Enabling cooling technology for next-generation high-bright LEDs

High-brightness LEDs are remarkably efficient light sources, and seem poised to take over significant segments of industrial and architectural lighting. But light “bulbs” based on the tiny semiconductors have a real problem – how do you remove the heat generated by the LED? While the 1-3W devices are more efficient than traditional incandescent or even CFLD lights, they’re also tiny, without nearly the surface area to disperse the heat.

OK, now think back to nearly three years ago and a forward-looking EDN article, Puff to be Cool on research done by Georgia Institute of Technology on synthetic jet ejector arrays (SynJets). These arrays consist of a diaphragm mounted in a cavity which an electromagnetic or piezoelectric driver vibrates 100 to 200 times per second, forcing puffs of air out through openings in the cavity.

Fast-forward to the present, and a company, Nuventix which has just announced a commercialized version of Synjet cooling deives in a couple of flavors, one for IC cooling, and another specifically for HB LED-based spotlights. The company claims that using a Synjet device allows the lights to burn at twice the light output compared to passive LED thermal management designs. It’s neat to be able to see university research make it into the marketplace, enabling energy-efficient designs.

The MR-16 SynJet cooling module fits the form factor of an MR-16 bulb and can cool a 15W heat source in an LED lighting application. It has a life of 300,000 hours L10 at 60C. It also comes in a version for PAR-38 light sources.

Pricing is dependent on quantity and customization. However, an approximate price for a Synjet module for a bulb assembly in the $40-50 range would be about $10.