DESCRIPTION

This invention refers to a method and to a device for the implementation of said method, to spread homogeneously a radiative spectrum in substrates (solid, liquid and gaseous), saturating volumes in a pervasive and distributed way, with one or two inlet points, fitted to ensure constancy of diffusion, said two inlet points being able to be supplied simultaneously or in following times.

The power can be supplied using natural and/or artificial sources.

It is strongly felt the need to have systems for the uniform diffusion of light sources, in several industrial and residential processes, also functional to produce high safety conditions. Existing technologies employ various types of modules using plates of consolidated type in lighting technology, according to various geometries, to encourage reflection and dispersion of the light beams from punctiform sources (incandescent, fluorescent, LEDs, ...). The most widespread solution consists in a pervasive distribution of lighting fixtures, connected by a suitable and expensive electrical system, that often must be designed to operate at low voltage (for safety reasons), losing the necessary sections (on the same operating power). Panels in coloured materials with characteristics of dispersion/distribution complete the lighting installations, with any informative and/or advertising messages. In some industrial and/or agronomic processes, the illumination favours peculiar processes of growth and improve the productivity, supporting the processes of photosynthesis needed (Visible and IR) or that have to be stopped (by UV). These issues relate to various sectors including anaerobic digestion, the algal crops, the antibacterial treatments in different biological processes in purification plants or in general in the industry.

They are not even known devices fitted to illuminate, from different sources (natural and/or artificial) and integrated between them or to saturate volumes in a pervasive and distributed way.

In summary, at present, it is not possible to distribute, in pervasive and distributed mode, an electromagnetic source in a medium substantially opaque to said electromagnetic radiation.

In particular it is not possible with a single device, enlighten and spread from different sources, natural and/or artificial complementary to each other in the time and in the type of radiation spectrum.

The purpose of this invention is to propose a method and a device for the implementation of said method, respectively conform to claims 1 and 2, to spread homogeneously a radiative spectrum, with pervasive and distributed mode fitted to saturate a volume even if large.

The method is characterized by the fact to use one or more side emitting optical fibers submerged in said solids, liquids, vapours or gaseous mediums, said one or more optical fibers being arranged in such a way that a signal constituted by said radiative spectrum, which is introduced into said one or more optical fibers, is distributed in a substantially uniform manner in said solids, liquids, vapours or gaseus mediums.

The device is characterized in that it comprises one or more side emitting optical fibers, each one of said optical fibers comprising two parallel branches, of outward and of return located close together, said parallel branches being enclosed in a sandwich made with a pair of sheets transparent to the radiative spectrum of interest, said one or more optical fibers being provided with at least one inlet through which a signal is inserted, said signal spreading in said solids, liquids, vapours or gaseus mediums through the lateral emission of said one or more optical fibers.

Other characteristics, such as for example the possibility to organize the fiber in stretches of differentiated emission for the composition of the spectrum, will be the subject of the dependent claims.

The use of a device according to the invention allows, for example, to spray in any volume in a pervasive and distributed mode, a radiative spectrum for the development or the correction of processes (e.g. crops vegetable and not, land or sea, or industrial processes).

The pervasive and distributed mode is achieved thanks to the possibility to prepare the optical fiber of the device, inside the volume occupied by said solids, liquids, vapours or gaseus mediums, then to distribute anywhere the radiative spectrum of interest, with density at will and compatible with the levels of transparency of said solids, liquids, vapours or gaseus mediums with reference to the radiative spectrum of interest.

The invention will now be described for illustrative and not limitative purpose, according to a preferred embodiment and with reference to figures 1 (a, b) enclosed, that show two possible realizations of the device according to the invention.

With reference to figures 1 (a, b), with (A) and (B) are indicated two possible realizations of the device according to the invention. In particular the device (A) includes an optical fiber (1), with two terminals (2) and (3), arranged according to two parallel straight lines. The optical fiber (1) includes two parallel branches, outward (1a) and return (1b) located close together, enclosed in a sandwich (4) formed with a pair of sheets transparent to the radiative spectrum of interest.

The optical fiber (1) is of the type side emitting, so a first signal (F1), suitably dosed that enters from the first terminal, for example the terminal (2), is laterally dispersed until the signal is exhausted in proximity of the second terminal (3). Both the intensity of the signal, both the lateral emission, decrease progressively starting from the first terminal (2). However the geometry of the optical fiber (1) is such that in each section (S1,S2,S3), remains constant the sum of emissions the outward branch (1a) and of the return branch (1b).

In order not to disperse the first signal (F1) in useless zones, the stretches (2a) and (3a) of the optical fiber (1 ) are of the point-to-point type.

The optical fiber (1) can be supplied with a second signal (F2) also from the second terminal (3), said second signal (F2) can be provided at the same time or at different times with respect to said first signal (F1).

The device (A) is suitable to diffuse uniformly a signal (F) along a strip, that is along a surface having a predominant dimension.

In the case of surfaces with dimensions of the same order of magnitude, the device according to the invention assumes the shape indicated with (B), in which a fiber (10) having a outward branch (10a) and a return branch (10b), enclosed in a sandwich (4a), of sheets transparent to the radiative spectrum of interest, has a course such as to uniformly cover the surface to be irradiated on both faces of said sandwich (4a), for example a spiral course circular or elliptical or polygonal.

Also the optical fiber (10) of the device (B) can be supplied by a second signal (F2) also from the second terminal (3), said second signal (F2) can be provided at the same time or at different times with respect to said first signal (F1).

Said first and said second signal (F1) and (F2) can have the same spectrum of frequencies or different spectra. Furthermore they can come from a natural source and/or artificial.

In function of the composition and the input mode of the signals (F1) and (F2), the devices (A) and (B) according to the invention have different applications.

The first signal (F1) composed of a mix of frequencies which are useful to the development of vegetables (for example red and blue light obtained from natural sources) and the second signal (F2), equal to the first signal (F1), but artificially obtained. The second signal (F2), with suitable intensity, can be introduced simultaneously or at different times to complement the first signal (F1), if it is not enough, or to replace if it is absent.

The first signal (F1), consisting of a mix of frequencies which are useful to the development of vegetables, and the second signal (F2), to contrast the development of bacteria and/or virus. In this case both signals can advantageously be obtained from artificial sources, in order to be able to be supplied and measured out also during the night hours.

According to a preferred embodiment, the lateral emission capacity of the optical fibers (1 , 10) is not constant along the fibers themselves. In this way the lateral emission can be measured out according to specific needs.

Since the devices (A) and (B) radiate also outside their plane, identified by sandwich (4) and (4a), they are suitable to saturate the volumes. In particular this can be achieved, for example, by shaping said devices (A) and (B) following circular, elliptical or polygonal courses, or by arranging in parallel, with an appropriate distance, a plurality of said devices (A) and/or (B). Obviously they can be combined one each other, both the shaping of a single device (A) and/or (B), and the use of multiple devices (A) and/or (B).

The invention finds application in various sectors:

• algal crops, in which it is needed a radiative spectrum which favours the development of vegetables (marine or terrestrial), in greenhouses or spaces of culture such as hydroponic and aeroponic cultivation;

• anaerobic digestion processes where it is needed the contrast to specific products (e.g. hydrogen sulphide) implementing the production of carbohydrates that have to be converged in the production of biofuels;

• correction and contrast to biochemical beings and chemical agents in general, by means of suitable spectra (for example with infrared or ultraviolet);

• carrying a specific radiative spectrum in solids, liquids, vapours or gaseus in a pervasive and distributed way at depths not otherwise achievable;

β carrying a radiative spectrum, in a uniform manner in operational environments, residential and non;

the invention allows diffusion actions, during 24 hours, allowing uniformity, integration in time and in quality, in particular, when they are used natural sources (using processes supported by sun and wind) on one side, allows to preserve the propagation by artificial feeding modulated on the complementary side.

The invention has been described for illustrative and not limitative purposes, according to some preferred embodiments. The person skilled in the art could find many other embodiments, all included within the scope of protection of the enclosed claims.