Arrangement of LEDs and Their Impact on Thermal Operating Conditions in High-Power Luminaires

Abstract

Solid-state light sources are currently the fastest-growing group of light sources, replacing the previously used discharge and incandescent light sources. Thermal operating conditions of LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) play an important role in t maintaining long service life and constancy of luminous-electrical parameters. In the field of illumination, the service life parameter of light sources is important for the costs of maintenance of the illumination system, while the maintenance of the value of certain light parameters over time, such as luminous flux, color temperature and color rendering index, is related to the aesthetic effect of the illumination. In addition, limiting the junction temperature of solid-state light sources is particularly important in high-power luminaires dedicated to flood illumination. One of the elements shaping the thermal operating conditions of multi-source LED luminaires is the number of luminaires used, their arrangement, and the distance between LEDs installed on the MCPCB (Metal Core Printed Circuit Board) substrate. This article presents the results of simulation studies, realized using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software, where the temperature distribution and the junction temperature of the LED panel were determined for different configurations and distances between the LEDs. The results obtained were analyzed and conclusions were drawn based on them. Thermal tests performed and presented in the article cover scientific issues related to shaping the temperature distribution of the LED panel. They make it possible to determine the influence of thermal couplings between the sources, related to their number, distance and the value of the forward current, on the final temperature of the LED junction temperature. The presented research results may constitute auxiliary materials for designers of lighting luminaires, especially high-power luminaires, where a large number of high-power LED sources are installed in close proximity.