Electronic control device for vehicle

Abstract

This electronic control device for a vehicle comprises a plurality of electronic circuit units and a housing case that removably houses the electronic circuit units in at least two columns and at least one tier. Each electronic circuit unit has a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, and a unit case in which are formed: a coolant passage for a coolant that cools the electronic components; and two ports communicating with the coolant passage. Among the plurality of electronic circuit units housed in the housing case, ports of electronic circuit units adjacent to each other in the lateral direction are connected by detachable port connection pipes, and ports located near both end portions of the housing case in the lateral direction are connected to a coolant supply source by a detachable coolant supply pipe and coolant return pipe.

Description

Vehicle electronic control device

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle electronic control device.

[0002] An electronic control device mounted on a vehicle, for example, due to the advancement of the level of autonomous driving, a plurality of electronic circuit units cooperate to perform required functions. In addition, each electronic circuit unit constituting the electronic control device, for example, since the calorific value of electronic components increases due to an increase in control load, it is conceivable to cope with it by water cooling. In order to mount such an electronic control device on a vehicle, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-64480 (Patent Document 1), a technique of accommodating a plurality of electronic circuit units in a housing (rack) in a state of being stacked in the vertical direction can be applied. Note that since the electronic control device described in Patent Document 1 is targeted at servers, etc., the installation space of the refrigerant supply source for supplying refrigerant is not severely restricted, and refrigerant is supplied in parallel to a plurality of electronic circuit units.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-64480

[0004] However, considering mounting the electronic control device described in Cited Document 1 on a vehicle, since a plurality of electronic circuit units are stacked in the vertical direction, the height becomes high, making it difficult to mount on the vehicle. In addition, since acceleration acts continuously in multiple directions due to the running of the vehicle, when the height of the electronic control device becomes high, a relatively large acceleration acts on the electronic components of the electronic circuit unit, which may reduce the earthquake resistance of the electronic circuit unit. Furthermore, in a configuration where refrigerant is supplied in parallel to a plurality of electronic circuit units, the refrigerant supply source becomes large in order to ensure the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to each electronic circuit unit, making it difficult to mount the refrigerant supply source on the vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle electronic control device that enables a reduction in height while ensuring the cooling capacity of a plurality of electronic circuit units.

[0006] The vehicle electronic control unit comprises a plurality of electronic circuit units and a housing that removably accommodates the plurality of electronic circuit units. Each electronic circuit unit has a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, a unit housing that houses the circuit board and has a refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant that cools the electronic components mounted on the circuit board passes, and two ports that communicate with the refrigerant passage. The housing is configured to accommodate the plurality of electronic circuit units in at least two rows in the left-right direction and at least one row in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the two ports formed in the unit housing are formed at both ends in the left-right direction when the electronic circuit units are housed in the housing. For the plurality of electronic circuit units housed in the housing, ports formed in the unit housings of adjacent electronic circuit units in the left-right direction are connected by removable port connection piping, and ports close to both ends of the housing in the left-right direction are connected to a refrigerant supply source by removable refrigerant supply piping and refrigerant return piping, respectively.

[0007] According to the present invention, in an electronic control device for vehicles, it is possible to reduce the profile while ensuring the cooling capacity of multiple electronic circuit units.

[0008] This is a perspective view showing an example of an electronic control device mounted on a vehicle. This is an exploded perspective view showing an example of an electronic circuit unit. This is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of a cooling system for cooling an electronic circuit unit. This is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment of a cooling system for cooling an electronic circuit unit. This is a schematic diagram of the third embodiment of a cooling system for cooling an electronic circuit unit. This is a schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment of a cooling system for cooling an electronic circuit unit. This is a schematic diagram of the fifth embodiment of a cooling system for cooling an electronic circuit unit. This is a schematic diagram of the sixth embodiment of a cooling system for cooling an electronic circuit unit. This is a schematic diagram of the seventh embodiment of a cooling system for cooling an electronic circuit unit. This is a schematic diagram of the eighth embodiment of a cooling system for cooling an electronic circuit unit.

[0009] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 shows an example of an electronic control device 100 mounted on a vehicle such as a passenger car, truck, bus, or construction machinery. Here, the electronic control device 100 is given as an example of an electronic control device for a vehicle. It should be noted that the electronic control device 100 described below is merely an example illustrating one of these embodiments and should not be interpreted as being limited to its configuration.

[0010] The electronic control device 100 is comprised of a plurality of electronic circuit units 200 and a housing (rack) 300 that removably accommodates the plurality of electronic circuit units 200.

[0011] As shown in Figure 2, the electronic circuit unit 200 comprises a circuit board 220 on which at least one electronic component EC is mounted, a unit body 240 that fixes the circuit board 220 and cools the electronic component EC, and a unit cover 260 that closes the top surface of the unit body 240. The housing formed by the unit body 240 and the unit cover 260 is an example of a unit housing that accommodates a circuit board.

[0012] The circuit board 220 includes at least one electronic component EC, as well as two socket connectors SC to which plug connectors of harnesses (not shown) are detachably connected. Note that the number of socket connectors SC is not limited to two, but can be numbered according to the number of harnesses that are detachably connected to the electronic circuit unit 200.

[0013] The unit body 240 is composed of a unit base 242 and a recessed cover 244.

[0014] The unit base 242 has a rectangular shape in plan view and is made of a lightweight metal such as an aluminum alloy. Specifically, the unit base 242 has walls that rise upward on the front, left side, and right side, and a connector opening 242A is formed on the front for accessing two socket connectors SC of the circuit board 220 from the outside. In addition, two ports, a first port 242B and a second port 242C, are formed at both the left and right ends of the front of the unit base 242, for introducing or diverting refrigerant. Here, the first port 242B and the second port 242C are formed in a cylindrical shape that protrudes forward from the front of the unit base 242 so that refrigerant piping (not shown) can be detachably connected to them. Furthermore, a recess 242D is formed on the upper surface of the unit base 242, which communicates with the first port 242B and the second port 242C formed on the front. The middle portion of the recess 242D is shaped to allow cooling of the electronic components EC mounted on the circuit board 220, and a plurality of heat dissipation fins 242E are formed on its upper surface to increase the contact area with the coolant. Here, the heat dissipation fins 242E can be, for example, protrusions that rise upward from the upper surface of the recess 242D. Furthermore, a plurality of boss portions 242F are formed at predetermined locations on the upper surface of the unit base 242 for fixing the circuit board 220 using, for example, screws (not shown).

[0015] The recessed cover 244 has a shape that conforms to the outer shape of the recess 242D of the unit base 242 in a plan view, and is made of a lightweight metal such as an aluminum alloy similar to that of the unit base 242. The recessed cover 244 is fixed in a liquid-tight state to the upper surface of the unit base 242 with, for example, a well-known sealing material or gasket interposed therebetween. By fixing the recessed cover 244 to the upper surface of the unit base 242, a sealed space is formed between the recess 242D of the unit base 242 and the recessed cover 244, which functions as a refrigerant passage RP. The upper surface of the recessed cover 244 is shaped to allow heat exchange by contacting the electronic components EC mounted on the circuit board 220.

[0016] The unit cover 260 has a rectangular shape that conforms to the upper surface of the unit base 242 in a plan view, and is made of a lightweight metal such as an aluminum alloy similar to that of the unit base 242. The unit cover 260 is detachably fixed to the walls located on the front, left, and right sides of the unit base 242 using screws or the like, with a sealing material such as a well-known O-ring interposed between them.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the housing 300 has a box shape with an open front and is made of, for example, a strong iron-based metal. The housing 300 is composed of a housing body 320 and rectangular mounting members 340 extending left and right from both ends of the front of the housing body 320. The housing body 320 is configured to accommodate, for example, six electronic circuit units 200 in two rows left and right and three rows up and down. The mounting members 340 also have a plurality of through holes 342 arranged vertically, through which the shafts of screws used to fix the electronic control device 100 to the vehicle are inserted.

[0018] With this electronic control unit 100, since the six electronic circuit units 200 are housed in two rows and three tiers within the housing 300, the height is reduced compared to an electronic control unit where the six electronic circuit units are stacked vertically, thus enabling a lower profile design. This lower profile allows the electronic control unit 100 to be mounted, for example, under a vehicle seat, while maintaining seismic resistance. Furthermore, since each electronic circuit unit 200 is housed in the housing 300 in a removable manner, the electronic control unit 100 can be designed as a unit-replaceable electronic control unit, taking into account maintenance and hardware updates.

[0019] Next, various embodiments of a cooling system for cooling multiple electronic circuit units 200 housed in a housing 300 will be described.

[0020] <First Embodiment> Figure 3 shows a first embodiment of the cooling system. Six electronic circuit units 200 are housed in two rows and three tiers within a housing 300. In each tier, the refrigerant passages RP of two electronic circuit units 200 arranged side by side are connected by port connection piping 400 located in the center of the housing 300 in the left-right direction. Specifically, the second port 242C of the electronic circuit unit 200 located on the left side of the housing 300, and the first port 242B of the electronic circuit unit 200 located on the right side of the housing 300, are connected to these by port connection piping 400 which is detachably connected to them. Furthermore, the first port 242B of each electronic circuit unit 200 located on the left side of the housing 300 is connected by a detachably connected diversion pipe 420 to a refrigerant diversion device 410 which distributes the refrigerant supplied from a refrigerant supply source 500 (described in detail later) into three substantially equal systems. Meanwhile, the second ports 242C of each electronic circuit unit 200 located on the right side of the housing 300 are connected by detachable confluence pipes 440 to a refrigerant combiner 430 that combines three refrigerants that cool the electronic components EC mounted on the circuit board 220. The refrigerant diverter 410 is connected to the refrigerant discharge port 500A of the refrigerant supply source 500 by a refrigerant supply pipe 450, and the refrigerant combiner 430 is connected to the refrigerant suction port 500B of the refrigerant supply source 500 by a refrigerant return pipe 460.

[0021] In short, for the six electronic circuit units 200 housed in two rows and three tiers within the housing 300, ports formed on the unit bodies 240 of adjacent electronic circuit units 200 in the left-right direction are connected by detachable port connection pipes 400. Furthermore, for the six electronic circuit units 200 housed in two rows and three tiers within the housing 300, ports adjacent to both ends of the housing 300 in the left-right direction are connected to a refrigerant supply source 500, respectively, by detachable refrigerant supply pipes 450 and refrigerant return pipes 460.

[0022] The refrigerant supply source 500 includes a radiator 520 that dissipates heat from the refrigerant drawn in from the refrigerant intake port 500B, a reservoir 540 that temporarily stores the refrigerant that has passed through the radiator 520, and a pump 560, such as an electric pump, that pumps the refrigerant temporarily stored in the reservoir 540.

[0023] Therefore, the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant discharge port 500A of the refrigerant supply source 500 is supplied to the refrigerant diverter 410 through the refrigerant supply pipe 450. The refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant diverter 410 is divided into three systems, approximately equally, and supplied to the three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing 300 through the diverter pipe 420. The refrigerant supplied to the electronic circuit unit 200 located on the left side of the housing 300 cools the electronic components EC on the circuit board 220 that are in contact with the unit body 240 by passing through the refrigerant passage RP of the unit body 240. The refrigerant that has cooled the electronic components EC of this electronic circuit unit 200 is supplied to the electronic circuit unit 200 located on the right side of the housing 300 through the port connection pipe 400. The refrigerant supplied to the electronic circuit unit 200 located on the right side of the housing 300 cools the electronic components EC on the circuit board 220 that are in contact with the unit body 240 by passing through the refrigerant passage RP of the unit body 240. The refrigerant used to cool the electronic components EC of the electronic circuit unit 200 is supplied to the refrigerant merger 430 via the merging pipe 440. In the refrigerant merger 430, the three refrigerants supplied from the electronic circuit units 200, which are arranged in each stage, are merged. The refrigerant merged in the refrigerant merger 430 is then returned to the refrigerant suction port 500B of the refrigerant supply source 500 via the refrigerant return pipe 460.

[0024] In this way, the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source 500 is divided into three approximately equal parts by the refrigerant diverter 410 and supplied to two electronic circuit units 200 located on the left and right sides of each stage, cooling the electronic components EC mounted on their circuit boards 220. At this time, since the refrigerant divided to each stage cools two electronic circuit units 200, the temperature rise of the refrigerant is suppressed compared to a configuration in which the refrigerant passages of the six electronic circuit units 200 are arranged in series, thus ensuring cooling performance. Furthermore, since the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source 500 is divided into three parts by the refrigerant diverter 410 and supplied to two electronic circuit units 200 located on each stage, it is possible to avoid increasing the size of the pump 560 of the refrigerant supply source 500 compared to a configuration in which refrigerant is supplied in parallel to the six electronic circuit units 200. Therefore, the miniaturization of the refrigerant supply source 500 makes it easier to install it in a vehicle. Furthermore, since the two electronic circuit units 200, which are positioned on the left and right sides of each stage, are connected by port connection pipes 400 with a relatively short overall length, it is possible to shorten the refrigerant passage, reduce the amount of refrigerant, and reduce the refrigerant discharge capacity of the refrigerant supply source 500.

[0025] When the electronic circuit unit 200 is housed in the housing 300, the first port 242B and the second port 242C of the electronic circuit unit 200 are located on the opening side of the housing 300, in other words, on the front side accessible to the worker. Therefore, the worker can perform the connection and disconnection of various pipes from the front side of the electronic control device 100, thereby improving work efficiency. Furthermore, since the insertion and removal of the electronic circuit unit 200 from the housing 300 can be performed from the front, it is possible to suppress the expansion of the workspace.

[0026] <Second Embodiment> Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the cooling system. Note that the refrigerant supply source 500 is not shown in Figure 4, but it should be noted that the refrigerant supply source 500 is essential (the same applies hereafter). Also, in Figure 4, the direction in which the refrigerant supply pipe 450 and the refrigerant return pipe 460 extend differs from that of the first embodiment shown in Figure 3, but this is simply to show a deformable embodiment, and it should be noted that the direction is arbitrary (the same applies hereafter).

[0027] In the second embodiment of the cooling system, based on the configuration of the first embodiment, the port connection piping 400 is configured to include a manifold 400A of a predetermined capacity and branching sections 400B that branch off from the manifold 400A toward the six electronic circuit units 200. Here, the port connection piping 400 has three branching sections 400B toward the second port 242C of the three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing 300, and three branching sections 400B toward the first port 242B of the three electronic circuit units 200 located on the right side of the housing 300.

[0028] With this configuration, the refrigerants that cooled the three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing 300 are supplied to the collection unit 400A via the branching section 400B located on the left side of the figure, where they merge. The refrigerants merged at the collection unit 400A are then supplied to the three electronic circuit units 200 located on the right side of the housing 300 via the branching section 400B located on the right side of the figure. Therefore, even if the temperatures of the refrigerants that cooled the three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing 300 are different, the refrigerants merge at the collection unit 400A and their temperatures become approximately uniform, so that the temperature of the refrigerants supplied to the downstream electronic circuit units 200 can be made approximately equal. This means that, for example, even if the temperature of the refrigerant that cooled a particular electronic circuit unit 200 is significantly higher than the temperature of the refrigerant that cooled other electronic circuit units 200, this refrigerant will not be directly supplied to the downstream electronic circuit units 200, and the cooling capacity of those electronic circuit units 200 can be ensured. Furthermore, by varying the number of branch sections 400B located on the left and right sides of the port connection piping 400, the number of electronic circuit units 200 located on the left and right sides of the housing 300 can be arbitrarily changed. Note that the other functions and effects of the second embodiment of the cooling system are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore their explanation is omitted. If necessary, please refer to the explanation of the first embodiment (the same applies hereafter).

[0029] <Third Embodiment> Figure 5 shows a third embodiment of the cooling system. In the third embodiment of the cooling system, the six electronic circuit units 200 consist of three first electronic circuit units 200A and three second electronic circuit units 200B that generate less heat overall than the first electronic circuit units 200A. Alternatively, in the third embodiment of the cooling system, the six electronic circuit units 200 may consist of three first electronic circuit units 200A on which first electronic components are mounted and three second electronic circuit units 200B on which second electronic components that generate less heat than the first electronic components are mounted. The second electronic circuit units 200B are arranged downstream of the first electronic circuit units 200A with respect to the refrigerant path through which the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source 500 passes. In this way, even the refrigerant that has cooled the first electronic circuit units 200A can sufficiently cool the second electronic circuit units 200B, which generate less heat.

[0030] Furthermore, the following relationship may be established between the heat dissipation fins 242E (first heat dissipation fins) arranged on the inner surface of the refrigerant passage RP (first refrigerant passage) of the first electronic circuit unit 200A and the heat dissipation fins 242E (second heat dissipation fins) arranged on the inner surface of the refrigerant passage RP (second refrigerant passage) of the second electronic circuit unit 200B. That is, a plurality of first heat dissipation fins are arranged on the inner surface of the first refrigerant passage of the first electronic circuit unit 200A, and at least one second heat dissipation fin is arranged on the inner surface of the second refrigerant passage of the second electronic circuit unit 200B. The first and second heat dissipation fins are configured such that the number of second heat dissipation fins is less than the number of first heat dissipation fins, and the total area of ​​the second heat dissipation fins is smaller than the total area of ​​the first heat dissipation fins.

[0031] In this way, the flow resistance in the second electronic circuit unit 200B is reduced compared to the first electronic circuit unit 200A, thereby reducing the pressure loss in the refrigerant path. Furthermore, because the pressure loss is reduced, there is no need to increase the refrigerant discharge capacity of the refrigerant supply source 500, which in turn helps to suppress the need to increase the size of the refrigerant supply source 500.

[0032] <Fourth Embodiment> Figure 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the cooling system. In the fourth embodiment of the cooling system, unlike the first to third embodiments, two stages of electronic circuit units 200 are housed on the left side of the housing casing 300, from the lower to the upper section, and three stages of electronic circuit units 200 are housed on the right side. That is, the number of electronic circuit units 200 housed in the housing casing 300 differs between the left and right sides. In this case, the refrigerant diverter 410 divides the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source 500 into two systems, approximately equally, and supplies them to the two electronic circuit units 200 located downstream. In addition, the port connection piping 400 located at the top has a connection passage that connects the two electronic circuit units 200 arranged side by side in the left-right direction of the housing casing 300, as well as a branch piping 400C that branches off from it. In other words, the port connection pipe 400 has at least one branch pipe 400C, the tip of which is connected to the first port 242B of an adjacent electronic circuit unit 200 that is housed in a stacked state in the vertical direction relative to the housing 300.

[0033] With this configuration, the refrigerant is divided into at least two systems in the port connection piping 400, so that even if there are more electronic circuit units 200 located to the right of the housing casing 300 than there are electronic circuit units 200 located to the left of the housing casing 300, the refrigerant can be supplied to the electronic circuit units 200 located downstream. In the illustrated fourth embodiment, the port connection piping 400 located on the upper side of the housing casing 300 has one branch pipe 400C, but the port connection piping 400 may have multiple branch pipes 400C.

[0034] <Fifth Embodiment> Figure 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the cooling system. In the fifth embodiment of the refrigerant system, similar to the fourth embodiment, two stages of electronic circuit units 200 are housed on the left side of the housing casing 300, from the lower to the upper stages, and three stages of electronic circuit units 200 are housed on the right side. The electronic circuit unit 200 located on the right side at the top of the housing casing 300 is supplied with refrigerant by a diversion pipe 420 extending from a refrigerant diverter 410. That is, the electronic control device 100 has a first route R1 and a second route R2 for supplying refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source 500 to each electronic circuit unit 200. In the first route R1, refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source 500 is supplied via a port connection pipe 400 from the electronic circuit unit 200 located upstream of the refrigerant path to the electronic circuit unit 200 located downstream. In the second route R2, the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source 500 is supplied directly to at least one electronic circuit unit 200 housed in the housing casing 300, without passing through the port connection piping 400.

[0035] With this configuration, similar to the fourth embodiment, even when there are more electronic circuit units 200 located to the right of the housing 300 than there are electronic circuit units 200 located to the left of the housing 300, refrigerant can be supplied to the electronic circuit units 200 located downstream. Note that the second route R2 is not limited to the one shown in Figure 7, but may be provided in multiple locations.

[0036] <Sixth Embodiment> Figure 8 shows a sixth embodiment of the cooling system. In the sixth embodiment of the cooling system, six electronic circuit units 200 are housed in a housing 300 in two rows horizontally and three rows vertically. The second ports 242C of three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing 300, and the first ports 242B of three electronic circuit units 200 located on the right side of the housing 300, are connected by a single port connection pipe 400 that is detachably connected. That is, the port connection pipe 400 has a manifold 400A and a branching section 400B, similar to the second embodiment. The tip of the branching section 400B, which branches from the manifold 400A toward each electronic circuit unit 200, is connected to the second ports 242C of the three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing 300, and to the first ports 242B of the three electronic circuit units 200 located on the right side of the housing 300, respectively. The manifold 400A of the port connection piping 400 is connected to the refrigerant discharge port 500A of the refrigerant supply source 500 via the refrigerant supply piping 450.

[0037] The first ports 242B of three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing enclosure 300, and the second ports 242C of three electronic circuit units 200 located on the right side of the housing enclosure 300, are connected via a merging pipe 440 to two refrigerant merging devices 430, which are located on the left and right sides of the housing enclosure 300, respectively. The two refrigerant merging devices 430 are connected via a refrigerant return pipe 460 to the refrigerant suction port 500B of the refrigerant supply source 500.

[0038] The refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant discharge port 500A of the refrigerant supply source 500 is supplied through the refrigerant supply pipe 450 to the manifold 400A of the port connection pipe 400. The refrigerant supplied to the manifold 400A of the port connection pipe 400 is divided into six systems, flowing through six branching sections 400B, and supplied to six electronic circuit units 200 housed in the housing 300. Thus, in the sixth embodiment, the port connection pipe 400 functions as a refrigerant diverter. The refrigerant supplied to the six electronic circuit units 200 cools the electronic components EC mounted on the circuit board 220, and then flows through the merging pipe 440 to two refrigerant merging devices 430 located on the left and right sides of the housing 300, respectively. The refrigerant supplied to the two refrigerant merging devices 430 is then merged and returned to the refrigerant supply source 500 through the refrigerant return pipe 460.

[0039] In other words, in the sixth embodiment, refrigerant is supplied from the assembly section 400A of the port connection piping 400 located in the center of the housing casing 300 in the left-right direction, via the branch section 400B, to the six electronic circuit units 200 located downstream of the refrigerant path, thereby cooling the electronic components EC mounted on the circuit board 220. The refrigerant that has cooled the six electronic circuit units 200 is then combined in two refrigerant merging devices 430 located on the left and right sides of the housing casing 300, and then returned to the refrigerant supply source 500 through the refrigerant return piping 460. Therefore, since the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source 500 directly cools each electronic circuit unit 200, the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to each electronic circuit unit 200 becomes approximately equal, and the cooling capacity of the electronic circuit units 200 can be ensured.

[0040] <Seventh Embodiment> Figure 9 shows the seventh embodiment of the cooling system. In the seventh embodiment of the cooling system, six electronic circuit units 200 are housed in a housing 300 in two rows horizontally and three rows vertically. The second ports 242C of three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing 300, and the first ports 242B of three electronic circuit units 200 located on the right side of the housing 300, are connected by a single port connection pipe 400 that is detachably connected. That is, the port connection pipe 400 has a manifold 400A and a branching section 400B, similar to the second and sixth embodiments. The tip of the branching section 400B, which branches from the manifold 400A toward each electronic circuit unit 200, is connected to the second ports 242C of the three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing 300, and to the first ports 242B of the three electronic circuit units 200 located on the right side of the housing 300, respectively. The manifold 400A of the port connection piping 400 is connected to the refrigerant suction port 500B of the refrigerant supply source 500 via the refrigerant return piping 460.

[0041] The first port 242B of three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing 300, and the second port 242C of three electronic circuit units 200 located on the right side of the housing 300, are connected via a flow distribution pipe 420 to two refrigerant flow dividers 410, which are located on the left and right sides of the housing 300, respectively. The two refrigerant flow dividers 410 are connected via a refrigerant supply pipe 450 to the refrigerant discharge port 500A of the refrigerant supply source 500.

[0042] The refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant discharge port 500A of the refrigerant supply source 500 is supplied through the refrigerant supply pipe 450 to two refrigerant diverters 410 located on the left and right sides of the housing 300, respectively. The refrigerant supplied to each refrigerant diverter 410 is divided into three systems, approximately equally, and supplied through three diverter pipes 420 to three electronic circuit units 200 located on the left side of the housing 300 and three electronic circuit units 200 located on the right side of the housing 300. After the refrigerant supplied to the six electronic circuit units 200 cools the electronic components EC mounted on the circuit board 220, it is supplied through the branch section 400B of the port connection pipe 400 to its manifold section 400A. The refrigerant supplied to the manifold section 400A of the port connection pipe 400 is then merged and returned to the refrigerant supply source 500 through the refrigerant return pipe 460. Therefore, in the seventh embodiment, the port connection piping 400 functions as a refrigerant confluencer.

[0043] In other words, in the seventh embodiment, refrigerant is supplied from two refrigerant diverters 410, each located on the left and right sides of the housing 300, to three electronic circuit units 200 located on either the left or right side of the housing 300, thereby cooling the electronic components EC mounted on the circuit board 220. The refrigerant that has cooled the six electronic circuit units 200 is then merged through a port connection pipe 400 located in the center of the housing 300 in the left-right direction, and then returned to the refrigerant supply source 500 through a refrigerant return pipe 460. Therefore, similar to the sixth embodiment, the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source 500 directly cools each electronic circuit unit 200, so that the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to each electronic circuit unit 200 becomes approximately equal, and the cooling capacity of the electronic circuit units 200 can be ensured.

[0044] <Eighth Embodiment> Figure 10 shows an eighth embodiment of the cooling system. In the eighth embodiment of the cooling system, on the premise of the second embodiment, a flow control valve 400D for making the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through the branch portion 400B of the port connection pipe 400 variable stepwise or continuously is arranged at the branch portion 400B of the port connection pipe 400. Here, the flow control valve 400D is an on-off valve, and the flow rate of the refrigerant may be changed by changing the opening and closing time of its valve body. In this way, even if the number of the electronic circuit units 200 housed on the left and right sides of the housing 300 is different, it can be easily dealt with by closing the flow path with the flow control valve 400D. Also, even if the volumes of the refrigerant passages RP of the six electronic circuit units 200 housed in the housing 300 are different, by adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to each electronic circuit unit 200 by the flow control valve 400D, it is possible to avoid excessive refrigerant being supplied to a specific electronic circuit unit 200 and suppress an increase in pressure loss. Note that a controller (not shown) may individually control the flow control valve 400D according to the temperature of the electronic components EC of the six electronic circuit units 200 stored in the housing 300 so as to reduce the difference in cooling performance of the electronic circuit units 200. Here, the flow control valve 400D may be configured to at least fully open or fully close the flow path of the branch portion 400B of the port connection pipe 400.

[0045] Further, the port connection pipe 400 is detachably fixed to the frame of the housing 300 via a bracket 400E at the central portion in the left-right direction of the housing 300. In this way, even if the number of the electronic circuit units 200 housed on the left and right sides of the housing 300 is different and the support load on the right or left side of the port connection pipe 400 increases, the port connection pipe 400 can be stably fixed.

[0046] Here, the first to eighth embodiments of the cooling system described above can not only be implemented alone, but also their configurations can be arbitrarily combined on the premise that there is no technical contradiction. In this case, in addition to the actions and effects of the basic embodiment, the actions and effects due to the combined configurations can be exhibited.

[0047] Those skilled in the art can easily understand that new embodiments can be created by omitting a part, appropriately combining parts, or replacing a part with well-known techniques, provided that the required functions can be exhibited for the various technical concepts of the above embodiments.

[0048] For example, the housing 300 is not limited to a configuration capable of housing the electronic circuit unit 200 in two rows and three tiers, and may be a configuration capable of housing the electronic circuit unit 200 in at least two rows and at least one tier.

[0049] 100... Electronic control device (vehicle electronic control device), 200... Electronic circuit unit, 200A... First electronic circuit unit, 200B... Second electronic circuit unit, 220... Circuit board, 240... Unit body (unit housing), 242B... First port (port), 242C... Second port (port), 242E... Heat dissipation fin (first heat dissipation fin, second heat dissipation fin), 260... Unit cover (unit housing), 300... Housing, 400... Port connection pipe, 400A... Junction part, 400B... Branch part, 400C... Branch pipe, 400D... Flow control valve, 400E... Bracket, 450... Refrigerant supply pipe, 460... Refrigerant return pipe, 500... Refrigerant supply source, EC... Electronic component, RP... Refrigerant passage, R1... First route, R2... Second route

Claims

1. A vehicle electronic control device comprising: a plurality of electronic circuit units, each having a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted; a unit housing that houses the circuit board and has a refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant for cooling the electronic components mounted on the circuit board passes, and two ports communicating with the refrigerant passage; and a housing that removably houses the plurality of electronic circuit units, wherein the housing is configured to accommodate the plurality of electronic circuit units in at least two rows in the left-right direction and at least one row in the up-down direction; the two ports formed in the unit housing are formed at both ends in the left-right direction when the electronic circuit units are housed in the housing housing; and for the plurality of electronic circuit units housed in the housing housing, the ports formed in the unit housing of adjacent electronic circuit units in the left-right direction are connected by a removable port connection pipe; and the ports close to both ends of the housing housing in the left-right direction are connected to a refrigerant supply source by a removable refrigerant supply pipe and a refrigerant return pipe, respectively.

2. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein, in a state in which the electronic circuit unit is housed in the housing, the two ports of the electronic circuit unit are arranged on the opening side of the housing.

3. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the port connection piping has a manifold and branching sections that branch from the manifold toward the ports of the plurality of electronic circuit units.

4. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic circuit units consist of a first electronic circuit unit and a second electronic circuit unit that generates less heat than the first electronic circuit unit, and the second electronic circuit unit is arranged downstream of the first electronic circuit unit with respect to the refrigerant path through which the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source passes.

5. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic circuit units consist of a first electronic circuit unit on which a first electronic component is mounted, and a second electronic circuit unit on which a second electronic component that generates less heat than the first electronic component is mounted, and the second electronic circuit unit is arranged downstream of the first electronic circuit unit with respect to a refrigerant path through which the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source passes.

6. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 1, wherein the port connection pipe has a branch pipe that branches off from the middle of the port connection pipe, and the tip of the branch pipe is connected to the port of an adjacent electronic circuit unit that is housed in a stacked state in the vertical direction relative to the housing.

7. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 1, comprising: a first route through which the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source is supplied via the port connection piping from the electronic circuit unit located upstream of the refrigerant path to the electronic circuit unit located downstream of the refrigerant path; and a second route through which the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply source is supplied directly to at least one of the electronic circuit units housed in the housing without going through the port connection piping.

8. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 3, wherein the manifold of the port connection piping is connected to the refrigerant supply piping, and the ports located near both ends of the housing in the left-right direction are connected to the refrigerant return piping, and refrigerant is supplied from the manifold to the electronic circuit unit located downstream of the refrigerant path via the branching section.

9. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 3, wherein the manifold of the port connection piping is connected to the refrigerant return piping, and the ports located near both ends of the housing in the left-right direction are connected to the refrigerant supply piping, and the refrigerant discharged from the plurality of electronic circuit units is discharged to the refrigerant return piping via the branching portion and the manifold.

10. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 3, wherein a flow control valve is arranged at the branch portion of the port connection piping.

11. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 3, wherein the port connection piping is fixed to the housing.

12. The vehicle electronic control device according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of first heat dissipation fins in contact with the refrigerant are arranged on the inner surface of the first refrigerant passage of the first electronic circuit unit, and at least one second heat dissipation fin in contact with the refrigerant is arranged on the inner surface of the second refrigerant passage of the second electronic circuit unit, the number of the second heat dissipation fins is less than the number of the first heat dissipation fins, and the total surface area of ​​the second heat dissipation fins is less than the total surface area of ​​the first heat dissipation fins.

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