Thermal Management of Light Sources

Abstract

The primary task of light sources is illumination, i.e., the emission of visible radiation—light. However, depending on the generation principle, besides light, also heat will be dissipated to the surroundings. Traditional thermal light sources generate light by the electrical heating of a tungsten wire to temperatures of about 3000 K. Even at this high temperature, the majority of the emitted thermal radiation is within the long wavelength range of the spectrum, i.e., not in the visible range of the optical spectrum. Generation of light with discharge lamps is completely different and non-thermal; however, even in this case the electrodes are heated to temperatures well above 2000 K. Thus, discharge lamps also suffer from thermal problems. In the case of solid-state light sources, also non-thermal light sources, the driving electrical current causes heating of the device, for which the temperature is, or should usually be, below 420 K for proper operation. Contrary to thermal or discharge light sources, such relatively low temperatures of solid-state light sources prevent efficient cooling by thermal radiation, requiring convective or conductive cooling. However, for all mentioned light sources, the thermal management, i.e., the adjusting and maintaining of an optimum operation temperature are vital for the efficiency and lifetime of the light sources. This paper deals with the methods of generation and measurement of the thermal load in the respective light sources and discusses ways to optimize the efficiency and lifetime of such light sources. Also, some practical examples are given to emphasize the relevance of such thermal management for industry, pointing out the potential for future more energy-efficient light source concepts.