What are the right specifications to be considered? What are the new products in this category? Do I know the precise product details of what I am buying? Every buyer has plenty of such questions, especially the manufacturers in the LED industry who have just stepped into this business. The purpose of this article is to help you select the right high power LED
By Sneha Ambastha
A single light emitting diode (LED) with power higher than 0.5W is referred to as a high power LED (HPL). The power of HPLs can range from 1W or 2W, and reach up to tens of watts. HPLs have a high rated operating current, ranging from tens of milliamperes (mA) to several hundred mA. These have a life of about 10 to 15 times more than traditional incandescent bulbs and about ten times more than CFLs
HPLs are energy-efficient and consume less power. A typical HPL consumes about 1W to 10W of energy compared to a 40W low power bulb or a 60W standard fluorescent fixture.
Although HPLs are popular in general lighting, they are also used in other industries such as oil fields, railways, petrochemicals, mining, the military and other special industries. However, due to certain flux conversion constraints on cost and efficiency, HPLs are primarily used in special lighting areas and in general lighting for long-term goals.
Technological advancements
There have been plenty of technological advancements in the past few years, which have made LED lights available to consumers at reasonable rates. HPLs, too, are getting popular in the general lighting category and have become more affordable.
Cost. LEDs are no longer the costly component of the lighting system. Their price varies with their overall performance. So is the case with HPLs. Some of the newly launched HPLs have improved reliability with almost twice the luminosity compared to the other LEDs, and have about a 40 per cent lower system cost.
Software platforms. New software platforms have been introduced lately to support functionalities such as silicon carbide (SiC) innovations, doubling the lumens output through single LEDs and enhancing the life of the LED even at high temperature and current.
Silicon carbide. Innovations related to the use of SiC in LEDs have doubled the lumens per watt for single LEDs, resulting in the reduction of thermal and mechanical energy losses along with low optical costs at the system level.
System size. LED lighting systems with HPLs are now smaller in size due to the use of fewer LEDs. The less number of LEDs used leads to the need for smaller printed circuit boards (PCBs) with smaller-sized heat-sinks and optics systems. This further leads to better maintenance of lumen levels.
LED modules. High and mid-power modules are being used with LED drivers on the same board, which are compatible with lenses for different applications like streetlights.
Dome lenses. Special types of lenses with the shape of a dome are being considered for high brightness with different emission angles.
What you should consider before you buy HPLs
Now that you are aware of the technological advancements in the products in this category, let’s move on to identify the important points that need to be considered before you buy them.
All LEDs should be LM80 certified. This certification has been introduced by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) for both the electrical and photometric parameters of solid state lighting. The tests for this certification are conducted by EPA-recognised laboratories. All the tests related to LM80 certification provide the following specifications for a particular LED—total luminous flux, luminous intensity, electrical power characteristics, luminous efficacy, colour characteristics, etc.
The total power consumption of any product is as important as the LM80 certification. HPLs should consume less power and give more luminous output. They are considered to be energy-efficient LEDs.
HPLs should have SMD packages to support reflow soldering. For lighting systems with large soldering requirements, reflow soldering techniques are preferred but cannot be implemented if the components used do not have SMD packaging.
Most of the factors to be considered before buying an HPL are the same as those for typical LEDs.
New products launched in the last one year
Here are some HPLs launched recently by various companies.
Model: XLamp XP-E2 Torch LEDs, Manufacturer: Cree Inc., USA
XLamp XP-E2 Torch LEDs are cool white LEDs with a lumen output ranging between 320lm to 360lm. These have a smaller optical source compared to the XLamp XP-G LED. They have a simplified colour binning and a higher maximum current rating. The XLamp XP-E2 series has unlimited floor life at temperatures less than or equal to 30ºC and 85 per cent relative humidity (RH).
Key features:
- Has a maximum drive current of 1.5A
- Complies with J-STD-020C standards
- Has a low thermal resistance of 9°C/W along with a wide viewing angle of 125°C
- Can be binned at 25°C
- Compatible with reflow soldering technology
- Follows an electrically neutral thermal path
- Is RoHS-compliant
USP: Optimised for a wide range of mainstream portable lighting applications
Contact details: www.cree.com
Indian distributors: Arrow Electronics, Digikey, element14, Mouser Electronics, WPG Electronics
Model: XLamp XHP35 series, Manufacturer: Cree Inc., USA
The XLamp XHP35 series has LEDs with about 50 per cent more lumen output than its legacy LEDs with a single die. This family has a 3.5mm footprint and is built on Cree’s SC5 technology platform. It has a high-voltage power die architecture that allows manufacturers to tap its full capacity using the existing drivers. This series uses a 12V monolithic die to provide high power performance at less than 1A or at drive currents.
Key features:
- Enabled with Cree’s SC5 technology platform
- Available in 70, 80 and 90 CRI with colour temperatures ranging from 2700K to 8300K
- Has the 2-step and 3-step EasyWhite options
- Has an advanced light conversion system with an epitaxial structure, and chip architecture with good optical and thermal performance
- Uses a 12V monolithic power die
- Delivers up to 1,833 lumens without optical inefficiencies
- Supports reduced sizes and lower system costs
USP: Provides 50 per cent more lumen output than the legacy single die LEDs.
Contact details: www.cree.com
Indian distributors: Arrow Electronics, Digikey, element14, Mouser Electronics, WPG Electronics
Model: VLMU3500-385-060, Manufacturer: Vishay Intertechnology Inc.
The VLMU3500-385-060 is a high power UV LED that was launched in October 2015. It has a ceramic base and a silicone lens for longer life. This LED comes with an SMD ceramic high power packaging, and can be used in various applications such as industrial curing, photocatalytic purification, poster printing curing, counterfeit money detection, blood detectors, nail curing and teeth curing.
Key features:
- Has an angle of half intensity of about ± 30°
- Comes with a ceramic SMT package with a silicone lens
- Has a radiant power of 780mW at 500mA and 1037mW at 700 mA
- Uses an InGaN die
- Supports the reflow soldering method
- Has a gold plated lead/termination finish
- Supports forward current of up to 700 mA
USP: Ceramic based UV LED with silicone lens
Contact details: www.vishay.com
Indian distributors: Arrow Electronics, Digikey, element14, Mouser Electronics, WPG Electronics
Model: VLMU5200-385-140, Manufacturer: Vishay Intertechnology Inc.
The VLMU5200-385-140 was launched in November 2015 as a reliable and energy-saving alternative to mercury lamps. It has been designed for industrial, medical and printing applications. It has a ceramic base with a silicone lens for a long life, compared to mercury lamps. It allows the use of simple, low-voltage circuitry and needs no warm-up period.
Key features:
- Built on InGaN technology
- Has a high-power UV LED with silicone lens
- Free of heavy metals
- Provides increased reliability with shock resistance
- Is immune to degradation from frequent on/off switching
- Features typical radiant power of 2500mW at 500mA and 3600mW at 700mA
- Offers a wide emission angle of 140 degrees
- Provides a radiant intensity of 1054mW/sr at 700mA
USP: Allows for the use of simple low-voltage circuitry and requires no warm-up period
Contact details: www.vishay.com
Indian distributors: Arrow Electronics, DigiKey, element14, Mouser Electronics, WPG Electronics
Model: KLSL505W -110Lm, Manufacturer: Kwality Photonics Pvt Ltd
The KLSL505W -110lm is a single LED that’s available at half the price of the conventional package. The company claims that this KLSL505W series of LEDs comes with a highly reliable LED chip that can be driven up to 350mA to obtain a luminosity of 110Lm. These LEDs can be used in retrofit applications to replace existing fluorescent and incandescent bulbs.
Key features:
- Energy efficient with uniform illumination
- Can be driven up to 350mA
- Capable of achieving a luminosity of 110lm
- Aims to substitute 60W bulbs, 36W CFLs and 40W tubelights
- Supports forward voltage of about 3.6V
USP: Available at half the cost of conventional packages
Contact details: www.kwalityphotonics.com
Indian branch: Kwality Photonics Pvt Ltd
