Introduction
Intelligent lighting control systems have only recently been introduced to China from abroad, with brands like Panasonic, Philips, and Chissel among the pioneers. These systems begin with centralized control, utilizing a single-chip microcomputer as the control unit and employing two 24V signal lines for lighting control. Due to their numerous advantages not found in conventional lighting controls, they are increasingly being used in large venues such as squares, docks, auditoriums, and factories. Their superior performance is gradually gaining recognition and acceptance. The author primarily discusses the basic theory and structure of Panasonic's Four-line Intelligent Lighting System and introduces its practical application in biopharmaceutical production workshops.
System Composition
The system composition is illustrated in Figure 1. Its core is the Central Processing Unit (CPU), which governs several lighting control modules. The number of control modules varies with different system specifications; our choice is a 16-bit system, meaning the CPU can support up to 16 control modules. Relay control is achieved through these modules to determine whether the lights in a circuit are turned on or off. The lighting switches are intelligent address code switches.
The system employs standard bus control technology, with the bus standard being EIB, the European Installation Bus. The control method is Peer-to-Peer, unlike the traditional Master-Slave control. The bus consists of 4-core shielded twisted pair wiring, with 2 cores dedicated to the bus and the other 2 cores reserved for backup. All components operate on a 24VDC power supply, with 24VDC power and electrical signal multiplexing on the bus.
The system is modular, fully decentralized, and peer-to-peer. The drivers are standard modular components, installed using standard DIN tracks alongside the CPU and control modules within a single control cabinet. The address code switches are placed in suitable locations at the room entrance or along the corridor.
2. The working principle of the system
Designers can divide the lighting system into several circuits based on different process requirements, and encode each circuit. During installation, they use a hand-held operator to write the encoding into the corresponding address code switch. Upon pressing the address code switch, the decoder receives the instruction, decodes it, and sends it to the CPU. The CPU evaluates the instruction and sends commands to the control module to control the lighting devices in the corresponding circuit. Different encodings written into the same address code switch can control different circuits. Additionally, the system can implement a timed shutdown function for each circuit, which is very simple to operate. The hand-held operator writes the desired control time into the address code switch of the circuit. The control mode for this circuit is set to timed mode. If used properly, the timed mode can save a significant amount of energy.
3. Application of Intelligent Lighting Control Systems in Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Plants
Biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities differ from ordinary sites, being constrained by biopharmaceutical processes. They feature high cleanliness levels, numerous rooms, and varying lighting intensities within these rooms. Consequently, there is a high demand for lighting control systems. The traditional lighting control systems previously used had complex wiring and high energy consumption, no longer meeting the requirements of modern biopharmaceutical facilities. In contrast, intelligent lighting control systems completely overcome these deficiencies and offer the following advantages:
3.1 Energy Conservation
This system can achieve intelligent lighting control at different times and occasions according to various process requirements, maximizing the configuration of lighting fixtures to achieve energy savings. In some situations, specific requirements exist for illuminating lighting fixtures, and due to the limited control circuit capacity of general switches, unnecessary material consumption is inadvertently caused. On the other hand, forgetting to turn off the lights due to other reasons without realizing it also leads to energy waste.
For instance, in a 6000㎡ vaccine production facility, the GMP-compliant personnel flow is: change room 1 → air-conditioned corridor → change room 2 → 100,000-class corridor → change room 3 → 10,000-class corridor → 10,000-class operation room. If designed with a standard lighting control system, staff entering the 10,000-class operation room would need to turn on lights in the following order: turn on the lighting for the air conditioning corridor in change room 1, turn on the lighting for the 100,000-class corridor in change room 2, and turn on the lighting for the 10,000-class operation room in change room 3. This way, when operators work in the operation room, all the lights along the path behind them are fully on. Taking the 100,000-class corridor as an example, a simple calculation of electricity usage: there are 70 sets of lighting fixtures, totaling 5600W. Assuming the lights are on for 4 hours a day, the daily consumption is 23kW/h. Over 240 days, the annual consumption would be 5750kW/h. With our system, the corridor lighting fixtures are grouped, allowing for the number of lights to be turned on based on different needs, and the lighting time can be set arbitrarily. This results in the corridor lighting being on for up to 1/3 more, but the daily lighting time does not exceed 1 hour, reducing daily consumption by an additional 19kW/h. The annual consumption is thus only 460kW/h, representing a 92% energy saving for the 100,000-class corridor. Additionally, due to the shorter lighting times, the wear and tear on the fixtures is significantly reduced, which in turn lowers costs.
The system can be configured to meet specific lighting requirements based on operational needs. For instance, infrared sensors can be installed at the exits of the first, second, and third shifts, so that lights are only turned on when movement is detected, and automatically turned off after a delay (set between 1 minute to 2 hours) when there's no movement. In a fully enclosed controlled environment room, it's difficult to notice if lights are left on, leading to unnecessary energy waste. An automatic delay switch can be placed at the entrance, allowing operators to turn on the lights upon entry and turn them off upon exit. If they forget, the lights will automatically turn off after a delay (set between 1 minute to 2 hours) to save energy as well.
3.2 User-friendly, secure, and comfortable
The system features illuminated switches, allowing the lighting conditions within this room to be clearly visible from the main control room. It also offers free grouping control for ease of management. Additionally, all switches operate at a safe 24V voltage, ensuring both safety and reliability. The switches in this system are all installed in flush-mounted wall panels, eliminating protruding button switches, making it ideal for use in cleanrooms.
Ankoer Smart Lighting Control System
4.1 System Overview
The ALIBUS intelligent lighting products utilize RS485 bus technology, offering mature, reliable, and safe performance. The switch drivers have the capability to operate independently, making them suitable for small to medium-sized projects. The modular design allows for flexible expansion and connection, and also features reserved I/O ports and Modbus interfaces, enabling data exchange with the AcrelEMS corporate microgrid management cloud platform.
4.2 Application Sites
Ideal for lighting control needs in various smart communities, hospitals, schools, hotels, as well as sports facilities, airports, tunnels, and stations, and other large public construction projects.
4.3 System Structure
4.4 System Features
(1) Real-time monitoring and display of online status for each module, providing feedback on the switch status of the on-site controlled circuits. The monitoring interface allows browsing by floor and circuit list layout.
(2) Fault alarms occur when modules go offline, gateway devices drop off, or there is a discrepancy between status feedback and control command issuance. The fault alarm information is then logged and displayed on the interface.
(3) Individual lighting circuit switches can be controlled; each module and floor has corresponding module control switches and floor control switches, allowing for either individual module or entire floor switch control.
(4) The switch driver supports zero-crossing triggering function, with load (lighting) switching operations only occurring at the zero-crossing of AC power; this effectively reduces electromagnetic interference and impact on the power grid, extending the lifespan of lighting and control devices.
(5) Each lighting circuit can be pre-set to an off-state. In the event of a power outage, the switch driver will automatically switch to the pre-set off-state; ensuring that the lighting's on/off state is determinable and controllable upon re-powering.
(6) The dimming control slider adjusts lighting equipment from 0% to 100%. It allows for dimming control of individual lighting circuits. The master dimming control can dim lighting circuits within a module or across multiple circuits, with the on/off status of icons indicating the switch status on-site.
(7) Click the scene control to toggle the corresponding scene settings on or off. The software interface displays different scene modes and features, with icons lighting up or dimming to indicate whether the scene is open or closed.
(8) Set the timer, confirm the time point, and then configure the action to be executed at that event point. Set the lights to turn on or off at the specified time.
(9) The system automatically calculates daily sunrise and sunset times using pre-set local latitude and longitude information; it controls lighting switches according to the astronomical clock, enabling lights to turn on at sunset and off at sunrise.
(10) All scheduled control plans can be downloaded and saved to the driver module; in the event of an upper computer system failure or module offline, the driver module can use its built-in RTC clock to maintain the normal execution of scheduled control plans, without affecting the daily lighting control effects.
(11) The system architecture is a distributed bus structure; each component within the system operates independently without relying on other components; the functionality of each component can be diversified through program settings.
(12) Reserve BA or third-party integration platform interfaces, utilizing Modbus, OPC, and similar methods.
4.5 Equipment Selection
Reference:
Zhao Dong. Application of Intelligent Lighting Control Systems in Biopharmaceutical Production Facilities[J]. China Journal of Health Engineering, 2004(03): 41-42.
[2] Ankorri Corporation Microgrid Design and Application Manual, 2022.05 Edition
Author Introduction:
Li Xuewei, female, currently employed at Ankelei Electrical Co., Ltd. Mobile: 17821733155 (WeChat same number), QQ: 2881346390, Email: 2881346390@qq.com
