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Renovating the wheel

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heated traffic light lens

 Lens is laced with heat element
  (+8)
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I have already done my prototype for the heated door seal and it is working great. I think that sticking with the auto/safety issue the only natural way to go is to start looking at how LED's are going to affect safety. It is already evident that stop lights on transport trailers are LED for the most part anymore. They do not generate enough heat to melt snow and quickly become unable to see. The same with our traffic lights up north here. So the idea would be to utilize the electricity that is already available with the same sensor that I have on my door seal heater. It would come on when the temp gets to 5 deg cel and maintain a constant temp of 17 deg cel. This would keep all of the lights visible from the distance that they were designed to be seen from. Of course Arizona is not going to be interested in something like this, but from what I have seen...there are plenty stop lights that could benefit...wish me luck and let me know what you think.
—OTRideas, Feb 23 2008

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       So instead of using old light technology up north, we use the newer LED technology, but add a heating element, and a heat sensor.   

       I'll bun it, under the assumption that the increased efficiency of the new LED lights will allow this to still be more energy efficient than the old bulbs, even when you factor in added production costs.
—ye_river_xiv, Feb 23 2008
   

       Why cut in at 5°C and maintain 17? Better (and easier) to cut in a 3°C and maintain 3° C, shirley? (Otherwise, you need the separate sensors for external temperature and lens temperature).
—MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 23 2008
   

       I thought as they got colder, LEDs became more energy efficient. Knowing that, wouldn't you want them to run as cold as possible all the time?   

       I think the 3 degree cutoff is a good one. And there are IR LEDs to be had, too - in case the heating element is too 20th century.
—elhigh, Feb 25 2008
   

       What about a hot air heat exchanger running along the exhaust that directs a flow of hot air over the lenses during cold weather, requires only an air pump to operate.
—jhomrighaus, Feb 25 2008
   


 

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