Improvement of thermal efficiency of a radial heat sink with a surrounding structure

Abstract

This study proposed a radial heat sink with a surrounding structure as a cooling system for light-emitting diode (LED) lighting with a circular base. The radial heat sink with long and middle fins was considered. Heat flow and radiative heat transfer were simulated numerically and the numerical model was validated experimentally. Natural convection heat transfer at the heat sink can be improved by controlling the air flow pattern. In this study, the surrounding structure increased the velocity of the inlet air around the heat sink due to the narrow air inlet surface, allowing the cooling air to move to the center of the heat sink. The effects of the material used to make the surrounding structure and the surface treatment of the heat sink were also analyzed. The results showed that the thermal efficiency of the radial heat sink was improved by up to 40% following installation of the chimney-shaped surrounding structure. The material used to make the surrounding structure did not influence the ability of the heat sink to dissipate heat. This research is expected to be helpful in the development of high-power LED lighting with a natural cooling system.