Light Emitting Diode abbreviated as LED is a break through in the category of light sources which is set to be the hero of future lighting. This semiconductor device can produce high luminous output with a low power consumption and hence can be termed as a Eco-friendly device.
The theory of converting electricity to light was first made practical by inventor Thomas Edison. The discovery was named Incandescent bulb. As the name suggests, it is a hot source of light. It produces light by heating a metallic filament till it glows. To prevent it from burning out, it is enclosed in a glass bulb filled with inert gas. It is one of the most popular invention by Edison. Till date, incandescent bulb is the most widely used light source. This is because of the low initial cost. People hardly care about the long term running cost and the power wastage it causes. Recently various initiatives have been taken to ban the use of incandescent bulbs.
Next came the fluorescent lamps which produces a cool white light. A fluorescent lamp or a fluorescent tube is a gas discharge tube that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce UV rays which causes Phosphor to produce visible light. They consume less power than incandescent bulbs and produce light more efficiently. The main factor which puts customers away is the high initial costs. The high costs account for the complex hardware inside. The materials used for its manufacturing are hazardous in nature and hence not Eco-friendly.
LED is a semiconductor light source. It produces light when electrons combine with holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. It is essentially a diode which allows current to pass through it when forward biased. In electronics, the symbol used to denote LED is shown below :
The effect which produces light in an LED is called electroluminescence. The colour of light produced depends upon the type of semiconductor material used. Initially LED appeared in the market as low intensity devices used as indicators. A typical LED enclosed in an epoxy case is shown below :
As technology developed scientists were able to develop high power LEDs which can be used for commercial lighting applications. LEDs are highly efficient devices. It gives high light intensity and consumes low power. It produces cool light, that is heat dissipation is negligible.
The advantages of LED over incandescent light sources include lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, smaller size, faster switching, and greater durability and reliability. LEDs which are powerful enough for room lighting are relatively expensive as it requires more precise current and heat management than compact fluorescent lamp sources of comparable output.
Despite of all the merits, the high initial cost is the limiting factor that retards the popularization of LEDs. Hopefully technology has to find cheaper manufacturing techniques to make them common. With all these possibilities LEDs are definitely set to be the hero of future lighting.
The theory of converting electricity to light was first made practical by inventor Thomas Edison. The discovery was named Incandescent bulb. As the name suggests, it is a hot source of light. It produces light by heating a metallic filament till it glows. To prevent it from burning out, it is enclosed in a glass bulb filled with inert gas. It is one of the most popular invention by Edison. Till date, incandescent bulb is the most widely used light source. This is because of the low initial cost. People hardly care about the long term running cost and the power wastage it causes. Recently various initiatives have been taken to ban the use of incandescent bulbs.
Next came the fluorescent lamps which produces a cool white light. A fluorescent lamp or a fluorescent tube is a gas discharge tube that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce UV rays which causes Phosphor to produce visible light. They consume less power than incandescent bulbs and produce light more efficiently. The main factor which puts customers away is the high initial costs. The high costs account for the complex hardware inside. The materials used for its manufacturing are hazardous in nature and hence not Eco-friendly.
LED is a semiconductor light source. It produces light when electrons combine with holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. It is essentially a diode which allows current to pass through it when forward biased. In electronics, the symbol used to denote LED is shown below :
The advantages of LED over incandescent light sources include lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, smaller size, faster switching, and greater durability and reliability. LEDs which are powerful enough for room lighting are relatively expensive as it requires more precise current and heat management than compact fluorescent lamp sources of comparable output.
Despite of all the merits, the high initial cost is the limiting factor that retards the popularization of LEDs. Hopefully technology has to find cheaper manufacturing techniques to make them common. With all these possibilities LEDs are definitely set to be the hero of future lighting.
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