Here at oomlout we're enthusiastic - obsessive, some might say - about the humble light-emitting diode, so it was with great joy we clapped eyes on computer science student Yannick Richter's latest project: a ridiculously overpowered hand-portable torch based around a 100W LED and capable of putting out a beam measured at over 8,000 lumens. For perspective, that's around four times brighter than the average small-office projector and four thousand times brighter than our 5mm RGB LEDs.
All LEDs need a constant current source, so I mounted a big 600W constant current boost converter in the case supplying 3,2A at >32V. At the moment it runs on a 5000mAh 5S Zippy Li-Po.
The lens and reflector are bought in a kit and can be mounted almost directly onto the LED. I needed to cut an aluminium plate to mount the led and the lens. It is brighter than car headlights and you can hold it in your hand.