Development of Radiator with Thermoplastic Polymer and Insert-Molded Aluminum Alloy Parts for Light-Emitting Diode Headlights

Yenlung Chen, Juikun Chang, Chun Huang, Changche Chiu, Wei Lai, Zhiting Ye, Pin Han
2022 Applied Sciences  
The increasing popularity of electric vehicles has increased the demand for lightweight auto parts. However, the excessive weight of traditional metal heat sinks has remained a concern. Metal has excellent thermal conductivity but low radiation efficiency. Conversely, thermoplastic polymers have excellent heat radiation efficiency but poor thermal conductivity. In this study, we propose a radiator constructed using thermoplastic polymer and insert-molded aluminum alloy parts to maintain the low
more » ... junction temperature of light-emitting diodes (LEDs); the radiator's weight is reduced through a combination of aluminum alloy and a thermally conductive polymer designed for automotive headlights. At an LED thermal load of 11.48 W, the measured temperature on the LED pad is 60.8 °C. The weight of the proposed radiator is 23.37% lighter than that of a pure metal radiator. When the lightweight radiator is used in high-power LED headlights, it effectively dissipates heat within a limited space.
doi:10.3390/app12115385 fatcat:l4ylbgxlxzcktihoxwutj7azbi