Lamp with LED chips cooled by a phase transformation loop
View Patent ↗An apparatus includes an LED light source positioned within an envelope, a porous fluid transporting material coating the envelope, providing a path between the LED light source and the envelope, and a cooling medium conducted through the fluid transporting material toward the LED light source in a liquid phase and conducted from the LED light source to the envelope in a vapor phase for removing heat from the LED light source.
1. An apparatus comprising:
an LED light source positioned within an envelope;
a porous fluid transporting material coating on at least a portion of the envelope providing a path between the LED light source and the envelope; and
a cooling medium conducted through the porous fluid transporting material for removing heat from the LED light source.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, when the apparatus is in operation, the cooling medium is conducted through the porous fluid transporting material toward the LED light source in a liquid phase and is conducted from the LED light source to the envelope in a vapor phase.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the envelope has a shape confining the LED light source, the porous fluid transporting material, and the cooling medium.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the porous fluid transporting material comprises oxide particles.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the porous fluid transporting material comprises Al 2 O 3 particles.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the porous fluid transporting material comprises polymer particles.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the porous fluid transporting material provides a capillary path between the LED light source and the envelope.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the porous fluid transporting material coats the envelope to provide a capillary path between the LED light source and the envelope for any orientation of the apparatus.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cooling medium comprises water.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cooling medium comprises an alcohol.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cooling medium comprises a combination of water and alcohol.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cooling medium comprises a chlorofluorocarbon or a hydrofluorocarbon material.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cooling medium comprises a material effecting a liquid-vapor phase transformation loop at an operating temperature of the LED light source.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cooling medium is conducted from the LED light source to the envelope in a vapor phase.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the LED light source comprises one or more LEDS coated with a material for converting the LED output to white light.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the envelope is coated with a material for converting an output of the LED light source to white light.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the porous fluid transporting material has optical diffusing properties.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein refractive index of the coating substantially matches the cooling medium in a fluid state.