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Lighting that is closest to the output of the sun

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GBulldogs

Electrical
Aug 26, 2008
4
I would like to build a small machine that will test
a paver. I would like to place a light bulb above a paving
stone to simulate the sun. I am doing this with 2 thermocouples to measure the temperature that is being absorbed or reflected. My question is, what type of light
would best match the output of the sun ,in August,on a pavement,in lumans, temperature,etc. and what distance away.
I never recorded the temperature on the pavement in the
heat of the summer. It is a little hard to get in Feb.
Has anybody recorded the temperature on pavement during the
summer?

Thanks ,any help is greatly appreciated .
 
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I have recorded asphalt temps for racing purposes and they can get up to 50-60 degC (and probably even hotter) in the California summer sun. Pavement can get hot enough to burn skin which is about 60 degC.

You can get incident radiant light energy values for any location on some solar cell manufacturer's websites. Google around a bit to find those.
 
There are lots of solar simulators. But, the question is what exactly are you testing for? Light effects or heat effects or both? Each requires a different test condition.

TTFN

FAQ731-376
 
Both,to tell you the truth. We would like to see how
much light is reflected and also how much heat is absorbed
by the paver.
The reason is that some environmentalists are concerned
about the heat island effect in some cities and business
parks.

Thanks for your help,
 
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