Generally speaking, high mast lighting is used on sites that need to light a large area. Most often, it is used to light highways and recreational fields.
Typical HID bulb wattages for high-mast installations
Typical HID bulb wattages for high mast lighting installations vary between 400 and 2,000 watts. The wattage is determined by the number of light fixtures, the illuminance required, and the mounting height. The wattage of the light fixture is also affected by the spacing and the purpose of the lighting.
Generally, there are four to sixteen fixtures per pole. These fixtures can be high pressure sodium, metal halide, or LED. Depending on the wattage, the luminaires may produce between 10,000 and 200,000 lumens.
High mast lights are often used for outdoor industrial and parking lot applications. They are installed on poles that rise from forty to one hundred and fifty feet high.
High pressure sodium and metal halide lamps are the most common high mast fixtures. They generate more light than the other types of lamps. They are also good for stadiums, large auditoriums, and parking facilities. But, they are known to have a shorter rated life than other HID sources. They require ballasts to operate and have a slower light output after the first install.
Inefficient thermal management causes degradation of LEDs
Optimal performance and longevity of LED-based lighting systems depend on controlling the temperature of LEDs. The higher the operating temperature of LEDs, the greater the likelihood of premature failure. Ideally, heat should be drawn away from the LED junction as quickly as possible. However, this is not always possible with current HILL designs.
LED thermal management enables efficient heat transfer from LED chips to the surrounding medium. This requires designing a thermal path with the lowest possible thermal resistance. The thermal path is typically implemented through the metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB) or a thermal interface material. These materials include solder, epoxy, pressure-sensitive adhesive and thermal grease. The resistance of the thermal interface material varies, depending on the type of material used.
A common method for reducing the thermal resistance of LEDs is to place them on thermally conductive substrates. These substrates, which are commonly aluminum, can help to dissipate heat and increase the efficiency of the package.
Another way to minimize thermal resistance is to use a dielectric polymer layer with high thermal conductivity. A dielectric provides electrical isolation from the electronics and helps to reduce thermal resistance.
Longer life of LEDs
Unlike incandescent bulbs, LED lights have a longer life expectancy. Depending on the manufacturer and lighting application, the lifespan can range from a few thousand hours to more than ten years.
There are several things you can do to extend the life of your LED lighting. For example, place your bulbs in a cool, dry environment. You should also allow the bulbs to cool before switching them on.
One of the best ways to extend the life of your LED lighting is to make sure that the mains power supply is properly regulated. A poorly regulated mains power supply can cause the LEDs to prematurely fail.
Some manufacturers estimate the lifespan of their LEDs based on accelerated wear testing. This test is only done at the component level and does not account for other modes of failure.
In fact, a recent Department of Energy study found that the claims made by more than half of the LED products it tested were miscalculated.
Safety for motorists
Using high mast lighting is a great way to improve safety for motorists on the road. The technology is designed to provide increased illumination for traveling drivers, as well as to pull roadside obstacles into the field of view. The system includes a headframe that can be fixed or mobile, and a series of luminaires.
The headframe and the luminaires are secured by a motorized lift mechanism. The high mast installation provides highly efficient lighting, as well as minimal obtrusive light for the driver. The wide pole spacing of the high mast lights also reduces visual clutter.
The construction of the high mast LED luminaires varies, depending on the type of light sources used. Most use integrated optical control components to produce useful patterns and beams. The optics include injection molded polycarbonate lenses that provide precise light direction. Typically, they consume hundreds of watts, producing tens of thousands of lumens. These fixtures are prone to transient overvoltages, and can even experience a single pulse event that can lead to immediate catastrophic failure.
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