Impact of Thermal Dissipation on the Lighting Performance and Useful Life of LED Luminaires Applied to Urban Lighting: A Case Study

Currently, LED technology is an established form of lighting in our cities and homes. Its lighting performance, durability, energy efficiency and light, together with the economic savings that its use implies, are displacing other classic forms of lighting. However, some problems associated with the durability of the equipment related to the problems of thermal dissipation and high temperature have begun to be detected, which end up affecting their luminous intensity and the useful life. There are many studies that show a direct relationship between the low quality of LED lighting and the aging of the equipment or its overheating, observing the depreciation of the intensity of the light and the visual chromaticity performance that can affect the health of users by altering circadian rhythms. On the other hand, the shortened useful life of the luminaires due to thermal stress has a direct impact on the LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) and its environmental impact, which indirectly affects human health. The purpose of this article is to compare the results previously obtained, at different contour temperatures, by theoretical thermal simulation of the 3D model of LED street lighting luminaires through the ANSYS Fluent simulation software. Contrasting these results with the practical results obtained with a thermal imaging camera, the study shows how the phenomenon of thermal dissipation plays a fundamental role in the lighting performance of LED technology. The parameter studied in this work is junction temperature (Tj), and how it can be used to predict the luminous properties in the design phase of luminaires in order to increase their useful life.