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Session 6

Automotive Lighting System

Session Speaker

Prof. C. Gopinath
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Session Objectives

At the end of this session the delegate would have understood

• History and development in automotive lighting
• Different types of optical system light sources used in
lighting
• Latest trends in automotive lighting

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 Session Topics

1. History of Automotive Headlamps

2. Headlamp Design and Styling
3. Headlamp Elements
4. Different Types of Optical Systems
5. Headlamp Leveling System
6. Headlamp Cleaning System
7. Light Source for Headlights
8. Advanced Lighting Technology
9. Pedestrian Friendly Headlamps
10.Signal Lamps
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 Front End Lighting
• High-beam / low-beam
headlamps
• Fog lamps
• Auxiliary driving lamps
• Turn signal lamps
• Parking lamps
• Side-marker lamps and
clearance
• lamp (wide vehicles only)
• Day time running
lamps(DRL)(in some countries) http://www.bosch.com

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 Headlamps

http://www.volkswagen.com

• Headlamps at the front end of a vehicle , illuminates the road ahead

during periods of low visibility, such as night so that driver can make
out obstacles ahead
• Identity to the vehicle

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 History of Automotive Headlamps
• Headlamps - An Urgent Task

http://www.bosch.com
• Night driving was uncommon at the earliest period of automobiles
• The earliest headlamps were introduced in the late 1880s, were
fueled by acetylene gas.
• The first electric headlamps were introduced in 1898 on the
Columbia Electric Car from the Electric Vehicle Company (but they
were optional)
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 History of Automotive Headlamps

http://www.bosch.com

• After World War 1 electrical illumination was eventually established.

• Form 1904, acetylene lights were offered by a number of
manufacturers as standard equipment.
• Peerless (United States automobile company) made electrical
headlamps standard in 1908.
• From 1909, regulations introduced in the German empire required
all motor vehicles to be equipped with two front lights
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 History of Automotive Headlamps
• Good visibility at high speed
• Average speeds were on the rise;
• Land speed record rising from over 105 kph in 1899 to 195kph
in 1906
• Need for a new electric power source
• The main difficulty posed by electrical light was providing the
amount of power needed
• Leads to introduction of generators by Bosch
• Osram (1906 ) developed tungsten-filament bulb
• More robust than its predecessor
• Better able to withstand the vibrations from road irregularities.

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 History of Automotive Headlamps
Bosch automotive lighting system (1913)

http://www.bosch.com

Introduction to modern electrical system by Cadillac with Delco

electrical ignition and lighting system (1912)
The Bosch automotive lighting system (1913)
• Headlights, generator, and regulator.
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 History of Automotive Headlamps
In 1915 low beam headlamps were introduced by the Guide Lamp
Company
1917 Cadillac revised the electrical system
• The 1924 Bilux bulb was the first modern unit, having the light for
both low and high beams of a headlamp emitting from a single bulb.
• In 1927, the foot-operated dimmer was introduced and would become
standard for much of the century

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 History of Automotive Headlamps
Chevrolet Master Coupe (1940)

http://www.bosch.com

• In 1940 standardized 7 inch round sealed beam headlamp was

introduced in United States.
• Asymmetric low beam introduced in 1957, illuminates vehicles
own line without dazzling oncoming traffic

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 History of Automotive Headlamps
• Introduction of halogen headlamp for vehicle in Europe by an
association of European bulb and headlamp makers (1962).
• Halogen headlamps were prohibited in the United States where non-
halogen sealed beam lamps were required until 1978.

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 History of Automotive Headlamps

• High Intensity Discharge HID systems were introduced in 1991's

BMW 7-series.
• European and Japanese markets adopted HID headlamps, but the
technology was slow to be followed in North America.
• Lincoln Mark VIII (1996) was the first American effort at HIDs

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Headlamp Design and Styling

http://www.al-lighting.de
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Design Elements in Front End

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 Headlamp Design and Styling

http://www.style4cars.com
• Quickly creating a different vehicle appearance without extensive
body modification
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 Headlamp Design and Styling

www.renault.co.uk

• For special models and facelifts.

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 Headlamp styling in Europe

• No requirement in Europe for

headlamps of standardized size
or shape
• That design freedom permitted
the development of rectangular
headlamps, first used
• Hella for the German Ford
Taunus 17M in 1961

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 Headlamp styling in Europe

• Importance of aerodynamics
• Conventional round lamps covered with aerodynamic glass or
polycarbonate covers,
• Jaguar E-Type (1961) and Citroën DS (1968)

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 Headlamp styling in Europe

• Introduction of halogen bulb in

VW beetle (1971) by Hella
• Saab (1971) introduced wash /
wiper system for headlights on the
model 99

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 Headlamp styling in Europe

Triumph TR7 (1980)

• Need for smaller headlamps for better aerodynamics
• Introduction of Pop-up headlamps
• In 1986 the DE ( Dreiachsiger Elliptischer) reflector headlamps
made its first appearance on BMW 7 series
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 Headlamp styling in Europe
• In 1940, the US government mandated a 7 in round sealed beam
headlamp on all automobiles.
• Introduction of Quad headlamps in 1950s
• Four round lamps, rather than two; one high/low and one high-beam
5¾ in. (146 mm) sealed beam on each side

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 Headlamp styling in Europe

• Concealable stacked headlamps

• Two headlamps on each side were
stacked, low beams above high
beams.
• Pontiac used this design starting in
the 1963 model year.
Pontiac Catalina (1959-1981)

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 Headlamp styling in Europe
• Diagonal arrangement
• Triumph Vitesse (1965) and Bentley S Continental used such an
arrangement.

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 Headlamp styling in Europe

• Jaguar E -Type for European market Jaguar E -Type for U S market

• Prohibition of protective element in front of headlamps by U S

government in 1968
• Though it improves the head lamp performance, it affects the
aerodynamics adversely
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 Headlamp styling in Europe
• Use of rectangular head lamps in US by 1970s according to Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108
• By 1979, the majority of new cars in the US market were equipped
with rectangular lamps.

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 Headlamp Elements

• Primary elements in
headlamp assembly are
• Bulb
• Reflector
• Lens

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 Types of Headlamp
• Low beam headlamps
• High beam headlamps
• Auxiliary lamps
• Fog lamps
• Work lamps
• Search lamps
• Flash to pass

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 Front Lens

• ECE regulation granted

approval for plastic lenses in
1993
• Weight reduction
• Increased design freedom

Range Rover (2004 ) Plastic headlamp

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 Headlamp leveling System

• Since 1998 the ECE-Regulation

R48 requires the compensation
of vehicle inclination caused by
different loading conditions
• The major purpose of this
regulation is:
• avoid glaring of oncoming
traffic and
• to ensure an optimum range
of illumination

www.hella.com

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 Headlamp leveling System
• Manual Vertical Aim Control
• This type of VAC is required for
Halogen headlamps.
• The driver uses a rotary or slide
switch to adjust the headlamps
according to the tilt of the vehicle.
• For manual leveling, electric
motors used as actuators.
• Hydro mechanical system, Vacuum
System or electric System

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 Headlamp leveling System
• Automatic Vertical Aim Control

• This type of VAC is required for Xenon headlamps.

• Designed for compensate for load variation by lowering or rising the
low beam position.
• Changes in the vehicle´s tilt by accelerating or decelerating can be
compensated with a dynamic vertical aim control

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 Headlamp Cleaning System

• Light soiling of lens increase dazzle and reduces the light out put
• Headlamp cleaning system remove the dirt from the lens of main
headlamp
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 Headlamp Cleaning System
• Wipe/wash system
• Similar to that used for windshield
• Since plastic lenses are too sensitive for this method it is
applicable for glass lenses

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 Headlamp Cleaning System
• High pressure washer system
• It can be used for both glass
and plastic lenses
• Cleaning effect is due to the
cleaning pulse of the water
droplets

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 Front Lens
• High pressure washer system can be :
• Static nozzle type
• Telescopic nozzles
• For plastic lens , only non contact water jet are suitable
• Static nozzles are rigidly mounted which are visibly situated on the
bumper

Static nozzle

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 Headlamp Cleaning System
• Telescopic nozzles

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 Headlamp Cleaning System
• Aerodynamic headlamps with bigger sweep and inclination
require telescope system.
• The nozzle holder is hidden, (e.g. inside the bumper and reach the
appropriate spraying position by a hydraulic movement)
• In the resting position the nozzles are hidden by a nozzle caps on
the bumper.
• The nozzle holder, the nozzle cap and the telescope fixing unit
normally are harmonized with the individual car
• Jet are activated in conjunction with windshield washer if the
lamps are switched on

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 Light Source for Headlights
Historical increase in illuminanace for motor vehicles

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 Light Source for Headlights
• Incandescent bulbs
• Incandescent bulbs radiates invisible infrared light along with
visible light
• Dual filament bulb, introduced in 1924 permits the generation of
low and high beam lights using a single reflector
• Asymmetric low beams were introduced in 1957
• Incandescent bulbs are available for 6 , 12, and 24 V applications

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 Light Source for Headlights
• Halogen Bulbs
• Twice the light out put, higher colour
temperature and double service life
• Based on the headlamp design, either
reflection systems (lamp and
reflector) or projection systems
(lamp, reflector and projection lens) Halogen projection system
are used for low and high beam
functions.

Halogen reflection system

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 Light Source for Headlights
• Halogen Bulbs
• ECE regulation 37 for single-filament bulbs and ECE Regulation
8 for H 4 dual filament bulbs
• H1 for low beams, fog lamps, and high beam
• H2 for auxillary lamps
• H3 preferred for fog lamps
• H4 for low and high beams using single reflector,
• Less commonly used for combined fog/high beam units,
approved in the US as HB2

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Light Source for Headlights

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 Light Source for Headlights
• Xenon Headlamp
• Does not have coiled filament
• Light emits from an electric arc
• Inside the bulb, xenon gas is mixed
with metallic salt and are ignited by
20,000 volts
• First went into volume production
with BMW

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 Light Source for Headlights
Xenon light
• First generation Xenon lights (D1)
had a high UV component
• Second generation Xenon lamps
(D1S/D1R and D2S/D2R), an
addition glass filter jacket reduces
UV radiation

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 Light Source for Headlights

Xenon light
• Projection systems
• An electromagnetic actuator is
used to move a shield that switches
between low beam and high beam
• Reflection system Xenon projection system
• A small movement of the gas-
discharge lamp in the reflector
produces the switch to high beam
(principle or reflection system)

Xenon reflection system

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 Light Source for Headlights

LED System

• LEDs have been used since 1992 as a light source for signaling
functions in the rear
• Earlier LEDs were not used in the front because of their low power

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 Light Source for Headlights
• Design possibilities

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Light Source for Headlights

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 Light Source for Headlights

• In 2004, more than 20 percent of all fatal accidents occurred between

midnight and 6 a.m. – a period that accounts for only 2.4 percent of
daily traffic volume, according to the U.S. Federal Department of
Transportation.
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 Advanced Lighting Technology

• AFS incorporates two independent light sources: a high-output

halogen projector for the main beam and a secondary row of light
emitting diodes (LEDs)

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 Pedestrian Friendly Headlamps

• Based on vehicle front design, the headlamps are located in or near the
impact region of the upper leg, the child head or the lower leg
impactors.
• Headlamps must absorb the impact energy in a along with the
surrounding components.
• Headlamps should not cause additional injuries

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 Signal Lamps

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Historical development of rear-end lighting

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 Signal lamps
• Used to mark the vehicle
extremities, license plate , and to
indicate the drivers intensions
• Directional changes were first
signaled on a basis by rotating
arrows, hand signals, and later by
illustrated semaphores

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 Signal lamps
• Turn -signal indicators

• Directional changes and visual warning are signaled by front, center

and rear flashing lamps
• Front indicator lights can be integrated separately in the bumper,
bodywork, next to the headlamp or in the headlamp.

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 Signal lamps
• Turn -signal indicators

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 Signal lamps
• Tail lamps

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 Signal lamps
• Back up lamp
• Back up lamp is hybrid, two
functions:
• Illustrate the road behind the
vehicle while reversing Back up lamp
• Indicate the other traffic the
drivers intension to reverse
• One or two white lamps are
approved
• EEC 77/540, ECE R77, StVZO
, (FMVSS/CUR)

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 Light Source for Signal Lamps
• Halogen Bulb

• First xenon headlights were delivered in 1992 in Germany and US

• Most common because of the advantages in terms of colour(white),
energy consumption and intensity
• H6W bulb front marker lamps

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 LED Technology in Rear Lamps
• LED Technology
• Development of CHMSL using
LED in 90s
• The US-spec BMW 3 Series
convertible (1992) was the first
series production vehicle to have
an LED safety brake light
• Introduction to adaptive rear end
lamps

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 Adaptive Rear lamps
• These systems adapt to changing road conditions and different
weather situations.
Tail Light Illumination Adaptation

Tail "off" Tail "Night" Tail "Day"

Brake Force Display

“Normal" braking "Strong" braking "Emergency" Braking

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 Standards for Vehicle Signal Lamps
• Angle of visibility for direction indicators (ECE /FMVSS 108)

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 Summary / Conclusion
• History and development in automotive lighting have been discussed
• Different types of optical system used in automotive lighting have
been discussed
• Latest trends in automotive lighting have been discussed

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