Lighting system with thermal management system
View Patent ↗Lighting systems having unique configurations are provided. For instance, the lighting system may include a light source, a thermal management system and driver electronics, each contained within a housing structure. The light source is configured to provide illumination visible through an opening in the housing structure. The thermal management system is configured to provide an air flow, such as a unidirectional air flow, through the housing structure in order to cool the light source. The driver electronics are configured to provide power to each of the light source and the thermal management system.
1. A lighting system, comprising:
a housing structure;
a light source configured to provide illumination visible through an opening in the housing structure;
a thermal management system configured to provide a unidirectional air flow through the housing structure, wherein the thermal management system comprises a plurality of synthetic jet devices arranged in parallel with a plurality of fins of a heat sink; and
driver electronics configured to provide power to each of the light source and the thermal management system.
2. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the housing structure comprises:
a cage having slots therein and configured to contain the driver electronics;
a thermal management system housing configured to contain the thermal management system, and having a plurality of air ports, wherein at least one of the plurality of air ports is configured to entrain ambient air, and at least another of the plurality of air ports is configured to reject warmed air from the lighting system into the ambient air; and
a face plate having the opening formed therethrough.
3. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).
4. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises 19 blue light emitting diodes arranged in an array.
5. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 1 , comprising:
a duct system comprising ducts configured to intake or outtake ambient air.
6. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the heat sink comprises a base portion coupled to the light source, the plurality of fins extends from the base portion, and the plurality of fins provide a plurality of air gaps there between.
7. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of fins has one of the plurality of synthetic jet devices coupled thereto.
8. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 7 , wherein when the synthetic jet devices are activated, a unidirectional air flow path is provided along each of the plurality of air gaps, through the length of each of the plurality of fins.
9. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the driver electronics comprises a light emitting diode (LED) power supply and a synthetic jet power supply.
10. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 9 , wherein each of the LED power supply and synthetic jet power supply is arranged on a single printed circuit board.
11. A lighting system, comprising:
an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged on a surface of a lighting plate; and
a thermal management system arranged above the array of LEDs, wherein the thermal management system comprises a plurality of synthetic jet devices arranged in parallel with a plurality of heat-conducting fins of a heat sink, wherein each of the plurality of synthetic jet devices is configured to produce a jet stream in a direction parallel to the surface of the lighting plate.
12. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 11 , comprising driver electronics arranged above the thermal management system and configured to provide power to each of the thermal management system and the array of light emitting diodes.
13. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the driver electronics are contained on a single board.
14. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the array of light emitting diodes comprises less than or equal to 19 light emitting diodes.
15. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the lighting system comprises a screw-based structure configured to electrically couple the lighting system to a standard socket.
16. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the lighting system is configured to produce at least approximately 1500 lumens.
17. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the heat sink comprises a heat-conducting base portion coupled to the surface of the lighting plate, and the plurality of heat-conducting fins extend from the surface of the base portion.
18. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 11 , wherein a synthetic jet device of the plurality of synthetic jet devices is coupled to each of the plurality of heat-conducting fins.
19. A method of cooling a lighting system, comprising:
illuminating a plurality of lighting elements arranged on a planar surface of the lighting system;
transferring heat from the plurality of lighting elements to a heat sink comprising a plurality of fins; and
driving air with a plurality of synthetic jet devices arranged in parallel with the plurality of fins from an area outside of the lighting system through the lighting system and back out to the area outside of the lighting system.
20. The method, as set forth in claim 19 , wherein driving air comprises producing a plurality of synthetic jet flows utilizing the plurality of synthetic jet devices.
21. The method, as set forth in claim 19 , wherein driving air comprises driving air between each of the plurality of fins.
22. The method, as set forth in claim 19 , wherein illuminating comprises illuminating a plurality of light emitting diodes to at least approximately 1500 lumens.
23. The method, as set forth in claim 19 , wherein illuminating the plurality of lighting elements and driving the air are facilitated by electronics arranged on a single board and powered by a utility grid.
24. A lighting system, comprising:
an Edison base configured to couple to electrically couple to a standard light socket;
a light source; and
a thermal management system, comprising:
passive cooling components comprising a plurality of fins; and
active cooling components, wherein the active cooling components are arranged in parallel with the plurality of fins.
25. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 24 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of LEDs.
26. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 24 , wherein the passive cooling components comprise a heat sink comprising a base portion arranged in contact with the light source, and a plurality of fins extending from the base portion.
27. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 24 , wherein the active cooling components comprise an array of synthetic jet devices.
28. The lighting system, as set forth in claim 24 , wherein the passive cooling components comprise a heat sink comprising a base portion arranged in contact with the light source, and a plurality of fins extending from the base portion, and wherein the active cooling components comprise an array of synthetic jet devices, wherein each synthetic jet device is configured to produce an air flow between a respective pair of fins of the plurality of fins.