Heat dissipation device and communication equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of optical module heat dissipation, in particular to a heat dissipation device and communication equipment. The heat dissipation device comprises an optical cage and one or more liquid cooling plates, the optical cage comprises N containing cavities, the containing cavities are used for containing optical modules, and N is a positive integer larger than or equal to 1; at least one liquid cooling plate corresponds to one optical module and is in thermal contact with the optical module, and the liquid cooling plate corresponding to the optical module is arranged on the side wall of the corresponding containing cavity. The liquid cooling plate is in thermal contact with the corresponding optical module, the heat transmission link is short, the thermal resistance is low, heat dissipation of the optical module is facilitated, a remote device is not needed, and the occupied space is small. And meanwhile, each optical module is provided with a corresponding liquid cooling plate, and the corresponding liquid cooling plate is arranged on the side wall of the corresponding accommodating cavity, so that the corresponding liquid cooling plate and the optical module are in single contact, local floating is realized, the contact reliability is high, and poor contact caused by tolerance is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical module heat dissipation technology, and in particular to a heat dissipation device and communication equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing transmission capacity and speed of communication networks, users have higher and higher performance requirements for communication equipment. As a key component of communication equipment, optical modules are developing towards high integration to improve performance. This leads to increased power consumption and heat generation during operation. Related heat dissipation devices typically increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the heat sink or increase airflow to improve heat dissipation efficiency. For example, some heat dissipation devices improve efficiency by extending heat pipes further away. However, a single heat pipe can only solve the heat dissipation problem of a single module, resulting in larger space requirements and lower port density. Moreover, when using a double-layer optical cage, the lower layer optical module's float is poor, leading to contact reliability issues. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application discloses a heat dissipation device and a communication device to solve the problems of large space occupation and poor contact reliability of related heat dissipation devices.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a heat dissipation device, which includes an optical cage and one or more liquid cooling plates. The optical cage includes N accommodating cavities for accommodating optical modules, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. At least one liquid cooling plate corresponds to an optical module and is in thermal contact with the optical module, and the liquid cooling plate corresponding to the optical module is disposed on the side wall of the corresponding accommodating cavity.

[0006] The heat dissipation device includes multiple liquid cooling plates, with at least one liquid cooling plate corresponding to one optical module. The liquid cooling plate and the corresponding optical module are in thermal contact, resulting in a short heat transfer path, low thermal resistance, and low noise, which is beneficial for heat dissipation of the optical module. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for a remote device, thus occupying less space. Each optical module has a corresponding liquid cooling plate, which is located on the side wall of its corresponding housing cavity. Therefore, the corresponding liquid cooling plate and the optical module are in individual contact, achieving local floating, high contact reliability, and eliminating contact problems caused by tolerances. It also supports individual repair of each liquid cooling plate, resulting in low maintenance costs. Customers can choose the number of liquid cooling plates to install according to their actual needs.

[0007] Furthermore, the liquid cooling plate is at least partially located within the receiving cavity; and / or, at least two liquid cooling plates form a liquid cooling module, wherein the liquid cooling plates in the liquid cooling module are connected sequentially via connecting pipes.

[0008] Furthermore, the liquid cooling module includes a plurality of liquid cooling plates arranged along a first direction; in the liquid cooling module, any two adjacent liquid cooling plates are connected by connecting pipes along the first direction.

[0009] Furthermore, the connecting pipeline is a flexible pipeline.

[0010] Furthermore, along the extension direction of the receiving cavity, the end of the liquid cooling plate near the inlet of the receiving cavity is designated as the first end, and the end of the liquid cooling plate away from the inlet is designated as the second end.

[0011] Furthermore, in the liquid cooling module, among any two adjacent liquid cooling plates along the first direction, the first end of one liquid cooling plate is connected to the second end of the other liquid cooling plate, and / or, the first end of one liquid cooling plate is connected to the first end of the other liquid cooling plate, and / or, the second end of one liquid cooling plate is connected to the second end of the other liquid cooling plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the liquid cooling module includes at least two liquid cooling plates, with adjacent liquid cooling plates connected by connecting pipes.

[0013] Furthermore, the optical cage includes at least one mounting layer, the mounting layer including at least two receiving cavities arranged along a first direction.

[0014] Furthermore, along the height direction of the mounting layer, the optical module includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, and along the first direction, the optical module includes a third surface and a fourth surface disposed opposite to each other, wherein the height direction is perpendicular to the first direction; the liquid cooling plate is in contact with the first surface of the optical module, and / or, the liquid cooling plate is in contact with the second surface of the optical module, and / or, the liquid cooling plate is in contact with the third surface of the optical module, and / or, the liquid cooling plate is in contact with the fourth surface of the optical module.

[0015] Furthermore, the liquid cooling plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the corresponding receiving cavity via connectors.

[0016] Secondly, this application provides a communication device, which includes M optical modules and a heat dissipation device as described in the first aspect. The optical modules are disposed in a receiving cavity, where 1≤M≤N and M is a positive integer.

[0017] Because it includes the heat dissipation device described in the first aspect of this application, the communication device also has the following advantages:

[0018] 1) The heat transfer link is shorter and the thermal resistance is lower, which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the optical module; 2) No remote device is required, and the space occupied is smaller; 3) The corresponding liquid cooling plate and the optical module are in single contact, realizing local floating and high contact reliability; 4) Supports individual repair of a single liquid cooling plate, resulting in lower maintenance costs.

[0019] Furthermore, the communication equipment also includes a printed circuit board, which is electrically connected to the optical module. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat dissipation device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat dissipation device according to another embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a light cage according to an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between different liquid cooling plates via connecting pipes according to one embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between different liquid cooling plates via connecting pipes according to one embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between different liquid cooling plates via connecting pipes according to one embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between different liquid cooling plates via connecting pipes according to one embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to another embodiment of this application.

[0028] Reference numerals: 100-Optical cage; 110-Mounting layer; 200-Optical module; 300-Liquid cooling plate; 310-First end; 320-Second end; 300a-First end plate; 300b-Second end plate; 400-Connecting pipe; 500-Connector; 600-Liquid inlet pipe; 700-Liquid outlet pipe; 800-Printed circuit board;

[0029] 01-Receiving cavity; 02-Inlet; 03-Opening; 04-First surface; 05-Second surface; 06-Third surface; 07-Fourth surface; 08-Cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] With the increase in transmission capacity and speed of communication networks, optical modules in communication equipment are becoming increasingly integrated, leading to significant heat generation during operation. Common solutions to the heat dissipation problem of high-power optical modules include increasing the size of the heat sink and improving fan performance, such as by increasing the heat dissipation area and airflow. However, for communication equipment with space constraints and noise requirements, these methods are not sufficient to solve the heat dissipation problem.

[0032] In view of this, the present application provides a heat dissipation device. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the heat dissipation device according to one embodiment of this application. Please refer to... Figure 1 The heat dissipation device includes an optical cage 100 and one or more liquid cooling plates 300. The optical cage 100 includes N receiving cavities 01, each containing an optical module 200, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. This embodiment uses three cavities as shown in the figure, but the embodiments of this application are not limited to three receiving cavities 01; only three receiving cavities are used as an example. Each receiving cavity 01 contains one optical module 200. At least one liquid cooling plate 300 corresponds to one optical module 200 and is in thermal contact with it. The liquid cooling plate 300 corresponding to the optical module 200 is disposed on the sidewall of the corresponding receiving cavity 01. The thermal contact can be direct contact between the optical module 200 and the corresponding liquid cooling plate 300, or indirect contact, for example, by filling the gap between them with a thermal interface material. The thermal interface material can fill the gap between the optical module 200 and the liquid cooling plate 300, making the contact between them closer, greatly reducing the interface contact thermal resistance, and improving the heat dissipation effect. In addition, thermal interface materials can also serve to seal, dampen vibrations, and insulate, thereby improving the performance of the optical module 200. Optional thermal interface materials include thermal pads, thermal paste, thermal gel, and thermally conductive phase change materials.

[0033] It is understandable that each optical module 200 can correspond to one, two, or more liquid cooling plates 300, as long as the liquid cooling plate 300 is in contact with the optical module 200 and is located on the side wall of the cavity 01 where the optical module 200 is located. The liquid cooling plate 300 achieves local floating, improves contact reliability, eliminates contact problems caused by tolerances, and allows one optical module 200 to correspond to one or more liquid cooling plates 300 according to actual needs. When the liquid cooling plate 300 of a certain optical module 200 has a problem, only the liquid cooling plate 300 of that optical module 200 can be repaired, and the liquid cooling plates 300 corresponding to other optical modules 200 will not be affected, thereby effectively reducing the maintenance cost of the heat dissipation device.

[0034] Continue to refer to Figure 1The liquid cooling plate 300 is connected to the side wall of the corresponding receiving cavity 01 via a connector 500. The connector 500 can be a clip, screw, bolt, or strap, etc.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the heat dissipation device according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a light cage according to one embodiment of this application, which can be referred to together with it. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The light cage 100 includes at least one mounting layer 110, and the mounting layer 110 includes at least two receiving cavities 01 arranged along a first direction D1. Along the height direction D1 of the mounting layer 110... h The optical module 200 includes a first surface 04 and a second surface 05 disposed opposite to each other, with a height direction D h Perpendicular to the first direction D1, the optical module 200 includes a third surface 06 and a fourth surface 07 disposed opposite to each other along the first direction D1. When one optical module 200 corresponds to one liquid cooling plate 300, the liquid cooling plate 300 may contact the first surface 04 of the optical module 200, or the second surface 05 of the optical module 200, or the third surface 06 of the optical module 200, or the fourth surface 07 of the optical module 200. When one optical module 200 corresponds to two or more liquid cooling plates 300, the positions of the liquid cooling plates 300 can be set according to actual needs, and the liquid cooling plates 300 may contact at least one of the first surface 04, second surface 05, third surface 06, and fourth surface 07 of the optical module 200.

[0036] The liquid cooling plate 300 is at least partially located within the receiving cavity 01. Specifically, the liquid cooling plate 300 may be entirely located within the receiving cavity 01 of the corresponding optical module 200, or a portion of the liquid cooling plate 300 may be located within the receiving cavity 01 of the corresponding optical module 200.

[0037] Continue to refer to Figure 2 The optical cage 100 includes an opening 03 communicating with the receiving cavity 01. The opening 03 is located on the side wall of the receiving cavity 01 and faces the optical module 200. The end of the liquid cooling plate 300 facing away from the optical module 200 extends out of the receiving cavity 01 through the opening 03. By providing the opening 03, the optical cage 100 can accommodate a larger volume liquid cooling plate 300, thereby improving heat dissipation performance.

[0038] Continue to refer to Figure 3 Along the height direction D of the receiving cavity 01 h When the optical cage 100 includes at least two receiving cavities 01 or at least two mounting layers 110, along the height direction D hA chamber 08 may be provided between the two accommodating cavities 01 or between the two mounting layers 110. The chamber 08 can be used to accommodate the liquid cooling plate 300.

[0039] It is understandable that when the liquid cooling plate 300 contacts the first surface 04 or the second surface 05 of the optical module 200, along the first direction D1, the size of the liquid cooling plate 300 is smaller than the size of the receiving cavity 01 to avoid interference between the liquid cooling plates 300 corresponding to two adjacent optical modules 200. When the liquid cooling plate 300 contacts the third surface 06 or the fourth surface 07 of the optical module 200, along the height direction D1 of the mounting layer 110... h The size of the liquid cooling plate 300 is smaller than the size of the cavity 01 to avoid interference between the liquid cooling plates 300 corresponding to the two adjacent optical modules 200.

[0040] In the heat dissipation device of this application, at least one liquid cooling plate 300 corresponds to one optical module 200 and is in contact with the optical module 200. The liquid cooling plate 300 corresponding to the optical module 200 is at least partially located in the receiving cavity 01 where the optical module 200 is located. Because the volume of the liquid cooling plate 300 is reduced, its setting position is very flexible, which can effectively utilize the space of the optical cage 100, reduce the space requirements of the device, and thus break through the space constraints of the multi-layer optical cage 100 when using liquid cooling heat dissipation.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between different liquid cooling plates via connecting pipes according to one embodiment of this application. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between different liquid cooling plates via connecting pipes according to one embodiment of this application. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between different liquid cooling plates via connecting pipes according to one embodiment of this application. Please refer to it as well. Figures 4 to 6 At least two liquid cooling plates 300 form a liquid cooling module, and the liquid cooling plates 300 in the liquid cooling module are connected sequentially through connecting pipes 400. Each liquid cooling module only needs to include one liquid inlet pipe 600 and one liquid outlet pipe 700, which can reduce the number of liquid inlet pipes 600 and liquid outlet pipes 700 in the heat dissipation device. The number of liquid cooling plates 300 in the liquid cooling module is set according to the actual situation, and a balance can be struck between improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the liquid cooling module and reducing the number of liquid inlet pipes 600 and liquid outlet pipes 700 in the entire heat dissipation device.

[0042] Optionally, the connecting pipe 400 is a flexible pipe. The flexible pipe has good flexibility and can provide greater eccentricity and flexibility, so that the connection between the liquid cooling plates 300 can be more diverse and simple. The connecting pipe 400 can be U-shaped, N-shaped or M-shaped, etc. In addition, the flexible pipe can absorb vibration and deviation, reduce the angular deviation between pipes, and reduce noise.

[0043] The heat dissipation device described above can be flexibly combined to connect the liquid cooling plates 300 in the liquid cooling module using a reasonable connection method, reducing space requirements. Furthermore, by adjusting the number of liquid cooling plates 300 in the liquid cooling module and the connection method of the connecting pipes 400 between multiple liquid cooling plates 300, the liquid cooling medium can preferentially pass through the higher-temperature optical module 200, such as... Figure 4 As shown, in each mounting layer 110, the optical modules 200 located in the middle area are more densely packed and therefore have a higher temperature, while the optical modules 200 located in the edge areas are generally cooler. The inlet pipe 600 can be connected to the liquid cooling plate 300 corresponding to the optical module 200 located in the middle area, and the outlet pipe 700 can be connected to the liquid cooling plate 300 corresponding to the optical module 200 located at the edge of the mounting layer 110. The liquid cooling medium first passes through the liquid cooling plate 300 corresponding to the optical module 200 with a higher temperature, and finally flows through the liquid cooling plate 300 corresponding to the optical module 200 with a relatively lower temperature, which helps to balance the temperature performance of different optical modules 200.

[0044] In some optional embodiments, the liquid cooling module includes a plurality of liquid cooling plates 300 arranged along a first direction D1. In the liquid cooling module, any two adjacent liquid cooling plates 300 along the first direction D1 are connected by a connecting pipe 400. Figure 4 As shown, along the first direction D1, each mounting layer 110 includes 16 optical modules 200, and each optical module 200 corresponds to one liquid cooling plate 300. Each mounting layer 110 includes two liquid cooling modules, and each liquid cooling module includes eight liquid cooling plates 300 arranged along the first direction D1.

[0045] Please refer to Figures 2 to 6 Along the second direction D2, the end of the liquid cooling plate 300 near the inlet 02 of the receiving cavity 01 is the first end 310, and the end of the liquid cooling plate 300 away from the inlet 02 is the second end 320. The second direction D2 is the extension direction of the receiving cavity 01, and the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are perpendicular to each other.

[0046] In each liquid cooling module, along the first direction D1, in any two adjacent liquid cooling plates 300, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first end 310 of one liquid cooling plate 300 is connected to the second end 320 of the other liquid cooling plate 300, or, the first end 310 of one liquid cooling plate 300 is connected to the first end 310 of the other liquid cooling plate 300, or, as... Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the second end 320 of one liquid cooling plate 300 is connected to the second end 320 of the other liquid cooling plate 300. It is understood that this application does not limit the connection method and position of the connecting pipe 400 between two adjacent liquid cooling plates 300 in each liquid cooling module; the connection can be set according to actual needs to fully utilize the existing space of the optical cage 100, eliminating the need for a custom optical cage 100, thereby expanding the applicability of the heat dissipation device in this application.

[0047] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between different liquid cooling plates via connecting pipes according to one embodiment of this application. Please refer to it as well. Figure 2 and Figure 7 The liquid-cooled module includes at least two liquid-cooled plates 300, with adjacent liquid-cooled plates 300 connected by connecting pipes 400. The optical cage 100 may include at least two mounting layers 110, each corresponding to one liquid-cooled plate 300. Since each liquid-cooled module may include at least two liquid-cooled plates 300, and each liquid-cooled plate 300 includes at least two liquid-cooled plates 300, any two adjacent liquid-cooled plates 300 can be connected by connecting pipes 400 to one liquid-cooled plate 300 in the other layer, depending on actual needs. In each liquid cooling plate 300, along the first direction D1, the two liquid cooling plates 300 located at the ends are respectively a first end plate 300a and a second end plate 300b. In two adjacent liquid cooling plates 300, the first end plate 300a of one liquid cooling plate 300 is connected to the first end plate 300a of the other liquid cooling plate 300, and / or, the second end plate 300b of one liquid cooling plate 300 is connected to the second end plate 300b of the other liquid cooling plate 300.

[0048] like Figure 7 As shown, the liquid cooling module includes two layers of liquid cooling plates 300, each layer comprising eight liquid cooling plates 300, which are sequentially connected via connecting pipes 400. An inlet pipe 600 is connected to the second end plate 300b of the upper liquid cooling plate 300, the first end plate 300a of the upper liquid cooling plate 300 is connected to the first end plate 300a of the lower liquid cooling plate 300, and an outlet pipe 700 is connected to the second end plate 300b of the lower liquid cooling plate 300.

[0049] Based on the same technical concept, this application also provides a communication device. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to another embodiment of this application, with reference to... Figure 8The communication device includes M optical modules 200 and heat dissipation devices as described in various possible embodiments of this application. The optical modules 200 are disposed within a receiving cavity 01, where 1 ≤ M ≤ N, and M is a positive integer. The communication device may be a switch, router, base station, data center server, etc.

[0050] For reference Figure 1 and Figure 8 The communication equipment also includes a printed circuit board 800, which is electrically connected to the optical module 200. Optionally, the printed circuit board 800 may be located at the bottom or top of the optical cage 100.

[0051] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the embodiments of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if these modifications and variations of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A heat dissipation device, characterized in that, include: An optical cage comprising N cavities for accommodating optical modules, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; One or more liquid cooling plates, at least one of the liquid cooling plates corresponding to one of the optical modules and in thermal contact with the optical module, and the liquid cooling plate corresponding to the optical module is disposed on the side wall of the corresponding receiving cavity.

2. The heat dissipation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid cooling plate is at least partially located within the receiving cavity; and / or, At least two of the liquid cooling plates form a liquid cooling module, and the liquid cooling plates in the liquid cooling module are connected sequentially through connecting pipes.

3. The heat dissipation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid cooling module includes a plurality of liquid cooling plates arranged along a first direction; In the liquid cooling module, any two adjacent liquid cooling plates are connected by the connecting pipe along the first direction.

4. The heat dissipation device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The connecting pipeline is a flexible pipeline.

5. The heat dissipation device according to claim 3, characterized in that, Along the extending direction of the receiving cavity, the end of the liquid cooling plate near the inlet of the receiving cavity is designated as the first end, and the end of the liquid cooling plate away from the inlet is designated as the second end.

6. The heat dissipation device according to claim 5, characterized in that, In the liquid cooling module, among any two adjacent liquid cooling plates along the first direction, the first end of one liquid cooling plate is connected to the second end of the other liquid cooling plate, and / or, the first end of one liquid cooling plate is connected to the first end of the other liquid cooling plate, and / or, the second end of one liquid cooling plate is connected to the second end of the other liquid cooling plate.

7. The heat dissipation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid cooling module includes at least two layers of liquid cooling plates, and adjacent layers of liquid cooling plates are connected by the connecting pipes.

8. The heat dissipation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light cage includes at least one mounting layer, and the mounting layer includes at least two receiving cavities arranged along a first direction.

9. The heat dissipation device according to claim 8, characterized in that, Along the height direction of the mounting layer, the optical module includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other; along the first direction, the optical module includes a third surface and a fourth surface disposed opposite to each other; wherein the height direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The liquid cooling plate is in contact with the first surface of the optical module, and / or the liquid cooling plate is in contact with the second surface of the optical module, and / or the liquid cooling plate is in contact with the third surface of the optical module, and / or the liquid cooling plate is in contact with the fourth surface of the optical module.

10. The heat dissipation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid cooling plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the corresponding receiving cavity by a connector.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes M optical modules and a heat dissipation device as described in any one of claims 1-10, wherein the optical modules are disposed within the receiving cavity, 1≤M≤N, and M is a positive integer.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The communication device also includes a printed circuit board, which is electrically connected to the optical module.

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