LED Searchlight Segmented Housing Thermal Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

High power density LEDs in searchlights generate excessive heat, complicating cooling requirements and limiting their performance in search and rescue applications where efficient cooling is essential.

Innovation Solution

A searchlight design featuring a unique housing structure with two interconnected housing portions forming a cooling medium flow path, where LEDs are directly thermally coupled to heat sinks made of low thermal resistance materials, allowing for efficient heat dissipation by exposing the heat sinks to airflow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If LED die size is increased to increase light output, then illumination intensity is improved, but power density increases and heat generation consolidates, worsening cooling requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight outputVSAvoidheat generation

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into a first housing portion and a second housing portion, each with its own heat sink and LED array. This segmentation distributes the heat generation across multiple separate heat sinks rather than consolidating it in a single location, making the thermal management more manageable while maintaining high illumination output.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A cooling medium flow path is introduced as an intermediary between the two heat sinks to facilitate heat transfer. The cooling medium acts as a mediator that carries heat away from both heat sinks efficiently, resolving the thermal management challenge posed by high power density LEDs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Illumination intensity

If multiple illumination sources are placed adjacent a reflector within a housing, then illumination intensity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight outputVSAvoidhousing structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The housing portions are joined to form an integrated housing structure with a unified reflector cavity. The cooling medium flow path merges the thermal management functions of both heat sinks into a single integrated system, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining multiple illumination sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The housing structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, contains the reflector cavity for light direction, and incorporates the cooling medium flow path for thermal management. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying the overall device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Temperature

If heat sinks are exposed to cooling medium flow path, then heat dissipation is improved, but housing structure complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat dissipationVSAvoidhousing structure

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The housing portions are joined to form an integrated structure where the cooling medium flow path is incorporated into the housing itself rather than being a separate external system. This merging of cooling functionality into the housing structure achieves efficient heat dissipation without significantly increasing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 design enables effective cooling of high power LEDs, maintaining comparable illumination levels to traditional searchlights while ensuring efficient heat transfer and dissipation, even in harsh environments.

Implementation Method 1

the heat sink elements of each heat sink thermally communicate with the flow path

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

a cooling medium flow path there between, and the heat sink elements of each heat sink thermally communicate with the flow path

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 3

A first LED is directly thermally coupled to the heat sink within the first housing portion reflector cavity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS10180246B2LED searchlight and method

Publication Date: 2019.01.15 HONEYWELL LKGLOBAL PATENT SERVICES

AI summary

A searchlight assembly has a first housing portion and a second housing portion, wherein each of the first housing portion and the second housing portion has operably secured to form an enclosed space: a heat sink, a reflector and a lens. The first housing portion and the second housing portion being are joined to form a housing assembly. The first housing portion heat sink and the second housing portion heat sink are disposed adjacent to one another and form a cooling medium flow path there between, and the heat sink elements of each heat sink thermally communicate with the flow path. A first LED is directly thermally coupled to the heat sink within in the first housing portion enclosed space and a second LED is directly thermally coupled to the heat sink within the second housing portion enclosed space.