Electronic Control Unit Gas Cooling Channel with Expansion Section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic control units in motor vehicles face overheating issues due to high temperatures, and existing cooling methods are inefficient, especially when ambient temperatures are high and air is stagnant, limiting heat dissipation and requiring large surfaces or wear-prone components like fans.
Innovation Solution
An electronic control unit with a gas cooling channel that conducts compressed gas in a thermally conductive manner, featuring an expansion section to cool the gas and separate it from the control electronics, preventing impurities and using compressed air from a pressure tank, which is expanded to cool the control electronics without requiring fans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If passive cooling through convection is used, then the cooling system is simple, but the heat dissipation capacity is insufficient when ambient temperature is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses compressed gas (pneumatic system) to actively cool the electronic control unit. A gas cooling channel directs compressed gas onto the housing surface, providing forced convection cooling that overcomes the limitations of passive natural convection when ambient temperatures are high, thereby improving heat dissipation capacity without significantly increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the cooling parameter from passive natural convection to active compressed gas convection. By introducing compressed gas with higher velocity and pressure, the heat transfer coefficient is significantly improved, enabling effective cooling even when ambient temperature is high, thus resolving the contradiction between system simplicity and cooling effectiveness
2Temperature
If large surface areas are used for heat dissipation, then heat dissipation capacity increases, but the control unit size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs compressed gas to enhance convective heat transfer efficiency. The high-velocity compressed gas flow creates turbulent flow patterns that significantly increase the heat transfer coefficient, allowing effective cooling with smaller surface areas compared to passive convection systems, thus resolving the contradiction between heat dissipation capacity and control unit size
3Temperature
If fans are used for active cooling, then heat dissipation capacity increases, but wear-prone components are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a compressed gas system instead of mechanical fans for active cooling. The compressed gas is delivered through a gas cooling channel directly to the housing surface, providing forced convection without any moving parts in the cooling system, thereby eliminating wear and improving reliability while maintaining high heat dissipation capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical fan system with a pneumatic compressed gas system. Instead of using rotating blades to force air flow, the system uses pressurized gas flow to achieve the same cooling effect without mechanical components, thus eliminating wear and improving system reliability
4Temperature
If compressed gas is used for cooling, then heat dissipation capacity increases, but impurities in the gas may contact the control electronics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or separates the compressed gas flow path from the electronic control unit housing interior. The gas cooling channel is designed to direct compressed gas onto the external housing surface, creating a cooling barrier that prevents impurities in the compressed gas from contacting the control electronics inside the housing, thus resolving the contradiction between cooling efficiency and contaminant exposure
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
This solution provides targeted and efficient cooling of electronic control units, preventing overheating and extending service life, while avoiding the use of wear-prone components and reducing the impact of ambient temperature on cooling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a gas cooling channel (24) for guiding compressed gas, which is thermally connected to the first control electronics module (42)
Implementation Method 2
The gas cooling channel (24) includes an expansion section (24A). In this expansion section, the flow cross-section of the gas cooling channel (24) widens to expand and cool the compressed gas
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to an electronic control unit (20) for a motor vehicle, having first control electronics (42), in particular a first equipped circuit board. The electronic control unit (20) also has a gas cooling duct (24) for conducting a compressed gas. The gas cooling channel (24) is thermally connected to the first control electronics (42) and is designed to separate the compressed gas from the first control electronics (42). The gas cooling channel (24) has an expansion section (24A) in which a flow cross section of the gas cooling channel (24) expands for expanding and cooling the compressed gas for cooling the first control electronics (42).