SAVING ENERGY USING OPTICAL FIBERS
CONTENT
1- Content
2-Abstract
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1- Introduction
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1.1 Optical fiber
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1.2 Total internal reflection
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1.3 Some important terms
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2- Material
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3- Method
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4- Experiment
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5-Calculation of saved energy
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6- Result
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7- Advantages
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8- Disadvantages
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7- Conclusion
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9- References
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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this project is to save electrical energy by minimizing number of
bulb/ tube lights etc and using optical fibers. We are facing problems regarding electrical
energy in Pakistan and all over the world specially our country Pakistan is one of the most
polluted countries and mostly people here use 100 watt bulbs which are consuming too
much electricity and as a result we are facing electricity shortage problems. I suppose
that by building a system of illuminating number of rooms with the help of single bulb and
using optical fibers we are able to illuminate number of rooms and hence we can
decrease number of bulbs/ tube lights and we can minimize consumption of electricity.
This method could be used to any region of the world also
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INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this project is to save energy using optical fibers. I suppose that by
building a system of illuminating multiple rooms with the help of single bulb/LED and
multiple optical fibers we can minimize number of bulbs used and hence we can minimize
loss of energy due to number of bulbs.
The idea of the project is saving energy which is main problem not only of Pakistan
but of the whole world. This could be reached by building a system that involves a bulb/
tube light, single-mode optical fibers and different types of concave lenses .suppose we
have connected one end point of some optical fibers with a bulb/ tube light confined in a
tube and other ends we have placed in a completely dark room ,The light from the bulb is
absorbed by several groups of optical fibers and travels towards dark room by total
internal reflection without any loss(due to short length of optical fibers used here ,loses
are negligible) illuminate the room. If we use concave lens at the end of optical fibers we
are able to amplify the amount of light due diverging lenses and room will be more
brighten.
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OPTICAL FIBRE:
The field of fiber optics depends upon the total internal reflection of light .Rays traveling
through tiny optical fibers.
The fibers are so small that once the light is introduced into the fiber with an angle
within the confines of the numerical aperture of the fiber, it will continue to reflect almost
lossless off the walls of the fiber and thus can travel long distances in the fiber. Bundles of
such fibers can accomplish imaging of otherwise inaccessible areas.
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TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION:
When light passes from a medium with one index of refraction ‘m1’ ( denser
medium) to another medium with a lower index of refraction ‘m2’ ( rare medium) , it bends
or refracts away from an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface (normal line). As the
angle of the beam through m1( incident angle) becomes greater with respect to the
normal line, the refracted light through m2 bends further away from the line ( angle of
refraction increases more).At one particular angle (critical angle), the refracted light will
not go into m2, but instead will travel along the surface between the two media (sine
[critical angle] = n2/n1 where n1 and n2 are the indices of refraction [n1 is greater than n2]).
If the beam through m1 is greater than the critical angle, then the refracted beam will be
reflected entirely back into m1 (total internal reflection), even though m 2 may be
transparent!
In simple words we can say that there are two necessary conditions for total
internal reflection to occur
a) Rays of light must travel from denser medium to rare medium
b) Angle of incidence must be greater than critical angle
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SOME IMPORTANT TERMS:
a) RARE MEDIUM: A medium of lower index of refraction
Or
A medium of less density
b) DENSER MEDIUM: A medium of higher index of refraction
Or
A medium of more density
For example air is a rare medium and glass is a denser medium
c) ANGLE OF INCIDENCE: Angle of incident ray with normal
d) ANGLE OF REFRACTION: Angle of refracted ray with normal
e) NORMAR: Imaginary line perpendicular to surface which in contact between to
different mediums
MATERIALS
The idea of the project is saving electrical energy by minimizing usage of bulbs /
tube lights etc. This could be reached by building a system that involves a source of
light(Bulb/Energy saver/ LED etc) , single-mode optical fibers, different types of diverging
lenses connectors and glass tubes.
METHOD
The light from source light in a room is absorbed by several groups of optical
fibers, each (group) connected to a double-concave lens. The endpoint of each group is
placed in another dark room, light from source light will transfer to nearby dark room with
the help of optical fibers. The light is refracted at the endpoint by a combination of
diverging lenses so that we get the amplified diverged light. Instead of source light here
we used laser LED.( Light Emitting Diodes).
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EXPERIMENT
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We took one box a in which we used LED ( with some heat sinks) this is
considered as a source of light or power station for our system .From this power station
we passed two bunch of single mode optical fibers to other two nearby rooms within these
rooms we connected convex mirrors at the front of bunch of fiber optics for the purpose to
diverge incoming light . We used LED here for the purpose of getting focused beam of
light because for our project suitable optical fibers should be of big diameters but big
diameter optical fibers were unavailable, so for demonstration purpose we used small
diameter bunch of optical fiber with focused beam. For deriving that LED we used
transformer and some electronic circuitry to convert DC from AC and to provide required
amount of current to LED explanation of that electronic circuitry is out of scope of our idea
because idea of our project is to illuminate multiple rooms with a single source of light that
source could be LED/, Energy saver etc.
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CALCULATION OF SAVED ENERGY:
We know that if one bulb of 100
Watts works for 10 hour it consumes 1KWh(one kilowatt hour) energy. Suppose we use
this system in one nearby room per house it means that we saved one 100watts bulb per
house. In our country Pakistan the total population is 180 millions. Total available houses
for this population will be much more than one million but we consider here , suppose one
million houses are adopting this system in Pakistan and saving one bulb per house,
means we have saved one million bulbs, if these bulbs were operating for 10 hours daily
then we have been able to save one million kilowatt hour energy per day in other words
100000KWh = 360000000Watss= 3.6 Mega Watts of electricity per day which can replace
the output of a small thermal/nuclear power station.
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RESULT
From above calculation it is observed that by using proposed system we can save
approximately minimum 3 M Watts electricity per month which is very helpful in saving
energy.
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ADVANTAGES
There are a lot of advantages of this project some of which are as follow
ECONOMICAL AND LONG LASTING SYSTEM:
This system is economical and in the range of middle class population of the
country, also if this system one times built can work for a long period.
SAVING ENERGY AND MONEY:
It is proved from above calculation that this system save approximately RS 900 per
month and also can save approximately 30 watt electricity per room (per house).
MORE ACCURATE FOR THOSE AREAS WHERE LESS INTENSE LIGHT IS
REQUIRED:
This system is more accurate specially those areas where light is necessary only
for the purpose of brightens small places for examples store rooms , sleeping rooms
wash rooms because this light is less intense .
DECURATION PURPOSE:
By using this system due to fiber optics it is a new decorating material in 21st
century different from those currently common decorating ones.
SAFETY:
This system is safe people can use it everywhere. Since optical fibers are only a
mean of travelling light therefore there is no fear of fire by short circuiting etc.
COLORFUL ROOMS:
By using this system we use concave lenses if we use only single concave lens
which refract light in different colors therefore we see different colors of light and rooms
will be colorful.
PRODUSING MORE OXYGEN BY PLANTS:
If we use a single concave lens at the end of fiber optic it refract light and red and
blue colors will produce, if we put plants in the room then photosynthesis in plants will
increase due to red and blue colors (for photosynthesis red and blue color light is more
effective) Therefore due increased rate of photosynthesis plants will be more green and
more oxygen will produced by plants which is basic need of human.
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SAVED ELECTRICITY CAN BE UTILISED FOR CREATIVE PURPOSES:
Electrical energy is an important need of human beings, saved energy from our
houses can be utilized in hospitals for saving costly lives, in educational places for study
purposes, For security reasons in recognizing terrorists by scanners etc
DISADVANTAGES
For our experiment we need fiber optics of large diameter and shorter length, for
transferring maximum light from one place to another, but in market these type of fiber
optic cables are not available, but I hope in future these type of optic fiber cables will be
available
CONCLUSION
This means that we can use this system for saving electrical energy which is a very
important need of human beings.
REFERENCES
1) Class 12th Sindh text book board Jamshoro
2) http://www.frbiz.com
3) http://lighting.made-in-china.com/products/Optical-Fiber-Lighting-1.html
4) http://www.creative-outdoor-lighting.com/fiber-optic-outdoor-lighting.html
5) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Light-Tubes-for-Interior-Lighting.htm
6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_tube
7) http://www.solatube.co.uk/
8) http://www.solatube.co.uk/trade/solar-light-tube-for-professional-builder/index.php
9) http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-install-solar-light-tubes.html
10) http://tubesolar.net/
11) http://tubesolar.net/
12) http://www.pap.org.pk/files/sp.pdf
13) http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/pakistan.html
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