Wednesday, September 24, 2008
2008 R&D 100 Winner
The light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor junction effect device that emits light under a direct current (DC) power source of the right polarity and voltage. Unfortunately, LEDs can often only be directly powered in an alternating current (AC) environment with bulky and inefficient AC-DC converter sub-assemblies.
With its AceLED, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Chutung, Taiwan, has designed a way around this and other limitations. The company’s alternating current light-emitting diode (AC LED) technology implements the entire matrix of LED units required for one commercial AC lighting unit as one semiconductor system. Each element is electrically connected in a series-parallel network so that the entire matrix presented as electrical load to the AC power source has an exactly matching voltage requirement.
In addition, AceLED’s thermal design guarantees heat dissipation efficiency and the entire device has a tolerance for failure of a limited number of LED elements in the array.
Technology
Alternating current light-emitting diode
Developer
Industrial Technology Research Institute
