LEDs are energy-efficient but produce heat that can damage devices. LED heat sinks can cool or deflect heat, with passive and active options available. Connectors and paste can attach heat sinks to fixtures. High-power LEDs require efficient heat management.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are popular lighting choices in computers, most often in indicator lights and monitors. LEDs are known for their efficient lighting; generate light with minimal energy consumption. Despite this efficiency, however, LEDs are also known to produce heat that can potentially damage the device. An LED heat sink is any substance or device that can counteract the harmful effects of this heat, either by cooling the LED or by deflecting the heat generated. Using a heat sink can dramatically reduce heat, even in high power LEDs.
An LED heat sink can function in two ways: as a passive heat sink or as an active heat sink. A passive LED heat sink, when connected to an LED mechanism, diverts much of the heat generated away from the LED and into itself. To this end, most of the LED heat sink devices on the market are made of conductive metal. Some researchers, however, are experimenting with gels and other substances for use as heat sinks.
Similarly, an active LED heat sink also draws heat away from the LED. Adding a fan further increases the cooling capabilities of the heat sink, making active coolers a popular choice among computer owners. Although an active LED heat sink provides stronger cooling, the power required to run the fan reduces the energy efficiency of the LED. Active LED heat sinks are also less effective without an adequate amount of ventilation holes in the computer chassis.
Both a fanless and an active heatsink are connected to the LED fixture via connectors that are themselves effective at deflecting heat. In some cases, a carbon steel heat sink clip can be used to attach an LED heat sink to the fixture. In others, a special heat sink paste can hold the LED heat sink firmly in place. Both options are effective for attaching the heat sink to the device, but heat sink paste is more often preferred due to the minimal weight it adds. The weight difference can be significant in reducing the stress on some computer boards.
A lot of research has been done to create an efficient high power LED heat sink. With energy efficiency being a top priority in the development of technologies, many manufacturers are turning to high power LEDs, which can provide even more light than average LEDs. One major drawback of high-power LEDs, however, is that they also produce a much greater amount of heat. Consequently, heat management is a crucial consideration for manufacturers hoping to use high-power LEDs.
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