A reflection target x-ray source having a cooling structure

Abstract

This invention provides a reflective X-ray source with a cooling structure, comprising a reflective target, a target holder, and a cooling tube located within a housing. One end of the housing has an electron injection port and an X-ray port. The target holder is connected to the reflective target near the X-ray port. Electrons from the cathode enter the housing through the electron injection port and are reflected by the reflective target, passing through the X-ray port. The cooling tube is filled with a phase change material and has a heat-absorbing section and a heat-dissipating section. At least a portion of the wall of the heat-absorbing section is in contact with the target holder. The end of the housing away from the X-ray port has a heat-dissipating cavity, and the heat-dissipating section is located within the heat-dissipating cavity. This invention utilizes the method of attaching the target holder to the cooling tube, allowing the heat generated by the electron impact of the cathode on the reflective target to be transferred to the cooling tube. The heat is further absorbed and transferred by the phase change medium within the cooling tube, facilitating heat transfer to the side away from the target through the cooling tube. The heat from the phase change medium in the cooling tube is dissipated outwards through the heat-dissipating cavity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of X-ray source technology, and in particular relates to a reflective target X-ray source with a cooling structure. Background Technology

[0002] As a core component of X-ray imaging and detection equipment, the reflective target X-ray source emits electrons from its cathode after being powered on. These electrons are accelerated by high voltage and then strike the tilted reflective target. The reflective effect of the target is used to guide directional X-rays outward. Compared with the transmission target X-ray source, the reflective target structure can withstand higher electron beam energy, the X-ray emission intensity is more stable, and it can effectively reduce X-ray scattering and improve imaging clarity. Therefore, it is widely used in various high-precision detection scenarios.

[0003] However, the energy conversion of existing reflective targets is limited. When electrons collide with the reflective target, only 1% of the energy is converted into useful X-rays, while the remaining 99% of the energy is converted into heat, causing the temperature of the reflective target to rise sharply, reaching up to thousands of degrees Celsius. The heat dissipation capacity of existing reflective targets is insufficient, making the reflective target easy to be damaged.

[0004] Existing heat dissipation methods for reflective target X-ray sources mainly fall into two categories: passive heat dissipation and active heat dissipation. Passive heat dissipation involves placing heat sinks on the target mount and dissipating heat into the air through heat conduction and radiation. This method has extremely low heat dissipation efficiency and is only suitable for low-load, short-term operation scenarios. It cannot meet the requirements of high-load, long-term operation, and the heat sinks occupy a large space, increasing the overall size of the X-ray source. Active heat dissipation, often using oil or water cooling, involves placing a cooling jacket on the outside of the target mount and using a circulating cooling medium to remove heat. However, this method has a long heat transfer path (target material → target mount → cooling jacket → cooling medium), high thermal resistance, and low heat transfer efficiency. It cannot quickly dissipate heat from the core area of ​​the target material, still leading to localized overheating of the target material. This can cause wear, deformation, melting, and detachment of the target material, reducing X-ray generation efficiency and intensity stability. Furthermore, the deterioration of the target surface condition can increase X-ray scattering and decrease image quality. Moreover, existing target heat dissipation mechanisms are cumbersome to install and maintain, and there is a risk of cooling medium leakage damaging internal components of the X-ray source. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a reflective target X-ray source with a cooling structure to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the reflective target X-ray source.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is implemented as follows: A reflective X-ray source with a cooling structure includes a housing, a reflective target, a target holder, and a cooling tube. The reflective target, target holder, and cooling tube are located inside the housing. One end of the housing has an electron injection hole and an X-ray hole. The target holder is located inside the housing, and the end of the target holder near the X-ray hole is connected to the reflective target. After entering the housing through the electron injection hole, cathode electrons are reflected by the reflective target and pass through the X-ray hole. The cooling tube is filled with a phase change material and has a heat absorption section and a heat dissipation section. At least a portion of the tube wall of the heat absorption section is in contact with the target holder. The end of the housing away from the X-ray hole has a heat dissipation cavity, which is connected to the outside. The heat dissipation section is located in the heat dissipation cavity.

[0007] Furthermore, the housing has a cooling channel that penetrates the housing radially, and the heat dissipation cavity is connected to the cooling channel.

[0008] Furthermore, the target base has a connection hole, the heat-absorbing section is placed inside the connection hole, and the outer peripheral wall of the heat-absorbing section is in contact with the connection hole.

[0009] Furthermore, a thermally conductive paste layer is coated between the outer peripheral wall of the heat-absorbing section and the wall of the connecting hole.

[0010] Furthermore, a thermally conductive adhesive layer is provided between the target holder and the reflective target.

[0011] Furthermore, the length of the heat dissipation section is at least 1 / 3 of the length of the cooling pipe.

[0012] Furthermore, the diameter of the heat dissipation cavity is twice the outer diameter of the cooling pipe.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a cooling module, which includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. One end of the inlet pipe is connected to one end of the cooling channel, and the other end of the inlet pipe is connected to the outlet port of the circulation pump. One end of the outlet pipe is connected to the other end of the cooling channel, and the other end of the outlet pipe is connected to the inlet port of the circulation pump.

[0014] Furthermore, the heat dissipation cavity includes a connecting part and an overflow part, the connecting part being located at the end of the heat dissipation cavity away from the X-ray hole, and the connecting part being located in the cooling flow channel.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a cathode assembly, which includes a light source, an emitting hood, and a focusing hood. The light source is located inside the emitting hood, the emitting hood has an emission port, and the focusing hood is cylindrical, with one end corresponding to the emission port and the other end corresponding to the electron injection hole.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, the reflective target X-ray source with a cooling structure described in this invention has the following advantages: The present invention adopts a method of attaching the target base and the cooling pipe, so that the heat generated by the electron impact emitted by the cathode after reflecting the target material can be transferred to the cooling pipe, and the heat is further absorbed and transferred by the phase change medium in the cooling pipe, so as to transfer the heat to the side away from the target material through the cooling pipe, and the heat of the phase change medium in the cooling pipe is dissipated to the outside through the heat dissipation cavity. By incorporating cooling channels on the casing, external cold air or coolant can come into contact with the cooling pipes through the cooling channels, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the cooling pipes and the medium therein. By setting connection holes on the target holder and inserting the heat-absorbing section into the connection holes, the sidewalls and end faces of the heat-absorbing section can contact and fit with the hole walls of the connection holes of the target holder, thereby increasing the contact area between the heat-absorbing section and the target holder and improving the heat exchange efficiency between the target holder and the cooling pipe. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the X-ray source; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the reflective target; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the reflective target shell; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling module piping connection.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1-Housing; 11-Electron injection port; 12-X-ray port; 13-Heat dissipation cavity; 131-Connection part; 132-Overflow part; 14-Cooling channel; 2-Reflective target; 3-Target base; 31-Connection hole; 4-Cooling pipe; 41-Heat absorption section; 42-Heat dissipation section; 5-Cooling module; 51-Liquid inlet pipe; 52-Liquid outlet pipe; 6-Cathode assembly; 61-Light source; 62-Emitting cover; 63-Focusing cover. Detailed Implementation

[0019] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0020] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0021] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0022] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] The X-ray source with a cooling structure of the present invention includes a housing 1, a reflective target 2, a target holder 3, and a cooling pipe 4. The reflective target 2, the target holder 3, and the cooling pipe 4 are located inside the housing 1. One end of the housing 1 has an electron injection hole 11 and an X-ray hole 12. The target holder 3 is located inside the housing 1. The end of the target holder 3 near the X-ray hole 12 is connected to the reflective target 2. After the cathode electrons enter the housing 1 through the electron injection hole 11, they can be reflected by the reflective target 2 and pass through the X-ray hole 12. The cooling pipe 4 is filled with a phase change material and has a heat absorption section 41 and a heat dissipation section 42. At least part of the pipe wall of the heat absorption section is in contact with the target holder 3. The end of the housing 1 away from the X-ray hole has a heat dissipation cavity 13. The heat dissipation cavity 13 is connected to the outside. The heat dissipation section 42 is located in the heat dissipation cavity 13.

[0024] In this embodiment, multiple siphon tubes are fixed along the length of the cooling pipe 4. The cooling pipe 4 is filled with a phase change medium, which is a liquid-gas phase change medium, such as alcohols, R22, or other refrigerants. During operation, the liquid refrigerant gathers at one end of the cooling pipe 4 and is then transported to the other end of the cooling pipe 4 through the siphon effect of the siphon tubes. The top end of the cooling pipe 4 is in contact with the target 3, which facilitates heat exchange between the heat of the target 3 and the medium in the cooling pipe 4. The refrigerant then absorbs heat and vaporizes, so that the refrigerant in the cooling pipe 4 forms a high-pressure zone at the end near the target 3 and a low-pressure zone at the end away from the target 3. After vaporization, the refrigerant flows to the low-pressure zone and then releases heat and liquefies at the heat dissipation cavity 13, thereby circulating through the siphon tubes to dissipate heat from the target 3 and improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the target 3. By attaching the target holder 3 to the cooling pipe 4, the heat generated by the electron impact emitted by the cathode after reflecting the target material 2 can be transferred to the cooling pipe 4. The heat is further absorbed and transferred by the phase change medium inside the cooling pipe 4, so that the heat can be transferred to the side away from the target material through the cooling pipe 4. The heat of the phase change medium in the cooling pipe is dissipated to the outside through the heat dissipation cavity 13.

[0025] The housing 1 has a cooling channel 14 that extends radially through the housing 1, and the heat dissipation cavity 13 communicates with the cooling channel 14. During operation, the cooling rate of the refrigerant in the cooling pipe 4 can be increased by filling the cooling channel 14 with a medium or by passing a low-temperature medium through the cooling channel 14. In this embodiment, cooling water is introduced into the cooling channel 14; in other embodiments, cold air can also be introduced into the cooling channel 14.

[0026] The target holder 3 has a connecting hole 31, and the heat-absorbing section 41 is placed inside the connecting hole 31, with its outer peripheral wall fitting snugly against the connecting hole 31. This increases the contact area between the cooling pipe 4 wall and the target holder 3, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the cooling pipe 4 wall and the target holder 3. A thermally conductive paste layer is coated between the outer peripheral wall of the heat-absorbing section 41 and the wall of the connecting hole 31. This makes the cooling pipe 4 wall and the connecting hole 31 fit more tightly, further improving the heat exchange efficiency between the cooling pipe 4 wall and the connecting hole 31.

[0027] The target holder 3 and the reflective target 2 have a thermally conductive adhesive layer. This improves the heat conduction between the reflective target 2 and the target holder 3, transferring heat from the reflective target 2 to the target holder 3, thereby cooling the reflective target 2 and preventing high temperatures from affecting the electron emission effect of the X-ray source.

[0028] The length of the heat dissipation section 42 is at least 1 / 3 of the length of the cooling pipe 4, so that more of the cooling pipe 4 wall is located within the heat dissipation cavity 13, facilitating heat exchange between the cooling pipe 4 wall and the low-temperature medium within the heat dissipation cavity 13, and promoting cooling of the refrigerant within the cooling pipe 4. The diameter of the heat dissipation cavity 13 is twice the outer diameter of the cooling pipe 4, facilitating the flow of the low-temperature medium within the heat dissipation cavity 13, and promoting heat exchange with the low-temperature medium surrounding the cooling pipe 4.

[0029] The heat dissipation cavity 13 includes a connecting part 131 and an overflow part 132. The connecting part 131 is located at the end of the heat dissipation cavity 13 away from the X-ray hole 12 and is located in the cooling channel 14.

[0030] The system also includes a cooling module 5, which comprises an inlet pipe 51 and an outlet pipe 52. One end of the inlet pipe 51 is connected to one end of the cooling channel 14, and the other end is connected to the outlet port of the circulating pump. One end of the outlet pipe 52 is connected to the other end of the cooling channel 14, and the other end is connected to the inlet port of the circulating pump. In this embodiment, a temperature sensor can be installed in the heat dissipation cavity 13. The temperature sensor is connected to a temperature controller, which controls the output power of the circulating pump. This controls the circulation speed of the low-temperature medium based on the temperature within the heat dissipation cavity 13, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the cooling pipe 4 when the temperature within the heat dissipation cavity 13 is high. In this embodiment, the cooling module 5 also includes a radiator, which can be fins installed on the inlet pipe 51 and / or the outlet pipe 52, or an air-cooled device acting on the low-temperature medium. The control methods and connection methods between the temperature sensor, temperature controller, and other electronic devices are existing technologies and will not be described further here.

[0031] It also includes a cathode assembly 6, which comprises a light source 61, an emitting cover 62, and a focusing cover 63. The light source 61 is located inside the emitting cover 62, which has an emission port. The focusing cover 63 is cylindrical, with one end corresponding to the emission port and the other end corresponding to the electron injection aperture. The light emitted from the light source 61 passes through the electron injection aperture and bombards the reflective target 2, thereby generating X-rays, which are then emitted through the X-ray aperture 12. The method of emitting X-rays by bombarding the reflective target with a light source is existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0032] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A reflective target X-ray source with a cooling structure, characterized in that: The device includes a housing, a reflective target, a target holder, and a cooling pipe. The reflective target, target holder, and cooling pipe are located inside the housing. One end of the housing has an electron injection hole and an X-ray hole. The end of the target holder near the X-ray hole is connected to the reflective target. After entering the housing through the electron injection hole, cathode electrons are reflected by the reflective target and pass through the X-ray hole. The cooling pipe is filled with a phase change material and has a heat absorption section and a heat dissipation section. At least a portion of the wall of the heat absorption section is in contact with the target holder. The end of the housing away from the X-ray hole has a heat dissipation cavity, which is connected to the outside. The heat dissipation section is located in the heat dissipation cavity.

2. The X-ray source with a cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing has a cooling channel that penetrates the housing radially, and the heat dissipation cavity is connected to the cooling channel.

3. The X-ray source with a cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The target base has a connection hole, the heat-absorbing section is placed inside the connection hole, and the outer peripheral wall of the heat-absorbing section is in contact with the connection hole.

4. The X-ray source with a cooling structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: A thermally conductive paste layer is applied between the outer peripheral wall of the heat-absorbing section and the wall of the connecting hole.

5. The X-ray source with a cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A thermally conductive adhesive layer is provided between the target holder and the reflective target.

6. The X-ray source with a cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the heat dissipation section is at least 1 / 3 of the length of the cooling pipe.

7. The X-ray source with a cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the heat dissipation cavity is twice the outer diameter of the cooling pipe.

8. The X-ray source with a cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a cooling module, which includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. One end of the inlet pipe is connected to one end of the cooling channel, and the other end of the inlet pipe is connected to the outlet port of the circulating pump. One end of the outlet pipe is connected to the other end of the cooling channel, and the other end of the outlet pipe is connected to the inlet port of the circulating pump.

9. A reflective target X-ray source with a cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat dissipation cavity includes a connecting part and an overflow part. The connecting part is located at the end of the heat dissipation cavity away from the X-ray hole and is located in the cooling channel.

10. A reflective target X-ray source with a cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a cathode assembly, which includes a light source, an emitter cover, and a focusing cover. The light source is located inside the emitter cover, the emitter cover has an emission port, and the focusing cover is cylindrical, with one end corresponding to the emission port and the other end corresponding to the electron injection hole.

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