The device and principle of operation of laser headlights
Car device,  Vehicle electrical equipment

The device and principle of operation of laser headlights

High technologies in the automotive industry are constantly being introduced. Automotive lighting technology is also moving forward. LED, xenon and bi-xenon light sources have been replaced by laser headlights. Not many automakers can boast of such technology, but it is already clear that this is the future of automotive lighting.

What are laser headlights

The new technology was first introduced in the BMW i8 Concept in 2011. A few years later, in 2014, the model went into mass production. This was the case when the prototype became a full-fledged production supercar.

Leading automotive lighting companies such as Bosch, Philips, Hella, Valeo and Osram are also developing together with manufacturers.

It is a sophisticated electronic system that produces a powerful laser beam. The system is activated at speeds over 60 km / h when the vehicle is driven outside the city limits. Normal lighting works in the city.

How laser headlights work

The light of laser headlights is fundamentally different from daylight or any other artificial source. The resulting beam is coherent and monochrome. This means that it has a constant wavelength and the same phase difference. In its pure form, it is a point beam of light that is 1 times more intense than diode light. The laser beam produces 000 lumens of light versus 170 lumens from LEDs.

Initially, the beam is blue. To obtain bright white light, it passes through a special phosphor coating. It scatters a directed laser beam, creating a powerful light beam.

Laser light sources are not only more powerful, but also twice as economical as LED. And the headlights themselves are much smaller and more compact than the usual designs.

Taking into account BMW technology, a cubic element filled with yellow phosphorus acts as a fluorescent diffuser. A blue ray passes through the element and produces a bright emission of white light. Yellow phosphorus forms light with a temperature of 5 K, which is as close as possible to the daylight we are used to. Such lighting does not strain the eyes. A special reflector concentrates up to 500% of the luminous flux in the right place in front of the car.

The main beam “hits” up to 600 meters. Other options for xenon, diode or halogen headlights show a range of no more than 300 meters, and on average even 200 meters.

We often associate a laser with something dazzling and bright. It may seem that such lighting will dazzle people and cars moving towards them. It's not like that at all. The emitted stream does not blind other drivers. In addition, this kind of lighting can be called “smart” light. The laser headlight analyzes the traffic situation, highlighting only the areas that are needed. The developers are confident that in the not too distant future, the vehicle's lighting technology will recognize obstacles (for example, wild animals) and warn the driver or take control of the braking system.

Laser headlights from different manufacturers

To date, this technology is being actively implemented by two auto giants: BMW and AUDI.

The BMW i8 has two headlights, each with three laser elements. The beam passes through the yellow phosphorus element and the reflector system. The light enters the road in a diffused form.

Each laser headlight from Audi has four laser elements with a cross-sectional diameter of 300 micrometers. The wavelength of each diode is 450 nm. The depth of the outgoing high beam is about 500 meters.

Advantages and disadvantages

The pluses are:

  • powerful light that does not strain the eyes and does not cause them fatigue;
  • the light intensity is much stronger than, for example, LED or halogen. Length - up to 600 meters;
  • does not dazzle oncoming drivers, highlighting only the area that is needed;
  • consume half the energy;
  • compact size.

Among the minuses, only one can be named - the high cost. And to the cost of the headlight itself, it is also worth adding periodic maintenance and adjustment.

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