NEDO Develops Small, High-Intensity Underwater LED

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Kagoshima University, and the Kitakyushu Foundation for the Advancement of Industry, Science and Technology (FAIS) announced on February 7, 2013, that they have succeeded in developing small, high-intensity underwater lights in Japan. A typical use of underwater lights is by fishing boats when fishing at night for squid, etc. The newly-developed lights save a significant amount of energy compared to conventional incandescent lights.

A solution to heat build-up is necessary to improve light-emitting diode (LED) lights. In this endeavor, the development of a high-performance heat dissipation system makes it possible to place LEDs at a density over ten times higher than when using conventional lights, resulting in higher luminosity and intensity.

NEDO and the others also verified that selecting an LED having a spectrum appropriate for the target fish species increases the energy efficiency for attracting that species. They also proved in actual fishing grounds that the newly-developed 170-watt LED light works produces the same results as conventional 4,000-watt incandescent light, reducing electricity consumption by more than a factor of twenty.

These LED lights are also expected to be widely used in fields such as underwater construction and seafloor exploration, where it has been difficult to use conventional LED lights due to lack of brightness. The developers also aim to increase the luminosity and intensity of light in LED applications out of water.