FlashLED: A Reusable Extended Light Source

ABSTRACT:High speed photography is a valuable tool for the analysis of a great many phenomena. As higher speed events are captured, it is necessary to provide an increasing amount of illumination to maintain proper exposure levels to match the decreasing exposure times. Flash sources are desirable to provide a large amount of light for a short time before significant heating can occur. Nanohmics proposes to develop a robust and reusable replacement for the standard PF300 flash bulb. By employing light emitting diodes (LEDs) as a source, operators will have precise control of flash initiation, duration and intensity, resulting in increased reliability and quality of the photographic data captured during a high speed test event. Additional benefits will be in the form of elimination of the recurring cost of flash bulbs and decreased time for test setup. The high intensity source developed in this program, FlashLED, will consist of an LED array with an optical output in excess of 500,000 lumens. This results in more illumination than a single PF300 bulb for the target area. Longevity testing has shown it will operate with no degradation after thousands of flashes which translates to decades of service at the Holloman High-Speed Test Track.BENEFIT:The market for flash illumination continues to demonstrate significant annual growth for both the military and civilian markets, growing to over a billion dollars in 2013. As these units become smaller, less costly, and more useful to a wider variety of industries, they become incredibly valuable as they decrease the cost of testing for military and industrial products, among others. Specifically, the compact and high power flash illuminator that Nanohmics develops will provide increased benefit by providing a more timely response, enhanced portability and a wider range of test conditions.