Visibility distances in a foggy atmosphere: Comparisons between lighting installations by Monte Carlo simulation

Abstract

A program for the simulation of light propagation in multiple scattering media is applied to the evaluation of visibility distances. Knowing the three-dimensional geometric and photometrical characteristics of sources and detectors and the albedo, extinction coefficient and phase function of the scattering medium, the program computes light propagation and detection. The program is applied to visibility distances of targets for a driver on a road in foggy night atmospheres. In the first of two studies, two lighting installations are compared: classic street lamps and experimental sheetlighting. In the second, the influence of the height and spacing of lamps is been simulated, together with the respective roles of two kinds of targets: the lateral limits of the road and obstacles ahead.

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