Carrying out Basic Scientific and Applied Research and Development Works

Military and space lighting technology

Over the period of more than 30 years the Institute has been designing and producing the signaling lighting, internal and external lighting devices for manned spacecraft and orbital space stations (“Soyuz”, “Mir”, ISS projects). These lighting devices were created under commissions from the enterprises of ROSCOSMOS – the Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation: S.P. Korolev Rocket And Space Corporation «Energia», Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, the Progress State Research and Production Space Centre (TsSKB-Progress).

In cooperation with the Russian Federation State Scienfic Center - Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMBP RAS) VNISI has been conducting theoretical and experimental research from 2003 onwards. This research is aimed at optimizing the luminous environment of the living modules of the space stations and manned spacecraft.

Since 2006 VNISI has been engaged in the international earth-based experiment that imitates a flight and landing to Mars. In particular, in the framework of the design and experimental “Perspective” project the Institute designed, developed and produced the lighting fixtures for the equipment of the earth-based experimental complex facilities. In years 2008-2011 within the “MARS-500” program VNISI organized a research project to study the influence of the artificially created luminous environment of the manned spacecraft on the psychophysiological state, mental and physical work capacity of the crew members.

Military Lighting Technology

Military lighting engineering is a crucial factor for combat readiness of the weapons and the military hardware. Therefore, the military lighting technology holds a specific place in the Institute’s task structure. At various time periods the Institute had performed research, design and development works, aimed at inventing new methods of lighting and designing advanced military lighting unit prototypes for the facilities related to weapons and the military hardware.

In years 1994-95 experimental research was conducted to improve efficiency for the signaling lights by correlation signal detection mode. Irradiating devices prototypes were designed, produced, analyzed and tested to provide biological protection of the personnel. In years 1996 – 1999 experimental and settlement-theoretical researches were carried out in order to develop new methods of lighting, and for illumination and irradiation devices and systems, utilizing high-performance luminous sources, creation. During that period the Institute also analyzed the current status and development trends of the light sources and lighting fixtures for the sphere of weapons and military hardware. In years 2000 – 2001 experimental lighting fixture prototypes were researched, designed and tested. These prototypes included directional devices, utilizing electrodeless high-frequency lamps.

In years 2005 – 2007 according to the 2006 State defense order the Institute accomplished the research project on “Researching and developing the system for providing a clear view of the traffic and tactical situation during covert Military Automotive Supply night march”. The objective of this research project was to construct a scientific basis for elaborating a system, providing visibility to evaluate traffic and tactical situation for the military automotive supplies in combat.

The results of this research project are employed as a technology advance while initiating development activity on designing the new generation of illumination devices and signaling lamps for military automotive supplies.

In years 2005 – 2011, in accordance with the state defense order on state contracts with the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense VNISI had to undertake a mission of constructing illumination devices of the outdoor and indoor lighting for immovable and movable objects belonging to weapons and military hardware, aircraft and automotive headlamps, black-out devices and other equipment.

In 2005 VNISI completed the design and development project on “Constructing outdoor lighting equipment for the military objects with modern gas-discharge based light sources”.

In 2006 the Institute conducted a development project “Furlong” that resulted in designing the next generation headlights, utilizing halogen and gas-discharge lamps and high-output LEDs for military objects and facilities.

In 2008 the experimental development work “Designing highly unified lighting installations based upon low-voltage energy-efficient fluorescent, halogen lamps and LEDs” was accomplished. The main objective for this work is the elaboration of basic form factors for the lighting equipment (luminaires) of a VP (military production) quality class for the mobile command vehicles, infantry combat vehicles, box-bodied vehicles, and armoured vehicles, based upon the modern light sources.

In the year of 2010 the design and construction work “Developing a standard frame for lighting equipment, utilizing high-output halogen and gas-discharge lamps” has been accomplished. As a result of that work special lighting equipment was designed. It includes luminaires and projectors (floodlights) for indoor and outdoor lighting for utilities and infrastructure of the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense.

Programs under the President of the Russian Federation VNISI conducted a design and development Light Sources, Lighting Equipment And and Irradiation Devices.

In the course of several decades VNISI traditionally has carried out a complex of works on irradiation technology and discharge luminous sources. More than 70 percent of the Russian printing industry sector, furniture industry, irradiation installations for preventive erythemaerythematic irradiation and others were equipped with the light sources and irradiators, designed by VNISI.

In particular, series of discharge lamps and HID lamps were designed and elaborately researched. High quality and performance of lighting technology performancecharacteristics for these lamps was achieved.

In the course of the last decade the Institute started a series of systematic investigations into the application of advanced light sources, such as LEDs. The research of luminous, thermal, electrotechnical, and also technical and economical performance characteristics for the domestically manufactured and imported LEDs, conducted during the years 2005-2011, allowed to estimate the perspectives for this area of lighting engineering and to work out a series of fundamentals for new regulatory documents, to lay a foundation for constructing lighting and irradiation devices, based upon LEDs, and to design such devices.

To name a few examples of the recent years design works we may refer to the adjustable LED-based lighting installations for footbridges and underpasses, developing energy-efficient systems of lighting for the public spaces of multi-family housing.

Lighting Technology For Agriculture

VNISI traditionally performs a set of illumination engineering activities for agriculture. This set includes UV and IR irradiation for the farm livestock, developing illumination for agricultural facilities and plants in greenhouses.

The works on greenhouses illumination currently pursued are being regarded as a crucial element in putting into practice the Federal programme “Supporting protected horticulture in Russian Federation for 2012 -2014 and up to 2020” and providing national food supply security. The federal programme sets out the priorities for upgrading the greenhouse cropping industry, building a large number of greenhouse centers, widely introducing up-to-date illumination systems for greenhouses, based upon the plants’ intense exposure to light.

VNISI’s practice in developing illumination systems for greenhouse plants is based upon a substantive applied research background, that was formed upon a at the series of investigations carried out independently and in cooperation with Institute of Biophysics of the Siberian Branch of the RAS, and at the great number of published papers and inventions including those that gained worldwide recognition. For instance the outcome of our research is cited at length in several catalogues of foreign lighting engineering companies, which specialize in the field of plants illumination.

Currently due to the expansion of plants’ intensive photoculture the Institute performs analytical and experimental research aimed at optimizing the radiant field for the biocenoses (biotic communities) of varied architectonics. The arch findings research findings are presented at various conferences and seminars, published in trade journals, and, are, of course, employed in elaborating new lighting fixtures for greenhouses.