1. LED Research James Edwards

2. What is an LED? An LED is also called by it’s full name a “Light Emitting Diode” They are compact light sources Much more efficient than the standard incandescent light bulbs and compact florescent light bulbs They have a much lower energy consumption than incandescent light bulbs and even compact florescent light bulbs LED’s are much more robust and reliable than other more common bulbs used in today’s society LED’s have extremely long lifetimes that are in some cases double or triple that of other standard bulbs LED’s in order for them to have peak performance need more precise current and voltage loads than other bulbs and also need closely monitored heat management A very technologically advanced form of light that out does every aspect of older bulbs Lastly LED’s are able to produce light waves in the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet spectrums

3. How do LED’s work? The LED is a semiconductor light source that uses electron movement over a gap in the LED where the electrons release energy in the form of photons which are the particles that are light This effect is called “Electroluminescence” The main process that creates the light is the gap where each end is made of different metals basically one end is a cathode and the other an anode so that the electrons can jump across becoming excited and releasing light energy The color of the light emitted by an LED is dependent on the size of the energy gap within the plastic casing Also in the process of building an LED different optical components can create unique radiation patterns of which change the color of light emitted

4. Efficiency Gains In terms of efficiency in comparison to and incandescent bulb when an LED is placed in a properly constructed circuit it will have an efficiency ratio of 80:20, being that 80% of electrical energy is turned to light energy and only 20% is lost to heat In an opposing view an incandescent bulb has an efficiency ratio of 5:95 varying up to 20:80 in certain brands this means only 5% of the electrical energy is being converted to light energy and the rest is heat, it does get better depending on the brand you use Also the positives about LED’s don’t end yet, LED’s are a very durable light source which have a life span of up to 100000 hours, whereas an incandescent bulb may only ever last up to 5000 hours tops There is similar efficiency gains even when you face the LED up against the compact florescent bulb

5. Current Uses for LED’s The uses for LED’s is almost unlimited because you can use them in the same places that you used incandescent bulbs and also many other places that other bulbs are used Since LED’s are extremely durable use in toys of all kinds is prominent in today’s society Also use in vehicle day time running lights, taillights, as well as interior lights and auxiliary lights is a big market because they last longer and don’t break as easily They are used in the sectors of army, navy, air force, and marine in technological applications for defence LED’s are used in the world of car audio and audio systems all over the world They are used in signs of all sizes LED’s can be found in some of the latest gadgetry such as computers, gaming systems, flashlights, projector beams, etc. Because of the efficiency, durability, reliability, long life, small size, and safety of LED’s there uses are growing at a exponential rate everyday

6. Future Uses of LED’s With a little but more tweaking LED’s may even become smaller allowing for use in more confined and tight spaces Overtime once they reach the market and become a more trusted technology I see them being used much more in the aerospace, medical, and manufacturing sectors For instance the use of LED’s in indicator and gauge systems is an ever growing area because they can be oriented in many ways and positioned different ways they create great read out gauges and indicator lights, so hopefully we will see more of them in that area. I’d like to see them used more in aviation field to a point where they are the only light uses because they are safer, more reliable and more durable Moreover if the future I hope that they replace all other forms of lighting, because these LED’s will help the environment

7. Works Cited Site was used for slides describing what and LED is and how it works: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-emitting_diode Site was used for the slide efficiency gains: http://www.lc-led.com/articles/ledlights.html http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/will-led-light-bulbs- best-cfls-and-incandescentshttp://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/will-led-light-bulbs- best-cfls-and-incandescents