Unintended Consequences (LED traffic lights don't generate heat to clear snow)

[SentraSE-R]

It's also why so many private businesses fail. I can see some LED traffic light companies that will never get another contract for their failed light designs in snow country.

There's no problem with a gov't standard to reduce energy consumption of traffic lights. Then it's up to industry to use its innovation to make it work.

[basslover911]

Or a "ring of heat" ... simply a heated filament to melt the snow when a sensor "sees" that there is no light going through (a la iphone if you know what i mean) ... so when there is no light coming through that means its covered with ice/snow... and the heater turns on ... simple

[thatguitarguy]

Here in ski country where it snows on a regular basis, they've been eliminating the traffic lights altogether, and building roundabouts.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by basslover911

Or a "ring of heat" ... simply a heated filament to melt the snow when a sensor "sees" that there is no light going through (a la iphone if you know what i mean) ... so when there is no light coming through that means its covered with ice/snow... and the heater turns on ... simple

The money saved (on reduced LED power consumption) + money spent (on sensors and now needed electric heating / defrosting) = probably the same power consumption (if not more with heating elements?) as the old incandescent lights used.

Is that real progress? Or is it 'unintended consequences'?

The only certain real benefit is to those who profited from the contract for manufacture of the newer lights and those who can then sell a solution for the new unforseen problem that was unintentionally created.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by Thymeclock

The money saved (on reduced LED power consumption) + money spent (on sensors and now needed electric heating / defrosting) = probably the same power consumption (if not more with heating elements?) as the old incandescent lights used.

Is that real progress? Or is it 'unintended consequences'?

The only certain real benefit is to those who profited from the contract for manufacture of the newer lights and those who can then sell a solution for the new unforseen problem that was unintentionally created.

I guess it snows year round in NY, eh?

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

Originally Posted by basslover911

Or a "ring of heat" ... simply a heated filament to melt the snow when a sensor "sees" that there is no light going through (a la iphone if you know what i mean) ... so when there is no light coming through that means its covered with ice/snow... and the heater turns on ... simple

Yes, a thermistor could turn on a backup incandescent light bulb (an infrared heater that happens to put out a little visible light!) behind the LED array to warm the whole thing up.

Because folks, it's not like the incandescent was perfect! They burn out, they use a lot of power -- and the unintended consequences of using too much power in total is what we are seeing today!

Any design solution is a mix of compromises.

[SentraSE-R]

Originally Posted by basslover911

Or a "ring of heat" ... simply a heated filament to melt the snow when a sensor "sees" that there is no light going through (a la iphone if you know what i mean) ... so when there is no light coming through that means its covered with ice/snow... and the heater turns on ... simple

The unintended consequence of that will be a lot of toasty warm birds blocking lights on cold winter nights .

[NiHaoMike]

To keep it nice and simple, what about a power resistor and a thermal switch that turns on below about 40F?

[Christ]

How about we just stop the snow from getting in there in the first place?

[Ryland]

If the snow is blowing so hard that it is filling an open bottom stop lights that is 20 feet in the air the weather is bad enough that YOU SHOULD NOT BE OUT DRIVING, I've never seen a stop light full of snow and we have had LED stop lights in my part of Wisconsin for 10 years or so now.