Enhancing the Heat Dissipation Efficiency of Computing Units Within Autonomous Driving Systems and Electric Vehicles

Abstract

With the rapid development of autonomous driving technology and electric vehicles, the demand for computing units in vehicles has surged, particularly for high-density computing related to artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, and real-time data processing. This increase has posed significant heat dissipation challenges for automotive electronic systems. Effective heat dissipation is essential for ensuring system stability, safety, and extending the lifespan of these systems. This study explores the thermal design of computing units in current autonomous driving systems and electric vehicles. The electronic components within the computing units generate significant heat, but due to environmental constraints, fans can not be used for internal cooling, as their operation can draw in dust from the environment, contaminating the internal electronic components. Therefore, computing units are often designed with a sealed structure, utilizing the thermal conductivity of metal casings to quickly dissipate internal heat sources. The results of this study show that comparing embedded cooling modules within the casing to commonly used thermal pads reveals that changing the materials of the cooling module can significantly enhance cooling performance, noticeably reducing the temperature of the internal electronic components and minimizing the risk of overheating. Additionally, this can improve the overall reliability and performance of the system, providing new ideas and application prospects for future automotive thermal design.