Oil Rig Lighting

Go here, or some other rig light seller/installer.

Rig Lighting | Offshore - Land-Based - Rig Drilling Lighting | Rig-A-L
This can't be a unique problem.

thank you, Lyn.

The rig was originally fitted with Rig-a-lite fixtures, mostly 1000 watts mercury vapor. We had to removed them in location where the temperature rating was critical, where else we replaced them with three 400 watts. We tough that was going to be a solution but still not...enough or too much i don't know.

Them came the LED fixtures than we are installing all over the places, because they are small and not greegy at all. But still the same problem and even worst now the complains are about bad vision and dazzling.

Any way Thank you

The first thing is to determine what work or activity takes place in each area, knowing this, then you can determine amount of lumens required in each location, what safety requirements, explosion proof, wire covered....Then survey available mounting locations, taking into consideration height of available lighting locations you can then determine wattage required..For instance a 400w HPS mounted at 20' will provide more lumens per square foot at 15'...The link provides a graph for luminosity required...

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/light-level-rooms-d_708.html

http://www.atslighting.com/light.html

Would go full spectrum if possible where ever you can...

http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/NLPIP/lightingAnswers/fullSpectrum/abstract.asp

I've worked in specialized lighting for much of my career, including lighting in extreme environments, though nothing like oil rig lighting. So, I may be wasting your time, but here is how I see it (no pun intended):

There are generally two types of lighting, 1) diffuse lighting from a large diffuse lamp or from a diffuse reflective surface lit by a lamp, and 2) spot lighting from a single lamp or from various but separate lamps. Both kinds of lighting are usually needed, the spot lighting for a specific task area and broad area diffuse lighting. Spot lighting is brighter at the work surface but can cause bright glare spots and can be blocked by the worker or by equipment. Diffuse lighting is usually not as bright at the work surface, but it helps eliminate shadows and lights up the area around the task to help with perspective and depth perception.

In most cases, like for indoor lighting, diffuse lighting is created by putting a diffuser in front of a lamp. In a severe environment like yours, you would probably want to bounce the light off a matte white painted metal surface mounted above the workers.

Also, night vision is ruined by the blue and green components of white lighting, so you want to use warm white lighting or (even better) amber lighting outdoors as well as in the indoor areas adjacent to the outside work areas. (It does not have to be pure red as some people think.) You might even have the workers wear amber 'sunglasses' indoors at night before they go outside to help them quickly adjust to the dark.

Thank for your reply, you are bringing exactly what i am looking for... What is affecting the night vision, how it works? No disrespect on all the other ideas, but the worst location is close to the hazardous area zone and HPS lights are to hot...So what kind of light will give the proper colour or warnt, or is a diffuser (tinted glass maybe)?

Any way I have to go for now, but this is very interesting. I will think about it.

Thanks' a lot

Hmm, interesting wrinkle. Fluorescents and LEDs are relatively cool; incandescents, halogen, and HPS (high pressure sodium) are relatively hot. However, oversized fixture design could reduce all of the exposed surface temperatures.

Great Info

Usbport is dead on with the explanation. In the painting industry such as I work in, we run into light color issues all of the time. Need to know the color spectrum your working with and then what you need to work with before hanging any type of lights. Or, like looking at paint chips in the store and when you get them it sure will look different due to lights or lighting colors.

Good Luck with the lighting.

Thank you for the very interesting explanation of lighting/ vision theorical. By the way sorry for the late reply, i did not think about that during my time off.

Any way, i knew or felt that a warmer light is easier on the eyes, but i'm facing to major problem. 1- The company colour is dark grey, like they seem to be all dark and dirty grey and that won't change. Secondo, my relief and co-workers have a H... on the new LED light (appently maintenance free, and they are so far).

That been said, i feel like loosing my time and unfortunatly your, in trying to find a sensible and economical solution. All they want, is looking at the electrician installing light. The good thing about this in our besiness, is that they have more money than common sense.

Thank's again.

I would do what crab boats engaged in night fishing do: 1000-Watt sodium vapor lights. A typical setup for a large crab boat would be five on the foremast, spread out over maybe a 120° angle. An oil rig would surely use more, aimed toward the areas needing lighting the most.

The U.S. Navy uses red lighting when conducting top side operations at night, such as replenishment at sea and carrier ops. When doing so, care must be taken to not introduce white lighting which would destroy night vision. Once your night vision is established, most routine work can be conducted in the lower level red light without problem. I don't know if it could be used on oil rigs. It would mean eliminating white light for red lighting.