Development of new lighting technology

University of Manchester and DialightLumidrives are working together to study the use of light-emitting diode (LED) technology advantages in road lighting.

Smaller, lighter, longer life

LED first appeared in digital watches and computers in the 70s of last century. Today, this technology has made progress, can be used to create a durable, low energy consumption and community friendly road lighting equipment.

LED lighting is not only environmentally friendly, but also safe. It does not contain glass, filament or mercury, so it will not happen due to halogen or high intensity current (HID) caused by the explosion of the lamp. Piezoelectric current can fully guarantee the safety of consumers. At the same time, the cost is low, and will not be limited by the mercury treatment. Moreover, because of the small size of the LED, the possibility of making it more flexible, smaller, lighter and more luminous is greatly increased.

Color LED module can make the color very realistic, according to the size of the model and energy consumption rate, and gradually increase the high brightness output, and energy efficiency is higher than the incandescent unit. In Europe, a very common high-pressure sodium vapor street lamp consumes 150 watts per watt of electricity, can produce a total of 85 lumens of light, and LED technology has made the amount of electricity generated per watt lighting more than two lumens. With the development of the new semiconductor, the figure is expected to be higher.

LED long life expectancy, the LED street lamp module is under study for more than 10 years, is more than four times the average life of street lamps. The long life of the LED street lamp means that it does not need to be replaced frequently, which reduces the potential of traffic interruption and reduces the maintenance cost of the government.

Low energy consumption more beautiful

DialightLumidrives general manager believes that the next 10 years, LED will become the main source of lighting, is moving in this direction.

Dr Roger Shuttleworth, of the University of Manchester's Department of electrical energy conversion, said: "in twentieth Century, the old fashioned sodium lamp, which made everything look orange, was gradually replaced by a high-pressure lamp. These high pressure sodium lamps shine more brightly, and in line with the visual aesthetic, but also to help solve street crime and anti social behavior, while low energy consumption. "

The light emitting diode display technology for the first time came to prominence in 70s on the display apparatus of last century, we increasingly see the light emitting diode is used in areas such as traffic lights and car lights such things. "

He added: "as environmental issues are mentioned in the first place in the national and government agenda, energy saving has become an important issue. Imagine how much light there is in the UK, and you'll see just how much energy and cost savings exist. "

The researchers point out that while reducing energy consumption and overall operating costs, LED street lights also help to reduce light pollution, large cities to the sky to heat the era may be over. Company officials said that the existing street lights for LED street lamps should be very simple, because the need for complex electronic technology.

When the great need to hone"

If the use of LED to provide lighting to get the application, you can reduce the energy consumption of 25%% - 50%. However, when the need for 12000 lumens (a typical family of 60 watt light bulb is more than 800 lumens) or more lighting, heating and other electrical related issues will become an obstacle to LED technology.

Now the researchers are trying to solve the problem of how to reduce the amount of heat produced by a compact set of LED. Because the LED module will be used outdoors, it is also necessary to test the actual environmental factors, such as the possibility of the key heat sink was nesting birds. There are rules and regulations. The current regulations specify the degree of glare and light pollution restrictions, while clearly defined LED light source can be installed in the region. These are challenges.

Under normal operation, the LED undergoes a gradual decrease in light output, and the process continues. The reason for the decrease in light output may be a decrease in the efficiency of light generation by LED or a reduction in the light path in the LED compression package. However, as long as there is no overload, LED street lamp in the work 50 thousand hours or after 10 years, you can also achieve the ability of the original 70% light output.

Source: Science and Technology Daily