Managing LED Heat Generation

Due to their higher operating currents Luxeon LEDs generate considerable more heat then traditional LEDs.

To dissipate this heat, each Luxeon Star LEDs are mounted on an aluminum, metal-core printed circuit board. While this may be adequate for Luxeon I LEDs under certain circumstances, it is recommended that all Luxeon LEDs be properly heat sinked based on the environment it will be operated in.

In most cases this could be as simple as mounting the LED onto a piece of aluminum plate, or using a simple finned heat sink commonly used to cool electronic components. However in some cases more careful consideration must be given to managing and dissipating heat build up. Especially in circumstances where more than one LED is used together, or where LEDs are mounted in a confined space.

Luxeon LEDs are designed to safely operate at fairly high temperatures, as high as 130° C, so ensure that this temperature will not be a hazard.

Be sure to carefully review all of the information about managing the unique thermal properties of Luxeon LEDs in Lumileds Application Brief, "Thermal Design Using Luxeon Power Light Sources".