LEDs light the way for SuperTruck

A research team developed a group of low-energy, high-output LED lamps for forward lighting that could be retrofitted into the truck's current incandescent headlamp housing and lens.

In support of the U.S. Department of Energy SuperTruck program-an initiative that aims to increase the fuel efficiency of Class 8 trucks by 50%-a lighting research team developed a group of low-energy, high-output LED lamps for forward lighting that could be retrofitted into the current incandescent headlamp housing and lens.

The use of LEDs, which are a 2π source, requires a different strategy in the optics from those used with a 4π source, like a traditional incandescent, halogen, or high-intensity-discharge (HID) light source. A thermal management system also is necessary to facilitate the long life of the LED source, according to researchers from Grote Industries LLC.