Aluminium prize winner
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The Grand Prize in the 2010 Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition has been awarded to a Drexel University student.
Eric Eisele, a materials-engineering graduate student at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, won the award for his design of an extruded hanging LED light fixture, earning him a $3,500 (£2,300) scholarship.
Eisele designed the fixture around a 500K 3,200 lumen LED light based on the Philips Luxeon Rebel and a holographically imprinted rigid polycarbonate beam-shaping lens. For the fixture itself, he specified 6063-T5 aluminium, which offers a balance between ease of extrusion, machinability and thermal conductivity.
To ensure high efficiency and long life, heat from the LED light is dissipated throughout Eisele’s entire light fixture, which included heatsink fins, slots, optical cavities, mounting rails and screw bosses.
’While they are very energy efficient, LEDs are also very sensitive to heat and will suffer significant reduction in useful life if heat can’t be effectively dissipated. The concept of using an extruded fixture with integral heat sink, light-placement options and the potential to use different types of light diffusers and reflectors would appear to help with the commercialisation of LED lighting,’ said David Asher, competition judge.
Craig Werner, competition judge, added: ’There may be some technical challenges yet to overcome, but using the lightweight, strength, ability to extrude complex integral profiles and heat conductivity of aluminium extrusions for this product was a great idea.’
Readers' comments (5)
michael martin | 26 Apr 2010 4:21 am
My position with Sapa Extrusions is Business Development Mgr for LED Lighting, specifying alum extrusion design with lighting companies throughout North America. Alum extrusions perform thermally more efficiently than alum castings by 25% and reduces weight by 20%. The design by Eric is equal to any design I've seen the past year in LED fixture development.
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Bart Millikan | 26 Apr 2010 9:06 pm
First of all, a very interesting contest. Second, excellent project proposal Eric. It is practical and relevant to a fast growing market. Third, optically did you simulate your system with a specular or semi specular side diffuser? With side panels that are diffuse, this light is redirected back to the LED's and some will be lost with each interface. This light will bounce around many times and be diminished some each time even with the most efficient surface. Also, The holographic element will diffuse the light and is most likely optimized for normal incident light. Specular sides would help here also.
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Profile Extrusion Company | 27 Apr 2010 11:55 am
What an interesting competition! I'd love to hear more about the previous winners and any success they may have had in bringing their ideas to fruition.
http://www.profile-extrusion.com
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Eric Eisele | 28 Apr 2010 2:41 am
Bart - I agree with your comment in that specular reflectors on the sides would improve extraction. I did not go as far to do optical simulation. One of the advantages to using aluminum extrusions is that the optical cavity can be polished to a specular surface. I intended this fixture to use a diffuser such as Luminit's LSD, which I have found by experience to blend colors and prevent multiple shadows quite adequately.
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Eric Eisele | 29 Apr 2010 1:28 am
Bart - I agree with your comment in that specular reflectors on the sides would improve extraction. I did not go as far to do optical simulation. One of the advantages to using aluminum extrusions is that the optical cavity can be polished to a specular surface. I intended this fixture to use a diffuser such as Luminit's LSD, which I have found by experience to blend colors and prevent multiple shadows quite adequately.
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