Radioluminescent (RL) airfield lighting system program

Technical Report · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6558379· OSTI ID:6558379

Tompkins, J A ^[1]; Haff, K W; Schultz, F J ^[2]

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1. Westinghouse Electric Corp., Las Vegas, NV (USA)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

In 1980, the US Air Force Engineering and Services Center (AFESC) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, requested that the Radioisotope Technology Group of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) develop large-scale, tritium-powered, radioluminescent (RL) airfield lighting systems. The RL lighting systems possess the advantages of being portable, requiring no electrical power source, having a long shelf life, and being unaffected by environmental extremes. These characteristics make the RL system well-suited for harsh environments where the cost of electrical power production is high and traditional incandescent airfield lighting systems are difficult to maintain. RL lighting is typically a large-surface-area, low-intensity light source that operates 100% of the time. The RL light sources gradually decrease in brightness over time, so periodic replacement (every 6 to 8 years) is necessary. RL lighting functions best in low ambient light, which provides the high contrast ratios necessary for successful use of these devices. 12 figs., 8 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/NE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6558379
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-11503; ON: DE91001007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
070500 -- Isotope & Radiation Source Technology-- Health & Safety-- (1990-)
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
440800* -- Miscellaneous Instrumentation-- (1990-)
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450000 -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
AIRCRAFT
AIRPORTS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIDS
BRIGHTNESS
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
CONTROL
DOCUMENT TYPES
DOSES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EVALUATION
FIELD TESTS
HAZARDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LIGHTING SYSTEMS
LUMINESCENCE
MANUFACTURING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PROCUREMENT
PROGRESS REPORT
QUALITY CONTROL
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLUMINESCENCE
RURAL AREAS
SPECIFICATIONS
TESTING
TRITIUM
US DOD
US ORGANIZATIONS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES