LED Bulb Cools Off by Breathing


© GE Lighting

Lately it seems like there’s a new LED bulb being introduced every day, but what’s been exciting about that is that a lot of these new bulbs are featuring some pretty neat breakthroughs in technology. The new 100-watt equivalent bulb just introduced by GE is just one of those bulbs with a cool solution to keeping the lamp from overheating — it breathes. Yes, it breathes.

LED lamps can get very hot and, especially with the brighter replacement bulbs, keeping them cool has been an issue. Previous entries have been large, clunky bulbs featuring mechanical fans that keep them cool. GE’s approach in its Energy Smart bulb is much more high-tech and it allows the bulb to be the first 100-watt equivalent to be small enough to fit standard household lamps and fixtures.

The “breathing” is done by a diaphragm embedded in the bulb that vibrates to create a current of cool air, much like the pulsing surface of a speaker. The technology called SynJet was designed by Nuventix to be used in electronics like computers that need directed cooling. The company worked with GE to create a miniature version for its bulb.

Here’s an illustration of how the SynJet works:


© Nuventix

The bulb gives off 1,600 lumens and consumes only 27 watts. It has a lifetime of 23 years based on three hours of use per day. The color temperature is 3,000 Kelvin, or white light. It won’t go on sale until 2013 and an exact price hasn’t been set, though the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports a price range of $39 – $49, with the cost going down as mass production goes up.

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