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LEDs driven by AC without transformers or rectifiers.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Hughes, Robin W 

Abstract

We explore the driving of LEDs by untransformed AC. An extreme case is driving 1.9 V threshold (red) LEDs with UK mains, peak voltage 325 V. Commonly, driving is by transformed, rectified (DC) supply with a series resistor (where a significant fraction of the power is wasted) to limit current in the LED. With AC, one can instead reactively limit to a maximum current safe for an LED by employing a series capacitive impedance. Cheaper and simpler supplies can thus be employed in some cases. We analyse such non-linear circuits, and also explore questions of duty cycle and power experimentally.

Description

Keywords

40 Engineering, 4009 Electronics, Sensors and Digital Hardware

Journal Title

Sci Rep

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2045-2322
2045-2322

Volume Title

11

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P034616/1)