GB2590541A

GB2590541A - Lighting system

Info

Publication number: GB2590541A
Application number: GB2016854.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Merkez Erik
Original assignee: FS Tunnel SAS
Current assignee: FS Tunnel SAS
Priority date: 2019-10-23
Filing date: 2020-10-23
Publication date: 2021-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 2040-10-23
Also published as: FR3102639A1; FR3102637B1; FR3102637A1; GB2590541B; GB202016854D0; FR3102639B1

Abstract

Lighting system 1 comprising at least one LED lighting device 6 powered at a nominal voltage, at least one inverter 13 for supplying, in case of cutoff of a network power supply A, a substitute alternating voltage powered by at least one battery 12, this substitute voltage having substantially the same characteristics as those of the nominal voltage, an electronic power supply system 33; 34; 15, which is connected to the network A and to the inverter 13, arranged to automatically switch the power supply of the one or more lighting devices 6 from a normal mode wherein the one or more lighting devices are powered at the nominal voltage by the energy supplied by the network to a backup mode wherein the lighting devices are powered at a reduced voltage with respect to the nominal voltage, by the energy supplied by the battery 12, the system comprising a step-down transformer 15 at the output of the inverter 13

Description

Title: Lighting system

Technical field

The present invention relates to a lighting system, notably an LED lighting system LED lighting devices, such as LED strips, are known for their energy economy and are increasingly used in diverse applications.

Prior art

CN 204050661, CN208572511, CN 204390669 and CN201237128 disclose 10 backup energy sources in the form of batteries for powering the LEDs in a tunnel in case of cutoff of the mains power supply.

CN103313482 describes a power supply system for LED lighting in case of fire. This system comprises a backup battery and a circuit for detecting the presence of a mains power supply. In the case of the absence of mains, the battery supplies the LED lighting with 0 15 reduced voltage.

C\I US2017/244278 discloses a dimmer connected to a UPS system in order to power an LED load at a reduced power in case of mains loss. Such a system is not compatible with all types of LED strips, notably those of great length (100 m or more) supplied with 230 V AC or 110 V AC.

Ci 20 US2012/187852 discloses an emergency power supply system for LED lighting powered with DC, comprising an inverter receiving a DC power supply from a battery for powering the LED lighting in case of mains loss. This system also comprises a dimmer, with the same disadvantages as above.

US2011/133655 discloses a wireless LED lighting device.

US514352 discloses an emergency lighting system comprising an inverter for converting the electricity from the batteries into low-or high-frequency AC current. Summary of the invention One subject of the invention is a lighting system comprising: - at least one LED lighting device configured to be powered at a nominal voltage, - at least one inverter for supplying, in case of cutoff of a power supply network, a substitute alternating voltage from the energy supplied by at least one battery, this substitute voltage having substantially the same characteristics as that of the nominal voltage, an electronic power supply system of the one or more lighting devices, which is connected to the network and to the inverter, arranged to automatically switch the power supply of the one or more lighting devices from a normal lighting mode wherein the one or more lighting devices are powered at the nominal voltage by the energy supplied by the network to a backup mode wherein the one or more lighting devices are powered at a reduced voltage with respect to the nominal voltage, by the energy supplied by the battery, the system comprising a step-down transformer at the output of the inverter for stepping down the alternating voltage produced in order to power the lighting device at the reduced voltage. "Substantially the same characteristics" should preferably be understood as meaning substantially the same frequency and substantially the same amplitude. In O 15 particular, the supply voltage of the network may be sinusoidal and so may the voltage C\I supplied by the inverter, the latter advantageously being of 'pure sinusoid' type.

This solution makes it possible to install lighting backed up by an LED device, with much greater service lives and normal battery sizes.

o The transformer changes the sinusoidal AC voltage at the input to a lower value while at the same time making it possible to conserve a sinusoidal waveform, and thus the produced voltage remains compatible with the power supply of LED strips of great length. The transformer may be a toroidal transformer.

The supply voltage in backup mode is for example comprised between 'A and 3/4 of the nominal voltage.

For example, in the case of the LED strips, for 200 m of installed strips operating at 11 W/m, the backup lighting operates for more than 2 hrs 30 autonomously with two 12 V 110 AII batteries, instead of 40 minutes. It is possible to pass from a current of 5 A at 230 V, or 1150W for a 100 m strip, to a current of 1.5 A at 162 V, or around 250 Win backup mode.

The one or more LED lighting devices may each comprise at least one LED module, the one or more LED modules each comprising at least one LED diode.

The system preferably comprises an LED driver. The step-down transformer may be configured to step down the AC supply voltage of the LED driver.

The one or more LED lighting devices are for example LED strips. The one or more strips may each comprise LED modules connected in parallel; preferably the one or more strips comprise at least one row of LED modules connected in parallel and extending in a longitudinal direction of the strip.

The system may comprise a current or voltage sensor configured to detect the cutoff of the power supply network and/or its return. This may also be detected by the inverter.

The system may be configured to allow automatic return from the backup lighting mode to the normal lighting mode upon the return of the network. The system may comprise one or more relays each configured to allow the passage of the one or more lighting modules from the normal lighting mode to the backup mode.

The system may notably comprise at least one relay which is supplied by the 0 15 network when the latter is present, and the power supply of which ceases when the network C\I is absent. The contacts of this relay may be used to connect or not connect the step-down transformer. This connection is made downstream of the inverter. The step-down transformer is preferably located after the relay.

The electronic power supply system may comprise at least two relays or at least two step-down transformers.

The electronic power supply system may be configured to automatically switch the power supply of the one or more lighting devices from a first backup mode to a second backup mode, for example if the network does not return after a predefined duration, or if the level of charge in the battery becomes or is lower than a predefined level, the one or more lighting devices being powered at an even more reduced voltage in the second backup mode with respect to the first backup mode. This two-stage step-down principle allows, for example, during the first stage, for the initial evacuation of the personnel and, during the second stage, for a lighting of longer duration for allowing for example for the intervention of the emergency services if necessary. Certain UPSs may for example provide, directly or else via a local API/controller, the information concerning the backup operational duration, or the remaining level of charge in the battery (or batteries). For example, the passage from the first to the second backup mode may be triggered 30 mins after the passage to the first backup mode and without return of the network, or else if the battery lowers to 80% of its capacity. As a variant, when the battery level is lower than 80%, the system may switch directly into the second backup mode without passing through the first backup mode The system may comprise a relay and two step-down transformers in parallel located after the relay, the step-down transformers being configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver to different values, the relay being configured to connect one of the step-down transformers depending on the duration of the network loss or on the remaining charge of the battery.

The system may comprise a first and a second relay, and a first and a second step-down transformer each located after the corresponding relay and configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver to different values, the relays being configured to connect the corresponding step-down transformer depending on the duration of loss of the network or on the remaining charge of the battery.

The nominal supply voltage of the strip is for example 220 or 230 V AC, 50 Hz 0 15 notably.

C\I The nominal voltage of the strip may be 220 V AC or around 200 V DC.

Another subject of the invention is a method for powering at least one LED lighting device comprising at least one LED lighting module configured to be powered at a nominal voltage and at least one inverter for supplying, in case of cutoff of a power supply network, a substitute alternating voltage from the energy supplied by at least one battery, this substitute voltage having substantially the same characteristics as that of the nominal voltage, the method comprising a step of automatic switching, by an electronic power supply system of the one or more lighting devices which is connected to the network and to the inverter, of a power supply of the one or more lighting devices from a normal lighting mode wherein the one or more lighting devices are powered at the nominal voltage by the energy supplied by the network to a backup mode wherein the one or more lighting devices are powered at a reduced voltage with respect to the nominal voltage, by the energy supplied by the battery, in which method the alternating voltage at the output of the inverter is stepped down by a step-down transformer of the system in order to power the one or more lighting devices at the reduced voltage.

The method may comprise a step of automatic switching, by the power supply circuit, from the backup mode to the power supply at nominal voltage by the network power supply upon the return of the network.

This switching may be obtained inter alit: by at least one relay powered directly by the network in parallel with the inverter, and the contacts of which are connected to the step-down transformer so as to start up the latter when the relay is at rest, that is to say unpowered, or in the absence of network. In the presence of network, the relay is powered, and the step-down transformer is not started up.

The one or more LED lighting devices preferably each comprise at least one 10 LED module, the system comprising for example an LED driver of the one or more lighting modules The system may comprise a relay and, after the relay, two step-down transformers in parallel configured to step down the AC supply voltage of the driver to different values. In the presence of network, the relay is powered and the step-down transformers are not started up In case of loss of the network and for a predefined duration C\I or if the charge of the battery is higher than a predefined level, the relay passes into a first state wherein it starts up one of the step-down transformers which is configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver to a first value, after the predefined duration or if the charge of the battery becomes lower than the predefined level, the relay passes into a second state wherein it starts up the step-down transformer for lowering the supply voltage to a second value In a variant, the system comprises a first and a second relay and a first and a second step-down transformer each located after the corresponding relay. In the presence of network, the two relays are powered in parallel with the inverter by the network and the step-down transformers are not started up. In case of loss of the network and for a predefined duration or if the charge of the battery is higher than a predefined level, the first relay passes to rest and starts up the first step-down transformer, which is configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver to a first value, the second relay remains powered in this case by the first step-down transformer and the second step-down transformer remains at rest.

After the predefined duration or if the charge of the battery becomes lower than a predefined level, the second relay passes to rest and starts up the second step-down transformer for stepping down the supply voltage to a second value.

The second value is preferably lower than the first value.

The inverter is preferably a so-called in-line inverter, that is to say that, in the presence of current, it charges the batteries and lets the 230 V network pass through and, in case of current loss, it detects the latter and performs an automatic switching while avoiding the momentary power cuts which are damaging to electronic apparatuses. In a variant, the inverter does not charge the batteries, and a separate charger is used.

Brief description of the drawings

[Fig 11 depicts a circuit diagram of a lighting system according to the invention, and [Fig 2] to [Fig 4] are block diagrams of lighting systems according to the invention

Detailed description

O 15 Figure 1 illustrates a circuit diagram of a lighting system 1 according to the C\I invention The system comprises two LED lighting devices in the form of LED modules 6 configured to be powered at a nominal voltage of 220 V by a network power supply A in a normal lighting mode.

20 In the illustrated example, the system comprises two batteries 12 and a pure sinusoid inverter 13 for supplying a substitute alternating voltage from the energy supplied by the batteries 12. The inverter 13 is configured so that this substitute voltage has substantially the same characteristics as the nominal voltage supplied by the network power supply. The batteries 12 may be charged by the network A via the inverter in the presence 25 of the network A. In case of loss of the network, the lighting devices 6 are powered in backup mode by the batteries 12 via the inverter 13 and an electronic power supply system.

The latter comprises relays having contacts 34 each controlled by an electromagnet 33. The latter 33 are powered by the network A. The contacts 34 are in a state allowing the lighting devices 6 to be powered in 30 the normal lighting mode when the electromagnets 33 are powered and change state to allow the lighting devices 6 to be powered in the backup lighting mode in case of loss of the network A. The contacts 34 return to the initial state when the electromagnets 33 are once again powered by the network A. In the backup lighting mode, the sinusoidal voltage at the output of the inverter 13 is reduced, for each lighting device 6 in the illustrated example, by a step-down transformer 15, for example with a turn ratio of 220/160. The reduced sinusoidal supply voltage is thus for example 160 V, but might be different depending on the desired reduced lighting.

The system may comprise, as illustrated, a ventilation unit 46 for cooling the system.

Figure 2 illustrates a lighting system according to the invention. The system comprises a voltage presence relay 16, powered in parallel with the inverter 13 in the presence of the network. The step-down transformer 15 is not started up and an LED driver 18 of the system is powered by the inverter at nominal voltage by virtue of the energy supplied by the network.

0 15 In the absence of the network, the relay is no longer powered and starts up the C\I step-down transformer 15. The latter steps down the supply voltage of the LED driver 18 but supplies it at the same frequency as during the presence of the network.

Loss of the network is detected in the illustrated embodiment by the voltage presence relay 16, but it might also be detected by another means, for example a PLC or any other means such as charging information provided by the inverter.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate variants of the system of Figure 2.

In the embodiment of Figure 3, the system comprises, after the relay 16, two step-down transformers 15a, 15b in parallel configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver 18 to different values. The relay 16 may be configured to start up one or other of the step-down transformers 15a, 15b depending for example on the duration of the loss of the network or on the remaining charge of the battery.

For example, in the presence of the network, the relay is powered and the step-down transformers 15a, 15b are not started up. In case of loss of the network and for a predefined duration or if the charge of the battery is higher than a predefined level, the relay 16 passes into a first state wherein it starts up one of the step-down transformers 15a, which is configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver 18 to a first value, for example 180 V AC (or 50% of the lighting power if the normal voltage in normal lighting mode is 230 V AC). After the predefined duration or if the charge of the battery becomes lower than the predefined level, the relay 16 passes into a second state wherein it starts up the step-down transformer 15b for lowering the supply voltage to a second value, for example, 155 V AC (or 25% of the lighting power).

In the embodiment of Figure 4, the system comprises a first 16a and a second 16b relay and a first 15a and a second 15b step-down transformer each located after the corresponding relay 16a, lob In the presence of the network, the two relays 16a, 16b are powered in parallel with the inverter 13 by the network and the step-down transformers 15a, 15b are not started 10 up.

In case of loss of the network and for a predefined duration or if the charge of the battery is higher than a predefined level, the first relay 16a passes to rest and starts up the first step-down transformer 15a, which is configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver 18 to a first value. The second relay 16b remains powered in this case by the first 0 15 step-down transformer 15a and the second step-down transformer 15b remains at rest.

C\I After the predefined duration or if the charge of the battery becomes lower than a predefined level, the second relay 16b passes to rest and starts up the second step-down transformer 15b, for stepping down the supply voltage to a second value.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. For example, the reduced voltage may be different. The nominal voltage in normal lighting mode may be 110 VAC.

Claims

Claims 1 Lighting system (1) comprising: - at least one LED lighting device (6) configured to be powered at a nominal voltage, - at least one inverter (13) for supplying, in case of cutoff of a network power supply (A), a substitute alternating voltage from the energy supplied by at least one battery (12), this substitute voltage having substantially the same characteristics as those of the nominal voltage, -an electronic power supply system (33; 34; 15) of the one or more lighting devices, which is connected to the network (A) and to the inverter (13), arranged to automatically switch the power supply of the one or more lighting devices (6) from a normal lighting mode wherein the one or more lighting devices are powered at the nominal voltage by the energy 0 is supplied by the network (A) to a backup mode wherein the one or more C\I lighting devices are powered at a reduced voltage with respect to the nominal voltage, by the energy supplied by the battery (12), the system comprising a step-down transformer (15) at the output of the inverter (13) for stepping down the produced alternating voltage in order to power the lighting device (6) at the reduced voltage.
2. System according to Claim 1, the one or more LED lighting devices (6) each comprising at least one LED module, the one or more LED modules (6) each comprising at least one LED diode.
3. System according to Claim 2, the one or more LED lighting devices (6) being LED strips, each strip comprising LED modules connected in parallel, each strip preferably comprising at least one row of LED modules connected in parallel and extending in a longitudinal direction of the strip.
4. System according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a current or voltage sensor configured to detect the cutoff of the network power supply and/or its 30 return.
5. System according to any one of the preceding claims, the nominal voltage of the strip being 220 V AC or around 200 V DC.
6. System according to any one of the preceding claims, the supply voltage in backup mode being between 14 and of the nominal voltage.
7 System according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising one or more relays (16, 16a, 16b) each configured to allow the passage of the one or more lighting modules (6) from the normal lighting mode to the backup mode.
8. System according to one 2 to 7, comprising an LED driver (18), the step-down transformer being configured to step down the AC supply voltage of the LED driver (18).
9. System according to Claim 8, comprising a relay (16) powered by the 10 network when the latter is present, and the power supply of which ceases when the network is absent, the contacts (34) of this relay (16) being used to connect or not connect the step-down transformer (15), the step-down transformer (15) being located after the relay (16).
10. System according to Claim 8, comprising a relay (16) and two step-down transformers (15a, 15b) in parallel located after the relay (16), the step-down transformers 0 15 (15a, 15b) being configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver (18) to different C\I values, the relay (16) being configured to connect one of the step-down transformers (15a, 15b) depending on the duration of loss of the network or on the remaining charge of the battery (12).
11. System according to Claim 8, comprising a first and a second relay (16a, 16b), and a first and a second (15a, 15b) step-down transformer each located after the corresponding relay (16a, 16b) and configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver (18) to different values, the relays (16a, 16b) being configured to connect the corresponding step-down transformer (15a, 15b) depending on the duration of loss of the network or on the remaining charge of the battery (12).
12. Method for powering at least one LED lighting device (6) comprising at least one LED lighting module configured to be powered at a nominal voltage and at least one inverter (13) for supplying, in case of cutoff of a network power supply (A), a substitute alternating voltage from the energy supplied by at least one battery (12), this substitute voltage having substantially the same characteristics as those of the nominal voltage, the method comprising a step of automatic switching, by an electronic power supply system of the one or more lighting devices (6) which is connected to the network (A) and to the inverter (13), of a power supply of the one or more lighting devices (6) from a normal lighting mode wherein the one or more lighting devices (6) are powered at a nominal voltage by the energy supplied by the network (A) to a backup mode wherein the one or more lighting devices (6) is powered at a reduced voltage with respect to the nominal voltage, by the energy supplied by the battery (12), in which method the alternating voltage at the output of the inverter (13) is stepped down by a step-down transformer (15) of the system in order to power the one or more lighting devices (6) at the reduced voltage.
13. Method according to the preceding claim, comprising a step of automatic switching, by the power supply circuit, from the backup mode to the supply at nominal voltage by the network power supply (6), upon the return of the network.
14. Method according to Claim 11 or 12, the one or more LED lighting devices (6) each comprising at least one LED module, the system comprising an LED driver (18) of the one or more lighting modules.
15. Method according to any one of Claims 11 to 13, wherein the switching is obtained by at least one relay (16) powered directly by the network in parallel with the 0 15 inverter (13), and the contacts of which are connected to the step-down transformer (15) so C\I as to start up the latter when the relay (16) is at rest in the absence of the network; in the presence of a network, the relay (16) is powered and the step-down transformer (15) is not started up.
16. Method according to any one of Claims 11 to 13, the system comprising a relay (16) and, after the relay (16), two step-down transformers (15a, 15b) in parallel configured to step down the AC supply voltage of the driver (18) to different values, in which method, in the presence of the network, the relay (16) is powered and the step-down transformers (15a, 15b) are not started up, in case of loss of the network and for a predefined duration or if the charge of the battery (12) is greater than a predefined level, the relay (16) passes into a first state wherein it starts up one of the step-down transformers (15a) which is configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver (18) to a first value; after the predefined duration or if the charge of the battery (12) becomes lower than the predefined level, the relay (16) passes into a second state wherein it starts up the step-down transformer (15b) for lowering the supply voltage to a second value.
17. Method according to any one of Claims 11 to 13, the system comprising a first and a second (16a, 16b) relay and a first and a second step-down transformer (15a, 15b) each located after the corresponding relay (16a, 16b), in which method, in the presence of network, the two relays (16a, 16b) are powered in parallel with the inverter (13) by the mains and the step-down transformers (15a, 15b) are not started up, in case of loss of network and for a predefined duration or if the charge of the battery is higher than a predefined level, the first relay (16a) passes to rest and starts up the first step-down transformer (15a), which is configured to step down the supply voltage of the driver (18) to a first value, the second relay (16b) remains powered in this case by the first step-down transformer (15a) and the second step-down transformer (15b) remains at rest; after the predefined duration or if the charge of the battery becomes lower than a predefined level, the second relay (16b) passes to rest and starts up the second step-down transformer (15b), for stepping down the supply voltage to a second value.
18. Method according to Claim 15 or 16, the second value being lower than the first value.