Product category:
Lasers
News Release from: Dialight Lumidrives
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 06 March 2007
Programme aims for high output LED
modules
Grant funds GBP 330,000 project to develop new technology platforms for next generation LED lighting modules.
Dialight Lumidrives, in collaboration with the University of Manchester, has been awarded a grant by the Department of Trade and Industry-led Technology Programme for a GBP 330,000 project to develop new technology platforms for next generation LED lighting modules The applied research programme runs until April 2008 and aims to produce a number of high output LED modules with light outputs exceeding 12,000 lumen
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 22 May 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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The modules will integrate thermal management, optical control and high reliability drive electronics to maximise the benefits of LED technology in existing lighting applications such as architectural, road way and industrial lighting.
The thermal and electrical challenges at these power levels represent significant barriers to the wider adoption of LED technology.
The project aims to deliver a high reliability novel solution, yet remain focused on achieving a significant cost performance break-through.
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Welcoming the new partnership, Science and Innovation Minister, Malcolm Wicks said: "The UK has a proud history of innovation in science and technology".
"We believe that we must work with industry to develop the marketable products and services of tomorrow, so that we can maintain our position as a leading global economy".
"That's why we're supporting this project".
"It provides a great opportunity to harness the UK's world-class expertise and use it to help boost our economy".
Gordon Routledge, Dialight Lumidrives Managing Director says: "Although many companies have made demonstrators of LED lighting in existing lighting applications, very little work has been completed into the associated technologies beyond LEDs at the component level".
"Significant improvements in cost, efficiency and reliability are therefore essential".
"The concept may sound trivial, but our five year's experience in the LED lighting industry shows that the thermal requirements of LED devices represent the biggest challenge in most applications for general lighting".
"Leading the way in this field represents an excellent opportunity for the already successful UK lighting industry".
"The project should produce a result which will prove to the European lighting industry the wider potential of LED lighting technology and encourage further investment in research and development by other companies in the supply chain".
"This innovative project will aim to develop an optimised lighting module which should solve a number of the remaining technical barriers to the wider adoption of solid state lighting".
"The final solution should be a plug and play device with integated drive electronics and optical control combined in a thermally efficient package".
Dialight Lumidrives has been developing and exploiting LED technology for lighting applications for almost five years with a successful product range supplied to many of the world's leading equipment manufacturers.
Dialight, the parent company of Dialight Lumidrives, is the world leader in LED traffic signals and navigation lights.
Solid state lighting is a key priority in the group's expansion over the next five years.
Collborating with Dialight Lumidrives is the University of Manchester's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Its Power Conversion Research Group has significant experience in the research and development of high reliability power electronics for demanding environments.
Energy efficiency in power electronics, machines and drives is also an important theme for the group.
Extensive research projects for Rolls Royce form a significant focus for the group, particularly in aerospace and marine applications.
The project will innovate in a number of areas.
The electrical drive system for the LEDs will have to operate in a demanding thermal environment, since a significant amount of heat is generated by the LEDs.
Although difficult thermal environments exist in many applications, cost is a significant factor in the lighting industry - so the solution will have to be low cost and deliver high reliability.
For long term reliability LEDs have to be kept cool.
The environmental factors have a significant input into the optimum design, since light fixtures can be used in a number of orientations (a bird using an optimised heatsink as a nest site could have disastrous results for the LEDs).
In many lighting applications the light distribution is prescribed in regulations.
In street lighting both glare factor and light pollution are major considerations which need to be considered in any solution.
One major advantage of LEDs is the ease in which they can be controlled, dimming for example.
The project will also explore how other control features can be added to improve the overall value proposition of solid state lighting Most high output light sources used with the target applications use mercury, and so LEDs represent a more environmentally friendly light source.
Assuming the LED industry maintains its predicted rate of growth, lighting solutions using LEDs have the potential to reduce lighting related energy consumption by 25-50% depending on application.
The lifetime of the proposed lighting module is in excess of 50,000 hours or 10 years in a roadway lighting application.
Many of the traditional light sources in the target application are orange biased (roadway and industrial lighting).
Studies have indicated that the eye response is better to blue biased light sources such as LEDs.
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