The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has released a list of products imported from China subject to additional tariffs as part of the U.S. response to China’s unfair trade practices related to the forced transfer of American technology and intellectual property. Every single product that is imported into the US is assigned a… Read more »
LED stands for light emitting diode. It’s a semiconductor device, whichÊemits lights of different colors when electricity flows through it.ÊToday, high power LEDs are trending. They are used in many applications. This includesÊautomobile lights, signage, lighting fixtures, and flashlights.
Increased demand usually translates to higher prices for consumers. As the need for electricity grows, the focus on conservation also continues toÊincrease. Many companies that manufacture electrical products are working hard to develop items whichÊuse less energy, reduce costs, and have a softer footprint on the environment. LED lighting is a perfect example of this innovative approach to the efficient use of electrical power.
The explosive growth of LED technology is one of those things whichÊhave had multi-industry benefits Ð particularly with the invention of the high-output diode. When compared to incandescent, halogens, and mercury-bulbs, the LED is simply the most efficientlyÊknown way to convert an electric current into visible light. InÊother alternatives, a sizable amount of energy is lost as unused waste heat.
In the world of electronics, a light-emitting diode (LED) is one of most ubiquitous components available to the consumer. The simplest ones provide energy in a simple circuit for such low-power end uses as indicator lights. High-power LED circuits, on the other hand, are used to drive a variety of more sophisticated and energy-intensive applications such as outdoor flood lights, street lamps and billboards. Here are a few things to know about them.
Adjustable power supplies are eminently affordable in terms of both initial purchase price and subsequent operating costs. The best ones provide a combination of low component count for low cost with high-efficiency for low power consumption and high power density to maintain a small size. In addition, programmable power supplies can drive multiple lighting fixtures thus lowering inventory costs.
In recent years, LED lighting technology has exploded, bringing with it a surge in the number of useful applications. Today’s LEDs can be used to fill virtually any type of indoor or outdoor lighting need and have increased the efficiency within automobiles. Unique and novel ideas of utilizing LEDs includeÊapplications such as wallpaper that allows the color of a room to be changed with the flick of a switch, office ceiling panels that mimic the appearance of the open sky, and decorative lighting strips that can enhance the appearance of any location.Ê
Power conversion occurs any time the form, voltage or frequency of electrical energy or currentÊis altered. To properly power LED lights, drivers are added to the circuit to convert AC power into the DC powerÊrequired by these ultra efficient devices. The voltage must also be significantly reduced to prevent damage to, or Êpremature failure of, the bulbs themselves. An AC to DC powerÊconverter is known as a rectifier which utilizes one or more diodes to allow incoming current to pass in only one direction, thus creating DC. A filter or smoothing circuit is then used to reduce any remaining “ripple” in the electrical current.Ê
All LED lights require the integration of an appropriate driver to deliver the proper amount of electricity to the circuit. LED driversÊfill an equivalent role to the ballast in fluorescent lights orÊtransformers for low-voltage bulbs. Because LEDs require low voltage andÊdirect current, drivers must be used to change the alternating currentÊfound in most residential and commercial buildings into a usableÊDC version. Drivers may be internal or external and areÊneeded to protect the bulbs from energy fluctuations which could result in bulbÊfailure, poorÊefficiency,Êor premature degradation, due toÊhigh temperaturesÊcaused by the presence ofÊexcessive current within the circuit.
Getting the most from your industrial lighting takes planning and preparation. To ensure that your lighting does the job you need it to do, the following are four suggestions you should follow.