectral range;

driver electronics configured for controlling illumination of said LED light source at a level sufficient to support the marine growth; and

a cooling system configured to dissipate heat from said LED light source mounted to the inner surface of the housing by drawing air over the driver electronics.

11. The system of claim 10 including a controller configured for user programming of a lighting period and decorative spatial patterns of the LED light source.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the LED light source includes at least one LED light engine comprised of the plurality of individual LEDs, said individual LEDs including a first type emitting light within a first wavelength range and a second type emitting light within a second wavelength range.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller is configured for independently controlling an activation status of each of said first type of individual LEDs and said second type of individual LEDs.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the controller is further configured for independently controlling an intensity of each of said first type of individual LEDs and said second type of individual LEDs.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each of said first type of individual LEDs and said second type of individual LEDs emits light at a wavelength in the spectral range of 380 nm to 690 nm.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller is further configured for controlling an intensity of each of said first type of individual LEDs and said second type of individual LEDs as a function of time.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein each of said first type of individual LEDs and said second type of individual LEDs emits a color of light other than red, blue or green in the spectral range of 380 nm to 690 nm.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the first wavelength range is in a red region of the spectrum and the second wavelength range is in a blue region of the spectrum.

19. The system of claim 18 a controller configured for independently controlling activation and intensity of each of said first type of individual LEDs and said second type of individual LEDs.