Emerging markets reproduction   US naval vessels may adopt LED lamps

   According to foreign media reports, the United States Navy ship almost nothing is more common than fluorescent lamps. They are almost everywhere, shine that familiar, sometimes flickering white light. As a lighting device installed in every sailor’s bedside, the loud drone noise to make them difficult to sleep.

   However, if the manufacturers of new LED bulbs have been able to get it, the classic fluorescent lamps will soon disappear, just like an acoustic tube and the telegraph in the engine room.

   Navy veteran Eric Hilliard, president of Energy Focus company which is specialized in LED technology, said that "The Navy has a demand, the purpose is not only to save more energy, but they have been using to understand LED lights. The technology they have always used--T12 lighting ballast technology is extremely outdated. they have maintenance needs. "

   T12 fluorescent lamps are the most common type, 1.5 inches in diameter. Ballast is a current limiting device fixed in a lighting device.

Energy Focus Company found the opportunity. Hilliard said that "From the company's point of view, this is a good opportunity for shots to a small company. When the market is controlled by large companies, it is difficult to carry out large-scale competition. It is a niche market."

Considering of the maritime security, new LED products must be simple and durable. Hilliard explained that "Our idea was to remove the existing bulbs and put in the LED bulbs. The ballast and starter can recognizes whether it is the fluorescent bulbs or LED bulbs. We must change them according to the existing specifications. There was no such thing, so we have to create this light bulb, and let the Navy believes its security. "

Energy Focus company then began working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Naval Sea Systems Command to develop a new LED lighting devices and bulbs to meet the demands of the Navy ships. The company designed and manufactured four kinds of basic products: two feet LED lamps, different sizes of bulbs which can be installed in cargo, ammunition depots and freight elevators and other busy area, explosion-proof bulbs which can be placed in munitions ark and gas turbine, as well as with bedside lamp which has USB interface device.

It is reported that the demand is considerable. The single tube, double tube and three lighting devices in a typical "Arleigh Burke" class destroyers require 281 bedside lamp, 201 large and 50 small bulbs, and at least 19 explosion-proof bulbs and at 3682 two feet light bulb. The larger the ship, the more the required number of bulbs. For example, the cruiser takes about 6000 two feet lamps.

It is obvious that there will be problems installing light bulbs, such as the need to re-install the device to fix the lamp and the lamp bracket, but the company has created a "smart pipe" type two feet bulbs which can install the existing lighting device.

It is reported that the price remains questionable. The price of a T12 bulb in the procurement system of Defense Logistics Agency is about $ 4. The price which Energy Focus company sold the two feet LED lamp to the Defense Logistics Agency is $ 145, plus $ 13 shipping fee, the cost of each lamp is $ 158.

　　But the Navy estimated that, for a destroyer which can service at least 35 years, this can recover the cost of installing LED lighting devices within 10 years. "It is expected that it will bring us some additional benefits of reducing the maintenance and replacement costs." wrote by Naval Sea Systems Command in a statement.

"Reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs are the major factor of installing LED lamps. The life of LED is about 5-10 times longer than fluorescent and incandescent lamps, in addition to save 50% to 80% of energy. " wrote by Naval Sea System Command.

   Energy Focus company's business development manager Dave Bina said that since the first batch of devices approved in September 2010,nearly 200 ships have installed part of models of the LED lighting devices and bulbs produced by Energy Focus company. He said, "We estimate that, the life of  LED bulb on each vessel ship is 10 years, the frequency to replace the lights may be decades for once."

   It is reported that the Naval Sea Systems Command seems satisfied. In a statement, the command wrote that " the LED lights installed on the 'Preble' and 'Chaffee' destroyer, including the impact and the shockproof ability are surely up to the standard, those lights installed on the ships since 2011 has very good performance and they meet all the requirements. "

   "Paul Ignatius" destroyer, which had being a new ship built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippiis, is the first one been assigned to fully install LED lighting device. Naval Sea Systems Command, wrote that all the "Arleigh Burke" destroyers will install LED lights in future.

   Stephen, Captain, chief engineer of "Preble" destroyer which was docked at Pearl Harbor,  said that improved LED lighting is not always easy. However, in an e-mail on Aug. 25, he wrote that "they are much brighter than LED fluorescent lighting and longer life, which helps save money, but more importantly, to reduce the time of artificial replacement of all the lighting device on the ship. "

(Source: reprint from CIES)