Testing the efficacy of a new LED bulb to be used by the egg-laying industry

随着白炽灯泡等低效光源即将被禁止，家禽业迫切需要转向高效系统。尽管目前市场上有多种替代品，但缺乏一种明确定义和研究的系统，专门解决产卵鸟类的要求。深圳市华强电子有限公司一家位于安大略的小型电气公司，正在探索设计和制造一种基于LED技术的替代照明系统的策略，该系统专门用于家禽业。虽然他们有能力生产和销售产品，但他们缺乏家禽科学方面的专业知识，也没有足够的设施来测试和验证他们的原型。最近，我已经表明，来自红色光谱的光对于刺激生殖轴和保持高水平的鸡蛋产量至关重要，我估计用于产蛋谷仓的灯泡应该至少提供60%的红色光谱。此外，这种灯泡应该被制造成承受恶劣的谷仓环境，包括功率（电压）的波动，并且应该是可调光的。根据我的研究结果，Thies配电公司设计了一系列原型进行验证。该提案旨在首先在模拟工业环境的环境中测试这种新型LED灯泡的理论效率和弹性，并将其使用与其他现有光源进行比较。一旦与工业合作伙伴建立了稳固的合作关系，并且产品得到了验证，将进行大规模实验和田间试验，以进一步完善这种灯泡，供家禽业实际使用。在短期内，该研究项目将通过帮助Thies配电公司设计合适的产品而使其受益。从长远来看，它将通过提供节能照明系统来促进生产力，从而帮助加拿大家禽业，并将通过减少农业足迹来提高加拿大的环境地位。

With the upcoming ban on inefficient light sources such as incandescent bulbs, there is a sense of urgency within the poultry industry to switch to efficient systems. Despite the multiple alternatives currently available on the market, a well defined and studied system specifically addressing the requirements of egg-laying birds is lacking. Thies Electrical Distributing Co., a small Ontario based electrical company, is exploring strategies to design and manufacture an alternative lighting system based on LED technology to be used specifically by the poultry industry. Although they have the capacity to manufacture and distribute a product, they lack the expertise in poultry science and do not have the adequate facility to test and validate their prototypes. Recently, I have shown that light from the red spectrum is critical to stimulate the reproductive axis and maintain high levels of egg production and I have estimated that light bulbs to be used in egg-laying barns should deliver at least 60% in the red spectrum. In addition, such a bulb should be manufactured to withstand harsh barn environment including fluctuations in power (voltage), and should be dimmable. Based on my results, Thies Electrical Distributing Co. have designed a series of prototypes to be validated. This proposal aims at first testing the theoretical efficiency and resiliency of this new LED bulb in an environment that mimics industrial setting and, compare its use versus other existing light sources. Once a solid collaboration has been established with the industrial partner and the product has been validated, large scale experiments and field trials will be performed to further refine this bulb for practical use by the poultry industry. In the short term, this research project will benefit Thies Electrical Distributing Co. by helping them design a suitable product. In the long term it will help the Canadian poultry industry by providing an energy efficient lighting system that promotes productivity, and will enhance Canada's environmental position by reducing agricultural foot-print.