High Power LED lighting

[wesknox]

I completed my LED lighting project for my 90g 36"deep show tank. I don't seem to notice other references to these incredibly powerful LED arrays but I was able to get two on eBay for a shade under $50 each. They are 100W arrays each and are around 6000-7000 lumens each. I located this web page where an australian gentleman bought one and did some experiments with one. Check this out!

http://tesladownunder.com/LEDs.htm#100%20W%20LED

He paid a lot more than I did. I have not documented a construction project but can provide info on it. I don't have pictures of the finished result yet but if there are those who are interested, I can send some along...along with links to manufacturer/distributor sites for driver supplies and coolers I used.

These things work crazy great!

[The Zigman]

at $200 Each, I'll stick with the Power compacts i already have

[wesknox]

There are "buy it now" units for $199...but I found units "at auction" with starting prices of below $50. I snagged one at minimum bid, and one about $5 over minimum.

[wesknox]

If you Google "http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/m/mZ6BE3m_sIbmYxtondVT5SA/80.jpg (javascript:;)1PC BRIGHTEST 100W WATT HIGH POWER WHITE LED (http://cgi.ebay.com/1PC-BRIGHTEST-100W-WATT-HIGH-POWER-WHITE-LED-7000-Lumen_W0QQitemZ270533225855QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_D efaultDomain_0?hash=item3efd096d7f)"
and only look at auctions, you'll notice typically 5 units spaced 1 day apart on auctions with starting prices of 49.99 (they went up 10 bucks since I got my two). The prices on eBay for these vary WILDLY! The same place sells their 50W and 20W arrays for the same starting bid! Go figure.

Anyway, if folks will not bid each other up on these auctions, you can snag a couple for minimum bid and with a few bucks for driver power supplies and PC CPU coolers you can make quite an intense lighting arrangement for a whole lot less than other solutions. Also, these are rated to last a long time (a lot longer than any fluorescent or CFLs I've ever seen).

If you buy the Meanwell units with the variable control option you could do what I plan to do next which is tie the tank intensity to a sensor that monitors the light outside and automatically adjust the period and intensity of the tank lighting according to mother nature! Right now the inhabitants get a little spooked when 10,000 lumens fire up in a few 10s of nanoseconds...but they're coping.

[DoctaQ]

wow, 3 buckpucks would be needed to power this huh? might wanna tack on 60 bucks to the cost of running these.
7000 lumens at 100w isnt really that efficient for leds

hmm..what current are you running these at? and 32 volts forward?
you mentioned 14000 lumens on another post, interesting because that would actually be very efficient at 100w

[wesknox]

Doc:

I don't have a measurement device to actually check these but based on some experience with the brightness and heat as a function of applied voltage, my "feeling" is that as I increase the voltage towards the maximum available from the Meanwell drivers, I begin to get more heat than additional light (reduced efficiency). While human eyes are logarithmic in response, this could just be my inability to sense the real increase in intensity, but nonetheless, towards the upper end of the voltage (31 or 32V-ish) the heat generated feels disproportionately higher to me. They are LEDs so the dice used to make them is not that much (if any) different than other high intensity LEDs. It's just 100 of them in a roughly 1" square array.

The intensity (as shown in the aussie's webpage) is truly stunning. One should not look directly at the array when powered up anywhere near maximum...it's like watching arc welding, which one should never do with the unprotected eye(s), of course.

One nice thing about the arrays is that their beamwidth is pretty wide. This allows the arrays to diverge quickly enough to cover my tank floor pretty uniformly. I was thinking of making reflectors to capture all of the light I could and direct it to the tank floor, but it does cover nicely (although my tank is a "show" tank and proportionately smaller floor area for the gallonage).

I lowered the intensity somewhat on my arrays because none of fish would come out into the tank center because of the brightness. At the lowered intensity, the arrays barely get warm and I was able to lower the fan voltage to all my fans in the hood (X4) as well as the two individual fans on the heat sinks (one fan per heatsink). I suspect that with a "fanless" CPU heatsink (most are copper) I could use just the hood fans to cool the arrays.

Anyway...the meanwell driver supplies are great and hardly get even warm at full power.

[DoctaQ]

i was not aware that meanwells could increase or decrease voltage, or any driver for leds.
im pretty sure you mean current, if youre talking about that little knob inside of the driver that you have to unscrew to get to. there are different versions but the highest ive heard of is like 1300ma i think, which realisicly puts you under 50w unless youre using more than one meanwell per led.

too bad you dont have a par meter, there could be some interesting results.

a reflector could be a good idea, since the surface of the water bounces the light from leds backwards, it could be redirected even though leds are already directional, every little bit helps i guess

[wesknox]

Doc:

Rats!! Had a long post that got trashed cause I didn't realize I wasn't logged in. :(

OK...check out this link for the Meanwells I used.

http://www.peaktopeakled.com/ledpowersupplies/eln-60-27.html

Check out the .pdf specs for their line of driver supply units. If you open one up there are two trimpots...one for adjusting maxV and one for adjusting maxI (current limit). On maxV, I got nearly 32V. On maxI I didn't actually measure what I got to...only that it got significantly brighter. I ran the units for a fairly lengthy time on full power to be sure they did not overheat (they barely got warm).

On maxV and maxI, the arrays produced heat at a greater rate than at factory settings on the driver supplies, but the brightness didn't seem to increase to the same extent as the heat (not surprising...as LED junctions reach their limits they exhibit kind of a saturation effect or diminishing returns).

In any case, I wish I'd gotten the option with the variable voltage control of the power supply so I could implement my slaving of the aquarium lights to the outside world brightness. I will eventually take the units apart and make modifications to them to achieve this effect, but it would have been nice to order the right ones.

I don't have a device yet for measuring luminous intensity but some day...it's just when you have that much light to "burn", the urgency of making a reflector wanes somewhat. Since the arrays can be seen through the canopy fan blades, I will eventually make the reflectors, if only to shield the light leaks that can blind you if you look at just the right(wrong) angle at the canopy!

Wes

[DoctaQ]

that would be neato, thats an interesting driver, figures that ive never seen it because im stuck on the 3w leds.
its definateley true that leds perform less efficiently at higher powers, most 3w leds ive seen definatley perform better as a 1w led, with an almost exception with the new xp-g, its awesome that youre using it on a planted, leds have not caught up with the planted tanks yet, though they are doing crazy good with reef tanks. im going to experiment as well in the planted arena.
the light sensing(this is what youre considering right?) auto dimming feature sounds awesome, the meanwell Ds dim by voltage variance, some super complicated deal with a solar panel and a voltage booster or something could be awesome here.

[wesknox]

Yeah, taking outside light intensity from a photocell, photoresistor, solar cell...whatever (anything that will provide a variable voltage, resistance, current) and then generating a variable voltage from that with a manual adjustment (for desired maximum) would work. Connect that normalized voltage to the Meanwell voltage-adjustable control line and you're good. That means summer is long period light...winter is short period...rainy days are dim...cloudy days vary...would really be neat. A cloud passes over and the tank gets dim...whatta gas.

I see folks are implementing lighting for the shimmering effect and that's just as esoteric/natural.

It would be a new one on me...I haven't run across anyone doing this quite yet. Since LEDs are fairly new yet, the ability to control intensity with relative ease compared to other/older technologies is yet to be more fully explored I guess. An old incandescent light coupled to a Triac that is slaved to such an outside source of light-varying drive would do much the same in old technology-speak.

Anyway, when I get the scratch and the desire to tear into it I'll update the forum on the Natura-LED implementation (Could be a good product name! You heard it here first!).

Wes

[DoctaQ]

i was under the impression that solaris tried to do cloudy overpasses with dimming individual or groups of leds that led to like a moving dark spot from one side of the tank to the other, this of course will be less possible with your setup but much more natural since clouds are not 3 leds wide haha. keep us posted on the plant growth!

[wesknox]

OK, here's photos (finally!) of the LED units I constructed. They are each 100W LED arrays that are 1.5 inches square, and are mounted on inexpensive CPU coolers which are mini-radiators that come with attached cooling fans.

The HC in the tank is really starting to catch fire (not literally!) I've had to turn down the intensity on both units (by reducing voltage adjustment on each of the meanwell driver power supplies) as the brightness was driving algae growth that came from the plant seller (I'm not doing business with that place ever again).

The first pic shows the two Meanwell LED driver supplies in the center and the two LED/cooler units at the left/right edges of the photo. In the background are the cooling fans (4) that I built into the hood from day 1 (back when I had 4X48" fluorescents...then 3X80W "Lights of America" CFL yard floodlights). Don't really need 4 fans now but they're in there anyway.

The white "hook" in the foreground is the handle I open lid with. You can make out the variable power supply regulator board just behind that. It allows me to adjust the fan speed of the 4 hood fans (set on minimum since LED coolers do just fine) and the LED fans.

Pic 2 is a closeup of a complete LED module showing the edge view of the LED array, the cooler and the attached fan.

Pic 3 is a wider-angle view of the hood with the 2 light "fixtures", power supplies and etc. Oh...you can also see the Eheim fish feeder which I mounted the magnet and magnetic reed relay to implement my pump, CO2 and heater cutout modification. This allows me to cut the pump, CO2 injection and heater (mounted in-line in plumbing below the tank) when the feeder adds food. Otherwise, food gets skimmed off if pump runs.

Pic 4 is closeup showing light output of the LED array...if it looks intense...IT IS! These units come in a number of different wattage ratings, so you can assemble one (or more) of these for a smaller tank setup without the hassle of multiple LED mountings and wiring of the more traditional approach.

Lastly, Pic 5 shows the radiator fins of the CPU cooler (Eheim feeder in background again).

I had a pic that attempted to show the glimmering from the LED lighting but the autoexposure on my camera washed it out...I'll try again later. I had to remove two sections of the plastic extrusion channel used as the hinge between the two glass plates of the lid, right below each LED array because being black, they were getting warm-ish (not hot) and because they actually cast a shadow in the tank that I wanted to remove.

Anyway, the whole setup for two 100W arrays with coolers and powersupplies was less than $150. I couldn't touch this lighting solution anywhere near that price for a commercially produced solution.

Let me know if anyone wants to construct one of these (at whatever wattage) and I would be happy to provide assistance in your DIY efforts.

[dundadundun]

nice project. what'd you paint that mdf with? looks similar to rustoleum high gloss black in a gallon can...

[Sploke]

Do you have a pic of the tank with the light over it?

[wesknox]

Not sure what paint was...it was finished cabinet and hood when I bought it. It is high-gloss finish however. Shows dust very well :)

[wesknox]

I don't but will post one in a bit.

[wesknox]

OK, here's a couple of pics of the tank and cab.

First Pic is with flash OFF. The modified intake tube with attached skimmer is visible on the left. If you look at the very lower left of the pic, you can see the rippling rainbow/shimmer effect of the LED lighting.

Second Pic is with flash ON.

Last Pic is flash ON from back of tank. The patch of HC on the rock (petrified wood) was a tiny patch of 2 leaves 1mm across when the LED lighting was installed. It's heading over the edge and down to the gravel. Also, minimal algae on it at all, compared to purchased HC which all developed some dark green algae.