Airport Lighting Intelligent Solutions

Project Background

As a large transportation hub, the lighting system of the airport is not only related to the visual comfort of passengers and staff, but also directly affects the operational efficiency and energy consumption of the airport.

Therefore, the primary task of airport intelligent lighting solutions is to conduct a demand analysis to clarify the specific needs of the lighting system.

The Airport Intelligent Lighting Solution is a comprehensive system designed to improve the efficiency, energy saving and passenger comfort of airport lighting systems through intelligent technology.

The following is a detailed airport intelligent lighting solution, covering demand analysis, system design, equipment selection, system construction, system testing and operation management.

Airport lighting refers to various lighting facilities set up to maintain the visibility of the airport day and night, ensure the safe takeoff and landing and operation of aircraft, and provide a comfortable lighting environment for passengers and staff.

Airport lighting mainly includes the following aspects:

1.Runway lighting: The runway lighting system includes runway edge lights, runway centerline lights, runway end lights, etc., which are used to illuminate the runway surface to ensure that aircraft can take off and land safely at night and in bad weather conditions.

2.Taxiway lighting: Taxiway lighting facilities include taxiway edge lights, taxiway centerline lights, etc., which are used to illuminate the taxiway surface to facilitate the movement and positioning of aircraft.

3.Aircraft stand lighting: Aircraft stand lighting mainly includes aircraft stand edge lights, aircraft stand centerline lights, etc., which are used to illuminate the aircraft stand area to facilitate passenger and cargo loading and unloading operations.

4.Aircraft guidance lighting: Aircraft guidance lighting includes wingtip lights, fuselage lights, landing gear lights, etc., which are used to illuminate the aircraft surface to facilitate the pilot’s operation of the aircraft.

5.Terminal building lighting: Terminal building lighting includes indoor and outdoor lighting. Indoor lighting mainly consists of LED downlights, LED panel lights, LED tubes, etc., which are used to illuminate various areas of the terminal building and provide a comfortable lighting environment for passengers and staff.

Outdoor lighting mainly includes landscape lighting, landmark lighting, etc., which are used to beautify the airport environment and enhance the airport’s image.

6.Obstacle lighting: Obstacle lighting is used to illuminate obstacles around the airport, such as control towers, radar stations, etc., to ensure the safety of aircraft operations.

7.Safety lighting: Safety lighting includes emergency lighting, safety exit lighting, etc., which are used to ensure the safety of passengers and staff in emergency situations.

Airport lighting design needs to fully consider factors such as lighting function, lighting quality, energy efficiency, safety, and intelligent control, to meet the operational requirements of aircraft and the needs of passengers. Advanced lighting technologies and equipment can improve airport operational efficiency, reduce consumption, and enhance the passenger experience and safety level.

Airport lighting is different from that of ordinary civil buildings and has higher requirements.

As a contemporary building with complex functions and wide applications, the airport’s lighting design has become an important component of its architecture. It is different from the lighting of ordinary civil buildings and has higher requirements.

Airport lighting generally uses high-space downlights set on the top or the light reflected from the ceiling and the lighting set on the side walls to work together, and combines with the general gypsum board ceiling lighting to form a multi-level and three-dimensional space lighting effect.

Lighting Requirements for Airport Spaces

1. Determine Lighting Methods

a. Meet functional needs – General functional lighting (direct lighting)

Direct lighting is the main lighting method in airport lighting, aiming to meet functional lighting requirements. Generally, downlight fixtures are used to ensure adequate illuminance.

However, as various personnel with different functions are active in the airport for different purposes, the most suitable light source, type of lighting fixtures, and installation positions should be selected while ensuring the required illuminance, based on their functions and job contents.

b. Multi-level and three-dimensional spatial lighting – ceiling floodlighting (diffuse indirect lighting)

Another major lighting technique in large-space lighting is ceiling floodlighting. By using high-power lighting equipment to directly illuminate a light-colored ceiling with a certain reflectivity and supplementing it with some wall-mounted fixtures – column fixtures to enhance the lower lighting, a diffused three-dimensional light environment mainly based on reflected light is formed.

This can effectively improve the uniformity of lighting and reduce the concentration of shadows. Together with the lighting set on the side walls, it creates a multi-level and three-dimensional spatial lighting effect.

c. Rhythmic spatial lighting – structural lighting (with additional spotlights)

In addition to meeting its functional requirements, lighting needs to be perfectly integrated with the architectural environment and interior design, and various lighting methods should be fully utilized to showcase the interior and exterior of the building, highlighting the characteristics of the architectural environment.

Some concepts in architectural space should be emphasized through the language of lighting to enhance the architectural effect. Generally, floodlights are used to illuminate the orderly structural parts of the building, creating a spatial lighting effect with a sense of rhythm.

d. Concrete ceiling system lighting (mixed lighting)

Apart from the large space buildings of the terminal, the remaining parts of the airport are concrete ceiling systems. The lighting of the concrete ceiling system generally includes ambient lighting, decorative lighting, and accent lighting. How to use different lighting methods to meet functional requirements, highlight indoor focal points, strengthen themes, and enhance spatial layering is the key to good lighting design. Concrete ceiling systems are usually found in airport corridors, restrooms, and shopping areas.

How to use lighting to make these areas both harmoniously compatible with the overall large space of the airport and distinct is a problem that needs to be considered in the design of lighting for concrete ceiling systems, allowing lighting design to add charm to the building.

Glare Control in Airport Terminal Lighting

Glare refers to the visual condition caused by an unsuitable distribution of brightness in the field of vision or extreme brightness contrast in space or time, which leads to visual discomfort and reduced visibility of objects. Glare is one of the important causes of visual fatigue.
The control of glare in the lighting of large-space terminal buildings is divided into two major parts. One is the anti-glare design for the concrete ceiling system lighting.

In addition to considering the rationality of the shielding angle, relatively soft lighting fixtures (such as downlights and opal panel fixtures) are generally selected as the basic lighting fixtures. The other is the anti-glare design for the lighting of large-space buildings. To avoid uncomfortable glare, it is necessary to consider not only the matching of the light distribution of the fixtures with the height of the space but also the rationality of the fixture positions to prevent glare from causing irritability.

Reasonable light shielding angle of lamps:

When considering the lighting of concrete ceiling systems, the rationality of the light shielding angle of lamps should be taken into account. Generally, lamps with a shielding angle greater than 30 degrees are selected. It is recommended to use lamps with soft light output and deep-set light, or lamps with frosted surfaces. For example, panel lights, downlights with acrylic covers, deep-set light spotlights, etc.

Reasonable illuminance and illuminance uniformity:

The airport intelligent lighting solution has achieved comprehensive control and management of the lighting system through intelligent technology, improving lighting effects and energy-saving effects, and reducing operating costs and management difficulties.

In the future, with the continuous development of technologies such as the Internet of Things and big data, the airport intelligent lighting system will become more intelligent, automated and humanized, providing a more comfortable, convenient and safe lighting environment for passengers and staff.

For the setting of lighting fixture positions in large-space buildings, it is necessary to consider the matching of the light distribution of the fixtures with the height of the space. While considering the illuminance, the illuminance uniformity should also be taken into account. Generally, this can be achieved by using high-power lighting equipment directly directed towards a light-colored ceiling with a certain reflectance ratio, or by using high-space downlights, etc.

The above content is only a brief overview of the airport intelligent lighting solution. In actual application, detailed design and implementation should be carried out according to specific requirements and actual conditions.