What is the difference between hid and xenon lights

Xenon bulbs are aptly named, as they contain the noble gas, Xenon, inside the bulb. This gas lights up when high voltage is applied. HID lights are more efficient in producing light compared to traditional fluorescent or incandescent bulbs, meaning that they produce a brighter light at a given power rating.

They are also more consistent when it comes to temperature fluctuations, making them better suited for outdoor applications. Xenon lamps are considered to be a special type of HID due to a few factors. Unlike most HID lamps that do not reach full brightness until they are hot enough, Xenon lamps do not need to warm-up, and provide instant bright light.

Xenon lamps simulate daylight better, and the light is more natural compared to other HID lamps. Although there are advantages to Xenon lamps, there are also disadvantages. The first is the need for extremely high voltages in order to start and operate a Xenon bulb. Voltages across the terminals can be as high as 30 thousand volts to start the arc across the electrodes of the bulb.

Other HID bulbs do require higher voltages compared to other traditional light bulbs, but it is not as high as that of Xenon lamps. Xenon lamps are also among the top bulbs when it comes to pressure inside the bulb.

With pressures that exceed atmospheres at times, these bulbs can be an explosion hazard, and can cause damage when its enclosure fails. HID is a type of light fixture that creates brighter light, and lasts longer, while Xenon is a subtype of HID that contains Xenon gas instead of the other alternatives. An electric arc is created between the tungsten electrodes contained in an arc tube, which is the light-producing element. Once started, metal salts in the arc tube heat up and evaporate to become plasma.

This plasma intensifies the light created by the arc while reducing its power requirement. Xenon HID lamps are several times brighter than ordinary halogen lamps. They produce light that closely mimics the intensity of sunlight. HID lamps of this variety are often used in movie projectors, stadiums, and parks.

Xenon HID bulbs are used in vehicle headlights which are known to last for the life of the car. They have replaced taxi and landing lights on airplanes. High voltages are needed to activate a Xenon HID bulb. There is also a large amount of pressure involved in operating a bulb like this, thus it can pose a safety hazard if its enclosure is compromised.

A xenon HID lamp wears out faster when it gets turned on and off frequently, and not because of how long it is used. Thus, the life of a xenon HID lamp can be extended by not a turning it on if it has just been turned off. A xenon gas-filled bulb is simply a halogen bulb that contains xenon instead of halogen. Due to their high price, HID headlights are most useful for people who normally drive at high frequencies after dark on most nights of the week. If you only make fleeting, twice or thrice-weekly usage of your vehicle, HID headlights are probably not worth the extra cost.

Also, keep in mind that if not installed properly, xenon lights can inflict intense amounts of glare toward oncoming motorists, as well as through the rearview mirrors of cars ahead. For this reason, aftermarket HID kits are illegal in certain states. Before you purchase HIDs, check the laws in your area. Furthermore, xenon headlights should only be purchased from a reputed source, and all installation work should be handled by a licensed specialist.

Out of all the headlights on the market, the LED undergoes the most unusual process to generate light. When an electron enters a low-energy hole, a photon is released. The process is also known as electroluminescence.

The frequency at which this process occurs — thousands of times per second — is what produces LED light. Though the LED light made its first appearance in , it gained little market traction before the s.

The light emitted from an LED is approximately two millimeters wide. In terms of brightness and coverage, LED headlights cover stretches of ground ahead with an intensity of whiteness that rivals HIDs and surpasses halogens. When driving up dark, twisty hills during graveyard hours, LED headlights will alert you to dangers in time enough to slow or stop your vehicle, such as when a deer or opossum crosses the road.

The light within an LED bulb will instantly power on at its full brightness without flickering or any warm up time. In short, the HID vs. LED headlights debate favors the latter when it comes to brightness safety levels.

LED lights are small in size, and this is convenient for automakers because it makes each unit lightweight and more easily applicable to various designs. That means automakers are able to tailor LED lights to suit the designs of particular vehicle models.

Due to the lack of drainage on the engine itself and the fuel usage such activity entails, LED headlights could even reward you with minor savings on fuel costs.

Simply put, LEDs need more cooling to operate than do halogen and xenon headlights. LED headlights, on the other hand, have a strange and somewhat troublesome relationship with heat. A closely related downside to the LED is the cooling system that accompanies the light.

Simply put, LED lights are difficult to fit into a car because the cooling system is meant to be placed in the engine bay. For the most part, this is a contradiction because the engine bay is the part of a vehicle where temperatures typically rise.

When an LED headlight has been awkwardly retrofitted, the cooling system could face challenges trying to stay cool when the lights are on and the motor runs. So, the choice of LED lights should factor in for your practical needs as a driver. Do you frequently drive at night, or rarely? Do you spend many hours per day in your car, even in times of rain, or do you seldom use your vehicle more than twice weekly?

If you spend 12 or more hours per week driving between the hours of pm and am, LED headlights could actually be the way to go due to their virtually unlimited lifespan. One of the latest innovations in the headlight market is the laser light, which debuted in the early s and has been aggressively promoted by Audi and BMW in the European market.

Out of all the headlight types, laser lights are the closest thing to prophesy fulfillment for the futuristic Sci-Fi of decades long past. Many people are curious as to whether laser lights will render LEDs outdated before they even have a chance to catch on in a major way. While lasers themselves are dangerous, actual lasers play just a small role in the luminescence of laser lights because they actually rely more on phosphor to create the light.

Looking at something like the Laser Headlight found in the BMW I8 — there are three blue lasers that fire through small mirrors, which point the energy onto a phosphour plate or lens. When interacting with lasers, phosphor generates white light. This light is relayed onto a reflector and out through the front of the headlight and then of course onto the road. Essentially, the light that beams from a laser light is created by phosphor- not the actual lasers.

This makes the laser light safe for use on late night roads and highways. Not yet legal in the US. In terms of brightness intensity, laser lights have the advantage in the LED vs. Laser lights can produce 1, times the intensity of LEDs, but consume only half as much power. Another thing to consider regarding the distance to which laser light can travel is the speed at which your car moves. Since a mile contains 5, feet, a motorist traveling at 60 mph would have roughly 25 seconds to respond if danger is spotted ahead at a distance of 1, feet.

With headlights that could reach only half the distance of laser lights, a driver would have merely 10 seconds to respond. Laser lights also offer one of the best advantages in terms of color range. Due to the phosphor within a laser light, the color temperature of the light is in the 5, K to 6, K range , which places the light within close range of natural daylight approximately 6, K.

Another comparison in the LED vs. LED headlights usually only generate a mere lumens per watt, whereas laser lights emit lumens of light per watt.