Being one of the most energy efficient and rapidly evolving lightning technologies, the LEDs are more durable and comparable than any other types of lightning. They are more than ten times the efficiency of an incandescent lightning.  The LEDs not only help in annual savings on your energy bills but also makes a positive impact in diminishing your carbon footprints.

The fact that defines the eccentricity of the light emitting diodes (LEDs) is that they don’t produce heat. It stands true, considering that LEDs are cool when touched because usually, they generate heat in the form of infrared radiations.

Even though LEDs are cool to the touch, but a lot of unwanted heat is there within the device. So, what needs to be done to remove all this excess internal heat? Well, the answer lies in managing the junction temperature.

Managing LED Junction Temperature

Maintaining a thermal equilibrium is something that plays a vital role in getting rid of unwanted heat. If you don’t have an appropriate heat sinking device, chances become higher  that the junction or internal temperature of the device will increase drastically, which in turn triggers a change in the characteristics of the LED. When the junction temperature of an LED rises, both the forward voltage as well as the lumen output drops. As a result of which, brightness and the effectiveness of your LED plummets, this in turn affects the overall lifespan of this device.

What Exactly Disturbs the Junction Temperature?

Both the ambient temperature and the drive current affect the temperature of LEDs. One more factor that has a lasting impact on LEDs is the nature of light, and it can be in steady state or pulsed. Lastly, the most hyped one is the LED wattage per unit area of the heat sink, which is the surface that dissipates heat.

The most significant part of LED cooling is the thermal circuit that works from the LED exchange to the exterior of the light fitting. In simple words, heat needs to be directed away from the LED in an efficient manner through cooling or dissipation.

LED Heat Sinks

This is the time when LED heatsinks come into the picture and play a crucial role because they are the ones that provide the path to internal heat to travel from the LED light source to the external parts. Furthermore, Heatsinks can conduct this temperature(heat) in three different ways, which are as follows:

Conduction

Transferring heat from a solid to a solid

Convection

Conducting heat from a solid to a moving liquid or air

Radiation

Transferring heat with the help of thermal radiation from one body to another with varied temperatures

Conclusion

So there you are, now you know, why there is a need for an LED heatsink? And do remember to keep all these aspects in mind that impacts the heating and cooling process.