Thermal simulation of traffic lights in extreme weather conditions

With increasing use of LEDs as light sources for street lighting and traffic lights, snow and ice deposits on the external lens proved to be a problem since LED do not dissipate as much heat as incandescent lamps. There are solutions that address this problem based on thermistors or using dual mode heat transfer loops. This paper presents a traffic light model that uses a Peltier module to heat the external lens. The Peltier module can be used to heat the external lens as well as to cool the LED, thus assuring better operation during frost and snowstorms. The results are presented and analyzed.