Modular vehicle computing system cooling systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10481652-B2
Application number	US-201815892506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2018
Priority date	Dec 1, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for cooling an autonomous vehicle computing system are provided. A modular cooling device can include a cooling baseplate and one or more modular heat frames. The cooling baseplate can include at least one planar cooling surface, an inlet configured to receive a cooling fluid, an outlet, and at least one cooling channel coupled between the inlet and the outlet. The at least one cooling channel can be configured to allow the cooling fluid to flow between the inlet and the outlet and provide cooling to the at least one planar cooling surface. Each modular heat frame can be configured to house at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component, be coupled parallel to the at least one planar cooling surface, and transfer heat from the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component housed by the modular heat frame to the cooling baseplate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular cooling device for an autonomous vehicle computing system, comprising:
a cooling baseplate, comprising:
at least one planar cooling surface;
an inlet configured to receive a cooling fluid;
an outlet; and
at least one cooling channel coupled between the inlet and the outlet, the at least one cooling channel configured to allow the cooling fluid to flow between the inlet and the outlet and provide cooling to the at least one planar cooling surface; and

one or more modular heat frames;
wherein each modular heat frame is configured to house at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component;
wherein each modular heat frame comprises a heat transfer device positioned on a bottom portion of the modular heat frame, the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component housed by each respective modular heat frame positioned on top of the heat transfer device, the heat transfer device positioned between the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component and the at least one planar cooling surface;
wherein each modular heat frame further comprises a heat pipe, each heat pipe comprising a first end positioned on a top portion of the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component housed by the respective modular heat frame and a second end configured to transfer heat from the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component housed by the respective modular heat frame to the heat transfer device;
wherein the heat transfer device of each respective modular heat frame is further configured to be coupled parallel to the at least one planar cooling surface in a surface-mounted orientation; and
wherein each modular heat frame is further configured to transfer heat from the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component housed by the respective modular heat frame from the heat transfer device to the cooling fluid via the at least one planar cooling surface.

2. The modular cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid comprises a liquid cooling fluid.

3. The modular cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the cooling baseplate further comprises a plurality of pin fins positioned within the at least one cooling channel.

4. The modular cooling device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of pin fins comprise a plurality of diamond-shaped pin fins or rounded pin fins.

5. The modular cooling device of claim 3 , wherein the one or more modular heat frames comprises a first modular heat frame;
wherein the plurality of pin fins comprise a first subset of pin fins configured to transfer heat from the first modular heat frame to the cooling baseplate.

6. The modular cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling channel comprises a plurality of cooling channels.

7. The modular cooling device of claim 6 , wherein the cooling baseplate further comprises a first manifold associated with the inlet and a second manifold associated with the outlet; and
wherein the plurality of cooling channels are coupled between the first manifold and the second manifold.

8. The modular cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer device of at least one of the one or more modular heat frames comprises a vapor chamber.

9. The modular cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more modular heat frames comprises a plurality of modular heat frames; and
wherein each modular heat frame of the plurality is configured to be mounted to the at least one planar cooling surface in a co-planar orientation.

10. The modular cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer device of at least one of the one or more modular heat frames comprises a thermally-conductive heatsink.

11. The modular cooling device of claim 10 , wherein the thermally-conductive heatsink comprises a copper, aluminum, or thermally-conductive plastic heatsink.

12. The modular cooling device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more modular heat frames comprises an air-cooled heatsink; and
wherein the air-cooled heatsink is configured to transfer heat from the autonomous vehicle computing system component housed by the at least one of the modular heat frames to an ambient air.

13. The modular cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid comprises air.

14. The modular cooling device of claim 13 , wherein the cooling baseplate further comprises plurality of cooling fins positioned within the at least one cooling channel.

15. The modular cooling device of claim 13 , further comprising a fan configured to provide a cooling airflow to the at least one cooling channel.

16. A modular cooling system for an autonomous vehicle computing system, comprising:
a cooling fluid source; and
a modular cooling device, comprising:
a cooling baseplate, comprising:
at least one planar cooling surface;
an inlet configured to receive a cooling fluid from the cooling fluid source;
an outlet; and
one or more cooling channels coupled between the inlet and the outlet, the one or more cooling channels configured to allow the cooling fluid to flow between the inlet and the outlet and provide cooling to the at least one planar cooling surface; and

at least one modular heat frame;

wherein the at least one modular heat frame is configured to house at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component;
wherein the at least one modular heat frame comprises a heat transfer device positioned on a bottom portion of the at least one modular heat frame, the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component housed by the at least one modular heat frame positioned on top of the heat transfer device, the heat transfer device positioned between the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component and the at least one planar cooling surface;
wherein the at least one modular heat frame further comprises a heat pipe, the heat pipe comprising a first end positioned on a top portion of the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component housed by the at least one modular heat frame and a second end configured to transfer heat from the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component housed by the at least one modular heat frame to the heat transfer device;
wherein the heat transfer device of the at least one modular heat frame is further configured to be coupled parallel to the at least one planar cooling surface in a surface-mounted orientation; and
wherein the at least one modular heat frame is further configured to transfer heat from the at least one autonomous vehicle computing system component housed by the at least one modular heat frame from the heat transfer device to the cooling fluid via the at least one planar cooling surface.

17. The modular cooling system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one modular heat frame comprises a plurality of modular heat frames; and
wherein each modular heat frame of the plurality is configured to be mounted to the at least one planar cooling surface in a co-planar orientation.

18. The modular cooling system of claim 16 , where the heat transfer device of the at least one modular heat frame comprises a vapor chamber or a thermally-conductive heatsink.

19. The modular cooling system of claim 16 , wherein the cooling fluid source comprises a liquid cooling fluid source.

20. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
an autonomous vehicle computing system comprising a plurality of autonomous vehicle computing system components; and
a modular cooling system, comprising:
a cooling fluid source; and

Assignees

• Uatc Llc

Inventors

• Rice David Patrick
• Watson Thomas Jeffrey
• Zinn John William
• Doll Robert Henry
• Kelly Declan Seamus

Classifications

• H05K7/20872

  Liquid coolant without phase change · CPC title

• B60H1/00271

  HVAC devices specially adapted for particular vehicle parts or components and being connected to the vehicle HVAC unit · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• H05K7/20927

  Liquid coolant without phase change · CPC title

• G06F2200/201

  Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid · CPC title