Apparatus for Electronic Cooling on an Autonomous Device

Abstract

An apparatus to cool electronics in an autonomous vehicle, where the autonomous vehicle includes significant computing power to receive data from on-board sensor, cellular data and user interactions and to navigate an environment to a predetermined location. The cooling system includes a radiator, fan, pump and cold plate. The cold plate is formed from two plates with extended surfaces that are mated together so that the cavities around the extended surfaces form a flow passage. The electronics processing the data and navigating are mounted on the outside surface of the cold plate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Cold plate for cooling electronics comprising:
 a first side having a cooling mount configured to receive an electronics package; and   a second side having:
 a flow path; and 
 an array of extended surfaces in the flow path limited to a portion opposite of the cooling mount. 
   
     
     
         2 . Cold plate of  claim 1  wherein the extended surfaces are staggered round pins. 
     
     
         3 . Cold plate of  claim 1  wherein the extended surfaces are staggered oval pins. 
     
     
         4 . Cold plate of  claim 1  wherein the extended surfaces are straight fins with breaks in the fins. 
     
     
         5 . Cold plate of  claim 1  wherein the extended surfaces are staggered arrays of molded shapes. 
     
     
         6 . Cold plate of  claim 1  wherein the second side has a second flow path that is parallel to said flow path. 
     
     
         7 . Cold plate of  claim 6 , wherein said flow path and said second flow path have an equal number of extended surfaces. 
     
     
         8 . Cold plate of  claim 1  wherein said array has an entrance region wherein said extended surfaces farther apart than in a remainder of said array. 
     
     
         9 . Cold plate of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said second side has a second array of extended surfaces; and   said flow path narrows between said array of extended surfaces and said second array of extended surfaces.   
     
     
         10 . Cold plate of  claim 8 , wherein said entrance region does not contain said extended surfaces for heat transfer. 
     
     
         11 . Cold plate of  claim 8 , wherein said entrance region comprises a fairing. 
     
     
         12 . Cold plate of  claim 11 , wherein said fairing defines a cylinder with an axis perpendicular to said cold plate. 
     
     
         13 . Cold plate of  claim 8 , wherein said entrance region is triangular 
     
     
         14 . Cooling system for electronics in an autonomous vehicle comprising:
 a radiator including a liquid passage and external fins;   a fan adjacent to said radiator forcing a portion of ambient air past said external fins;   said cold plate of  claim 1 ; and   a pump configured to move liquid through said liquid passage and said flow path.