LED in Electrical Engineering
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Introduction
Since a revolution hit the light industry, the Light Emitting Diodes (LED) took the lead a superiority to date. Its applications have since then overshadowed other forms in the lighting industry. Since the emergence of the PN-junction diodes, the incandescent lights are losing their popularity day in day out. This technology is gaining popularity because of the small components (diodes) that use less electrical energy to produce light. In the current world, LEDs are almost everywhere. The advantages posed by LEDs over the traditional incandescent bulbs is the reason behind their wide range of use. A few of the benefits attached to them include their small size, long-lasting, low power consumption, being physically robust and consuming less power. The advancements in this sector have not just light. The introduction of more complex systems as the implementation of the control of the interstitial hydrogen charge states (Chong et al., 2018, p.3).
As this new technology takes the lead in the light industry, the inventors are expanding the marketability of LEDs by penetrating other technological aspects. Among this is the LiFi technology as a communication solution that uses LED (p. 18). In this literature review, certain aspects of technology that will be focused on include LED in lighting, the efficacy of LED and Light communication. Technology is an essential aspect of our lives; it’s through its advancement that we can handle the challenges we face much more comfortable. The burden of inefficiency is lifted with the advancement of technology. It is thus an aspect that needs to embrace with all.
Efficacy of LED.
The introduction of LED into the lighting industry and the power supply companies was a significant relief. This monumental shift took charge through its primary drive that focused majorly on less energy while saving costs (Pattisson et al., 2018). The applications that were brought to effect as a result of the efficiency of LEDs included cheap connected lighting for houses and streets, secure and faster communications functionalities, and the general human health and well-being. The U.S through the department of Energy Solid-State Lighting Program identified critical areas in LEDs that needed vital attention. Giving the required attention to these areas and rectifying would improve the efficacy of these systems by a significant margin. Potentially foreseen efficacy improvements would range from 160lm/W to about 330lm/W or even more in LED mixed colour packages (Pattisson et al., 2018).
With the increasing popularity of LED, many other companies are cropping up, and stages ideal branch uses of this knowledge. This has made the technology one of the most successful and fast-growing in the world today. The design and development of the “Nanostructured Semiconductor Materials for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells” is a good example. This technology has enabled the development of photovoltaic cells that can absorb and convert both natural and artificial light into electric energy (Cavallo et al., 2017).
The Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are a significant relief to many of the country’s national grids. This low-cost photovoltaic technology is bound to reducing the strain in countries that are not energy supply sufficient (P. 2). Other than the national grid, this is also a saviour individual power users as it is self-renewable. A case exampled where the artificially produced light can be regenerated to produce electric current can be so economical. It would be a one-time thing for people when dealing with a home supply of energy.
Another exciting area of interest was Light Emitting Diodes are gaining first popularity due to their efficacy of performance is in the horticulture lighting. There is a reported increase in the use of LEDs in the production of certain crops. This includes greenhouses and other controlled environments that keep leafy greens and ornamental plants. The blue and Red radiation of the LEDs has proved to have the highest efficacy values in terms of the emitted photosynthetic photons (Park and Runkle, 2018). Due to the efficacy of the LEDs on plants, there has been noticed faster growth than usual. This has in turn seen to better and quicker production of agricultural produce.
LED in Lighting.
As undisputed evidence of the efficacy of the LEDs, the lighting companies got the most prominent feel of this technology. With the LEDs becoming the primary source of artificial light across the globe, many companies have been forced to unwilling fully join in. This is due to the excellent evident characteristics of LEDs (Lamar, 2020). These characteristics are proved through how the LEDs need low maintenance requirement; they are environmentally friendly, have high luminous efficiency, and their controllability in both colour and light and their reliability. Artificial lighting is applied in many aspects including residential, street and automotive lighting. In the new developments, are the LED drivers. This is bringing in a further element in the lighting of lamps. Success in the implementation of the LED drivers has multiple advantages in light related companies/ industry.
Other than the standard lighting by the LEDs that compete the incandescent light bulbs and the compact fluorescent lamp, companies have used the LED lighting to climb a notch higher. This has penetrated the medical world. The invention of the “Heterogeneous Integration of GaN and BCD technologies,” is a milestone in so far as LEDs are concerned. With this new technology that uses LED lighting devices can be for use in Biology research and other life science applications (Soh et al., 2019). In life science research, to inhibit skin tumours, these lights have played a critical role. High-intensity collapsible phototherapy devices have also played a significant role in life sciences. (p. 15). Other impacts of the wonders performed by the LEDs is in the use of blue light emitted by high-power LEDs. This has a unique role in the photocoagulation of processes of superficial abrasion, which reduces the overall treatment time and scar formations.
As a part of keeping up with the technological pace set by LEDs, the telecommunication companies have also had to borrow and implement a lot on the way Light Emitting Diodes function. This is regarding phone backlighting. Liquid-Crystal-Display (LCD) screens have this backlights incorporated to enable them to display high-quality images (Kimmel, 2018). The more energy-efficient LEDs have been a great save to those with this investment. The development of diffractive backlights is the most motivation and a future for telecommunication companies. Despite this overwhelming advantages, (Arjmandi et al., 2018) warms that excessive use of these LEDs, through self-cameras may lead to extrinsic skin ageing. Other highlighted risks are on eye exposure to the blue light.
Light Communication.
Other than the highlighted prowess of LED in their general efficacy and in lighting, another critical advancement is evident in light communication. It is in this perspective that it is well known of the need by the modern wireless communication systems to have wide bandwidth, that is linear and with efficient Radio Frequency Power Amplifiers. With the existence of LEDs, Visible Light Communications have been enabled (Khan, 2017). Due to the high bandwidth, these visible light communications (VLC) have helped outshine the shortcoming of the radio frequencies (RF). The developed visible light can be used for both communication and illumination at low power consumption and high bandwidth. Among the potential applications of the VLC are in robots in hospitals, communication between vehicles, information displayed on signboards and underwater communications (p.18).
Regarding communication and LEDs is another amazing invention. The development of the Li-Fi which uses visible light to provide super high internet speed. This has been the revolution in the digital wireless world. Unlike the common Wi-Fi, the Li-Fi is a superior modification (Hase et al., 2017). Behind this great innovation was the thought that communication can be transmitted through LED light. This would encompass high intensities that cannot be detected by the eye. With this application of the LED, is the Li-Fi, said to be more than ten thousand times what Wi-Fi can do. Other than speed, the Li-Fi is developed to have an added advantage of security where it cannot be hacked. This is perceived as one of the technologies that are bound to be absorbed into many other disciplines for different reasons (Hase et al., 2017). This technology can also be extended in such a way that LED light bulbs to produce both light and offer internet connectivity.
Other than the application in VLCs, the high-efficiency drivers are another wonder in the world of technology. This is referred to as the LED driver for VLC, which solves the low data rate problem. On the other hand, the self –powered detectors (PDs) are the promising alternatives for the next generation (Cun et al., 2019). In a bid to support the LED technology, the development of the perovskites offers an alternative material for the mass production of semiconductors (Cun et al., 2019). This is due to their facile solution processing, high colour purity, and tunable bandgaps that they bring along. Electrical stress has also been observed to increase the LEDs’ electrical quantum efficiency by about 1.5%.
Conclusion.
In conclusion, the Light Emitting Diodes as seen from what different writers present, are a source other great inventions. Other than the LED bulbs that are efficient, last longer and use less power, there are other applications that are more lucrative. The invention of the LEDs has helped many other fields including but not limited to the communications authorities, engineering, chemistry, in Biology and even up to Agriculture. The different applications of LEDs led to a revolution of its own kind in the world of technology. With the invention and innovations that have encompassed around LEDs, efficient equipment that is energy consumption friendly have been developed. For instance, in lighting, the LED bulbs have cut down the costs by over 80%. Further energy-saving mechanisms are being developed through ultra-modern technologies as the DSSC photovoltaic cells that are able to regenerate artificial light to produce electric power. With all these advancements, it is evident that the LEDs are most likely to dominate the world of technology in the near future.
References.
Chong, C. M., Wenham, S., Ji, J., Mai, L., Wang, S., Hallam, B., & Li, H. (2018). LEDs for the implementation of advanced hydrogenation using hydrogen charge-state control. International Journal of Photoenergy, 2018.
Pattison, P. M., Hansen, M., & Tsao, J. Y. (2018). LED lighting efficacy: Status and directions. Comptes Rendus Physique, 19(3), 134-145.
Cavallo, C., Di Pascasio, F., Latini, A., Bonomo, M., & Dini, D. (2017). Nanostructured semiconductor materials for dye-sensitized solar cells. Journal of Nanomaterials, 2017.
Park, Y., & Runkle, E. S. (2018). Spectral effects of light-emitting diodes on plant growth, visual colour quality, and photosynthetic photon efficacy: White versus blue plus red radiation. PloS one, 13(8), e0202386.
G Lamar, D. (2020). Latest developments in LED drivers.
Soh, M. Y., Teo, T. H., Selvaraj, S. L., Peng, L., Disney, D., & Yeo, K. S. (2019). Heterogeneous Integration of GaN and BCD Technologies. Electronics, 8(3), 351.
Kimmel, J. (2018). Diffractive backlight technologies for mobile applications. Journal of the Society for Information Display, 20(5), 245-258.
Arjmandi, N., Mortazavi, G., Zarei, S., Faraz, M., & Mortazavi, S. A. R. (2018). Can Light Emitted from Smartphone Screens and Taking Selfies Cause Premature Aging and Wrinkles?. Journal of biomedical physics & engineering, 8(4), 447.
Khan, L. U. (2017). Visible light communication: Applications, architecture, standardization and research challenges. Digital Communications and Networks, 3(2), 78-88.
Hase, M., Bhanushali, P., Vora, P., Goswami, P., & Kerawalla, M. A. K. (2016). LI-FI-A revolution in the field of wireless-communication. International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and Applied Sciences, 5(4), 10-23.
Cen, G., Liu, Y., Zhao, C., Wang, G., Fu, Y., Yan, G., … & Mai, W. (2019). Atomic‐Layer Deposition‐Assisted Double‐Side Interfacial Engineering for High‐Performance Flexible and Stable CsPbBr3 Perovskite Photodetectors toward Visible Light Communication Applications. Small, 15(36), 1902135.