Ray generating apparatus and method for controlling the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a ray generating apparatus and a control method thereof, the ray generating apparatus comprising: an electron beam generating device (2) configured to generate a plurality of electron beams; a microwave generating device (4) configured to generate microwaves; the microwave circulator (5) is provided with a power input port and at least two power output ports, and the power input port is connected with the microwave generating device (4); the plurality of accelerating tubes (3) are connected with the electron beam generating device (2), are respectively connected with the at least two power output ports and are configured to respectively receive the plurality of electron beams and respectively accelerate the plurality of electron beams through the microwaves received from the at least two power output ports so as to respectively generate a plurality of rays with at least two different energies; and the controller (1) is configured to perform sequential control on the microwave power of the microwave generation device (4) and perform sequential control on beam loads of electron beams which are generated by the electron beam generation device (2) and respectively correspond to the plurality of accelerating tubes (3).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on July 9, 2021, with application number 202110779750.3 and title "Radiation Generating Device and Control Method Thereof". Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of accelerators, and more particularly to a radiation generating device and a method for controlling the same. Background Technology

[0003] In customs, civil aviation, and railway transportation sectors, security inspection equipment for large vehicles / containers mostly uses electron linear accelerator systems as X-ray generators. The high-energy X-rays generated by these devices can perform non-destructive testing on objects of varying thicknesses and masses, enabling rapid and effective identification of items to be inspected without opening the container, as well as the identification and labeling of contraband within those items. This ensures the safety of citizens' lives and property and maintains social stability.

[0004] In the field of radiation imaging, X-ray projection imaging technology is mainly used to identify and detect items under inspection. Depending on the application and accuracy requirements, multiple radiation sources are generally used to create radiation images from multiple perspectives. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one aspect of this disclosure, a radiation generating apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0006] An electron beam generating device is configured to generate multiple electron beams;

[0007] A microwave generating device, configured to generate microwaves;

[0008] A microwave circulator has a power input port and at least two power output ports, wherein the power input port is connected to the microwave generating device via a waveguide structure;

[0009] Multiple accelerating tubes, connected to the electron beam generating device and respectively connected to the at least two power output ports, are configured to receive multiple electron beams generated by the electron beam generating device, and accelerate the multiple electron beams respectively by microwaves received from the at least two power output ports, so as to generate multiple rays with different energies respectively.

[0010] The controller, which is signal-connected to the electron beam generating device and the microwave generating device, is configured to perform timing control on the microwave power of the microwave generating device and timing control on the beam current load of the electron beams generated by the electron beam generating device, which respectively correspond to the plurality of accelerating tubes.

[0011] The electron beam generating device includes:

[0012] The first electron gun is configured to generate the first electron beam;

[0013] The first electron gun power supply is connected to the controller signal and to the first electron gun, and is configured to adjust the beam load of the first electron beam according to the timing control signal provided by the controller.

[0014] The second electron gun is configured to generate a second electron beam;

[0015] The second electron gun power supply is connected to the controller signal and to the second electron gun, and is configured to adjust the beam load of the second electron beam according to the timing control signal provided by the controller;

[0016] The controller is configured to adjust the beam current load of the first electron beam to a first beam current load during a first time period in each cycle of at least one cycle, and to adjust the beam current load of the second electron beam to a second beam current load during a second time period in each cycle, wherein the first time period and the second time period do not overlap.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first beam load is less than or equal to the second beam load.

[0018] In some embodiments, the microwave circulator includes at least two power output ports, including a first power output port and a second power output port, wherein the first power output port is assigned to a microwave signal fed from the power input port, and the second power output port is assigned to a microwave signal fed from the first power output port.

[0019] The plurality of acceleration tubes include:

[0020] The first accelerating tube, connected to the first power output port and the first electron gun, is configured to accelerate the first electron beam by a first output microwave signal output through the first power output port.

[0021] The second accelerating tube, connected to the second power output port and the second electron gun, is configured to accelerate the second electron beam by a second output microwave signal output through the second power output port.

[0022] In some embodiments, at least two power output ports of the microwave circulator further include a third power output port, the third power output port being allocated from microwave signals fed from the second power output port; the radiation generating device further includes an absorption load connected to the third power output port and configured to absorb microwave signals output from the third power output port.

[0023] In some embodiments, the microwave circulator includes a four-terminal circulator.

[0024] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to feed microwave signals from the microwave generating device to the power input port of the microwave circulator that include at least one first input microwave signal during a first time period, and to feed microwave signals from the microwave generating device to the power input port of the microwave circulator that include at least one second input microwave signal during a second time period, wherein the power of the at least one first input microwave signal is greater than that of the at least one second input microwave signal.

[0025] In some embodiments, the microwave generating device includes a magnetron.

[0026] In one aspect of this disclosure, a control method for the aforementioned radiation generating device is provided, comprising:

[0027] The controller performs timing control on the microwave power of the microwave generating device and the beam load of the multiple electron beams generated by the electron beam generating device, which correspond to multiple accelerating tubes, so that the multiple accelerating tubes accelerate the multiple electron beams respectively, thereby generating multiple rays with different energies.

[0028] In some embodiments, the electron beam generating apparatus includes: a first electron gun and a second electron gun that generate a first electron beam and a second electron beam respectively, and a first electron gun power supply and a second electron gun power supply that are signal-connected to the controller and respectively connected to the first electron gun and the second electron gun.

[0029] The step of timing control of the beam loads of multiple electron beams corresponding to multiple accelerating tubes by the controller includes:

[0030] The controller adjusts the beam load of the first electron beam to a first beam load during a first time period in each cycle of at least one cycle, and adjusts the beam load of the second electron beam to a second beam load during a second time period in each cycle. The first time period and the second time period do not overlap.

[0031] In some embodiments, the microwave circulator has at least two power output ports including a first power output port and a second power output port, the first power output port being assigned a microwave signal fed from the power input port, and the second power output port being assigned a microwave signal fed from the first power output port; the plurality of accelerating tubes include: a first accelerating tube connected to the first power output port and the first electron gun, and a second accelerating tube connected to the second power output port and the second electron gun;

[0032] The steps for timing control of the microwave power of the microwave generating device via a controller include:

[0033] The controller causes the microwave signal fed into the power input port of the microwave circulator by the microwave generating device during the first time period to include at least one first input microwave signal, and causes the microwave signal fed into the power input port of the microwave circulator by the microwave generating device during the second time period to include at least one second input microwave signal, wherein the power of the at least one first input microwave signal is greater than that of the at least one second input microwave signal.

[0034] In some embodiments, the at least one first input microwave signal includes two first input microwave signals located in different parts of the first time period, the two first input microwave signals having the same or different power, and the first electron beam having the same or different first beam current load corresponding to different parts of the two first input microwave signals in the first time period.

[0035] In some embodiments, the at least one second input microwave signal includes two second input microwave signals located in different portions of the second time period, the two second input microwave signals having the same or different power, and the second electron beam having the same or different second beam current load corresponding to different portions of the two second input microwave signals in the second time period. Attached Figure Description

[0036] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of this disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0037] This disclosure will become clearer with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, wherein:

[0038] Figure 1 These are schematic diagrams of structures of some embodiments of the radiation generating apparatus according to this disclosure;

[0039] Figure 2 These are schematic diagrams of other embodiments of the radiation generating apparatus according to this disclosure;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a four-terminal circulator according to some embodiments of the radiation generating device disclosed herein;

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the control timing and radiation energy output according to some embodiments of the radiation generating apparatus of this disclosure;

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of some embodiments of the control method for the radiation generating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

[0043] It should be understood that the dimensions of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Furthermore, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The descriptions of the exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative and are in no way intended to limit the present disclosure or its application or use. The present disclosure may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully express the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless specifically stated otherwise, the relative arrangement of components and steps, the composition of materials, numerical expressions, and values ​​set forth in these embodiments should be interpreted as exemplary only and not as limiting.

[0045] The terms "first," "second," and similar words used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different parts. Words such as "including" or "contains" mean that the element preceding the word encompasses the element listed after it, and do not exclude the possibility of encompassing other elements as well. Terms such as "above," "below," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, this relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0046] In this disclosure, when a specific device is described as being located between a first device and a second device, an intermediary device may or may not be present between the specific device and the first or second device. When a specific device is described as being connected to other devices, the specific device may be directly connected to the other devices without an intermediary device, or it may be not directly connected to the other devices but have an intermediary device.

[0047] All terms used in this disclosure (including technical or scientific terms) have the same meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in a general dictionary, such as a dictionary, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and not as having an idealized or highly formalized meaning, unless expressly defined herein.

[0048] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0049] Through research, the inventors discovered that single X-ray sources have the problem of difficulty in distinguishing overlapping materials in single-angle imaging due to the transmission imaging principle; multiple X-ray sources usually require multiple sets of detectors, which increases the system cost and requires installation space.

[0050] In view of this, the present disclosure provides an X-ray generating device and its control method, which can meet the multi-energy spectrum detection requirements of items.

[0051] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of some embodiments of the radiation generating apparatus according to this disclosure. (See reference) Figure 1 In some embodiments, the radiation generating device includes: an electron beam generating device 2, a microwave generating device 4, a microwave circulator 5, multiple accelerating tubes 3, and a controller 1.

[0052] The electron beam generating device 2 is configured to generate multiple electron beams. In some embodiments, the electron beam generating device 2 can use different high voltage amplitudes generated by a pulse modulator to enable multiple electron guns to generate multiple electron beams with the same or different beam current loads.

[0053] The microwave generating device 4 is configured to generate microwaves. In some embodiments, the microwave generating device 4 can generate varying operating currents by using voltages of different amplitudes output from a pulse modulator, thereby generating microwave signals of different power. In other embodiments, the microwave generating device 4 can also generate microwave signals of different power by varying the magnetic field strength.

[0054] The microwave circulator 5 has a power input port and at least two power output ports. The power input port is connected to the microwave generating device 4 via a waveguide structure. The microwave circulator 5 possesses isolation and power distribution characteristics, enabling the transmission of microwave energy in a single direction. By connecting a single microwave generating device 4 to the power input port of the microwave circulator 5, microwave energy fed from the power input port can be distributed to a specific power output port, while reflected microwave energy received by that power output port can be distributed to another power output port. Utilizing this characteristic of the microwave circulator 5 in conjunction with the timing control of the microwave generating device 4, microwave energy output from two or more ports can be achieved using the microwave generating device 4 as a single microwave power source.

[0055] Multiple accelerating tubes 3 are connected to the electron beam generating device 2 and to the at least two power output ports, respectively. The multiple accelerating tubes 3 can each receive multiple electron beams generated by the electron beam generating device 2 and accelerate these multiple electron beams using microwaves received from the at least two power output ports, thereby generating multiple rays with different energies. The accelerated electron beams can generate rays, such as X-rays, by bombarding a target.

[0056] The controller 1 is signal-connected to the electron beam generating device 2 and the microwave generating device 4, and is configured to perform timing control on the microwave power of the microwave generating device 4, and timing control on the beam current load of the electron beams generated by the electron beam generating device 2, which correspond to the plurality of accelerating tubes 3 respectively. Through the timing control of the microwave generating device 4 and the electron beam generating device 2 by the controller 1, multiple accelerating tubes 3 can generate rays of different energies using a single microwave power source, thereby meeting the detection requirements for multi-energy spectral coverage of objects and improving the system's wire resolution while ensuring penetration.

[0057] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of some other embodiments of the radiation generating apparatus according to the present disclosure. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a four-terminal circulator according to some embodiments of the radiation generating apparatus of this disclosure. (Reference) Figure 2 In some embodiments, the electron beam generating device 2 includes: a first electron gun 22, a first electron gun power supply 21, a second electron gun 24, and a second electron gun power supply 23. The first electron gun 22 is configured to generate a first electron beam. The second electron gun 24 is configured to generate a second electron beam. The various electron gun power supplies and the microwave generating device can be powered by the same AC power supply (e.g., 380V).

[0058] The first electron gun power supply 21 is signal-connected to the controller 1 and connected to the first electron gun 22, and is configured to adjust the beam current load of the first electron beam according to a timing control signal provided by the controller 1. The second electron gun power supply 23 is signal-connected to the controller 1 and connected to the second electron gun 24, and is configured to adjust the beam current load of the second electron beam according to a timing control signal provided by the controller 1. The controller 1 can adjust the voltage applied to the electron gun by sending a timing control signal (e.g., a pulse width modulation signal) to the electron gun power supply to further adjust the beam current load of the electron beam.

[0059] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the microwave circulator 5 has at least two power output ports, including a first power output port b and a second power output port c. The first power output port b is allocated from the microwave signal fed in from the power input port a, and the second power output port c is allocated from the microwave signal fed in from the first power output port b. The microwave signal fed in from the first power output port b may be a reflected microwave signal that was output from the first power output port b and then reflected back.

[0060] exist Figure 2In this configuration, multiple accelerating tubes 3 include a first accelerating tube 31 and a second accelerating tube 32. The first accelerating tube 31 is connected to the first power output port b and the first electron gun 22, and is configured to accelerate the first electron beam through a first output microwave signal output from the first power output port b. The second accelerating tube 32 is connected to the second power output port c and the second electron gun 24, and is configured to accelerate the second electron beam through a second output microwave signal output from the second power output port c. The accelerated first and second electron beams can obtain X-rays of different energies by bombarding a target.

[0061] In other embodiments, the electron beam generating device may include three or more electron guns and their corresponding electron gun power supplies, and the ray generating device includes three or more accelerating tubes. Accordingly, each accelerating tube is connected to three or more power output ports on the microwave circulator. The timing control of the controller enables the output of more types of ray energy to meet the requirements of multi-energy spectrum detection and multi-view scanning of the object.

[0062] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, at least two power output ports of the microwave circulator 5 further include a third power output port d, which is allocated to the microwave signal fed from the second power output port c. The microwave signal fed from the second power output port c may be a reflected microwave signal that was output outward from the second power output port c and then reflected back. The radiation generating device may also include an absorbing load 6 connected to the third power output port d. This absorbing load is capable of absorbing the microwave signal output from the third power output port d to achieve isolation and prevent the microwave signal from returning to the power input port of the microwave circulator.

[0063] refer to Figure 3 In some embodiments, the microwave circulator 5 includes a four-port circulator 51. This four-port circulator 51 has four ports, which, in power transmission order, are power input port a, first power output port b, second power output port c, and third power output port d; that is, the power transmission pattern of the four-port circulator 51 is abcd. In other embodiments, the microwave circulator 5 may also include a combination structure of multiple three-port circulators or four-port circulators connected in series.

[0064] Figure 3The structure of a ferrite four-terminal circulator is shown. This four-terminal circulator is a coupling device comprising a double-T connector, a non-reciprocal phase shifter based on the ferrite field shift effect, and a 3 dB coupler. When the radiation generating equipment is operating, an electromagnetic wave with amplitude E0 is input through power input port a. Due to the characteristics of the double-T (H-branch), at the AB plane, waveguides I and II will output electromagnetic waves with equal amplitude E0 / (2^(1 / 2)) and the same phase. A non-reciprocal phase shifter enables the electromagnetic wave in waveguide I to lead the phase of the electromagnetic wave in waveguide II by 90° when the electromagnetic wave propagates from the AB surface to the CD surface in the forward direction (conversely, if the electromagnetic wave propagates from the CD surface to the AB surface in the reverse direction, the phase of the electromagnetic wave in waveguide II leads the phase of the electromagnetic wave in waveguide I by 90°). The 3dB coupler between the CD surface and the first power output port b and the third power output port d enables the microwave power in waveguide I and waveguide II to be equally distributed to the first power output port b and the third power output port d, respectively. However, the phase shift increases by 90° during coupled transmission, so that all the microwave power output from waveguide I and waveguide II to the first power output port b and the third power output port d is output from the first power output port b, and there is no output from the third power output port d.

[0065] Similarly, the microwave power input from the first power output port b is distributed to the second power output port c, and the microwave power input from the second power output port c is distributed to the third power output port d. Accordingly, the reflected microwaves input from the first power output port b are distributed to the second power output port c, while the reflected waves from the second power output port c are transmitted to the third power output port d and absorbed by the absorbing load.

[0066] In some embodiments, the timing control of the controller 1 enables the first accelerating tube connected to the first power output port b to obtain greater power and energy, so as to output at least one high-energy X-ray, such as X-rays with energies of 6 MeV and 3 MeV; and the timing control of the controller 1 enables the second accelerating tube connected to the second power output port c to obtain less power and energy, so as to output at least one low-energy X-ray, such as X-rays with energies of 0.5 to 1 MeV. Thus, by varying the microwave power output from different power output ports of the microwave circulator, power distribution is achieved. The power distribution characteristics of the microwave circulator can be used to drive accelerating tubes of different energies to meet various detection requirements.

[0067] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the control timing and radiation energy output according to some embodiments of the radiation generating apparatus of this disclosure. (Reference) Figure 4In some embodiments, the controller 1 is configured to cause the first electron gun power supply 21 to adjust the beam current load of the first electron beam to a first beam current load during a first time period in each of at least one period T, and to cause the second electron gun power supply 23 to adjust the beam current load of the second electron beam to a second beam current load during a second time period in each of the periods T, wherein the first time period and the second time period do not overlap.

[0068] The controller 1 is also configured to, during the first time period, feed the microwave signal from the microwave generating device 4 to the power input port a of the microwave circulator 5, which includes at least one first input microwave signal, and during the second time period, feed the microwave signal from the microwave generating device 4 to the power input port a of the microwave circulator 5, which includes at least one second input microwave signal, wherein the power of the at least one first input microwave signal is greater than that of the at least one second input microwave signal.

[0069] By issuing timing control commands from the controller 1, the alternating operating mode of the first accelerating tube 31 and the second accelerating tube 32 is achieved. Combined with the power distribution function of the microwave circulator 5, this allows the first accelerating tube 31 and the second accelerating tube 32 to generate X-rays of different energies at different times during each period T. In some embodiments, the X-rays generated by the first accelerating tube 31 and the second accelerating tube 32 can be set to irradiate different directions, thereby achieving multi-view radiation imaging.

[0070] exist Figure 4 In the process, the magnetron 41 sequentially inputs three pulsed microwave powers of different amplitudes to the power input port a of the four-terminal circulator 51 in each period T, that is, in the first time period t 11 Input the highest pulsed microwave power 1a, in the first time period t 12 Input the second highest pulse microwave power 1b, and then input a lower pulse microwave power 1c in the second time period t2. This corresponds to the first time period t... 11 and t 12 The first electron beam is configured with first beam loads 2a and 2b, respectively. Corresponding to the second time period t2, the second electron beam is configured with a second beam load 3a. In some embodiments, the first beam load is less than or equal to the second beam load, for example... Figure 4 The second beam load 3a is approximately equal to the first beam load 2b and greater than the first beam load 2a.

[0071] The formula for the beam loading effect can be expressed as: E = (A*P)^0.5 - B*I. E is the energy of the accelerated electron beam, I is the intensity of the accelerated electron beam (i.e., beam loading), P is the pulsed microwave power fed into the accelerating tube, and A and B are predetermined constants. According to the beam loading effect, different electron beams will produce high-energy electron beams with different energies when accelerated. (Reference) Figure 4The larger the beam load, the smaller the microwave power fed into the accelerating tube, and the less energy the electron beam gains when accelerated in the accelerating tube. Conversely, the smaller the beam load, the larger the microwave power fed into the accelerating tube, and the more energy the electron beam gains when accelerated in the accelerating tube.

[0072] In the first time period t 11 and t 12 The first electron beam was configured with first beam loads 2a and 2b. During the first time interval t... 11 and the first time period t 12 The input pulsed microwave powers 1a and 1b are fed into the first accelerating tube 31 through the first power output port b of the four-terminal circulator 51. Since the pulsed microwave power 1a is higher than the pulsed microwave power 1b, and the first beam load 2a is smaller than the second beam load 2b, the first accelerating tube... 11 and the first time period t 12 Two different energies, 4a and 4b (e.g., 6 MeV and 3 MeV), are generated, one higher and one lower, respectively.

[0073] Because the microwave energy fed into the first accelerating tube 31 is used to accelerate the first electron beam, less reflected microwave returns from the first power output port b. During the first time period, the second electron beam is not equipped with a beam load, so the reflected microwaves entering the first power output port b are distributed to the second power output port c and then reflected back to the second power output port c. The reflected microwaves entering the second power output port c are then distributed to the third power output port d and absorbed by the absorption load connected to the third power output port d.

[0074] During the second time period t2, the pulsed microwave power 1c input from the power input port a is fed into the first accelerating tube 31 through the first power output port b of the four-terminal circulator 51. Since the first electron beam is not equipped with a beam load during the second time period t2, a significant amount of microwave energy entering the first accelerating tube 31 from the first power output port b is reflected back to the first power output port b. The reflected microwaves entering the first power output port b are distributed to the second power output port c, and during the second time period t2, the second electron beam is equipped with a second beam load 3a, causing the second accelerating tube 32 to produce X-rays with lower energy 4c (e.g., 0.5~1 MeV) than the X-rays 4a and 4b produced by the first accelerating tube 31 during the second time period t2.

[0075] Through the various embodiments of the radiation generating device disclosed above, by fully utilizing the operating characteristics of the output power of each port of the microwave circulator, and by using a single microwave power source in conjunction with the beam current load of the electron beam generating device, multiple levels of radiation energy can be output to meet the radiation scanning requirements of different working environments. Through timing control by the controller, more diverse radiation energy outputs can be achieved, ensuring the stability of multiple energy output levels.

[0076] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating some embodiments of the control method for the radiation generating apparatus according to this disclosure. (See reference) Figure 5 Based on the aforementioned embodiments of the radiation generating device, in some embodiments, the control method of the radiation generating device includes steps 100 and 200. Steps 100 and 200 are performed synchronously according to the timing control instructions of the controller.

[0077] In step 100, the microwave power of the microwave generating device 4 is controlled in a timing manner by the controller 1. In step 200, the beam current loads of the multiple electron beams generated by the electron beam generating device 2, which correspond to the multiple accelerating tubes 3 respectively, are controlled in a timing manner so that the multiple accelerating tubes 3 accelerate the multiple electron beams respectively, thereby generating multiple rays with different energies, such as X-rays.

[0078] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the electron beam generating device 2 includes: a first electron gun 22 and a second electron gun 24 that generate a first electron beam and a second electron beam, respectively; and a first electron gun power supply 21 and a second electron gun power supply 23 that are signal-connected to the controller 1 and respectively connected to the first electron gun 22 and the second electron gun 24. Accordingly, step 100 includes: via the controller 1, in a first time period t within each period T of at least one period T... 11 t 12 The first electron gun power supply 21 adjusts the beam current load of the first electron beam to the first beam current load 2a, 2b, and in the second time period t2 of each period T, the second electron gun power supply 23 adjusts the beam current load of the second electron beam to the second beam current load 3a. 11 t 12 It does not coincide with the second time period t2.

[0079] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the microwave circulator 5 has at least two power output ports including a first power output port b and a second power output port c, the first power output port b being allocated from the microwave signal fed from the power input port a, and the second power output port c being allocated from the microwave signal fed from the first power output port b; the plurality of accelerating tubes 3 include: a first accelerating tube 31 connected to the first power output port b and the first electron gun 22, and a second accelerating tube 32 connected to the second power output port c and the second electron gun 24.

[0080] Accordingly, step 200 includes: via the controller 1, during the first time period, causing the microwave signal fed from the microwave generating device 4 to the power input port a of the microwave circulator 5 to include at least one first input microwave signal, and during the second time period, causing the microwave signal fed from the microwave generating device 4 to the power input port a of the microwave circulator 5 to include at least one second input microwave signal 1c, wherein the power of the at least one first input microwave signal is greater than that of the at least one second input microwave signal 1c.

[0081] In some embodiments, at least one first input microwave signal includes different portions located in the first time period (i.e., the first time period t). 11 and the first time period t 12 The first electron beam receives two first input microwave signals 1a and 1b, wherein the two first input microwave signals 1a and 1b have the same or different power. The first electron beam corresponds to a different portion t of the two first input microwave signals 1a and 1b during the first time period. 11 t 12 The first beam loads 2a and 2b may be the same or different.

[0082] In some embodiments, at least one second input microwave signal includes a second input microwave signal 1c located in the second time period t2. In other embodiments, two second input microwave signals located in different portions of the second time period, the two second input microwave signals having the same or different powers, and the second beam load of the second electron beam corresponding to the different portions of the two second input microwave signals in the second time period having the same or different second beam current loads.

[0083] This specification describes multiple embodiments in a progressive manner, with each embodiment having a different focus. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the method embodiments, since their overall structure and involved steps correspond to the content in the device embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to in the description of the device embodiments.

[0084] The embodiments of this disclosure have now been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of this disclosure, some details known in the art have not been described. Those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein based on the above description.

[0085] While specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A ray generating device, comprising: an electron beam generating device (2) configured to generate a plurality of electron beams; a microwave generating device (4) configured to generate microwaves; a microwave circulator (5) having a power input port (a) and at least two power output ports, the power input port (a) being connected with the microwave generating device (4) through a waveguide structure; a plurality of acceleration tubes (3) connected with the electron beam generating device (2) and respectively connected with the at least two power output ports, configured to respectively receive the plurality of electron beams generated by the electron beam generating device (2) and accelerate the plurality of electron beams respectively by the microwaves received from the at least two power output ports, so as to respectively generate a plurality of rays having different energies; a controller (1) signal connected with the electron beam generating device (2) and the microwave generating device (4), configured to time control the microwave power of the microwave generating device (4) and time control the beam current load of the electron beams generated by the electron beam generating device (2) respectively corresponding to the plurality of acceleration tubes (3); wherein the electron beam generating device (2) comprises: a first electron gun (22) configured to generate a first electron beam; a first electron gun power supply (21) signal connected with the controller (1) and connected with the first electron gun (22), configured to adjust the beam current load of the first electron beam according to the time control signal provided by the controller (1); a second electron gun (24) configured to generate a second electron beam; a second electron gun power supply (23) signal connected with the controller (1) and connected with the second electron gun (24), configured to adjust the beam current load of the second electron beam according to the time control signal provided by the controller (1); wherein the controller (1) is configured to cause the first electron gun power supply (21) to adjust the beam current load of the first electron beam to a first beam current load (2a; 2b) in a first time period (ti) of each period (T) of at least one period (T) and to cause the second electron gun power supply (23) to adjust the beam current load of the second electron beam to a second beam current load (3a) in a second time period (t2) of each period (T), the first time period (ti) and the second time period (t2) being non-coincident. 11 12 11 12 ​​​​ 2. The radiation generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the first beam current load (2a; 2b) is less than or equal to the second beam current load (3a).

3. The radiation generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The at least two power output ports of the microwave circulator (5) comprise a first power output port (b) and a second power output port (c), the first power output port (b) being allocated from the microwave signal fed in from the power input port (a), the second power output port (c) being allocated from the microwave signal fed in from the first power output port (b); The plurality of acceleration tubes (3) comprises: a first acceleration tube (31) connected with the first power output port (b) and the first electron gun (22), configured to accelerate the first electron beam by the first output microwave signal output by the first power output port (b); a second acceleration tube (32) connected with the second power output port (c) and the second electron gun (24), configured to accelerate the second electron beam by the second output microwave signal output by the second power output port (c).

4. The radiation generating apparatus of claim 3, wherein, The at least two power output ports of the microwave circulator (5) further comprise a third power output port (d), the third power output port (d) being allocated from the microwave signal fed in from the second power output port (c); The ray generating device further comprises an absorption load (6) connected to the third power output port (d) and configured to absorb the microwave signal output by the third power output port (d).

5. The radiation generating apparatus of claim 4, wherein, The microwave circulator (5) comprises a four-terminal circulator (51).

6. The radiation generating apparatus of claim 3, wherein, The controller (1) is configured to cause the microwave generating device (4) to feed into the power input port (a) of the microwave circulator (5) a microwave signal comprising at least one first input microwave signal (1a; 1b) during the first time period (t 11 ; t 12 ) and to cause the microwave generating device (4) to feed into the power input port (a) of the microwave circulator (5) a microwave signal comprising at least one second input microwave signal (1c) during the second time period (t2), the power of the at least one first input microwave signal (1a; 1b) being greater than the power of the at least one second input microwave signal (1c).

7. The radiation generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The microwave generating device (4) comprises a magnetron (41).

8. A control method of the ray generating device according to any one of claims 1-7, comprising: controlling the microwave power of the microwave generating device (4) and the beam current of the multiple electron beams generated by the electron beam generating device (2) corresponding to the multiple accelerating tubes (3) respectively by the controller (1) to accelerate the multiple electron beams by the multiple accelerating tubes (3) respectively, so as to generate multiple rays with different energies.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein The electron beam generating device (2) comprises a first electron gun (22) and a second electron gun (24) for generating a first electron beam and a second electron beam respectively, and a first electron gun power supply (21) and a second electron gun power supply (23) connected to the controller (1) and connected to the first electron gun (22) and the second electron gun (24) respectively; The step of controlling the beam current of the multiple electron beams corresponding to the multiple accelerating tubes (3) respectively by the controller (1) comprises: by said controller (1) causing said first electron gun power supply (21) to adjust the beam current load of said first electron beam to a first beam current load (2a; 2b) during a first time period (t 11 ; t 12 ) of each of at least one period (T) and causing said second electron gun power supply (23) to adjust the beam current load of said second electron beam to a second beam current load (3a) during a second time period (t2) of each of said at least one period (T), said first time period (t 11 ; t 12 ) not coinciding with said second time period (t2).

10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein The at least two power output ports of the microwave circulator (5) comprise a first power output port (b) and a second power output port (c), the first power output port (b) is allocated with the microwave signal fed from the power input port (a), and the second power output port (c) is allocated with the microwave signal fed from the first power output port (b); The multiple accelerating tubes (3) comprise a first accelerating tube (31) connected to the first power output port (b) and the first electron gun (22), and a second accelerating tube (32) connected to the second power output port (c) and the second electron gun (24); The step of controlling the microwave power of the microwave generating device (4) by the controller (1) comprises: by means of said controller (1), in said first time interval (t 11 ; t 12 ) the microwave signal fed by said microwave generating device (4) to the power input (a) of said microwave circulator (5) comprises at least one first input microwave signal (1a; 1b), and in said second time interval (t2) the microwave signal fed by said microwave generating device (4) to the power input (a) of said microwave circulator (5) comprises at least one second input microwave signal (1c), the power of said at least one first input microwave signal (1a; 1b) being greater than the power of said at least one second input microwave signal (1c).

11. The control method according to claim 10, wherein said at least one first input microwave signal (1a; 1b) comprises two first input microwave signals (1a; 1b) located at different portions of said first time interval (t 11 ; t 12 ), said two first input microwave signals (1a; 1b) being equal or different in power, said first electron beam having a first beam current load (2a; 2b) corresponding to said different portions of said two first input microwave signals (1a; 1b) being equal or different during said first time interval (t 11 ; t 12 ).

12. The control method according to claim 10, wherein The at least one second input microwave signal (1c) comprises two second input microwave signals (1c) located at different parts of the second time period (t2), the two second input microwave signals (1c) have the same or different powers, and the second beam current (3a) of the second electron beam corresponding to the different parts of the two second input microwave signals (1c) in the second time period (t2) is the same or different.

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