Computer simulation study of a horizontal light pipe integrated with laser cut panels in a dense urban environment

Abstract

A computer simulation study on the daylighting performance of a horizontal light pipe system integrated with laser cut panels at the entrance and output apertures was performed for two identical test rooms with different degree of obstructions in a dense urban environment under the CIE clear sky condition. It is observed that by properly varying the separation-to-thickness ratio and the aperture tilt angle of the laser cut panel at the entrance aperture, the illumination beneath the pipe emitter can be enhanced. It is concluded that due to the obstructed environment, the horizontal light pipe should aim at capturing light from high altitude sky and sun. An optimal set of STR and ATA values for the LCP at the entrance aperture of 0.5 and 35° respectively is found to be effective for both high and low floors in buildings within a dense urban context.