LED North America licenses Carbon Foam technology from ORNL
Technology developed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory that extends the life of LED lamps has been licensed to LED North America.
The agreement exclusively licenses a carbon foam technology developed by Dr. James Klett of ORNL’s Material Science and Technology Division. LED North America intends to use the the carbon foam to passively cool components in LED luminaires. This technology will have future applications for LED lighting products for municipal, commercial and industrial applications.
Cooling LED lamps is critical to increasing their efficiency, considering that each 10-degree C decrease in temperature can double the life of the lighting components. Using the carbon foam to more efficiently manage the heat of the LEDs could help extend the lamps lifespan and lower its price, making the lamps more attractive to a broader consumer base.
The newly licensed carbon foam technology offers many advantages over comparable heat sink materials such as copper and aluminum. The 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% 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 fixture components.
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