Induction Lighting

[TriggerPZ]

Can anyone help?

I recently fitted some 200 watt highbay LVD induction light fittings, they look great they work well and basically do what it says on the tin.
The only problem is, I have been informed by the customer that when the lights are on they are causing an interference with the radio coms and navigation systems on the aircraft.
The frequencies of the effected units are as followes, the comms unit on both twin otter and islander is anywhere between 118-136Mhz and the nav equipment on both aircrafts is 108-117Mhz. The only way to get rid of the interference is by switching all the lights off.
The control gear for the lights operates at 210kH and is situated at the top of the light fittings.

The only theory I have come up with is that an RF signal is being emiited from the wires between the control gear and the lamp itself.

If anyone know better can they let me know.

Many thanks

 

[IQ Electrical]

Can anyone help?

I recently fitted some 200 watt highbay LVD induction light fittings, they look great they work well and basically do what it says on the tin.
The only problem is, I have been informed by the customer that when the lights are on they are causing an interference with the radio coms and navigation systems on the aircraft.
The frequencies of the effected units are as followes, the comms unit on both twin otter and islander is anywhere between 118-136Mhz and the nav equipment on both aircrafts is 108-117Mhz. The only way to get rid of the interference is by switching all the lights off.
The control gear for the lights operates at 210kH and is situated at the top of the light fittings.

The only theory I have come up with is that an RF signal is being emiited from the wires between the control gear and the lamp itself.

If anyone know better can they let me know.

Many thanks

This is what has kept back adoption of the amazing concept of induction lighting but on the luminaires demonstrated to me last week, I was told the RF problem was a thing of the past!

When you say 'on the aircraft' I assume you've installed these luminaires in the hanger or workshop?

The fittings emit a frequency depending on the lamp design but I'm honestly amazed that someone would specify this type of luminaire (given it's RF problem history) in an area where radio communications are so critical!

The manufacturers may come up with some proposals to lessen the effect, that would be my first port of call, good luck!

 

[TriggerPZ]

I was also led to beleive this was the case, I found the light fitting on a UK web site that is part of the Rexel group and so assumed that when I gave them the details of the area to be lit and the type of location, which by the way is a hanger, I assumed that if there was likely to be a problem they should have informed me of this fact.
But they just sent me the photmetric data for the specified area.
I have been left with the prospect of having to foot the cost of removing the new light fittings and then supply and fit an equal alternative fitting.
When I spoke to the suppluer all they said is that they or the manufactures had never encountered this problem before and that the best they would offer is a refund for the fittings but not any other costs incurred.
I think its not right for such a big company to be able to do this with no consequences.

 

[IQ Electrical]

I was also led to beleive this was the case, I found the light fitting on a UK web site that is part of the Rexel group and so assumed that when I gave them the details of the area to be lit and the type of location, which by the way is a hanger, I assumed that if there was likely to be a problem they should have informed me of this fact.
But they just sent me the photmetric data for the specified area.
I have been left with the prospect of having to foot the cost of removing the new light fittings and then supply and fit an equal alternative fitting.
When I spoke to the suppluer all they said is that they or the manufactures had never encountered this problem before and that the best they would offer is a refund for the fittings but not any other costs incurred.
I think its not right for such a big company to be able to do this with no consequences.

You absolutely MUST speak to the manufacturer's technical department, to be fair, Rexel are nothing but a distribution company so unless you used any design service that may or may not have been offered, their liability will be zero.

We use a freelance lighting designer and he blames the RF issues on the ancient design of some of the ballasts being imported from China-who is the manufacturer on these ballasts and are the fittings imported?

 

[TriggerPZ]

From the info that came with the fittings I can only assume that the lamp and the ballast was manufactured by a company called LVD who are from China.
I checked the web site and they seem to be a proper company.
I have sent them exact details of the fitting, ballast and lamp type only to be asked to send the exact same info, so I am a bit confused at the moment.
I have contemplated taking the fittings out and fitting T5 highbays, its not what I wanted to do but I dont think I will have a choice in the matter.

 

[TriggerPZ]

Is it likely to be the lamp or the ballast?

 

[IQ Electrical]

From the info that came with the fittings I can only assume that the lamp and the ballast was manufactured by a company called LVD who are from China.
I checked the web site and they seem to be a proper company.
I have sent them exact details of the fitting, ballast and lamp type only to be asked to send the exact same info, so I am a bit confused at the moment.
I have contemplated taking the fittings out and fitting T5 highbays, its not what I wanted to do but I dont think I will have a choice in the matter.

Don't give up yet, they WILL have come across this before and there might be a way of reducing the EM interference-maybe a special earthing arrangement or an enclosure to form a shielding.

Ask if the cable type makes a difference-we've only installed this lighting once, in a garage workshop and the specification called for SY cable because of it's screening properties-apparently airbags had operated on another installation and the distributed interference was blamed!

 

[TriggerPZ]

When you say you had to use SY cable, was that for the supply to the control gear?.
Because if thats the case I would have a nightmare on my hands to change the wiring as it is all installed in HIP conduit fixed to steel girders.
I have been in contact with a radio coms expert who has said that I should try bonding all the seperate parts of the light fittiing and then bonding that to a good earth point on the metal structure of the building, but that seems like a lot of work for somthing that may not work.
I will have to wait to hear from the manufacture to see what the next step is I guess.

 

[IQ Electrical]

When you say you had to use SY cable, was that for the supply to the control gear?.
Because if thats the case I would have a nightmare on my hands to change the wiring as it is all installed in HIP conduit fixed to steel girders.
I have been in contact with a radio coms expert who has said that I should try bonding all the seperate parts of the light fittiing and then bonding that to a good earth point on the metal structure of the building, but that seems like a lot of work for somthing that may not work.
I will have to wait to hear from the manufacture to see what the next step is I guess.

Yes, it was for the supplies, try to get some sort of dialogue with the manufacturer-that's certainly the best option of a resolution-they will know what works best on their own fittings/ballasts.

 

[Guest123]

Welcome along.:smile5:

 

[CRAGS]

Hi and welcome

 

[brucelee]

Hi mate welcome to the forum

 

[TriggerPZ]

Hi IQ

Just a quick update on the induction lights.
I done some more research on the possibility of RFI from the ballast, and foundthat route to be correct, as several people said the same thing to me, and thatI would need to fit a Ferrite core to the supply cord.
In the mean time, the manufacturer said that they could not find any reason forthe interference based on the measured frequency signal the ballast works at,but them today they responded by saying that they had found that the specificfrequencies for the nav com equipment on the aircraft could be affected by thefrequencies being produced by the ballast and have dispatched the necessaryFerrite cores to correct the problem.
I should receive them in due course, and hopefully that will be the resolve.
PS
I will let you now how it turns out.

Regards

TriggerPZ

 

[mogga]

I was going to suggest those things that come in boxes with pc stuff or wrap them with tin Foil

Id be interested as theres a we project my gaffers looking at (Customers a bellend ) but hes into teckky stuff and Iv heard him mention induction and as the system would be near where radios are used for safety,navigation them this might be a problem