Submerged LED Light Engine Water Cooling System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light fixtures, particularly LED-based systems, face challenges in heat management, brightness, and cost-effectiveness for outdoor and underwater applications, making them unsuitable for coordinated light and sound displays in domestic settings like yards or gardens, and are difficult to retrofit into existing installations.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a processor-controlled DMX controller with LED light engines, where the LED light engines are mounted in pipes submerged in water, leveraging water as a heat sink, and using pulse width modulation for power efficiency, allowing for synchronized light and sound displays with a user interface for customization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If LED light engines are used to provide bright light for illumination and underwater lighting, then the illumination intensity is improved, but the heat build-up in electronic circuits increases, reducing LED lifespan and light output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated by LED light engines into a beneficial cooling mechanism by submerging the LEDs in water. The water acts as a heat sink, absorbing excess heat from the LED circuits and preventing overheating, thereby enabling high-brightness LED illumination without the typical heat-related failures. This transforms the harmful thermal byproduct into a useful cooling resource.
Solution Approach 2:
Water serves as an intermediary substance between the LED light engine and the surrounding environment. It mediates heat transfer from the LED circuits to the external water body, providing thermal management without requiring direct contact between the LEDs and the external environment. This intermediary approach enables effective heat dissipation while maintaining the integrity of the lighting system.
2Illumination intensity
If multiple LED fixtures are clustered to provide sufficient brightness for illumination and pool lighting, then the illumination intensity is improved, but the heat build-up within electronic circuits increases, shortening lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat accumulated in clustered LED fixtures into a beneficial cooling effect. By submerging the LED array in water, the system uses the water as a heat sink that absorbs the collective heat from multiple LEDs, preventing thermal accumulation that would otherwise shorten lifespan. This enables high-brightness multi-LED configurations to operate continuously without overheating.
3Ease of manufacture
If fiber-optic lighting is used for underwater lighting in domestic pools, then the installation is simplified compared to traditional systems, but the brightness is insufficient and the cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs standard, off-the-shelf LED light engines that can be easily substituted into existing pool lighting fixtures. These conventional LED components are more affordable and brighter than specialized fiber-optic systems, while maintaining ease of installation through standardized mounting approaches. The system uses readily available parts to achieve superior performance without requiring complex custom components.
4Illumination intensity
If traditional incandescent light fixtures are used for bright underwater lighting, then the brightness is sufficient, but the heat generation is excessive and energy efficiency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal radiation mechanism of incandescent bulbs with the electroluminescence mechanism of LED light engines. This substitution eliminates the inefficient conversion of electrical energy to heat that characterizes incandescent lighting, achieving superior energy efficiency while maintaining adequate brightness through the different physical principle of light generation.
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
The system provides efficient, cost-effective, and customizable light and sound displays with reduced heat issues, suitable for various applications including pool and spa lighting, and can be retrofitted into existing systems, offering improved brightness and longevity of LED light fixtures.
Implementation Method 1
the water acts as a heat sink to the LED light engine
Implementation Method 2
The LED light engine is cooled by convection cooling
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for controlling a plurality of light fixtures to create light and music, including a processor having a memory. Software is loaded in the memory and is executable by the processor to operate a plurality of light fixtures and at least one music speaker. At least one DMX controller is operable by the software to control the color of at least one of the plurality of light fixtures, the at least one light fixture controllable by the DMX controller including an LED light engine. The system and method generates light and sound displays by operating the lights in synchronization with music played through the music speaker. The color of at least one of the plurality of light fixtures is altered in synchronization with the music by the DMX controller. Also disclosed is a light fixture suitable for use in the light and music displays.