Cars are inseparable from our daily lives, and every car has a lot of lights, both inside and outside the car. In addition to headlights, there are also daytime running lights, turn signals, brake lights, etc. Today I will mainly talk to you about headlights, which are what we call car headlights.
Continuous flow of vehicles at night
The first car has a history of more than 100 years. However, when the car was first born, there were no lights. People could only use the kerosene lamp from the carriage as a headlight, but the brightness was too low and was not sufficient for driving. need. Later, people made acetylene lamps. The principle is to generate acetylene gas through the reaction of calcium carbide and water, and then burn the acetylene gas to emit light. The brightness of acetylene lamps is higher than that of kerosene lamps. However, there are many safety hazards in using open flame lighting in cars, and they are Elimination is only a matter of time.
first car
Since the 1920s, the power system and electrical components of automobiles have been gradually improved, and the stability of electric lamps has also been greatly improved. Therefore, automobile manufacturers began to use electric lamps until a type of lamp that could switch between high beam and low beam was developed. Electric car lights did not become mainstream until the birth of the dual-filament light bulb.
Early headlights made of tungsten and Corning glass
However, the modern car lights in our mouth are halogen headlights that were only born in the 1960s and are currently the most widely used car headlights. In the 1990s, xenon headlights began to enter everyone's field of vision. Although they are very bright, due to their short lifespan and high energy consumption, they were overshadowed by the LED headlights and laser headlights that emerged in recent years. Its light.
So far, halogen headlights, xenon headlights, LED headlights, and laser headlights have jointly constructed a new pattern of current car headlights. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of car headlight? How should we choose the car lights that suit us? Next I will give you an inventory one by one.
1. Halogen headlights
Halogen headlights are incandescent lamps containing halogen elements (bromine, iodine, etc.). Compared with ordinary incandescent lamps, the gas inside becomes a halogen element gas, which produces a reversible chemical reaction with the tungsten element that sublimates when the tungsten filament emits light, which can significantly reduce the volatilization of the tungsten filament and ensure the stability of the bulb throughout its life cycle. of light output.
Halogen headlights
Halogen headlights are currently the most widely used car headlights due to their low price and good stability. Unfortunately, they have low brightness, short lifespan, and high power consumption. Not only is the initial brightness of halogen headlights not high, but the light decay is also obvious. After being used for a period of time, they will turn yellow and darken, and the light will be like a candle. This is the primary reason why people call it "candle light".
Halogen headlight effect
2. Xenon headlights
Xenon headlights are also called high-pressure gas discharge lamps. They require a ballast (that is, a voltage regulator) to instantly increase the voltage. The high voltage of more than 20,000 volts breaks down the xenon gas and discharges light to form arc light. The quality of the ballast determines the startup speed of the light, but the startup time usually takes more than 3 seconds.
Xenon car light bulb
The luminous flux of xenon headlights is more than twice that of halogen headlights, and the light energy efficiency is increased by 70%, but the energy consumption is also greatly increased. The high temperature of the bulb is two to three hundred degrees, and it is only a matter of time before the lampshade is browned and burnt. High energy consumption +High temperature is destined to have a limited lifespan.
Xenon headlight effect
3. LED headlights
LED headlights use solid semiconductor chips as luminescent materials. They emit light directly through the recombination of carriers. They have been widely used in the field of automotive lighting and are the mainstream of the new generation of car lights.
LED headlight bulb
LED headlights have the characteristics of small size (suitable for most car models), high brightness, good shape, low energy consumption (low power consumption, low bulb temperature), fast response (instant start), and long life (generally 100,000 hours). , durable and environmentally friendly. With the development of technology in recent years, the price of LED has become more and more affordable. Combined with its use experience and lifespan, it can be said that it is currently the most cost-effective car light.
LED headlight effect
4. Laser headlights
Laser headlights are an upgraded version of LED headlights. They convert electrical energy directly into laser light through laser light-emitting diodes. Through lens refraction processing, the light irradiation distance is farther. It can also avoid laser damage to human eyes caused by direct exposure and illuminate brighter. It's farther and also kinder to the eyes.
laser lens
Laser headlights not only include all the advantages of LED headlights, but are also more energy- and fuel-saving, smaller, brighter, and have a longer range. However, the disadvantage is that they are more expensive. Laser headlights are suitable for car owners who often run on highways, mountain roads, and rural and town roads, especially those who often run long distances and passenger/cargo transport vehicles. The extraordinary brightness and ultra-long range of 1,000 meters can greatly improve the safety of themselves and pedestrians. coefficient.
Laser headlight effect
[Summary]: To put it simply, it is halogen headlights < xenon headlights < LED headlights < laser headlights, and the price is almost the same. LED headlights have almost all advantages except price, so our first choice is definitely LED headlights. Rich people can directly choose laser headlights, which have the advantages of LED, with higher brightness and longer range. And if you only use the car in the city and don't often drive at night, the halogen headlights that come with the car are basically enough.
Let everyone enjoy the lighting effects of million-dollar luxury cars.
——Yuguang Lighting, focusing on car light modification for 16 years!
