Light-emitting diodes are nowadays the most dynamically developing type of light sources.
Considering that temperature is the main factor affecting electrical and lighting
parameters of these devices, thermal models are essential subcomponents of multidomain
models commonly used for simulation of their operation. The authors investigated white
power light-emitting diodes soldered to metal core PCBs. The tested devices were placed
in a light-tight box on a cold plate and their cooling curves were registered for
different diode current and cold plate temperature values. These data allowed the
computation of optical and real heating power values and consequently the generation
of compact thermal models in the form of Foster and Cauer RC ladders. This rendered
possible also the analysis of the influence of the considered factors on compact model
element values and their parametrization. Consequently, the resulting models yield
accurate estimates of device junction temperature in virtually any realistic operating
conditions and they could be easily included in multidomain compact models.
