Liquid Cooling Coldplates for High-Density Pluggable Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing port density and heat dissipation in high-density network pluggable modules pose significant thermal management challenges, particularly for optical components that require temperatures below 70°C, while conventional air cooling methods are insufficient for the high power dissipation associated with emerging 100-400 GbE technologies.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of liquid cooling systems, including riding liquid coldplates, common liquid coldplates, and integrated liquid-cooling approaches within the pluggable modules, which eliminate dry contact interfaces and enhance thermal performance, allowing for higher power handling and compact architectures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If air cooling methods are used for conventional network modules, then the cooling system is simple and space requirements are minimal, but the cooling capability is insufficient for high power dissipation in 100-400 GbE technologies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements liquid cooling systems using cold plates with fluid channels that circulate coolant to remove heat from pluggable modules. This hydraulic cooling approach provides superior heat removal capability compared to air cooling, enabling support for high power dissipation in 100-400 GbE technologies while maintaining reliable operation below critical temperature thresholds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional air cooling mechanisms with liquid-based thermal management systems. This substitution enables more efficient heat transfer from high-power pluggable modules, directly addressing the insufficient cooling capability of air-based systems for emerging 100-400 GbE technologies with higher power dissipation.
2Productivity
If port density is increased in network modules, then bandwidth capacity is improved, but heat dissipation and thermal management challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple cooling functions into an integrated liquid cooling system that serves multiple high-density pluggable modules simultaneously. The cold plate design incorporates fluid channels that distribute coolant across multiple module interfaces, enabling efficient heat removal from high port density configurations while maintaining manageable temperature levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs liquid coolant circulation through integrated cold plates to manage heat dissipation from high-density port configurations. This hydraulic thermal management approach provides superior heat removal capability compared to air cooling, enabling the system to handle the increased heat dissipation associated with higher bandwidth capacity and port density.
3Reliability
If optical components are maintained below 70°C for reliable transmission, then data transmission reliability is ensured, but cooling space requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs universal cold plate interfaces that can accommodate multiple types of pluggable optical modules while providing consistent liquid cooling. This multi-functional approach ensures reliable temperature control below 70°C for various optical components without requiring separate cooling systems for each module type, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces liquid coolant as an intermediary thermal management medium between the optical components and the external environment. This intermediary cooling approach efficiently removes heat to maintain components below 70°C for reliable data transmission, while the standardized cold plate design prevents excessive increases in system complexity.
4Volume of stationary object
If conventional air cooling is used, then cooling space requirements are minimal, but cooling effectiveness is insufficient for high-density configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements liquid cooling systems that provide superior cooling effectiveness within compact form factors. The cold plate design with integrated fluid channels delivers efficient heat removal from high-density pluggable modules, achieving reliable temperature control without requiring excessive cooling space, thereby overcoming the limitations of air cooling in high-density configurations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These liquid cooling methods significantly reduce operating temperatures and minimize cooling space requirements, enabling the integration of more powerful pluggable modules in dense network configurations while maintaining compliance with existing standards.
Implementation Method 1
a conduit (232) configured to cool the plate (231) with cooling liquid flowing therethrough
Implementation Method 2
cooling liquid flowing therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
A network element include one or more modules each supporting one or more pluggable modules; and a first manifold and a second manifold each configured to connect to a conduit associated with a coldplate, wherein one of the first manifold and the second manifold is an inlet manifold and the other is an outlet manifold for a cooling fluid that flows through the conduit to cool the one or more pluggable modules. The one or more pluggable modules can be each a pluggable optical module that is one of compliant to any of XFP, SFP, XENPAK, X2, CFP, CFP2, CFP4, CFP8, QSFP, QSFP+, QSFP28, OSFP, and QSFP-DD and have a housing that has dimensions similar to any of XFP, SFP, XENPAK, X2, CFP, CFP2, CFP4, CFP8, QSFP, QSFP+, QSFP28, OSFP, and QSFP-DD.