|
LED 내구성을 향상시키는 그라파이트 폼
발광 다이오드(light-emitting diode: LED) 램프의 내구성을 향상시켜 줄 수 있는, 미국 오크리지 연구실에서 개발된 기술이 SLE 노스 아메리카(LED North America)에서 허가를 받았다. 8월 27일에 전적으로 사인이 된 동의서는 오크리지 국립실험실 재료과학 및 기술부의 James Klet에 의해 개발된 그라파이트 폼 기술이다. LED 노스 어메리카는 거리 가로등 및 공원 주차 광원과 같이, 응용분야에서 수요가 증가하고 있는 LED 램프에서 자동 냉각 부품에 이 그라파이트 폼을 사용하고자 한다. LED 노스 어메리카는 도시용, 상업용 및 산업용 부분에 LED 조명 부품을 전문으로 제공하고 있다.
ORNL graphite foam technology licensed to LED North America
The agreement signed today exclusively licenses a graphite foam technology developed by James Klett of ORNL's Materials Science and Technology Division. LED North America intends to use the graphite foam to passively cool components in LED lamps, which are increasingly in demand in applications such as street lights and parking garage lighting. LED North America specializes in providing LED lighting products for municipal, commercial and industrial applications. Cooling LED lamps is critical to increasing their efficiency, considering that each 10-degree decrease in temperature can double the life of the lighting components. Using graphite foam to more efficiently manage the heat of LEDs could help extend the lamp's lifespan and lower its price, making the lamps more attractive to a broader consumer base. ORNL's James Klett hopes the graphite foam can offer potential savings for customers. "While this technology will reduce temperatures and increase the life of the LED lighting systems, what it will really do is save municipalities millions of dollars every year in replacement fixture costs as well as maintenance," Klett said. The newly licensed graphite foam invention offers many advantages over comparable heat sink materials such as copper and aluminum. Graphite foam's high thermal conductivity, low weight and easy machinability give the material greater design flexibility and make it a lighter, cheaper and more efficient cooling option. The foam's unusual graphite crystal structure is the key to its conductivity. It has a skeletal structure full of air pockets, making it only 25 percent dense and lightweight. The network of ligaments in the foam wicks heat away from its source, making it an excellent candidate to cool the LED lamp components. Championed as an energy saving lighting source, LEDs are becoming more widespread due to their low energy consumption, compact size and long life expectancy. Improved LED performance will enable LED North America to offer longer warranty periods than its competitors. LED North America's relationship with ORNL helped prompt Andrew Wilhelm, one of the company's founders, to locate the company in Tech 2020, a business incubator in Oak Ridge. "The proximity to ORNL gives the us the opportunity to work closely with ORNL researchers to further refine the integration of the graphite foam material into LED lamps," Wilhelm said. ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. |
