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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter April 18, 2016

Free-form illumination optics

  • Rubén Mohedano

    Rubén Mohedano (Madrid, Spain, 1972) got his PhD degree in January 2002 at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. His doctoral research was focused in Nonimaging Optics design, manufacturing, and applications. This branch of optics is oriented to general lighting applications where maximum efficiency and other special features are needed (solar energy, smart low-consumption lighting). He is currently the Managing Director of LPI-Europe, an intense R&D company leading the Nonimaging field that he joined by 2002. He has been involved in more than 40 applied-research projects since then, mostly in the Concentration Photovoltaics (CPV) and Illumination fields. He has led projects for various major Automotive and CPV companies: many of the systems developed are already available in the market. He is the author of one book, co-author of six books chapters, more than 10 patents, 13 papers, and several congress publications.

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    , Julio Chaves

    Julio Chaves completed his undergraduate studies in Physics Engineering at the Higher Technical Institute, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal in 1995. He received his PhD in Physics from the same institute. He did postgraduate work at the Solar Energy Institute, Technical University of Madrid, Spain, in 2002, and in 2003, he joined Light Prescriptions Innovators (LPI), LLC, Altadena, California, USA. In 2006, he moved back to Madrid, Spain, and has been working with LPI since. He is the author of the book Introduction to Nonimaging Optics (now in its second edition) and co-author of the book Illumination Engineering: Design With Nonimaging Optics. He developed the new concepts of stepped flow-line optics and ideal light confinement by caustics (caustics as flow lines). He is the co-inventor of several patents and the coauthor of many papers in the field of nonimaging optics. He also participated in the early development of the simultaneous multiple surface design method in three-dimensional geometry.

    and Maikel Hernández

    Maikel Hernández (Havana, Cuba, 1972) got his PhD degree for the Polytechnic University of Madrid in July 2003 with Summa Cum Laude. His research is aimed at Nonimaging Optics design, manufacturing, and applications. Since 2000, he is collaborating with Light Prescriptions Innovators USA. He joined LPI-Europe in 2003. He has been involved in several projects in CPV, automotive, and illumination applications. He is the co-author of two books, more than five patents, five papers, and several congress publications.

Abstract

In many illumination problems, the beam pattern needed and/or some geometrical constraints lead to very asymmetric design conditions. These asymmetries have been solved in the past by means of arrangements of rotationally symmetric or linear lamps aimed in different directions whose patterns overlap to provide the asymmetric prescriptions or by splitting one single lamp into several sections, each one providing a part of the pattern. The development of new design methods yielding smooth continuous free-form optical surfaces to solve these challenging design problems, combined with the proper CAD modeling tools plus the development of multiple axes diamond turn machines, give birth to a new generation of optics. These are able to offer the performance and other advanced features, such as efficiency, compactness, or aesthetical advantages, and can be manufactured at low cost by injection molding. This paper presents two examples of devices with free-form optical surfaces, a camera flash, and a car headlamp.

About the authors

Rubén Mohedano

Rubén Mohedano (Madrid, Spain, 1972) got his PhD degree in January 2002 at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. His doctoral research was focused in Nonimaging Optics design, manufacturing, and applications. This branch of optics is oriented to general lighting applications where maximum efficiency and other special features are needed (solar energy, smart low-consumption lighting). He is currently the Managing Director of LPI-Europe, an intense R&D company leading the Nonimaging field that he joined by 2002. He has been involved in more than 40 applied-research projects since then, mostly in the Concentration Photovoltaics (CPV) and Illumination fields. He has led projects for various major Automotive and CPV companies: many of the systems developed are already available in the market. He is the author of one book, co-author of six books chapters, more than 10 patents, 13 papers, and several congress publications.

Julio Chaves

Julio Chaves completed his undergraduate studies in Physics Engineering at the Higher Technical Institute, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal in 1995. He received his PhD in Physics from the same institute. He did postgraduate work at the Solar Energy Institute, Technical University of Madrid, Spain, in 2002, and in 2003, he joined Light Prescriptions Innovators (LPI), LLC, Altadena, California, USA. In 2006, he moved back to Madrid, Spain, and has been working with LPI since. He is the author of the book Introduction to Nonimaging Optics (now in its second edition) and co-author of the book Illumination Engineering: Design With Nonimaging Optics. He developed the new concepts of stepped flow-line optics and ideal light confinement by caustics (caustics as flow lines). He is the co-inventor of several patents and the coauthor of many papers in the field of nonimaging optics. He also participated in the early development of the simultaneous multiple surface design method in three-dimensional geometry.

Maikel Hernández

Maikel Hernández (Havana, Cuba, 1972) got his PhD degree for the Polytechnic University of Madrid in July 2003 with Summa Cum Laude. His research is aimed at Nonimaging Optics design, manufacturing, and applications. Since 2000, he is collaborating with Light Prescriptions Innovators USA. He joined LPI-Europe in 2003. He has been involved in several projects in CPV, automotive, and illumination applications. He is the co-author of two books, more than five patents, five papers, and several congress publications.

References

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Received: 2016-1-29
Accepted: 2016-3-12
Published Online: 2016-4-18
Published in Print: 2016-4-1

©2016 THOSS Media & De Gruyter

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