Development of a Light Duct Using Relay Lenses and Diffusers
Abstract
1. Introduction
1.1. Concept of Light Ducts and Literature Review
1.2. Concept and Structure of a Relay Lens
1.3. Indoor Illuminance Criteria for Improving Indoor Light Environments
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Proposed Light Duct Technology
2.2. Environment Setup and Performance Evaluation Methods
3. Performance Evaluation Results and Discussion
3.1. Performance Evaluation Results
3.2. Discussion
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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| Ref. | Purpose of Research | Performance Evaluation Method | Technology Applied to the Transmission Part | Technology Applied to the Diffusion Part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [24] | Optical optimization of the diffusion part and evaluation of illuminance and visual comfort | Simulation | Duct | Diffusion cover |
| [35] | Development and performance evaluation of a lighting system linked with light ducts for energy reduction | Prototype experiment | Duct | Diffusion cover |
| [36] | Evaluation of the experimental optical performance and efficiency characteristics of light ducts | Feld experiment | Duct | Diffusion cover |
| [37] | Development of light duct technology and performance evaluation for energy reduction | Simulation and prototype experiment | Duct | Diffusion cover |
| [38] | Optimization of the collection part to eliminate the oversaturation phenomenon in light ducts | Prototype experiment | Duct | Diffusion cover |
| [39] | Evaluation of energy reduction in optical waveguides through curvature optimization | Simulation | Duct | Diffusion cover |
| [40] | Evaluation of the daylighting performance when using different combinations of the collection part and diffusion cover | Simulation | Duct | Diffusion cover |
| [41] | Development and performance optimization of light duct technology for tropical-climate offices | Simulation | Duct | Diffusion cover |
| [42] | Optimizing the collection part for evaluating light duct efficiency | Simulation | Duct | Diffusion cover |
| [43] | Design and performance evaluation of an indoor natural light transmission system based on a linear Fresnel lens | Simulation | Duct | Diffusion cover |
| [44] | Development of light duct technology and evaluation of the daylighting performance | Simulation | Optical fiber | Diffusion cover |
| [45] | Design and performance evaluation of a freeform lens-based optical fiber daylight transmission system | Simulation | Optical fiber | Diffusion cover |
| [46] | Evaluation of illuminance uniformity performance of a Fresnel lens-based optical fiber daylight system | Simulation | Optical fiber | Diffusion cover |
| Case | Collection Part | Transmission Part | Diffusion Part | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Transmission Distance (m) | |||
| 1 (Existing systems) | Aspherical mirror | POFs (diameter: 5 mm) | 20 | Diffusion cover |
| 2 (Proposed Technology) | Aspherical mirror | 19 relay lenses (including 2 refraction units) | 20 | Double reflection |
| 3 (Proposed Technology) | Aspherical mirror | 19 relay lenses (including 2 refraction units) | 30 | Double reflection |
| Season | Hours | Average Outdoor Illuminance (lx) | Average Cloud Cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer (11 June 2024) | 10:00–11:00 | 75,121 | 4.1 |
| 11:00–12:00 | 97,357 | ||
| 12:00–13:00 | 117,379 | ||
| 13:00–14:00 | 112,421 | ||
| 14:00–15:00 | 106,232 | ||
| Winter (13 December 2024) | 10:00–11:00 | 27,645 | 4.3 |
| 11:00–12:00 | 32,682 | ||
| 12:00–13:00 | 45,667 | ||
| 13:00–14:00 | 41,379 | ||
| 14:00–15:00 | 28,345 |
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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Han, S.; Lee, M.; Han, T.; Seo, J.; Lee, H. Development of a Light Duct Using Relay Lenses and Diffusers. Buildings 2025, 15, 4340. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15234340
Han S, Lee M, Han T, Seo J, Lee H. Development of a Light Duct Using Relay Lenses and Diffusers. Buildings. 2025; 15(23):4340. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15234340
Chicago/Turabian StyleHan, Sowon, Mingoo Lee, Taegon Han, Janghoo Seo, and Heangwoo Lee. 2025. "Development of a Light Duct Using Relay Lenses and Diffusers" Buildings 15, no. 23: 4340. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15234340
APA StyleHan, S., Lee, M., Han, T., Seo, J., & Lee, H. (2025). Development of a Light Duct Using Relay Lenses and Diffusers. Buildings, 15(23), 4340. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15234340

