ADB, a world leader in airfield ground lighting solutions, introduces its new line of inset LED lighting. This AD-light range includes the DRC / DTZ runway centre line and touchdown zone lights and the DTS / DTC taxiway centre line and stop bar lights. With their original concept based on ADB's unrivalled experience of LED airfield lighting, these new AD-lights strongly reduce operational costs and power consumption without compromising on the proven advantages of ADB LED fixtures.
ADB's first range of LED taxiway lights, the inset LTS / LTC and elevated ETEL / ETES, was launched on the market in 2002. They not only offered significantly lower power consumption, but also proved to be much more reliable than halogen lights. Instead of a yearly relamping of all lights, ADB's LED solution only shows 1% failures per year. This results in both a reduction of maintenance costs and the ability to keep the taxiway open for an ever increasing traffic density. The market responded very enthusiastically to this launch: so far, ADB has supplied no less than 350,000 LED lights to airports all over the world.
However, up until now LED technology was limited to taxiway and obstacle lighting. Recent evolutions in LED performance now allow ADB to introduce LED lighting on the runways, making it the first manufacturer to do so. This new range of inset lights - the AD-light range - includes the DRC / DTZ runway centre line and touchdown zone lights and the DTS / DTC taxiway centre line and stop bar lights.
The greatly reduced maintenance requirements is the biggest advantage of LED technology. This not only cuts costs in labour time, but also results in enhanced safety, since less maintenance means staff spend less time on the runways and taxiways, thus minimising the risk of runway incursions. To further reduce costs, the AD-lights were also designed as a range. This means they not only share a maximum of common components, but also have the same maintenance and repair procedures. Consequently, fewer spare parts are required and training needs are reduced.
AD-lights were designed to be compatible with existing series circuits. As a result, halogen lights can easily be replaced without having to change the bases, transformers, cables or CCRs. For new installations, the new LED lights also allow significant savings in the infrastructure, in the form of smaller transformers, smaller CCRs or fewer circuits. Furthermore, the power consumption of the DRC runway centre line light is only 15W per side, a big difference with the 48W of the halogen alternative.
The new series also outperforms ADB's previous LED products: the DTS / DTC taxiway centre line lights use only 10W per side - one third less than the former LTS / LTC series. The lower power consumption has the additional benefit that it helps airports reduce their carbon footprint.
"When we started with the concept of the AD-light range, it was our ambition to not only bring LED technology to the runway, but also to come up with a range of innovative products that increases even further the well-known advantages of this technology. The introduction of this type of lighting on the runways is a major step toward perfectly meeting the airport's requirements," says Bruno Urbaing, ADB product manager for inset lights. "A first trial installation of DRC lights at Manchester Airport, under the supervision of the British CAA, already demonstrated how well it was received by the pilots. They are highly positive about the purity of the light at all brightness steps, reducing the risk of confusion between white and yellow lights. Also the dimming characteristics of the new lights, that perfectly match tungsten halogen lights and avoid any risk of glare, were particularly appreciated."
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