Thermal analysis of an LED module with a novelly assembled heat pipe heat sink

• Published in: Journal of Central South University Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 921 - 928
• Main Authors: Tang, Yong, Chen, Qiu, Guan, Wo-huan, Li, Zong-tao, Yu, Bin-hai, Yuan, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Changsha Central South University 01.04.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Engineering; Heat pipes; Heat sinks; Heat transfer; Light emitting diodes; Metallic Materials; Modules; Thermal analysis; Thermal resistance; heat sink; light emitting diode (LED); phase change assembly; heat pipe; thermal analysis
• ISSN: 2095-2899; 2227-5223
• DOI: 10.1007/s11771-017-3494-9

This work aims to improve the thermal performance of a light emitting diode (LED) module by employing a novelly assembled heat pipe heat sink. The heat pipe was embedded into the heat sink by a phase change expansion assembly (PCEA) process, which was developed by both finite element (FE) analysis and experiments. Heat transfer performance and optical performance of the LED modules were experimentally investigated and discussed. Compared to the LED module with a traditionally assembled heat pipe heat sink, the LED module employing the PCEA process exhibits about 20% decrease in the thermal resistance from the MCPCB to the heat pipe. The junction temperature is 4% lower and the luminous flux is 2% higher. The improvement in the thermal and optical performance is important to the high power LED applications.