Purchase Specificationfor an

A704Solar LED Airfield Light

Overview

This specification is for a solar-powered self-contained infrared-capable LED airfield lighting system herein referred to as the “light”

The system shall be suitable for permanent, temporary, portable, emergency and expedited tactical airfields. The light shall be suitable as runway, threshold, taxiway, approach and helipad lighting.

Each light shall consist of or be capable of:

  • Self-contained solar engine
  • Microprocessor-based control electronics
  • Premium VRLA (Valve-Regulated Lead Acid) AGM batteries
  • Infrared output (Surface Mount LEDs)
  • Visible output only, Infrared output only, or both simultaneously (user selectable)
  • Custom high-efficiency back-connected solar panels
  • LED output optical assembly
  • Onboard pushbutton for manual control of all settings and features
  • Optional 12-volt DC external cable connector with military and non-military connector style options
  • Wireless and Non-wireless option
  • Wireless-Option lights use ISM 900-MHz band with encrypted Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) signal.
  • Carrying handle
  • 3 and 4 bolt hole base plate for mounting.

The entire system shall be delivered complete and ready to install. It shall not require assembly except for optional mounting accessories.

1.0 Mechanical Specifications

The light shall be self-contained with the custom solar panels integrated to the light chassis. The light shall not use any form of detached solar panels except where those panels are specifically designed and built by the manufacturer for increasing the available charge current to the light via the 12-volt DC connector on the light base.

All batteries and electronics shall be contained within the light.

The light’s mechanical enclosure shall be available in aviation yellow or olive drab green.

Maximum height of the lights, not including mounting accessories or antenna, is 340mm.

Maximum weight of the lights, not including mounting accessories or antenna, is 11 kilograms.

The light shall be fitted with an integral carrying handle attached to the body.

The colour and orientation of the light’s LEDs shall be clearly indicated on top of the light.

The light’s head and body mechanical enclosure shall be powder coated for resistance to wear and corrosion. Powdercoat to be per AAMA 3604.

The central body of the light shall be extruded premium aluminum. The top head plate shall be machined and secured to the central body using security fasteners.

The light’s base shall be polycarbonate for corrosion resistance and lightness.

The light shall contain multiple hydrophobic and oleophobic Gore™ venting systems.

1.1 Mounting

The light shall have a base plate that allows a 3 or 4-bolt mounting pattern. The base shall have 17mm bolt holes arranged equidistantly on a 200mm diameter circle.

The light shall be capable of a variety of mounting methods including but not limited to stake mounts, concrete with wedge anchor bolts, mounting plates, and frangible couplings.

1.2 Light Capabilities

The light shall be capable of at least 3 autonomous intensities and at least 3 temporary intensities in visible or infrared LED operation.

The light shall be able to operate from dusk until dawn in “autonomous” mode whereby the light turns on when ambient solar lux reaches a predefined minimum and turns off when the ambient solar lux reaches a predefined maximum.

The light shall use microprocessor-controlled ambient brightness detection and photosensors.

The light’s ambient lux on/off settings shall incorporate hysteresis to prevent cycling of on/off state in environments with lux levels near the transition thresholds.

The light shall be capable of temporary operation that exceeds autonomous brightness by using the built-in control switch or the controller.

The light shall be capable of an Emergency mode via wireless whereby all lights on the airfield flash at maximum brightness.

The light shall be capable of operation during the day if required.

The light shall offer NVG (Night Vision Goggle) compatible infrared LED output to allow for covert operations.

A manual push button switch shall be mounted on the light to provide programming access to the light when it is operated without wireless control.

The white version of the light shall be capable of Medium Intensity Runway Light (MIRL) Omnidirectional and High Intensity Runway Light (HIRL) Bi-Directional light output.

2.0 Operational Specifications

2.1 Optical Performance

The optical output system shall consist of surface-mounted visible and infrared LEDs.

LEDs must have a lifespan of greater than 100,000 hours and must meet IES LM-80 Lumen Maintenance.

The light shall provide optical performance meeting or exceeding the following specifications:

Application / Max Intensity (Dusk to Dawn) / Max Intensity (On-Demand)
Runway Edge, Approach, Helipad, FATO / White 70cd (Omni) / White 550cd (Directional)
Runway Edge Caution / White 70cd Yellow 60cd (Omni) / White 550cd Yellow 500cd (Directional)
Runway Threshold / Green 120cd Red 10cd / Green 550cd Red 130cd
Taxiway and Apron Edge / Blue 10cd / Blue 100cd
Helipad TLOF & FATO / Green 60cd / Green 300cd
Helipad TLOF & FATO / Yellow 50cd / Yellow 300cd
Obstruction / 40cd (Omni) / 40cd (Omni)
Night Vision Googles (NVG) / 80 mW/sr / 80 mW/sr

Photometric intensity, beam shape and chromaticity of the lights will be tested by certified third-party test labs using calibrated instruments and industry-standard practices. Test reports declaring conformity to the relevant specifications and detailing testing procedure will be provided by the manufacturer. Minimal test standards to be met are:

Runway Edge:

FAA L-861 MIRL (AC 150/5345-46, EB67)

FAA L-862 HIRL (AC 150/5345-46, EB67), step 3 of 5

ICAO MIRL (Annex 14, Vol.1, 5.3.9.9)

Transport Canada MIRL (TP-312, 5.3.10.13)

Red/Green Runway Threshold:

FAA L-861E & L-861SE MIRL (AC 150/5345-46, EB67)

FAA L-862E HIRL (AC 150/5345-46, EB67), step 3 of 5

Red Obstruction:

FAA L-810 (AC 150/5345-43, EB67)

ICAO Type A (Annex 14, Vol. 1, 6-3)

ICAO Type B (Annex 14, Vol. 1, 6-3)

NVG Infrared Obstruction:

FAA L-810 vertical divergence; 850 - 890nm peak beam divergence.

Infrared LED range to be a minimum of 7 nautical miles.

Chromaticity:

ICAO Annex 14 6th Edition

SAE25050 (FAA)

FAA EB 67

RoHS compliant

The vertical divergence of the light’s beam shall peak at 7° above horizontal.

When flashing, the lights must emit visible light or infrared on a one-second cycle consisting of 0.25 seconds ON and 0.75 seconds OFF.

The lens material shall be UV-stabilized polycarbonate.

2.1 Solar Panels

The light shall use back-connected premium solar panelsof monocrystalline composition for maximum power generation.

The light shall possess a minimum total of 6 watts of solar panel.

The lights will employ MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) to derive the maximum amount of available power from the solar panels.

2.2 Batteries

All models of the light shall have nominal 4.2 volt battery systems.

The light shall have a minimum battery capacity of 60 Watt-Hours.

The batteries shall be premium valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) absorbed glass mat (AGM). Construction will employ sealed pure lead tin. A minimum vent pressure of 40PSI shall apply.

The batteries shall be replaceable. The manufacturer shall offer complete battery replacement kits and kits containing the required tools to perform the replacement.

On-board Battery status available to users via pushbutton.

The battery manufacturer’s published operating range for the light’s batteries shall be -85 to 176 °F (-65 to 80 °C)

The light’s operation and depth of battery cycling while in autonomous mode shall be designed for a five-year battery life.

2.3 Power

The light shall be capable of drawing power from its self-contained solar panels, its internal lead-acid batteries, or through the 12 volt DC electrical fitting mounted in the base.

The light shall be capable of continuous operation at maximum brightness when drawing power from an external 12-volt DC source.

The hand-held controller shall provide accurate readings of the health of the battery charge state through a wireless signal that interacts with the end users commands. A minimum of 3 different battery states can be flashed or signaled to the end user by the press of individual buttons, found on the controller. Alternatively, the use of the manual push button switch provides a minimum of 3 different battery readings through on board status indicator LEDs.

The light shall have indicator LEDs that provide feedback to the user during programming or status inquiries.

The on board status indicator LEDs shall be fully extinguished in covert IR mode

The light shall be capable of battery replacement using standard battery replacement kit available from the manufacturer.

2.4 Electronics

The light’s control system shall:

  • Optional automatic light control for reducing light intensity outputs in response to low battery charge levels
  • Direct and Float battery charging modes when charging via the solar panels
  • Temperature-compensated battery charging.
  • Low-voltage cut-off to prevent over-discharge of the battery system.
  • MPPT – Maximum Power Point Tracking for matching the optimal solar panel and battery charge operating points.
  • A constant current drive to the output LEDs for consistent brightness during changing battery voltage and consistent chromaticity.
  • Pulse-width modulation of the output LEDs. PWM shall rapidly alternate the LEDs between OFF and their optimal current operating point to permit variable light output while preserving maximum efficiency (lumens per electrical watt).
  • Integrated circuit protection

The light shall maintain an internal datalog that can be retrieved via a simple data connection to the light.

The light and controller shall be capable of receiving firmware upgrades.

3.0 Wireless Specifications

For lights equipped with optional wireless control, the wireless communication system shall be comprised of two key elements; a wireless transmitter in a handheld controller and a wireless receiver within each light.

3.1 Wireless Signal

The light’s antenna shall be detachable.

There shall be no limit to the number of lights the controller can communicate with provided they are within the required range.

The system shall possess the ability to establish a unique pairing between one or more lights and one or more controllers. Only lights and controllers sharing the same pairingshall be interoperable.

It shall possible to configure the airfield such that a third-party’s purchase of a standalone controller does not provide them the ability to control the airfield without authorization.

The system shall be capable of generating, transmitting and removing the pairing code by the Administrator.

The system shall operate in the UHF band at 902-928MHz and utilize frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS). The radio signal used to communicate between the controller and the lights shall be resistant to intentional and unintentional interference.

The system shall be capable of normal operation in the presence of RF noise typical for an airfield.

The wireless system must be FCC and ANATEL certified.

3.2 Hand-Held Wireless Controller

The hand-held wireless controller shall operate using:

ISM 900 MHzunlicensed radio band

Encrypted control signal

50-Channel Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum

The hand-held wireless controller will offer the following features:

  • Rugged Military design
  • Rechargeable internal battery
  • Detachable antenna
  • Immediate and simultaneous on/off control of the airfield
  • Control of individual light groups
  • Intensity selection
  • Dusk-to-Dawn or brighter On-Demand activation
  • Ability to integrate with ARCAL
  • Battery system health check
  • Toggle between visible and infrared light output
  • Toggle between steady-on (fixed) or flashing light output
  • User and Administrator operating mode, with each mode offering non-overlapping sets of control functions.
  • Password protection for User and Administrator mode that must be entered upon power-up of the controller.
  • Illuminated buttons for easy use in dark conditions
  • Data interface for connection to and control by a computer

The controller shall contain a radio modem, microprocessor-based electronics, a keypad and indicator LEDs. The buttons shall be capable of illumination for easy use in dark conditions.

The controller shall support an external serial interface (military style connector) for connecting to an off-the-shelf, stand-alone aviation band VHF receiver to facilitate pilot-controlled lighting operation (ARCAL mode).

The handheld controller shall be designed to meet the environmental requirements of MIL-SPEC-810.

The lights can be controlled in up to 8 user-defined groups.

The lights can be programmed for fixed (steady on) or flashing (0.25 seconds ON 0.75 seconds OFF)

Groups can be easily reconfigured wirelessly without the need to disassemble the light.

The system shall allow the individual setting the airfield to add and remove lights from logical groupings and to address and control individual groupings as required. When the button is pressed on the light, it shall accept a control signal assigning the specific group identifier. The network controller shall have a number of buttons for selecting the control domain marked ‘Network’, ‘Group1’, ‘Group2’, ‘Group3’ and ‘Group4’, etc

The controller shall have additional features including but not limited to password-controlled access, button lockout toggle, factory reset, and emergency state to flash all lights at high intensity.

Each light shall be equipped with a push-button switch for manual control of the lighting functions and access to battery diagnostics.

3.2 WirelessControlRange

The system shall be capable of reliable wireless control up to a 4kilometers (2.5 miles)line-of-sight distance between the controller and any light.

4.0 Environmental Specifications

The system shall be able to consistently withstand and operate at the optimal temperature range of -30°C to +50°C (-22°F to +122°F). The system shall also be able to operate for limited durations at maximum temperature extremes of -40 to 176 ºF (-40 to 80 ºC).

Wind & Ice Loading: 400 mph (179 m/s) wind; 0.03 psi (22 kg/m2) ice

Shock & Vibration: MIL-STD-202G and MIL-STD-810G

Ingress:EN 60529 IP 67 immersion (NEMA 6)

MIL-STD-202G immersion & damp heat cycling

MIL-STD-810G rain & salt fog

5.0 Quality Assurance

Excluding the batteries, the system, including solar panels, LEDs, optics, electronics, mechanicals and associated components, shall be guaranteed for a minimum of three years. The batteries shall be guaranteed for 1 year.

The manufacturer shall be ISO 9001:2008 certified.

6.0 Turn-Key Operation

The lights shall be ready for installation upon delivery. Assembly consists only of threading the antenna onto the light, activating the light through a single button-press on the light, and attaching to the mounting accessories.

7.0 Simulation Tools

Vendor must provide full-featured solar simulation tools for the lights to allow accurate country-wide visual simulation mapping of light performance versus intensity settings, usage, autonomy requirements, depth of battery discharge and all other common parameters of solar simulation.

1of 9