TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to vehicles equipped with sensors in an enclosure, and in particular, some embodiments relate to selectively generating electricity, for example, by using an airflow.

BACKGROUND

On-board sensors in vehicles, such as autonomous vehicles (AVs), supplement and bolster the vehicle's field of vision by providing accurate sensor data. Sensor data is used, for example, in applications of blind spot detection, lane change assisting, read end radar for collision warning or collision avoidance, park assisting, cross-traffic monitoring, brake assisting, emergency braking, and/or automatic distance controlling. Examples of on-board sensors include, for example, passive sensors and active sensors. On-board sensors include camera, Lidar, radar, GPS, sonar, ultrasonic, IMU (inertial measurement unit), accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and FIR (far infrared) sensors. Sensor data may include image data, reflected laser data, and/or the like. Often, images captured by the on-board sensors utilize a three-dimensional coordinate system to determine the distance and angle of the contents and objects captured in the image. Such real-time space information may be acquired near the vehicle using various on-board sensors located throughout the vehicle, which may then be processed to calculate and to determine the safe driving operations of the vehicle. Often, on-board sensors are exposed to harsh environmental elements (e.g., large temperature swings, ultra violet radiation, oxidation, wind, moisture, etc.), which can prematurely shorten the sensors' lifetimes. Furthermore, mounting the sensors exterior to the vehicle can subject the sensors to an increased risk of impact from road debris, thereby increasing a possibility of damaging the sensors. To alleviate these and other problems, a sensor enclosure may house the sensors. Such a sensor enclosure may offer additional protection against environmental elements and road debris while still allowing the sensors to function or operate. However, encasing sensors in a sensor enclosure, without providing adequate airflow or ventilation, can create operational challenges. For example, while operating during summer, an internal temperature of the sensor enclosure may reach a point beyond operational temperature ranges for the sensors. This can lead to sensor malfunction and can render the autonomous vehicle inoperable. In another example, while operating in winter or rainy conditions, moisture inside the sensor enclosure can condensate or fog up, thereby preventing the sensors from operating normally. These shortfalls are addressed by the present inventions, which provides efficient and effective heat exchange of the sensor enclosure while reducing electricity required for the cooling, and efficiently using saved electricity, for example, to store in a battery powering the vehicle.

SUMMARY

Described herein are systems and methods for heat exchange and cooling for a sensor enclosure on a vehicle, for example, a LiDAR sensor enclosure mounted on a roof of an AV, that are more convenient and reduce a computational burden on the sensor system, such as an AV sensor system. Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a heat exchange system disposed on a vehicle. The heat exchange system may comprise an enclosure disposed on the vehicle. The enclosure may comprise a vent at a base of the enclosure, a fan disposed at a base of the enclosure, and one or more sensors within the enclosure. The heat exchange system may comprise a deflector disposed on the vehicle outside the enclosure and configured to direct an airflow into the vent of the enclosure. The heat exchange system may comprise a motor configured to generate electricity from the airflow and selectively supply electricity to operate the fan. The heat exchange system may comprise a controller configured to adjust the deflector and regulate an amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may be configured to determine a speed of the vehicle, an internal temperature of an enclosure, and an external temperature. In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to regulate the amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on the speed of the vehicle, the internal temperature of the enclosure, the external temperature, or the difference between the internal temperature of the enclosure and the external temperature.

In some embodiments, the motor may be further configured to, in response to supplying the regulated amount of electricity to the fan, supply a remaining amount of electricity to a battery powering the vehicle.

In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to select between an inactive mode and an active mode of operating the fan. In response to the controller selecting the inactive mode, the controller may be configured to regulate the motor to supply an amount of electricity to charge a battery powering the vehicle.

In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to adjust the deflector and regulate an amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on a predicted future speed of the vehicle, a predicted future temperature of the enclosure, or a predicted future external temperature.

In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to regulate an amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on a temperature gradient in the enclosure.

In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to regulate an amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on a wind speed and a wind direction.

In some embodiments, the enclosure may further comprise a cabin vent connecting the enclosure to a cabin, and the controller may further be configured to regulate an amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on a size of an opening of the cabin vent.

In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to regulate the amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on a predicted future external temperature by increasing an amount of electricity supplied to the fan in response to the predicted future external temperature being higher than a current external temperature.

In some embodiments, the motor may be a brushless DC motor and connected to the fan.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a heat exchange method for an enclosure disposed on a vehicle, the enclosure comprising a vent at a base of the enclosure, a fan disposed at a base of the enclosure, and one or more sensors within the enclosure. The method may comprise, channeling an airflow through an deflector disposed on the vehicle outside the enclosure, directing the channeled airflow into the vent of the enclosure, adjusting, by a controller, the deflector, generating, by a motor, electricity from the airflow, regulating, by the controller, an amount of electricity from the motor to the fan, and selectively supplying, by the motor, electricity to operate the fan.

In some embodiments, the heat exchange method may further comprise determining, by the one or more sensors, a speed of the vehicle, an internal temperature of an enclosure, and an external temperature. In some embodiments, the regulating, by the controller, the amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan, may be based on the speed of the vehicle, the internal temperature of the enclosure, the external temperature, or the difference between the internal temperature of the enclosure and the external temperature.

In some embodiments, the heat exchange method may further comprise, in response to supplying the regulated amount of electricity to the fan, supplying, by the motor, a remaining amount of electricity to a battery powering the vehicle.

In some embodiments, the heat exchange method may further comprise, selecting, by the controller, between an inactive mode and an active mode of operating the fan. The heat exchange method may further comprise, in response to selecting the inactive mode, regulating, by the controller, the motor to supply an amount of electricity to charge a battery powering the vehicle.

In some embodiments, the heat exchange method may further comprise, adjusting the deflector and regulating an amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on a predicted future speed of the vehicle, a predicted future temperature of the enclosure, or a predicted future external temperature.

In some embodiments, the heat exchange method may further comprise, regulating an amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on a temperature gradient in the enclosure.

In some embodiments, the heat exchange method may further comprise, regulating an amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on a wind speed and a wind direction.

In some embodiments, the heat exchange method may further comprise, regulating an amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on a size of an opening of a cabin vent connecting the enclosure to a cabin.

In some embodiments, the heat exchange method may further comprise, regulating the amount of electricity supplied from the motor to the fan based on a predicted future external temperature by increasing an amount of electricity supplied to the fan in response to the predicted future external temperature being higher than a current external temperature.

In some embodiments, the motor may be a brushless DC motor connected to the fan.

These and other features of the systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media disclosed herein, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

