Reflex r15 Q&A with Definition Magazine
Cineo’s new Reflex R15 LED light has adopted cooling techniques developed in the computer world. We asked Rich Pierceall, VP, LED Operations, to explain further
Words Julian Mitchell / Pictures Cineo
Q Can you explain the technology behind creating such a powerful hard light; initially the light source with
the nine LED ring segments around the central emitter, and then how you have dealt with
the power density leading to high heat density?
A Thermal density has always been a major physical limitation of any solid-state lighting technology. Although LEDs are 10 times more power efficient than conventional lighting technologies, 80% of the energy consumed is converted into heat.
When building a single-source directional fixture we realised that conventional methods would not allow the scaling that we were looking for. Liquid cooling has been employed for computer servers for some time; we adapted this strategy with LEDs by formulating an optically transparent dielectric fluid that we could immerse the LEDs directly into. This patented method gives us vast scaling capabilities for both smaller and larger fixtures in the future.
Q What were the choices for cooling the core before you enabled a liquid solution? How easy was is to graft GPU cooling on to LEDs?
A We built several thermal and physical models of our radial light engine using conventional materials – solid copper, liquid-cooled copper and finally liquid-cooled only. It’s a bit hard to imagine, but the final Reflex core has no heat sink whatsoever, which drastically reduces its weight.
Read the Full Article Here: Water Born – Reflex R15 by Julian Mitchell
