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Affordable High-Efficiency Solid-State Downlight Luminaires with Novel Cooling

Investigating Organization

General Electric Global Research

Principal Investigator(s)

Mehmet Arik

Subcontractor

None

Funding Source

Building Technologies Program/NETL

Award

DOE Share: $2,164,530; Contractor Share: $721,510

Contract Period

07/15/08 - 12/31/10

The objective of this program is to develop an illumination quality solid-state lighting (SSL) luminaire based on LED cooling using synthetic jets combined with optimized system packaging and electronics. Upon completion, the team will deliver 1500 lumen luminaires with:

  • > 75 lm/W efficacy
  • $51 end-user price
  • 50,000 h lifetime
  • Manufacturing and marketing plan
  • Physics-of-failure-based LED luminaire reliability models

The performance and reliability of future LED lighting systems are driven by the thermal management solution of the system. Systems using passive heat sinks will require a larger size compared to conventional lighting systems, potentially limiting their implementation. This project is developing thermal management solutions based upon synthetic jets that will be integrated into compact lighting fixtures. Synthetic jets create high-speed turbulence coolant streams that can provide >5X cooling versus natural convection cooling. Although this technology is still under development, initial results show the potential to shrink the size of the thermal management solution as well as the ability to run LEDs at higher driving currents, potentially reducing overall system cost.