jeudi 17 septembre 2015
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A Auto Headlamp Primer
Do you pay more attention to your front lights than the average driver? The history and technology beneath them is interesting. Knowing how your car headlights work is helpful for maintaining them and crash-avoidance purposes.
In the beginning
More than a century ago, vehicle headlights were fueled by either kerosene or acetylene. They were changed with new small electric bulbs. They were in a reflector/lens casing to make it bright. As old bulbs suffered from insufficient insulation, corrosion was common and would quickly dim the lights. Another problem with these lights -before the corrosion took its toll - was their intensity resembled constant high beams that blinded oncoming traffic, so the U.S. government made them illegal in 1941.
Sealed-beam lights go high and low
Standard household light bulbs seemed to be similar to Tungsten filament bulbs. High- and low-beam switches started to appear by the 1920s. Brightness and overall beam control were inconsistent, which isn't surprising, considering the bulbs were cheaply made. By 1973, sealed-beam lights were swapped out by quartz-iodine technology.
What happened next?
Quartz-Iodine (QI) is the standard headlight technology in use today. The bulb is pretty much tiny. It is better protected too with the sealing materials we have today. Quartz glass can stand higher temperatures, so the filament can burn hotter, producing brighter light. When QI bulbs require replacement, the headlights don't have to be re-aimed, thanks to precise design of modern filaments.
Now HD bulbs are available
High-intensity-discharge bulbs (HIDs) ditch the tungsten filament in exchange for a high-voltage arc that resembles a miniature lightning run. While a high original current is needed to turn the bulb on, once an HID is up and running it needs less energy than a standard QI lamp. It could be hard to have high-beams on HIDs because they take a minute to get there, although the beam is much crisper. For this reason, some modify HID arrays with QI bulbs for the high beams, but this can be prohibitively costly.
Very bright LED bulbs
Taillights already use LED (light-emitting diode) lights, but they are not standard for headlights yet. According to Popular Mechanics, only the Audi A8 has them standard today. LEDs light up very easily which allows people to see further distances with the bright and power efficient LED light.
If you don't own an Audi A8 and want to experience LED front lights now, there are DIY possibilities available, for instance the one described at the Instructables site. Turn signal switches are not compatible though since LEDs use so little power. To be able to get the right current going, you will need to switch them out.
In the beginning
More than a century ago, vehicle headlights were fueled by either kerosene or acetylene. They were changed with new small electric bulbs. They were in a reflector/lens casing to make it bright. As old bulbs suffered from insufficient insulation, corrosion was common and would quickly dim the lights. Another problem with these lights -before the corrosion took its toll - was their intensity resembled constant high beams that blinded oncoming traffic, so the U.S. government made them illegal in 1941.
Sealed-beam lights go high and low
Standard household light bulbs seemed to be similar to Tungsten filament bulbs. High- and low-beam switches started to appear by the 1920s. Brightness and overall beam control were inconsistent, which isn't surprising, considering the bulbs were cheaply made. By 1973, sealed-beam lights were swapped out by quartz-iodine technology.
What happened next?
Quartz-Iodine (QI) is the standard headlight technology in use today. The bulb is pretty much tiny. It is better protected too with the sealing materials we have today. Quartz glass can stand higher temperatures, so the filament can burn hotter, producing brighter light. When QI bulbs require replacement, the headlights don't have to be re-aimed, thanks to precise design of modern filaments.
Now HD bulbs are available
High-intensity-discharge bulbs (HIDs) ditch the tungsten filament in exchange for a high-voltage arc that resembles a miniature lightning run. While a high original current is needed to turn the bulb on, once an HID is up and running it needs less energy than a standard QI lamp. It could be hard to have high-beams on HIDs because they take a minute to get there, although the beam is much crisper. For this reason, some modify HID arrays with QI bulbs for the high beams, but this can be prohibitively costly.
Very bright LED bulbs
Taillights already use LED (light-emitting diode) lights, but they are not standard for headlights yet. According to Popular Mechanics, only the Audi A8 has them standard today. LEDs light up very easily which allows people to see further distances with the bright and power efficient LED light.
If you don't own an Audi A8 and want to experience LED front lights now, there are DIY possibilities available, for instance the one described at the Instructables site. Turn signal switches are not compatible though since LEDs use so little power. To be able to get the right current going, you will need to switch them out.
About the Author:
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