NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS REPORT

10 039

A NARROW BEAM DECK FLOODLIGHT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS
NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

The National Bureau of Standards ' was established by an act of Congress March 3, 1901. Today,

in addition to serving as the Nation’s central measurement laboratory, the Bureau is a principal

focal point in the Federal Government for assuring maximum application of the physical and

engineering sciences to the advancement of technology in industry and commerce. To this end

the Bureau conducts research and provides central national services in four broad program

areas. These are: (1) basic measurements and standards, (2) materials measurements and

standards, (3) technological measurements and standards, and (4) transfer of technology.

The Bureau comprises the Institute for Basic Standards, the Institute for Materials Research, the

Institute for Applied Technology, the Center for Radiation Research, the Center for Computer

Sciences and Technology, and the Office for Information Programs.

THE INSTITUTE FOR BASIC STANDARDS provides the central basis within the United

States of a complete and consistent system of physical measurement; coordinates that system with measurement systems of other nations; and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and

uniform physical measurements throughout the Nation’s scientific community, industry, and commerce. The Institute consists of an Office of Measurement Services and the following technical

divisions:Applied Mathematics—Electricity—Metrology—Mechanics—Heat—Atomic and Molecular Physics—Radio Physics -—Radio Engineering -—Time and Frequency 2—Astrophysics -—Cryogenics.2 THE INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH conducts materials research leading to im- proved methods of measurement standards, and data on the properties of well-characterized

materials needed by industry, commerce, educational institutions, and Government; develops,

produces, and distributes standard reference materials; relates the physical and chemical properties of materials to their behavior and their interaction with their environments; and provides

advisory and research services to other Government agencies. The Institute consists of an Office of Standard Reference Materials and the following divisions: Analytical Chemistry—Polymers—Metallurgy—Inorganic Materials—Physical Chemistry.

THE INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED TECHNOLOGY provides technical services to promote

the use of available technology and to facilitate technological innovation in industry and Government; cooperates with public and private organizations in the development of technological standards, and test methodologies; and provides advisory and research services for Federal, state, and local government agencies. The Institute consists of the following technical divisions and

offices: Engineering Standards—Weights and Measures — Invention and Innovation — Vehicle Systems Research—Product Evaluation—Building Research—Instrument Shops—Measurement Engineering—Electronic Technology—Technical Analysis.

THE CENTER FOR RADIATION RESEARCH engages in research, measurement, and application of radiation to the solution of Bureau mission problems and the problems of other agencies and institutions. The Center consists of the following divisions: Reactor Radiation—Linac Radiation—Nuclear Radiation—Applied Radiation. THE CENTER FOR COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY conducts research and

provides technical services designed to aid Government agencies in the selection, acquisition, and effective use of automatic data processing equipment; and serves as the principal focus

for the development of Federal standards for automatic data processing equipment, techniques,

and computer languages. The Center consists of the following offices and divisions: Information Processing Standards—Computer Information — Computer Services — Sys- tems Development—Information Processing Technology.

THE OFFICE FOR INFORMATION PROGRAMS promotes optimum dissemination and

accessibility of scientific information generated within NBS and other agencies of the Federal government; promotes the development of the National Standard Reference Data System and a system of information analysis centers dealing with the broader aspects of the National Measure- ment System, and provides appropriate services to ensure that the NBS staff has optimum accessibility to the scientific information of the world. The Office consists of the following

organizational units: Office of Standard Reference Data—Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information ' —Office of Technical Information and Publications—Library—Office of Public Information—Office of International Relations.

1 Headquarters and Laboratories at Gaithersburg. Maryland, unless otherwise noted; mailing address Washington, D.C. 20234.

a Located at Boulder, Colorado 80302.

:l Located at 6285 Port Royal Road. Springfield, Virginia 22161.
NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS REPORT

NBS PROJECT

2120411 May 1969

NBS REPORT

10 039

A MARROW BEAM DECK FLOODLIGHT

Prepared for Naval Air Systems Command

Department of the N avy

Washington, Q, C. 20360

By

A. C. Wall

Photometry Section

Metrology Division

IMPORTANT NOTICE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS REPORTS are usually preliminary or progress accounting documents intended

for use within the Government. Before material in the reports is formally published it is subjected to additional evaluation and review. For this reason, the publication, reprinting, reproduction, or op.en-literature listing of this Report, either in whole or in part, is not authorized unless permission is obtained in writing from the Office of the Director, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. 20234. Such permission is not needed, however, by the Government agency for which

the Report has been specifically prepared if tnat agency wishes to reproduce additional copies for its own use.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

A NARROW BEAM DECK FLOODLIGHT

By

A. C. Wall

Photometry Section

Metrology Division

ABSTRACT

The present manner of floodlighting the flight deck of an aircraft carrier tends to produce glare in the eyes of

pilots approaching the carrier on the glide path. This report

gives a trigonometric analysis of the problem and photometric

measurements of a possible replacement unit for the present

narrow-beam white deck floodlight.

1. INTRODUCTION

Information at the National Bureau of Standards indicates that the

aft area of the carrier flight decks are floodlighted by a bank of narrow- beam light units ranging in number from five to nine. A typical configuration is shewn in figure 1. The lights are installed along the aft edge of

the island (the midship square of figure 1) and individually aimed to the

points on the flight indicated by the circles. The lights are about 50

feet above the flight deck. The average distance of the farthest aft aiming

points (A) is 400 feet (projected to deck level), to the middle row (C), 350

feet, and to the forward row (F), 300 feet.

Point AS (aft starboard) receives light from the unit aimed toward

it, plus light from AC, CS, CC, FS, and FC. The total illuminance is

approximately 1.1 footcandles. Point AP receives essentially the same illuminance as AS.

Point AC (aft, center) receives illumination from eight units; the

total illuminance is about 1.3 footcandles.

The lights aimed to the aft points are inclined arc tan 50/400 or about 7° below the horizontal, the center row about 8°, and the forward

row about 9°.

An intensity distribution plot of the light currently used shows

about 40,000 candelas at 7° above the beam axis (that is, in a horizontal

direction). Hence a pilot 1000 feet behind the light position and 50 feet

- 2 -

above the flight deck would be subject to an illuminance of 1,000,000 milecandles if the floodlights were operated at full intensity.* This illustration is the extreme case. The remainder of the lights are depressed a greater

angle below horizontal and therefore contribute a much smaller amount of

glare.

2.

THE FLOODLIGHT UNIT

A floodlight was constructed at NBS which gives a much narrower

beam vertically and a peak intensity of 550,000 cd (vs 400,000 cd for the

present floodlight). The unit consists of a type MB-2 lampholder modified

to accept a PAR-64 type lamp, manufactured by Multi-Electric Company, and

a 1000W, 120V, Q1000PAR64/1 lamp**operated at 115 volts. A 24-inch semicylindrical hood was attached to the lampholder. See figure 2. A 20-inch

removable extension to the hood was available.

3.

PHOTOMETRIC TESTS

The equipment used and procedure followed are detailed in NBS

Technical Note 198. The photometric distance was 30 meters. A vertical

and a horizontal intensity distribution through 0.0° was made with the

hood plus the extension and another pair was made with the 24-inch hood

only. See figures 3 and 4. 0° on the figures refers to the axis of the

light.

4.

DISCUSSION

At 7° above horizontal the intensity is essentially zero with the

44-inch hood and less than 10,000 cd with the 24-inch hood. If the three

long-throw units presently used were replaced by three of the units

described in this report, the illuminance at point AC of figure 1 would be

about 1.4 footcandles and at points AP and AS, 1.6 footcandles, about 0.3

footcandles more than at present, but with much less intensity in a horizontal direction (7500 cd against 40,000 cd).

*3ome carriers operate the floodlights at full intensity during landing

operations.

**See Appendix A.

3

It is noted that it would require a hood almost 10 feet long to

cut off the present 16-inch diameter lights at or below the horizontal.

The lamp used is a 150-hour lamp when operated at rated voltage,

120 volts. Operated at 115 volts, the life will be about 300 hours.

This life would not be comparable to the 800-hour life of the G-40 lamp

now used, but the PAR-64 lamp has better lumen maintenance because of the

halogen-cycle configuration.

The higher intensity below -1° of the 44-inch hood configuration

over the 24-inch hood (figure 4) is the result of reflection from the underside of the hood extension.

APPENDIX A

Vertical and horizontal intensity distributions of the lamp

(Q1000PAR64/ 1) are given in figures 5 and 6.

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II

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NBS

Report

1003

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NBS

Report

10039

figure

2.

Narrow-Beam

Deck

Floodlight

Intensity

(kilocandelas)



Degrees Down Degrees Up

NBS Report 10039 Figure 5