Air mixing methodology and system to reduce the temperature of LEDs of a photocatalytic reactor

The present invention generally relates to LEDs and, more particularly, to heat dissipation of LEDs.

LEDs dissipate around 70% of their input electrical energy in the form of heat. If this heat is not effectively taken away from the system, the LEDs soldering point would reach higher temperature during steady operation. Life and efficiency of LEDs decrease with temperature rise.

An approach used to dissipate heat from high-performance LED-chip packages uses metal-based PCBs that contain a central layer of aluminum or copper to spread heat.

Another approach to dissipate heat is an active cooling solution, such as fans. But they may not have the same life expectancy as the LED itself.

As can be seen, there is a need for improved apparatus and methods to dissipate heat from LEDs.

In one aspect of the present invention, an LED panel comprises a support having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a window that extends from the first side to the second side; an LED affixed to the first side; a diverter affixed to the second side; wherein the diverter includes an angled portion; wherein the angled portion extends over a window portion that is less than all of the window. With the diverter, the change or variation in pressure drop in the system can be minimal.

In another aspect of the present invention, an LED panel comprises a support having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a window that extends from the first side to the second side; an LED affixed to the first side; a diverter affixed to the second side; wherein the diverter includes an angled portion; wherein an angle between the angled portion and a plane of the window is an acute angle.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, an LED panel comprises a first panel having a first support having a first LED side and a first non-LED side; wherein the first substrate includes a first window; a first LED affixed to the first LED side; a second panel having: a second support having a second LED side and a second non-LED side; wherein the second non-LED side interfaces the first non-LED side; wherein the second substrate includes a second window; a second LED affixed to the second LED side; a diverter affixed to the second non-LED side; wherein the diverter includes an angled portion; wherein the angled portion extends over a second window portion that is less than all of the second window.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

FIG. 1A is a top schematic view of an LED panel array according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a side schematic view of the LED panel array in FIG. 1A ;

FIG. 2A is a front view of an LED panel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a partial perspective view of the LED panel in FIG. 2A ;

FIG. 3 is a partial side schematic view of an LED panel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a is a top schematic view of an LED panel array according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial side schematic view of an LED panel according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a graph of temperature versus time, at a given set of operating parameters, that compares the present invention to the prior art;

FIG. 6B is a graph of temperature versus time, at a another set of operating parameters, that compares the present invention to the prior art;

FIG. 6C is a graph of temperature versus time, at yet another set of operating parameters, that compares the present invention to the prior art;

FIG. 7 is a graph of temperature versus position on an LED panel that compares the present invention to the prior art.

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or may only address one of the problems discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.

Generally, the present invention provides, in a housing, an LED panel array and LED panels therein that enable heat dissipation. The panel array can include one or more pairs of first and second LED panels. In the panel array, the first LED panel can transfer an air flow towards a second LED panel. The second LED panel can include diverter(s) that can divert the air flow along the surface of the second LED panel and/or allow the air flow to pass through a window(s) in the second LED panel. In embodiments, the present invention can provide a reduction in the second LED panel temperature, over prior art designs, by from about 7% to about 9%.

In FIGS. 1A-1B , an exemplary embodiment of an LED panel array 10 is schematically depicted. For illustration purposes, the LED panel array 10 may include a first LED panel 11 and an interfacing second LED panel 14 . However, the array 10 may include more than two LED panels. In embodiments, the LED panels may be disposed parallel to one another. In embodiments, the first LED panel 11 may be perpendicularly oriented to an air flow.

The first LED panel 11 may include a first support or substrate 12 , such as a PCB made of any conventional material, such as a metal. The first substrate 12 may have a first LED side 12 a and an opposed first non-LED side 12 b . Similarly, the second LED panel 14 may include a second substrate 15 , such as a PCB, a second LED side 15 a , and a second non-LED side 15 b . Thereby, the second non-LED side 15 b faces towards each other the first non-LED side 12 b.

On the first LED panel 11 , one or more first LEDs 13 can be affixed, in a first LED array configuration, to the first LED side 12 a . The first LEDs 13 can be of any conventional design. The first LED array configuration can include a random or non-random arrangement of LEDs. For example, the first LEDs 13 can be equally spaced from one another in rows and columns. In an embodiment, LEDs are absent on the first non-LED side 12 b.

In an embodiment, the first LED panel 11 can include one or more first windows 21 (i.e., holes or openings) within the first LED array. In other words, the first LED panel 11 can have first windows 21 that are interspersed, either randomly or non-randomly, among the first LEDs 13 . The first windows extend from the first LED side 12 a , through the first substrate 12 , and to the first non-LED side 12 b . In an embodiment, the first windows 21 can be in a first window array configuration whereby each window 21 can be equally spaced from one another in rows and columns. In an embodiment, LEDs are absent on the first non-LED side 12 b

The second LED panel 14 can include a support or substrate 15 , such as a PCB made of any conventional material, such as a metal. On the second LED panel 14 , one or more second LEDs 17 can be affixed, in a second LED array configuration, to the second LED side 15 a . The second LEDs 17 can be of any conventional design. The second LED array configuration can include a random or non-random arrangement of LEDs. For example, the second LEDs 17 can be equally spaced from one another in rows and columns. In an embodiment, LEDs are absent on the second non-LED side 15 b.

In the second LED panel 14 , one or more second windows (i.e., openings or holes) 16 can extend from the second LED side 15 a , through the second substrate 15 , and to the second non-LED side 15 b . The second windows 16 can be arranged in a window array configuration wherein the configuration can include a random or non-random arrangement of windows. For example, the second windows 16 can be equally spaced from one another in rows and columns. The second windows 16 can be characterized by a window plane 16 a that lies in a plane of the second non-LED side 15 b . In other words, the window 16 extends from the non-LED side 15 b to the LED side 15 a , and each side lies in a respective plane. Thus, the window 16 also lies in the planes of both sides 15 a , 15 b . Since a “side” of the window 16 lies in a plane of the non-LED side 15 b , the window 16 also has a window plane 16 a.

In an embodiment, the first LEDs 13 can be aligned with the second LEDs 17 in both x and y directions. In other embodiments, the first windows 21 can be aligned with the second windows 16 in both x and y directions.

In FIGS. 2A-2B , on the second LED panel 14 , one or more diverters 18 can be affixed to and/or integral with the second non-LED side 15 b . One or more of the diverters 18 can include one or more angled portions 18 a that extend from one or more base portions 18 b . The base portion 18 b can be affixed to the second non-LED side 15 b . In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A , a single diverter 18 can include a single base portion 18 b with multiple angled portions 18 a that extend from opposing edges of the base portion 18 b . In an embodiment, the angled portions 18 a are equally spaced from one another along each edge of the base portion 18 b.

One or more of the angled portions 18 a can extend from the base portion 18 b in such a way that the angled portion 18 a extend across or over only a portion of a second window 16 , and not all of the second window 16 ( FIG. 2A ). In various embodiments, the angled portion 18 a may only extend over about 13% to about 74% of a window 16 , thus leaving about 87% to about 26% of the window open (i.e., uncovered or unobstructed).

In an embodiment, one or more of the angled portions 18 a can be positioned relative to the window plane 16 a at an acute angle 18 c . In embodiments, the acute angle can be from about 30° to about 75°. Alternatively, in embodiments, the angled portion 18 a can be positioned relative to the base portion 18 b at an obtuse angle from about 105° to about 150°. In further alternatives, the angled portion 18 a may be angled to an impinging air flow 19 described below between about 30° to about 60°. In embodiments, one or more the diverters 18 can be made by bending the LED substrate 15 .

FIG. 3 schematically depicts a possible mechanism of heat dissipation according to an embodiment of the present invention. However, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited by such mechanism. In this embodiment, the diverter 18 includes angled portions 18 a along each opposing edge of the base portion 18 b . Air 19 can emanate from the first LED panel 11 . As the air 19 meets or contacts a diverter 18 , an air portion 19 a of the heated air may contact an angled portion 18 a , thereby directing the air portion 19 a along the second non-LED side 15 b , and more specifically, along the base portion 18 b . Such area of flow along the base portion 18 b is depicted by the encircled area 20 and can be referred to as the heat convection area because it is believed that in such area 20 heat transfer by convection occurs.

At the same time, or even at a different time, an air portion 19 b does not contact the angled portion 18 a , thereby flowing from the first LED panel 11 and straight or directly into the uncovered portion of the window 16 . At the same time, or even at a different time, an air portion 19 c does not contact the angled portion 18 a , thereby flowing from the first LED panel 11 to contact the second non-LED side 15 b , and thus indirectly flowing into the uncovered portion of the window 16 . In embodiments, with the diverter(s) 18 , the change or variation in pressure drop in the system can be minimal.

FIG. 4 schematically depicts an alternative embodiment of an LED panel array 10 ′. The array 10 ′ can be the same as the panel array 10 , except that the diverter 18 ′ in the former array differs. The diverter 18 ′ includes multiple angled portions 18 a ′, but only along one edge of the base portion 18 b.

FIG. 5 schematically depicts a possible mechanism of heat dissipation according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4 . Air 19 ′ can emanate from the first LED panel 11 . As the air meets or contacts a diverter 18 ′, an air portion 19 a ′ of the air 19 ′ may contact an angled portion 18 a ′, thereby directing the air portion 19 a ′ along the second non-LED side 15 b ′, and more specifically, along the base portion 18 b ′. The area in which the air portion 19 a ′ moves along the base portion 18 b ′ can be referred to as the heat convection area 20 ′. The air portion 19 a ′ may then continue to flow out of the heat convection area 20 ′ and into the uncovered portion of a window 16 ′, which is unlike the embodiment of FIG. 3 .

At the same time, or even at a different time, an air portion 19 b ′ does not contact the angled portion 18 a ′, thereby flowing from the first LED panel 11 and straight or directly into the uncovered portion of the window 16 ′. At the same time, or even at a different time, an air portion 19 c ′ does not contact the angled portion 18 a ′, but flows along the angled portion 18 a ′ that interfaces the window plane 16 a ′, and into the covered portion of the window 16 ′.

FIGS. 6A-6C are graphs of temperature versus time of comparative results, under three different operating conditions, for an LED panel without a diverter and the LED panel with the diverter shown in FIG. 1A . It can be seen that over time, the present invention provides a lower operating temperature.

FIG. 7 is a graph of temperature versus location along an axis of LED panels with diverters according to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A and 4 , and an LED panel without diverters. For the embodiment of FIG. 1A , the present invention provided a lower operating temperature of about 6° C. in the central part of the panel. For the embodiment of FIG. 4 , the present invention provided a lower operating temperature of about 8° C. in the central part of the panel. Thus, the present invention can provide a reduction in the second LED panel temperature, over prior art designs, by from about 7% to about 9%.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.