Free-form Air Guide for Vehicle LED Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air guides and cooling devices for vehicle illumination devices, such as LED light modules, are inefficient in cooling due to high flow resistance and require more energy and costly blowers, which is particularly problematic for electric vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A free-form air channel design with low flow resistance between the air inlet and outlet openings, optimized using simulations, allows for the use of axial fans, reducing pressure loss and enabling cost-effective and energy-efficient cooling, and can be manufactured as a single part or in two connected parts for ease of installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional air guides with multiple hollow bodies are used, then manufacturing is easier with standard geometries, but flow resistance is high and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate hollow bodies into a single integrated air channel with free-form geometry. This consolidation eliminates multiple joints and connections, reducing flow resistance and enabling the use of less powerful, energy-saving blowers while maintaining effective cooling performance
Solution Approach 2:
The air channel employs free-form curved geometries instead of straight angular connections between components. These smooth curved transitions reduce turbulence and flow resistance, allowing for lower energy consumption in the blower system
2Reliability
If high-power blowers are used to overcome flow resistance, then cooling performance is maintained, but cost and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the air channel by adopting free-form designs optimized for flow characteristics. This parameter optimization reduces pressure loss and flow resistance, maintaining reliable cooling performance while significantly reducing energy loss and enabling the use of lower-power blowers
3Productivity
If multiple hollow bodies are jointed together, then manufacturing is simplified with standard parts, but flow resistance increases and cooling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate cooling chambers into a single integrated air channel structure with free-form geometry. This merging improves cooling efficiency by eliminating flow resistance at joints while the entire structure can be manufactured as a single molded part, maintaining ease of production
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 design enhances air flow guidance, reduces energy consumption, and eliminates the need for additional flow guide elements, resulting in efficient and cost-effective cooling of vehicle illumination devices, especially beneficial for electric vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
the air channel is designed as a free-form air channel, where the flow resistance of the free-form air channel between the air inlet opening and each of the at least one air outlet openings is designed to be so low that a blower in the form of an axial fan can be deployed
Implementation Method 2
the low level of pressure loss in the air channel makes it possible to use a cost-effective blower, for example an axial fan or the like
Data Source
AI summary
An air guide is provided for cooling an illumination device of a vehicle. A single, essentially rigid air channel with an air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening is provided. The air inlet opening is allocated to a blower and the at least one air outlet opening is allocated to at least one chamber or at least one chamber area of the illumination device. In order to improve the cooling of an illumination device of a vehicle, air channel is a free-form air channel, where the flow resistance of the free-form channel between the air inlet opening and each of the at least one air outlet opening is designed to be so low as to make it possible to deploy a blower in the form of an axial fan.