SUNLIGHT DISTRIBUTION IN REMOTE INTERIOR LOCATIONS USING A MULTI-AXIS SUNTRACKER AS A LIGHT SOURCE

THIS PROPOSAL WILL CONCENTRATE ON MAKING A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO PROVING THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF MULTI-ZONE SUNLIGHT "DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS" USING A MULTI-AXIS SUNTRACKER. THE MULTI-AXIS SUNTRACKER ACTIVE SOLAR OPTIC SYSTEM, TO BE USED AS A SUNLIGHT DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR THE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK, WAS DESIGNED BASED ON GUIDELINES SET OUT BY THIS PROPOSER, AND IS OPERATIONAL AT THIS TIME, DELIVERING A FIXED BEAM OF SUNLIGHT 110 FEET (10 STORIES) BELOW GRADE. THOUGH IT HAS ALREADY RECEIVED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION AS AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO DAYLIGHTING, IN ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION, ITS PROMISE AS A PROTOTYPICAL MULTI-STORY SOLAR ILLUMINATOR HAS YET TO BE REALIZED. IF FUNDED, THIS RESEARCH EFFORT WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARD DEVELOPING PHYSICAL MODELS FOR THE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK, PREDICTING THEIR PERFORMANCE BY FABRICATING, INSTALLING AND MONITORING MODELS. IN ADDITION, SINGLE SOURCE ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING, INTEGRATED INTO THE SUNLIGHTING SYSTEM, WILL BE INVESTIGATED. INTRODUCTION OF HIGH INTENSITY SINGLE SOURCE LIGHTING INTO AN OPTICAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORK HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR GREATLY REDUCING WIRING COST AND INTERNAL HEAT LOADS. USING THE SAME DISTRIBUTION NETWORK FOR BOTH NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING WILL ERADICATE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SOLAR VARIANCE.