A thermal model of a fiber optic bundle for a hybrid solar lighting system

Hybrid solar lighting (HSL) systems distribute natural sunlight to luminaires located in office or retail buildings in order to reduce energy consumption associated with conventional lighting systems. HSL systems reduce energy consumption directly by reducing the lighting energy and indirectly by reducing the associated cooling loads. A key component of the HSL system is the fiber optic bundle (YOB) that transmits the light from the collector to the luminaire. The observed thermal failure of the FOB when exposed to concentrated sunlight has motivated the development of a thermal model of this component. This paper describes the development of a predictive thermal model of the heat transfer in an FOB for an HSL system. The model is verified experimentally against temperature measurements obtained in the lab under controlled conditions and provides a powerful design toot that can be used to evaluate alternative thermal management strategies.