Separable ECU Cooling and Memory Modules for Easier Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic control units (ECUs) in vehicles face challenges in inspection, repair, and manufacturing due to complex liquid-cooling circuits, making data upload difficult and requiring skilled technicians for servicing.
Innovation Solution
The ECU is designed with separable cooling and memory modules, where the memory module is independent of the cooling module, allowing for separate testing, servicing, and manufacturing, with thermal connection and electrical communication between them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ECUs include liquid-cooling circuits for thermal dissipation, then thermal management is improved, but device complexity and difficulty of repair increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ECU is divided into separate modules: a cooling module containing the liquid-cooling circuit and a memory module containing the memory device. These modules are physically separable through physical-connection elements, allowing independent handling of cooling and memory functions. This segmentation reduces overall device complexity by isolating the complex cooling system from the memory system.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory module is extracted from the cooling module as an independent separable component. The memory module can be removed from the cooling module through physical-connection elements, allowing the memory to be serviced, replaced, or upgraded without affecting the cooling system, thereby reducing the complexity impact on memory operations.
2Temperature
If ECUs include liquid-cooling circuits, then thermal management is improved, but ease of repair and inspection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The ECU is divided into separate modules: a cooling module containing the liquid-cooling circuit and a memory module containing the memory device. These modules are physically separable through physical-connection elements, allowing independent handling of cooling and memory functions. This segmentation reduces overall device complexity by isolating the complex cooling system from the memory system.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory module is extracted from the cooling module as an independent separable component. The memory module can be removed from the cooling module through physical-connection elements, allowing the memory to be serviced, replaced, or upgraded without affecting the cooling system, thereby reducing the complexity impact on memory operations.
3Reliability
If ECUs are integrated within vehicles, then operational reliability is improved, but ease of inspection and data upload deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The ECU is divided into separate modules: a cooling module containing the liquid-cooling circuit and a memory module containing the memory device. These modules are physically separable through physical-connection elements, allowing independent handling of cooling and memory functions. This segmentation reduces overall device complexity by isolating the complex cooling system from the memory system.
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 simplifies manufacturing, reduces servicing costs, and enhances security by enabling independent data uploads and repairs without altering the cooling system, improving efficiency and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a first thermal-contact surface in thermal connection with the liquid-cooling circuit, the first thermal-contact surface configured to contact a second thermal-contact surface of a memory module to provide thermal connection between the liquid-cooling circuit and the memory module
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic control unit (ECU) with separable cooling and memory modules is described. The cooling module has an integrated liquid-cooling circuit with a direct connection to the cooling circuit. The memory module includes an independent memory that can store data and be tested independent of the cooling module. The cooling module and the memory module contact at thermal-contact surfaces to enable cooling when installed in a vehicle. In this way, the cooling module may provide cooling through the thermal-contact surface to one or more memory modules and the memory module may be implemented without an internal cooling system.