In recent years, requirements for automotive headlamp performance have increased significantly, and illumination quality directly determines driving safety. A good low-beam headlamp shall ensure a certain irradiance distance and lighting width, while avoiding glare to oncoming vehicles; a good high-beam headlamp shall ensure sufficient irradiation distance, as well as a certain lighting width and height.
The C-NCAP regulation, introduced in 2021, was revised and strengthened in 2024, with the evaluation of road surface illumination centered on the low-beam/high-beam road surface illuminance distribution, focusing on assessing lighting distance, width, uniformity, and glare.
Overview
C-NCAP standard gives a score to automotive road lighting systems. This score is calculated from measurements of the road lighting and optimum values given by C-NCAP standard.
- On Ansys Speos, measurements are made on simulation results. To simplify workflows, all these steps are automated. Input settings, simulation and measurements are automatically performed.
- Finally, C-NCAP is calculated and displayed in the simulation report.
Installation Steps
Make sure Speos or SpaceClaim are closed before launching the installation.
- Double click on Speos_light_simulation_tools_installer.exe. The following panel appears:
- Select the Speos version:
- Click “Agree to terms and Install/Upgrade Speos Light Simulation Tools”. After the installation is done, the following message box appears:
If an error occurred, please report the problem. When opening Speos, the “Light Simulation Tools” toolbar should be visible:
Definition panel
In “Light Simulation Tools”, “Regulations”, click “C-NCAP Report”.
General:
- Test name: defines the name of the C-NCAP Report.
- Report from: New simulation takes all the parameters to perform a new test (runs Speos simulation, analyzes results, writes the report). Existing results allow you to select maps generated from a previous test to write the report.
Parameters:
High Beams/Low Beams:
- Left/Right: allows to select IES files corresponding to left/right high/low beams. • Tilt: defines the tilt angle applied to the IES file with respect to X direction, + corresponding to upwards, - to downwards.
- Rotate: defines the rotation angle applied to the IES file with respect to Y direction, + corresponding to left, - to right.
- Mounting height: defines the distance between the ground and the position of the beams.
- Separation distance: defines the distance between left and right beams.
- Spectrum type: allows to select the type of spectrum between: Blackbody, Library, Incandescent, White LED, Halogen.
- Blackbody temperature: defines the temperature when Spectrum type is set to Blackbody.
- File: defines the spectrum file to use when Spectrum type is set to Library.
Bonus:
- Adaptive Low Beam function: defines the number of sub-modes between: less than 2 sub modes, 2 sub modes, 3 sub modes, more than 3 sub modes.
- Adaptive High Beam function: defines the number of sub modes between: None, Automatic switchover between high beam and low beam, Adaptive driving beam (ADB).
- Automatic headlamp leveling system: activates or not this bonus.
Workflow
Once the parameters are set, Evaluate button allows to run the test. You will be asked to select a directory for the test, in which:
- Simulation template will be copied and accessible at the end of the test.
- HTML report will be generated and automatically opened at the end.
Score
- HTML report gives scores for the different sections defined in the standard.
- The opposing Glare shows the glare perceived by an upcoming driver.
- The low and high beam maps on the road show the road illumination from above.
- Details regarding measured values, as explained in the standard, can also be found.