Physics News

Technology developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory that extends the life of light-emitting diode lamps has been 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 graphit

"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 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.