LED Cooling Structure With Air Channels for Color Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solid state lighting (SSL) devices, particularly LEDs, face heat-related issues that lead to deterioration of semiconductor and optical components, causing a shift in light emission frequency and reduced color fidelity over time.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a housing design with thermally conductive projections and passive or active air cooling systems, including channels for air flow and optional air pressurizers, to manage heat dissipation and maintain the temperature of SSL devices within an optimal range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional SSL devices are used without advanced cooling mechanisms, then device simplicity is maintained, but heat accumulation causes deterioration of semiconductor and optical components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated by LEDs into a beneficial cooling mechanism by using the heat itself to drive natural convection currents. The heated air rises through channels in the housing, creating a passive cooling flow that draws cooler air across the LED components, thereby utilizing the problem (heat) as the solution (cooling drive).
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system operates autonomously without external power or control mechanisms. The natural convection current is self-generated by the temperature difference created by the LED operation itself, making the system self-regulating and eliminating the need for additional cooling components or energy input.
2Illumination intensity
If converter material is deposited on LED to produce white light, then color quality is improved, but converter material deteriorates rapidly at higher temperatures affecting color fidelity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the converter material from direct contact with the LED heat source by positioning it in the optical path away from the LED chip. The cooling air flow is directed to remove heat from the converter material region, separating the light conversion function from the heat generation zone and reducing thermal degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cooling air as an intermediary substance that mediates heat transfer between the LED components and the external environment. This air flow acts as a thermal buffer, protecting temperature-sensitive components like the converter material from excessive heat while maintaining operational temperatures for light generation.
3Temperature
If thermally conductive projections and air cooling systems are added to SSL devices, then cooling efficiency is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, directs light output, and incorporates integrated cooling channels that guide air flow. The reflector simultaneously directs light and can be configured to facilitate cooling air circulation, combining structural and thermal management functions in single components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses thin thermal interface materials and flexible housing designs that can be molded with integrated cooling channels. These thin-film thermal interfaces provide efficient heat conduction without adding significant bulk, while the housing geometry itself is shaped to create effective cooling pathways without requiring separate rigid cooling components.
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 effectively reduces heat accumulation, prolongs the lifespan of SSL components, and maintains color fidelity by ensuring consistent light emission across the lifespan of the devices.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing thermally conductive materials and air flow to manage temperature
Implementation Method 2
passive or active air cooling systems within the SSL device design, including channels for air flow
Data Source
AI summary
A solid state lighting (SSL) with a solid state emitter (SSE) having thermally conductive projections extending into an air channel, and methods of making and using such SSLs. The thermally conductive projections can be fins, posts, or other structures configured to transfer heat into a fluid medium, such as air. The projections can be electrical contacts between the SSE and a power source. The air channel can be oriented generally vertically such that air in the channel warmed by the SSE flows upward through the channel.