Super high-power LED draws 8 amps, burns foam, plastic

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By Sean Michael Ragan
Posted 2010/07/16 @ 6:42 am
Category Art & Design, Electronics, Science

This is the PT54 PhlatLight from Luminus Devices, Inc. It’s intended for use in portable video projectors. More photos of the setup here. [via Hacked Gadgets]

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8 Responses to Super high-power LED draws 8 amps, burns foam, plastic

anarchyFTW on July 16th, 2010 at 11:35 am said:

Someone please help me design a stove top that will use these LEDs as the heating units. This would heat a pan, in a flash.

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Sean Michael Ragan on July 16th, 2010 at 11:39 am said:

…that would rock.

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Alan Blue on July 16th, 2010 at 1:57 pm said:

A normal electric stove works with a a resistive heating element. They’re similar in many ways to an incandescent lightbulb – and that might be where the thought that stoves are inefficient comes from. Incandescent lightbulbs are inefficient at turning electricity into -light- because they put out far too much of the energy as -heat-.

A normal electric burner puts out 3000W, a microwave puts out 1000W. This particular LED would seem to be 8×120 = 960W.

I’m personally delighted at the progress with LEDs, but they aren’t a panacea – particularly when the -goal- is to produce waste heat.

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- anarchyFTW on July 16th, 2010 at 3:29 pm said:
  
  So, would the same be true for a ceramic/flat top cooking surface? Are you saying that 8 of the LEDs put out a combined 960W? Thanks
  
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  Alan Blue on July 16th, 2010 at 7:20 pm said:
  
  Whether you have a bare element or a ceramic cover determines how long the cooking surface itself takes to warm up. The efficiency can be pretty close to identical.
  
  I don’t know the precise details of the LED. They mention “uses 8amps”, and the rough conversion of amps and volts into watts is to just multiply them. If it isn’t 120 V, then that guess is just flat wrong. And actually, looking at one of the pictures shows what looks like PC power cord -> meaning a much lower wattage. 8 Amps x 12 Volts would be 96 Watts.
  
  But reading through the article, it’s pretty clear their goal is to replace the very intense incandescent bulbs in projectors. Where most of the energy is actually truly wasted heat.
  
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- salec on July 19th, 2010 at 2:37 am said:
  
  Waste heat is waste heat, there’s no arguing about it. However, it matters how efficient the heat transfer to the object of heating is. That’s why induction plates are better then both classic and ceramic heaters and microwave ovens are still even more efficient. LEDs have potential to transfer energy through very directed irradiation, which is very good, provided their target is sufficiently black in LED’s characteristic wavelength.
  
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vrandy.myopenid.com on July 17th, 2010 at 6:22 pm said:

Can I focus it on leaves and ants?

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capt.tagon on July 17th, 2010 at 7:58 pm said:

But it will damage your eyes just as effectively. Be sure to wear your protective eyeware when working with these devices and never look directly into the beam at close range…

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