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This page Shown at Lightfair, though still at the prototype stage, NN Crystal’s Qshift Lucid module – a clear glass domed enclosure containing a clear liquid – transforms blue or violet light into a warm white colour
Opposite The Qshift Coral has already been incorporated into Renaissance Lighting’s Solia range of downlight, presented at this year’s Lightfair
comparison with three industry leading LED downlights, Renaissance Lighting’s Solia downlight scored highest on delivered light levels and efficacy. The design of the Renaisisance Solia down- light with its mixing chamber and indirect light path was an ideal test bed for the ad- dition of the NN Crystal nanotechnology as there was already space for the Qshift Coral to be accommodated.
Qshift Lucid is the next stage in the devel- opment of quantum dots and is a unique patented technology that does not use heavy metals and provides a high perfor- mance and neutral coloured alternative to existing rare-earth phosphor materials. This is still at the prototype stage and the aim is to launch products incorporating this technology in time for Lightfair 2011. The Qshift Lucid modules shown at Lightfair are somewhat like a traditional snow scene paperweight – a clear glass domed enclosure containing a clear liquid – the magic is that when blue or violet light is directed through the liquid the light that comes out is trans-
formed into a warm white colour. Apparently the most efficient wavelength for LED’s to produce is purple light at 405nm nanometers. This is the same colour light used in the GE Vio LEDs with their remote phosphor dome. This wavelength is also understood to be the most stable during the life of the LED and thus make the ideal starting point for a high efficiency LED lighting system.
It is difficult to make any predictions how this approach to converting purple LED light into white light will develop over the next few years since it is at an early stage and production costs are based on low volumes . I presume that the phosphor manufacturers are hard at work improving their materi- als and since these are based on the well established phosphors used in fluorescent lamps so the high volume, low cost produc- tion facilities already exist and the materi- als are relatively cheap. However the inclu- sion of heavy metals including cadmium and mercury in the phosphors used in white LEDs is a concern and undermines some
of the green credentials that LED lighting claims for itself.
There may also be design issues with the use of liquid nano particles that need to be overcome – the module fits nicely into the Renaisance downlights with a 4 inch cone reflector but would it work as well in a 50 mm diameter size downlight and how effectively can it be incorporated into an adjustable spotlight design?
It is exciting that LED lighting is still in such a fast developing phase and the efficiency and quality of light is improving so quickly. Whether quantum dots will play a major role in the next stage of development of LED lighting is yet to be decided but NN Crystal are certainly working hard to ensure that the future looks rather dotty.
© David Morgan Associates 2010. David Morgan runs David Morgan Associates, a London-based international design consultancy specialising in luminaire design and development.
Email:
david@dmadesign.co.uk Web:
www.dmadesign.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)20 8340 4009 The views expressed in this article are entirely those of David Morgan and not necessarily those of mondo*arc.
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