An expandable phased array antenna structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow

Abstract

The application discloses an extensible phased array subarray structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow and belongs to the technical field of phased array radars.The phased array subarray structure comprises antenna array elements, an antenna adapter box, a first heat dissipation unit, a second heat dissipation unit and a back cover plate; the antenna array elements are fixedly connected with the antenna adapter box; the first heat dissipation unit is fixedly connected with the antenna adapter box; the second heat dissipation unit is fixedly connected with the first heat dissipation unit; and the back cover plate is fixedly connected with the first heat dissipation unit.Compared with the prior art, the application adopts gas-liquid two-phase flow heat dissipation, greatly improves the heat exchange coefficient and improves the heat dissipation performance of the subarray structure; and the antenna adapter box, the liquid cooling heat dissipation plate and the fluid distribution frame are used to construct the subarray into a "tile type" structure, which is convenient for array expansion on the active surface array of the phased array radar.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of phased array radar technology, specifically relating to a scalable phased array subarray structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of phased array radar technology, phased array subarray structures have been widely used in phased array radars. As the smallest replaceable unit of an active array, a subarray encompasses multiple functions such as antennas, transceiver components, power supply, frequency conversion, and digital transceiver. Therefore, the subarray structure is crucial to the performance of the entire active array.

[0003] Currently, most subarrays employ forced air cooling, which effectively controls the design complexity and cost of the cooling system. However, forced air cooling has limited cooling capacity, and fan noise is difficult to eliminate. Furthermore, given the current trend of high integration, high power density, and small size of electronic devices, forced air cooling is proving inadequate in many situations. Consequently, forced air cooling systems are becoming increasingly complex, increasing design costs and decreasing maintainability.

[0004] How to improve the heat dissipation performance of the subarray structure while ensuring the normal operation of the subarray electronic devices is an urgent problem to be solved in this field.

[0005] CN217036019U, "A Fully Functional Tile Stacked Digital Subarray Based on Air Cooling," proposes that the rear end of the front-end T / R component has built-in heat dissipation fins to achieve natural heat dissipation under low duty cycle operating conditions and forced air cooling under high duty cycle operating conditions. However, the fins are located in the longitudinal depth direction of the subarray structure, which increases the cross-sectional thickness of the entire array surface and the length of the interconnect connectors, thus reducing the integration density of the subarray structure.

[0006] CN211267559U, "A Module Structure with a Heat Dissipation Cavity and a Subarray Module," proposes setting heat dissipation grooves on the outer surface of the cavity and / or cover plate, with heat pipes installed within these grooves. The heat pipes conduct heat to heat-generating chips located on the back of the cavity and / or cover plate, improving the overall heat dissipation effect of the module structure without increasing its size. However, placing the heat pipes within the heat dissipation grooves on the outer surface of the cavity and / or cover plate limits the thickness of the heat pipes to the cavity wall thickness and the cover plate thickness; thus, without increasing the module size, the heat pipe cross-sectional area and heat dissipation capacity are limited.

[0007] CN203826531U, "A Stacked Water-Cooling Heat Dissipation Structure for Tile Subarrays," proposes utilizing pluggable water-cooling connectors and the characteristics of tile-type TR components. It replaces the original rubber tubing clamp structure with a quick-plug interface, and, in conjunction with the features of the tile-type active phased array antenna module, designs the cold plate with the same structural form as the upper and lower modules, thus completing the overall stacked design. However, the quick-plug interface has a large axial dimension, increasing the distance between the mating cold plates and the overall depth of the subarray, which is detrimental to miniaturization trends. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a scalable phased array subarray structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow, which features high integration, strong heat dissipation capability, and array expansion capability, effectively meeting the heat dissipation requirements of high heat flux density electronic devices.

[0009] The present invention proposes a scalable phased array subarray structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow. The phased array subarray structure includes an antenna element, an antenna adapter box, a first heat dissipation unit, a second heat dissipation unit, and a rear cover plate. The antenna element is fixedly connected to the antenna adapter box, the first heat dissipation unit is fixedly connected to the antenna adapter box, the second heat dissipation unit is fixedly connected to the first heat dissipation unit, and the rear cover plate is fixedly connected to the first heat dissipation unit.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes mixed-assembly connectors and RF connectors for the external signal output of the subarray structure, forming a complete subarray structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the first heat dissipation unit includes a transceiver assembly, a liquid-cooled heat sink, a first fluid distribution frame, and a power control board; the first heat dissipation unit directly dissipates heat from the transceiver assembly and the power control board through the liquid-cooled heat sink; the transceiver assembly is fixedly mounted on both sides of the liquid-cooled heat sink, and heat dissipation channels are arranged in the contact area between the liquid-cooled heat sink and the transceiver assembly; the antenna adapter box, the first fluid distribution frame, and the second fluid distribution frame are all fixedly connected to the liquid-cooled heat sink; the power control board is fixedly connected to the first fluid distribution frame and the second fluid distribution frame.

[0012] Furthermore, connectors are used for signal connection and transmission between the transceiver assembly and the antenna adapter box, and between the power control board and the transceiver assembly.

[0013] Furthermore, axial and radial double seals are provided between the first fluid distribution frame and the second fluid distribution frame and the liquid cooling heat sink to improve the reliability of the subarray sealing structure.

[0014] Furthermore, the axial sealing is achieved by providing an O-ring axial sealing groove on the mounting end face of the fluid distribution frame; the radial sealing is achieved by providing an O-ring hydraulic piston static sealing groove on the outer ring of the cylindrical boss on the mounting end face of the fluid distribution frame.

[0015] Furthermore, the internal flow channels of the liquid cooling heat sink are made of multiple layers of microchannel mesh stacked and welded together. The inlet and outlet of each layer of mesh are interconnected to form a complete series flow channel. The outlet of the uppermost mesh is connected to the return port of the liquid cooling heat sink, and the inlet of the lowermost mesh is connected to the inlet of the liquid cooling heat sink.

[0016] Furthermore, the second heat dissipation unit includes a second fluid distribution frame, a frequency converter module, a cold guide plate, and a transceiver control board; the frequency converter module is fixedly installed on one side of the cold guide plate, and the transceiver control board is fixedly installed on the other side, and then the two are fixedly installed as a whole on the second fluid distribution frame; the second heat dissipation unit achieves heat dissipation for the frequency converter module and the transceiver control board through the cold guide plate.

[0017] Furthermore, connectors are used for signal connection and transmission between the frequency converter module and the transceiver component, and between the back end of the frequency converter module and the transceiver control board.

[0018] Furthermore, the cold guide plate has a T-shaped structure, with the evaporation section arranged in the mounting area of ​​the frequency converter module and the transceiver control board, and the condensation section arranged in the mounting area of ​​the cold guide plate and the second fluid distribution frame.

[0019] The scalable phased array subarray structure for gas-liquid two-phase flow proposed in this invention

[0020] (1) By arranging multiple layers of mesh with microchannels inside the liquid-cooled heat sink to form a series flow channel, the heat exchange area is greatly increased within the limited space of the liquid-cooled heat sink.

[0021] (2) At the same time, the high heat transfer coefficient of the gas-liquid two-phase flow is utilized to greatly improve the heat dissipation capacity of the subarray structure.

[0022] (3) The subarray is constructed into a “tile-like” structure by using antenna adapter box, liquid cooling heat dissipation plate and fluid distribution frame, which is convenient for array expansion on radar active array. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 Orthographic side view of the subarray structure.

[0024] Figure 2 Exploded view of the subarray structure from both sides.

[0025] Figure 3 Exploded view of the subarray structure from both sides (rotated 180°).

[0026] Figure 4 Isometric side view of the combined unit.

[0027] Figure 5 Isometric side view of the combined unit (rotated 180°).

[0028] Figure 6 Isometric side view of the cooling plate.

[0029] Figure 7 Stacked mesh sheets with microchannels.

[0030] 1. Antenna array; 2. Positioning studs; 3. Antenna adapter box; 4. First KK connector; 5. Transceiver assembly; 6. Liquid cooling heat sink; 7. First fluid distribution frame; 8. Second fluid distribution frame; 9. Second KK connector; 10. Power control board; 11. Frequency converter module; 12. Third KK connector; 13. Cooling plate; 14. Transceiver control board; 15. Rear cover; 16. Mixed assembly connector; 17. RF connector; 18. Mesh with microfluidic channels Detailed Implementation

[0031] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention are clearly and completely described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] This embodiment discloses a scalable phased array structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow, including an antenna array 1, an antenna adapter box 3, a first heat dissipation unit, a second heat dissipation unit, a rear cover plate 15, a hybrid connector 16, and an RF connector 17.

[0033] The antenna array 1 is fixedly mounted on the antenna adapter box 3 by positioning studs 2.

[0034] The first heat dissipation unit includes a transceiver component 5, a liquid-cooled heat sink 6, a first fluid distribution frame 7, and a power control board 10; the first heat dissipation unit directly dissipates heat from the transceiver component 5 and the power control board 10 through the liquid-cooled heat sink 6.

[0035] The transceiver assembly 5 is fixedly installed on both sides of the liquid-cooled heat sink 6. A cavity is provided in the contact area between the liquid-cooled heat sink 6 and the transceiver assembly 5. Multiple layers of microchannel mesh 18 are stacked and welded into the cavity of the liquid-cooled heat sink 6. Finally, a cover plate is used to seal the cavity, forming a closed flow channel. The inlet and outlet of each layer of microchannel mesh 18 are interconnected to form a series flow channel. The outlet of the uppermost mesh is connected to the return port of the liquid-cooled heat sink 6, and the inlet of the lowermost mesh is connected to the inlet of the liquid-cooled heat sink 6. Simultaneously, the transceiver assembly 5 and the antenna adapter box 3 communicate and transmit signals through the first KK connector 4; the power control board 10 and the transceiver assembly 5 communicate and transmit signals through a connector.

[0036] The antenna adapter box 3 and the first fluid distribution frame 7 are both fixedly connected to the liquid cooling heat sink 6, and the power control board 10 is fixedly connected to the first fluid distribution frame 7.

[0037] The first fluid distribution frame 7 and the second fluid distribution frame 8 are respectively provided with axial and radial double seals between themselves and the liquid cooling heat sink 6 to improve the reliability of the subarray structure; in the axial direction, an O-ring axial sealing groove is provided on the mounting end face of the fluid distribution frame; in the radial direction, an O-ring hydraulic piston static sealing groove is provided on the outer ring of the cylindrical boss on the mounting end face of the fluid distribution frame.

[0038] The heat-generating components on the power control board 10 are cooled directly through the heat dissipation protrusions on the liquid cooling heat sink 6.

[0039] The second heat dissipation unit includes a second fluid distribution frame 8, a frequency converter module 11, a cold conduction plate 13, and a transceiver control board 14. The second fluid distribution frame 8 is fixedly connected to the power control board 10 and the liquid cooling heat dissipation plate 6. The frequency converter module 11 is fixedly installed on one side of the cold conduction plate 13, and the transceiver control board 14 is fixedly installed on the other side. Then, it is fixedly installed on the second fluid distribution frame 8 as a whole.

[0040] The cooling plate 13 has a T-shaped structure and adopts a two-phase flow cooling plate driven by capillary force. The evaporation section is arranged in the mounting area of ​​the frequency converter module 11 and the transceiver control board 14, and the condensation section is arranged in the mounting area of ​​the cooling plate 13 and the second fluid distribution frame 8. The heat from the frequency converter module 11 and the transceiver control board 14 is conducted to the condensation section through the evaporation of the heat dissipation medium, and finally to the second fluid distribution frame 8. The condensed and liquefied heat dissipation medium flows back to the evaporation section under the action of capillary force.

[0041] The liquid-cooled heat sink 6, the first fluid distribution frame 7, the second fluid distribution frame 8, and the cold-conducting plate 13 form a gas-liquid two-phase flow heat dissipation system.

[0042] The frequency converter module 11 and the transceiver component 5 communicate and transmit signals through the second KK connector 9, and the back end of the frequency converter module 11 communicates and transmits signals with the transceiver control board 14 through the third KK connector 12.

[0043] The rear cover plate 15 is an "L"-shaped folded plate, with one end fixedly connected to the first fluid distribution frame 7 in the first heat dissipation unit and the other end fixedly connected to the second fluid distribution frame 8 to form a complete subarray structure; a mixed connector 16 and an RF connector 17 are installed on the rear cover plate 15 for external signal output of the subarray structure.

[0044] The subarray structure takes the antenna adapter box 3 mounting flange as its largest shape and expands in an array-like manner in both horizontal and vertical directions.

[0045] In addition, in the stacked installation of antenna array 1, antenna adapter box 3, transceiver assembly 5, and liquid cooling heat sink 6, mortise and tenon structure forms such as positioning pin hole fit and positioning bayonet fit can be adopted.

[0046] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0047] Furthermore, in this invention, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly and specifically defined.

Claims

1. A scalable phased array subarray structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow, characterized in that: The phased array subarray structure includes an antenna array, an antenna adapter box, a first heat dissipation unit, a second heat dissipation unit, and a rear cover plate; the antenna array is fixedly connected to the antenna adapter box, the first heat dissipation unit is fixedly connected to the antenna adapter box, the second heat dissipation unit is fixedly connected to the first heat dissipation unit, and the rear cover plate is fixedly connected to the first heat dissipation unit. The first heat dissipation unit and the second heat dissipation unit constitute a gas-liquid two-phase flow heat dissipation system. The first heat dissipation unit includes a transceiver assembly, a liquid-cooled heat sink, a first fluid distribution frame, and a power control board. The first heat dissipation unit directly dissipates heat from the transceiver assembly and the power control board through the liquid-cooled heat sink. The transceiver assembly is fixedly mounted on both sides of the liquid-cooled heat sink, and heat dissipation channels are arranged in the contact area between the liquid-cooled heat sink and the transceiver assembly. The antenna adapter box and the first fluid distribution frame are both fixedly connected to the liquid-cooled heat sink. The power control board is fixedly connected to the first fluid distribution frame. Axial and radial double seals are provided between the first fluid distribution frame and the second fluid distribution frame and the liquid cooling heat sink to improve the reliability of the subarray sealing structure. The internal flow channel of the liquid cooling heat sink is made of multiple layers of microchannel mesh stacked and welded together. The inlet and outlet of each layer of mesh are interconnected to form a complete series flow channel. The outlet of the uppermost mesh is connected to the return port of the liquid cooling heat sink, and the inlet of the lowermost mesh is connected to the inlet of the liquid cooling heat sink. The second heat dissipation unit includes a second fluid distribution frame, a frequency converter module, a cold guide plate, and a transceiver control board. The frequency converter module is fixedly installed on one side of the cold guide plate, and the transceiver control board is fixedly installed on the other side. They are then fixedly installed as a whole on the second fluid distribution frame. The second heat dissipation unit dissipates heat from the frequency converter module and the transceiver control board through the cold guide plate.

2. The scalable phased array subarray structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes mixed-assembly connectors and RF connectors for the external signal output of the subarray structure, forming a complete subarray structure.

3. The scalable phased array subarray structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow according to claim 1, characterized in that, Connectors are used for signal connection and transmission between the transceiver unit and the antenna adapter box, and between the power control board and the transceiver unit.

4. The scalable phased array subarray structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axial sealing is achieved by setting an O-ring axial sealing groove on the mounting end face of the fluid distribution frame; the radial sealing is achieved by setting an O-ring hydraulic piston static sealing groove on the outer ring of the cylindrical boss on the mounting end face of the fluid distribution frame.

5. The scalable phased array subarray structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling plate has a T-shaped structure. The evaporation section is located in the installation area of ​​the frequency converter module and the transceiver control board, while the condensation section is located in the installation area of ​​the cooling plate and the second fluid distribution frame.

6. The scalable phased array subarray structure based on gas-liquid two-phase flow according to claim 1, characterized in that, Connectors are used for signal connection and transmission between the frequency converter module and the transceiver component, and between the back end of the frequency converter module and the transceiver control board.

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