The existing lighting control system is over a hundred years old. The simple and reliable lighting control scheme based on the “switch - lamp” principle has practically become obsolete, and today it is gradually being replaced by more flexible and powerful devices. Thanks to the use of microprocessors and programmable machines, lighting control equipment can be very accurately adjusted to the specific logic of turning on and off lamps, both inside residential premises and in the local area.
Content
- 1. History
- 2 Color differentiation
- 3 Types of radiating elements
- 4 Identification lights around the vehicle 4.1 Direction indicator
- 4.2 Side lights
- 4.3 Parking lights
- 5.1 Headlights 5.1.1 Low beam
- 5.3.1 Fog lights
- 6.1 Side lights
- 7.1 Emergency vehicles
- 8.1 Types of emitters used
Story
Since the creation of the car and its transition to the status of a full-fledged vehicle, the question has arisen about the possibility of round-the-clock use of the car. And this, in turn, required the presence of lighting fixtures.
Renault AG-Fiacre Paris 1910 car with acetylene headlights
The very first lanterns used kerosene[1], but they solved the lighting problem very poorly. Rather, kerosene lanterns simply indicated a vehicle. Pilot and aircraft designer Louis Blériot proposed the use of acetylene lamps in 1896. By that time, similar lamps were used as locomotive searchlights. To obtain acetylene, a special tank was used, installed on the driver's side step, into which calcium carbide and water were poured. To turn on the headlights, the driver had to open the acetylene supply valve, open the headlights and light the burners built into them with a match[2].
Starting in the 1920s, electric lamps began to be used. The headlights, which had incandescent lamps, were spotlights that blinded oncoming drivers. When passing an oncoming car, the driver had to tilt the headlights down, using a special lever with a cable or hydraulic mechanism for this purpose. Another way to reduce glare was based on reducing the intensity of the glow by reducing the filament current of the lamps using a rheostat. But all these tricks distracted the driver and did not make it possible to install the headlights after changing to their original position.
More expensive cars were equipped with individual headlights for low and high beams. The power of such headlights was different: for low beam it was 30, for high beam it was 50. The beam angle of the low-beam headlights was set to illuminate the road 15-20 meters ahead, while the high beams were set to illuminate the road 40-60 meters. This allowed the driver to switch the headlights to the desired lighting mode much more conveniently.
The power and range of light were increased using the developments of Ivan Petrovich Kulibin in the field of a parabolic reflector. Thus, a headlight with a parabolic reflector and lenses could illuminate several hundred meters [3].
Subsequently, manufacturers began to complicate lamp designs. In 1925, Bosch was the first to produce double-filament incandescent lamps, one filament of which was used for low beam, the other for high beam. Halogen lamps, which have better characteristics and greater reliability, have come into widespread use. It also became possible to reduce the weight of batteries due to the appearance of a generator in cars, which supplied power to powerful electric lamps and eliminated the problem of the need to recharge batteries at stations.
Changes in lighting technology were accompanied by the introduction of new lighting rules. In 1957, asymmetrical headlights were legalized in Europe, whereby the light from the driver's side shines closer than the light from the passenger's side. This reduced the risk of blinding oncoming drivers and increased safety.
Headlights of a 2008 Ford Galaxy
Another direction of modernization of lighting technology was to change the shape of the headlight. Whereas previously all headlights had a round profile, starting in 1961 Citroën tried square headlights. This made it possible to improve the aerodynamics of the car and increase the luminous flux thanks to the Hella light reflector of an ellipsoidal shape with two axes, where two pairs of rays from different foci were collected into one collecting lens. And in 1986, three-axis headlights were installed on BMW cars.
Thanks to the computing power of modern computers, it has become possible to calculate and manufacture headlights of almost any shape suitable to the wishes of the car designer. The complexity of the design of a modern headlight lies in the many focuses of the headlight reflector, which are responsible for illuminating a certain section of the road.
How does the ceremony take place?
Arriving at the temple, find the priest and inform him of your readiness to begin the ritual. While he is getting ready, open all the car doors, as well as the hood and trunk.
The minister will come with sprinklers and holy water. He will read prayers and bless both the car and its owner, and at the same time all fellow travelers. For this reason, it is advisable to arrive at church with all family members.
Many people are interested in how long it takes to consecrate a car? The whole ceremony will take no more than 20 minutes if the priest comes right away, and even if he reads the prayers very slowly.
Color differentiation
The color of vehicle lights was standardized by the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals in 1949, and later specified in the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic in 1968.
According to these rules, taillights must emit red light, headlights must emit white or selective amber, and all turn signals must emit yellow or amber light. However, in North America, turn signals may also be red. The exception is emergency and special services vehicles, which may contain special colors.
Types of radiating elements
- Incandescent lamp. Traditional emitter. A vacuum is created inside the glass flask, inside which the tungsten filament is heated by electric current to 2000 °C. They work 500-1000 hours.
- Halogen lamp. The glass flask is filled with a halogen buffer gas - iodine or bromine. Thanks to halogens it works up to 4000 hours.
- HID lamp. In a flask made of molten quartz or aluminum oxide, heated gas (xenon) emits light. Operates up to 25,000 hours. Xenon is a noble gas and has no taste, color or odor. It is used in incandescent lamps, for the treatment of brain injuries, medical diagnostics, and as a working fluid for lasers.
- Light emitting diodes (LED). They work on the phenomenon of electrons filling empty “holes” in a semiconductor with the release of a photon. Energy efficient. Works up to 50,000 hours.
Identification lights around the car
Direction indicator
Main article: Turn signal
A car with the left front turn signal and repeater on. Mechanical turn signal with backlight.
Turn signal lights are located on the corners of the car, less often on the sides. Used to warn other drivers about making a turn, U-turn or changing lanes. The color is orange or yellow, in Russia a shade of amber called “automotive yellow”[4] is accepted, in North America red is allowed. Since the first appearance of electric turn signals in 1907 and the beginning of their industrial use in 1939, the presence of these lighting devices on a car has been mandatory. In case of absence or malfunction of the devices, you can use signs given by the hand extended out of the car window: the left hand extended to the left will mean a turn to the left, the left hand bent at the elbow at a right angle will mean a turn to the right.
From 1920 to 1950, some vehicles used mechanical turn signals. Unlike turn signals, the indicators emitted light constantly. They were usually installed above the front doors and rolled out horizontally. But the lanterns themselves were fragile and often broke, and sometimes remained folded.
Two types of turn signal indicators
In all countries and regions of the world except North America, it is mandatory to install side turn signals, which allow you to see the turn signal not only in front and behind the car [ source not specified 540 days
]. But it is not at all necessary to install repeaters on the wings; there are many options for combining the side and front turn signals into one light, for example on a Mercedes-Benz R170. The automotive fashion of the 2010s is to place repeaters on the rearview mirrors.
The turn signal lever on most cars is located under the steering wheel so that the driver can turn on the turn signal without taking his hand off the wheel by moving the lever in the direction of the intended turn. Upon completion of the maneuver, the switch should automatically return to its original position.
The frequency of light flashes is constant and ranges from 60 to 120 flashes per minute [5], which corresponds to 1.5 ± 0.5. The green turn signal indicator on the vehicle's dashboard flashes and an audible alarm sounds, reminding you to turn off the turn signal if it does not turn off automatically.
Hazard warning lights - flashing of both side turn signals, faster than "regular" turn signals in some jurisdictions. It is turned on by a button with an emblem in the form of a red triangle. It is customary to turn on the emergency lights when there is any problem in the car - with the car itself, the driver, the cargo, the passenger (sickness), additional equipment (the GPS navigator has fallen off its mount). Some authors recommend turning on the emergency lights during difficult parking maneuvers[6]. When making an emergency stop, in addition to the hazard warning lights, you must display an emergency stop sign at a safe distance (varying from 15 to 200 m in different situations and jurisdictions). When towing, the rear vehicle must turn on the hazard lights, and if this is not possible, attach a warning triangle. Also, when stopping on the road, many of the cars associated with danger should turn on the emergency lights (according to Russian traffic regulations - those that pick up and unload groups of children). Like side lights, the hazard lights can be turned on even if the rest of the car's electrical system is turned off.
parking lights
Rear light unit on a VAZ-2106, operating in side light mode.
Sidelights or side lights on the Volga GAZ-24 1974. Side lights are used to identify a vehicle at night and in low visibility conditions. In foggy and poor visibility conditions, they are used in conjunction with rear fog lights. The front is white (yellow[7] is acceptable in North America), the back is red. The luminescence intensity ranges from 4 to 125, while the viewing angles of the emitted light are standardized. Large vehicles, such as buses, use yellow side marker lights, as well as additional marker lights as high as possible.
Front side lights are often called “sidelights” - on the first cars they were separate lights (in modern passenger cars they are usually part of the headlight unit).
Modern cars force the driver to turn on the lights simply and cleverly: at dusk, the driver begins to see the dashboard poorly, and along with the backlight, the side lights and rear license plate lights turn on.
The side lights can work even when the rest of the car's electrical system is turned off - this allows the car to stand out when parked on an unlit road. In Russia, traffic rules oblige drivers at night on unlit roads to turn on their lights when stopping or parking[8].
Parking lights
Moskvich-412 with parking lights.
Parking lights were invented to reduce battery consumption when parking on an unlit road. In the USSR they appeared in May 1968 on Moskvich-408 cars. The light was mounted high on the rear roof pillar and was a combination of a white light at the front and a red light at the rear. The light was turned on in the parking lot with a left-off-right toggle switch and, according to the plan, should have been turned on in a parked car only from the side of the road. The idea did not find support, and after it was repeated on the 412 model and the release of the early 2140s, the space for the parking lights began to be covered with a blank trim painted in the color of the body. Also, parking lights on the rear roof pillar were installed on GAZ 24 vehicles for some time. Currently [ when?
] The carriers of this type of headlights are mainly trucks, buses and trailers.
On some modern passenger cars, the function of parking lights is performed by side lights on one side. To do this, you need to turn on the turn signal on a parked car (depending on the car, with the side lights on or not).
Recessed ceiling lighting devices
Such luminaires include tubular fluorescent lamps. They should be installed together with suspended ceiling systems. These devices are the most in demand. Most often they are used for overhead lighting of premises in office buildings and living rooms in residential buildings.
When installing them, it is important to take into account the bends of the guides of the suspension system. You also need to choose the right cell size. The standard is usually 600x600 mm. The lamp is selected based on the given cell size. To eliminate the glare effect, the same decorative elements are used as in the case of pendant lamps.
Front lights and headlights
Headlights
The operation of car headlights using the example of a Ford Focus
dipped headlights
Low and high beam headlights
Low and high beam headlights in combination with fog lights
Headlight
- an electric lighting device used on a vehicle and used to illuminate the road.
On special equipment it can be used to illuminate the work site. Usually the headlight is placed at the front of the vehicle; on special equipment it can be at the rear, and also have a rotating mechanism. Each vehicle must have at least 1 pair of headlights installed symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (does not apply to external lighting devices of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds). After the advent of adaptive headlights, the concept of high and low beam becomes obsolete, since the light beam is constantly changing and generated by a computer based on many parameters (such as vehicle speed, the presence of oncoming vehicles, the presence of obstacles on the side of the road, etc.) [ source not specified 399 days
].
What is the price
Let's figure out how much the priest will have to pay after he consecrates the car. This sensitive issue worries many drivers who are asking for the first time to perform the ritual in question. It is worth saying that it is not very correct. The fact is that the church does not have an exact price list.
Therefore, a layman, whether his car or apartment is consecrated, determines the size of the donation himself. It is extremely important here not to go to extremes. There is no need to give a very large amount, but you should not limit yourself to small change either.
Often in small towns and villages, the blessing of a car is carried out free of charge or purely for a symbolic bribe.
In megacities and regional centers, it is customary to donate from 2 to 4 thousand. There is essentially no upper limit.
The most correct approach is to ask the priest how much you should give. If he says that any amount will suit him, then ask how much they usually donate. In this situation, the priest who blessed the car usually gives in and indicates some acceptable limits.
