Building Service II

Unit 4: Principles Of Illumination

 Visual tasks - factors affecting visual tasks
 Modern theory of light and colour
 synthesis of light - Additive and subtractive synthesis of colour
 Utilization factor - depreciation factor

 MSCP - MHCP - Laws of illumination.

 Visual Tasks:
 visual tasks are the tasks (work) that are carried out with the help of vision It also denotes
the size, shape, colour, and nearness of the object to be worked.
In the modern world the visual tasks performed are broadly categorized into two types:

Paper based tasks Computer based tasks

 For paper based tasks, the worker, normally tends to look downwards and the light from
the lamp fixed overhead (Overhead lighting) may be an ideal one
 whereas in the computer related tasks the worker tends to look straight to see the monitor
for which overhead lighting may not be suitable.
Factors Affecting Visual Tasks:
 The ability to perform a visual task depends on how well the eyes perceive the details of
the task. Factors determining the visibility of the task details include size, luminance, contrast
and glare.
These factors are interrelated.
Size:
The visibility of the object depends on the size of the object and its nearness to the eye. Small
objects need to be placed closer to the eyes than large objects. Obviously less light is required
to work with large objects and vice versa.
Luminance:
A task to be performed well requires sufficient lighting. Less lighting leads to dull environment
whereas bright lighting leads to glare.
Contrast:
Luminance variation or contrast distinguishes a visual task from its surroundings. For example
a good readability requires a good contrast between the letters of a printed matter and its
background.
Glare:
Bright light which interferes with visual perception is called glare. A bright area in the field of
vision reduces the ability to perceive visual information needed for task performance.
Glare is a serious undesirable phenomenon in the working environment. When suitable
precautions are not taken against glare then it may lead to physical illness such as eyestrain.
headaches, neck pain etc. as well as the loss in productivity.
Glare can be categorized into following four types:
Discomfort glare Disability glare Direct glare Indirect glare
Discomfort glare:

This type of glare is very subtle in nature often overcome by the ability of the eye to adjust
and adapt itself to relatively poor viewing conditions. However prolonged conditions may
lead to physical illness.
Disability glare:
This type of glare is very intensive in nature. A good example of this type is the glare that we
experience when the high beams of an oncoming vehicle cause us to avert our eyes while we
are driving at night. Some lighting systems may cause disability glare in the working
environment. Prolonged exposure to this glare leads to blindness or reduced vision level.
 Direct glare:
It is also a discomfort glare caused by insufficiently shielded light sources in the field of view.

Indirect glare:
The source of this glare comes from many directions. This glare is caused due to the reflection
of light from various components of a room such as walls, ceilings, floors, tables, computer
screens, machines and the materials used for working. This is an inevitable glare because
almost all surfaces reflect light to some extent.
Remedies:
 Glare is often considered seriously to be avoided among others.
 Glare is often eliminated by adjusting the objects appropriately with respect to source of
light so that the glare is avoided.
 It is also avoided by adjusting the entry of natural light in the room or switching off some
lights when more lights are used.
 Glare can be spotted and avoided in the computer screen by just placing a mirror in front
of the screen.
 Use of anti-glaie filter glass as well as optically coated contrast enhanced glass in front of
computer screen helps to avoid glare to a great extent.

Modern Theory Of Light:

Technically light is defined as an electromagnetic radiation of all wavelengths whereas the
visible light is one whose wavelength is visible to the eye. Whenever a beam of light passes
through a prism it gets dispersed into its components of all wavelength, which include
wavelengths of visible light. The study of light is called optics.
 Modern theory of light cannot be understood without the knowledge of conventional
approaches attempted to study the nature of light.
The conventional theories are:

Corpuscular Theory Electromagnetic Theory

Wave Theory Quantum Theory
Corpuscular Theory:
 This theory was formulated by Newton during the year 1675.
 According to this theory light consists of very small particles called corpuscles which are
unaffected by gravitational force and emitted from a luminous source with very large
velocities.
 When they reach the retina of the eye they produce the sensation of vision.
 This theory was able to explain the rectilinear propagation of light, laws of reflection and
laws of refraction but failed to explain partial reflection, partial refraction, and other
phenomena such as interference, diffraction and polarization.
Wave Theory of Light:
 This theory was proposed by Huygens during the year 1678.
 According to this theory, similar to sound, light is also transmitted through a medium in
the form of longitudinal waves which is caused by the periodic disturbance created by the
source of light.
 Huygens argued that the waves can travel in all directions simultaneously with same
intensity through the same medium whereas the corpuscles may collide and lose the
intensity.
 Huygens proposed the medium in which the light travels is an ether medium; but later the
concept of ether medium was discarded by the scientists.
 Huygens could explain the reflection and refraction of light and to an extent simultaneous
occurrence of reflection and refraction whereas he couldn't explain the other phenomena
such as interference, diffraction and polarization similar to corpuscular theory.
Electromagnetic Theory:
 Maxwell put forth this theory based on the principle that an electric charge creates a
magnetic field around it and a changing magnetic field produces an electric charge (emf).
 According to this theory are light travels in the form of electromagnetic waves.
 The disturbances in the electric and magnetic field are found to travel in waves of electric
and magnetic intensity.
 Later a scientist Hertz detected electromagnetic waves from an oscillating electric circuit
and explained that le electromagnetic waves can be reflected, refracted and polarized.
 Thus this theory was believed explain all the characteristics of light.
Quantum Theory:
 During the 20th century several other effects of light such as photoelectric effect and
Compton effect came into existence which could not be explained by electromagnetic theory.

 Quantum ivory was proposed by Planck during 1900 and said that light in addition to
showing all the properties of waves also exhibits the characteristics of units of energy and
moment carried by these eves.
 These carriers of energy and moment associated with light are given the name of Photons.
be hy value of photon is given by where 7 is the frequency of the emitted radiation and h is
the lanck's constant whose value is 6.26 x 10' erg.sec.

 This theory could explain the photoelectric effect and Compton effect.
Synthesis Of Light:
As discussed earlier whenever a beam of light passes through a prism it gets dispersed into
its impotent colours of all wavelengths called light spectrum which include wavelengths of
visible height.

The spectrum of rays detail.

Visible Spectrum:

Visible Spectrum
It is observed that the visible light is a part of the electromagnetic radiation whose
wavelength ranges from 400 milli micron to 700 milli micron and the frequency is around 101'
Hertz. This is called visible spectrum.
Synthesis Of Colour:
 Colour is a subjective effect that occurs in the brain when the eye is stimulated by various
wavelengths of light.
 The description and measurement of colour is important in the design of lighting schemes,
photographic films, paints, dyes, inks etc.
 The human vision can distinguish many hundreds of different colours and intensities of
colour has been shown that white light contains all the colors of the spectrum which can be
recombined give white light again.
 White light can also be split into just three colours which recombine to have white light.
 In addition to white light any colour can be reproduced by various combinations in three
suitable primary colours.
 Most colour systems use this trichromatic method of reproduction Id the eye is believed to
send its information to the brain by a similar method of coding.
The colours can be combined in two different forms:

Additive Colour Subtractive Colour.

Additive Colour:
 If coloured lights are added together then they will produce other colours. When the three
primary additive colours arc combined in equal proportions they add to produce white light.
Red +Green = Yellow Red + Blue = Magenta

Green + Blue = Cyan Red + Green + Blue = White.

Some of the important applications of additive colour are:

Stage Lighting:
 By using three or more coloured light sources,
with the help of dimming controls, any colour effect
can be obtained.
Colour Television:
 The TV screen has many small red, green and blue phosphors controlled by a separate
beam of electrons for each type.
 A close look at a colour television will reveal that white doesn't actually exist on the screen
but is an effect produced in the brain.

Colour Printing:
 Some processes such as gravure produce a mosaic of ink dots which effectively act as an
additive system.
Subtractive Colour:
 If colours are subtracted from white light then other colours will be produced. When the
three primary subtractive colours are combined in equal proportions they subtract (absorb)
components of white light to produce darkness.

 As stated earlier white light is the combination of red, green and blue lights. If a
component of white light is subtracted using complementary colour then it reflects the other
colours
 As discussed earlier a surface which appears red is defined by the fact that it subtracts or
absorbs green and blue from white light leaving only red light to reach the eye.

 A white surface reflects all the colours.

 If the colour content of the light source changes then the appearance of the surface may
change.
 This effect is important when comparing surface colours under different types of light
source.
Most colours are seen as a result of subtractive processes and some of the common
applications:
Paint Pigments:
Paint colours are mixed according to subtractive principles even though the primary colours
are often called as red, yellow and blue instead of magenta, yellow and cyan.
Colour Photographs:
All colour transparencies and colour prints are finally composed of different densities of three
basic dyes : cyan, magenta and yellow.
Colour Printing:
White paper is over printed three times with the three basic colours of printing ink which are
cyan, magenta and yellow. Black ink is also used to achieve extra density.

UTILIZATION FACTOR or CO-EFFICIENT OF UTILIZATION

 It is the ratio of the lumens received by a particular surface to the total lumens emitted by
the light source.

 Since the light leaving the lamp in different directions is subjected to different degrees of
absorption no surface will receive fill light emitted by the source.
The value of depends on:

Direct lighting or Indirect lighting The colour and surface of walls and ceilings

The type and the mounting height of the fittings The shape and dimensions of the room.

For direct lighting the value of varies between 0.4 and 0.6 and mainly depends on
the shape of the room and the type and mounting height of the fittings, but very little on the
colour of walls and ceiling.

 For indirect lighting its value lies between 0.1 and 0.35 and the colour and surface of walls
and ceiling has greater influence on this value.

DEPRECIATION FACTOR (P):

 The effective candle power of all lamps and other luminous sources deteriorates over a
period time either due to blackening or accumulation of dust on the surface or both.

 Similarly walls and ceilings having dirt do not reflect as much light as when they are clean.

 The value of this factor ay be taken as 1/1.3 if the lamps and lamp fittings are likely to be
cleaned regularly or 1/1.5 if ere is more dust, dirt etc.
Thus depreciation factor is given by:

 Since illumination is specified in Indm2, the area in square meter multiple by the
illumination required in Indm2 gives the total useful luminous flux that must reach the
working plane.
 Taking to consideration the utilization and depreciation factors the expression for the
gross lumens requited given by

 The size of the lamp depends on the number of fittings which if uniform distribution is
required, should not be far apart.
 The actual spacing and arrangement is governed by space/height values id by the layout of
ceiling beams or columns.
 Greater the height, wider the spacing that may be used, although the larger will be the
unit required.
 Having settled the number of units required the melts per unit may be found
(total Iumins/number of units) from which the size of lamp can be calculated.
 M.S.C.P:
 It is the abbreviation of mean spherical candle power. generally, the candle power of a
source different in different directions.
 The average candle power of a source is the average value of its candle power in all
directions
which is called as M.S.C.P. It is given by

M. H.S.C.P:
 If the average of the candle power is taken over a hemisphere instead of $ sphere like in
M.S.C.P. then it is called as mean hemispherical candle power which is abbreviated as
M.H.S.C.P.
It is given by

LAWS OF ILLUMINATION:
 For any source the illumination (E) is directly proportional to the luminous intensity (I).

The laws governing illumination of a "source of light" are as follows:

(i) Inverse Square Law:
 The illumination of a surface is inversely proportional to the square of the distance of the
surface from the source.
 Consider a source as shown above which illuminates spherical surfaces whose radii are in
the ratio 1:2:3.
 All these portions, obviously subtend the same solid angle at the source and hence receive
the same amount of total flux.
 However since their areas are in the ratio 1:4:9, their illuminations are in the ratio 1:4:9.
 Thus it is proved that the illumination of a surface is inversely proportional to the square of
the distance of the surface front the source.
(ii) Lambert’s cosine Law: