Graphene LED Headlight Thermal Management

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional aftermarket-installed vehicle LED headlights suffer from short lifespan, low light emission efficiency, and large light decay due to inadequate heat dissipation and the use of fans for cooling, leading to inefficient light distribution and increased energy consumption.

Innovation Solution

The intelligently-connected vehicle LED headlight uses a graphene-based heat dissipation system, eliminating the need for fans by employing a super-heat-conducting vapor chamber and graphene heat-conducting glue, combined with an imaging lens assembly that enhances light distribution efficiency and utilizes a graphene-coated radiator for improved heat management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If traditional LED headlights use fans for cooling, then heat dissipation is achieved, but the service life is shortened and reliability is reduced due to fan failure risks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipationVSAvoidservice life
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the fan component from the heat dissipation system, extracting the unreliable mechanical moving part and replacing it with a passive heat pipe-based thermal management system. This eliminates fan failure risks while maintaining effective heat dissipation from LED components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical fan-based active cooling system with a thermal pipe-based passive cooling system. The thermal pipe uses phase change and capillary action to transport heat without moving parts, substituting mechanical complexity with thermodynamic principles for improved reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Illumination intensity

If traditional LED headlights use reflectors for light distribution, then light direction is achieved, but light emission efficiency is reduced due to reflective losses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight distributionVSAvoidlight emission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the optical reflector system with an imaging lens assembly. This substitution changes the light distribution mechanism from reflective routing to refractive imaging, eliminating energy losses associated with reflection and achieving higher light emission efficiency while maintaining proper light pattern distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the optical parameter approach from reflection-based light routing to refraction-based imaging. The imaging lens assembly uses precise refractive index matching and lens geometry to achieve efficient light distribution, transforming the optical interaction mode to reduce energy losses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If traditional LED headlights lack effective heat dissipation, then device complexity is reduced, but light decay increases and service life is shortened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidservice life
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs composite thermal management structures combining aluminum alloy heat sinks with thermal pipe technology. This composite approach integrates multiple heat dissipation mechanisms (conduction, convection, phase change) into a unified system that effectively manages thermal loads while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the problematic fan component and replaces it with passive thermal pipe technology, simplifying the overall system by removing moving parts while simultaneously improving service life through more reliable and continuous heat dissipation without mechanical failure points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Illumination intensity

If high-power LEDs are used to increase luminous output, then illumination intensity is improved, but heat generation increases leading to faster aging and light decay

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveluminous outputVSAvoidheat generation
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces thermal pipes as intermediary heat transfer devices between the high-power LED heat sources and the external environment. These thermal pipes act as heat transfer mediators, efficiently conducting away generated heat through phase change and capillary action, preventing temperature buildup that would cause LED aging and light decay.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes phase transition (liquid-vapor cycle) within the thermal pipe system to achieve high-efficiency heat transfer. The working fluid inside the thermal pipe repeatedly evaporates and condenses, absorbing and releasing large amounts of latent heat, thereby effectively managing the thermal load from high-power LEDs without requiring complex active cooling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #36Phase transitions

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution increases light emission efficiency by over 30%, extends the service life of the headlight, and reduces energy consumption while providing uniform and stable lighting, surpassing traditional LED headlights in performance and longevity.

Implementation Method 1

graphene heat-conducting glue is connected to the super-heat-conducting vapor chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

super-heat-conducting vapor chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase change: Phase Change

Implementation Method 3

super-heat-conducting vapor chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 4

imaging lens assembly...changes the light distribution manner of the light source from emitting light by a reflector to emitting light by imaging

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Implementation Method 5

imaging lens assembly enables the light emission manner to be a way of horizontally emitting light by imaging

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLens imaging: Lens

Implementation Method 6

graphene-coated radiator for improved heat management

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 7

graphene-coated radiator for improved heat management

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP3660389B1Intelligently-connected vehicle LED headlight using graphene
Publication Date: 2023.11.01 HUZHOU MINGSHUO OPTOELECTRONICS TECH CO LTD
  • EP3660389B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1f
  • EP3660389B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2f
  • EP3660389B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is an intelligently-connected vehicle LED headlight using graphene, which comprises an imaging lens assembly (9, 5, 6, 7), an LED light source (1), and a heat dissipation assembly (2, 3, 4), wherein the imaging lens assembly (9, 5, 6, 7) is connected to the LED light source (1), and the LED source (1) is connected to the heat dissipation assembly (2, 3, 4). The light distribution manner of the light source of the vehicle headlight is changed from emitting light by a reflector to emitting light by imaging, so that the light emission efficiency is improved by more than 30%. Further, a graphene heat dissipation material is used in the vehicle headlight to dissipate heat, and accordingly the heat dissipation capability of the lamp can be better improved, thereby prolonging the service life of the vehicle headlight.