Cooling system for vehicle sensor modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle sensor modules exposed to high ambient temperatures and significant solar energy loads face challenges in maintaining optimal operating temperatures due to their sealed, hermetically protected environment, which prevents direct convective air cooling.
Innovation Solution
An active internal gas circulation system combined with a cold plate and various external heat exchanger systems, including thermo-electric Peltier coolers, liquid coolant circuits, and refrigerant-based systems, are used to manage heat within the sensor module housing, ensuring effective thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensor module uses a hermetically sealed housing to protect sensors from contaminants, then the sensors are protected from dust and humidity, but the housing becomes isolated from direct convective air cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transparent window as an intermediary element that allows thermal radiation to pass through the hermetically sealed housing. This window is positioned to permit infrared radiation from the sensors to escape outward, enabling passive radiative cooling while maintaining the seal's protective function against contaminants.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition of water (evaporation/condensation) in the external heat exchanger system. The phase change process absorbs and releases latent heat, providing effective thermal management. Additionally, the transparent window enables radiative heat transfer that can be considered a form of energy phase transition from thermal to radiative form.
2Reliability
If the housing is hermetically sealed to maintain sensor operating conditions, then sensor reliability is improved, but heat dissipation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent window serves as a mediator that enables thermal energy transfer through radiation while maintaining the hermetic seal. It allows the housing to lose heat via infrared radiation without compromising the sealed environment, thus resolving the contradiction between seal integrity and heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical convective cooling (which would require opening the housing) with radiative cooling through the transparent window. This substitution allows heat dissipation to occur through electromagnetic radiation rather than requiring mechanical air flow, maintaining the seal while enabling thermal management.
3Temperature
If external heat exchanger systems are added to cool the housing, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent window enables the housing to perform self-cooling through passive radiative heat transfer. The system utilizes the natural tendency of hot objects to radiate thermal energy, eliminating the need for active cooling mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining effective temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making only the window area transparent to infrared radiation while keeping the rest of the housing hermetically sealed and thermally insulated. This localized modification provides targeted thermal management capability without requiring complex system-wide changes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively maintains sensor module temperatures within a preferred range, enhancing the reliability and performance of sensors by efficiently dissipating heat generated from high ambient conditions and solar loads.
Implementation Method 1
a cold plate...disposed on an end of the housing
Implementation Method 2
an active internal gas circulation system...disposed within the housing
Implementation Method 3
thermo-electric Peltier coolers
Implementation Method 4
liquid coolant circuits
Implementation Method 5
refrigerant-based systems
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system for a vehicle sensor module includes an active internal gas circulation system and a cold plate. The sensor module includes a light detector sensor disposed in a sealed housing. The housing is at least partially transparent. A cold plate is disposed on an end of the housing, and seals the housing. The active internal gas circulation system is disposed within the housing, and defines a first fluid flow path across the cold plate.