Cooling system for imaging system

Abstract

A cooling system for an imaging system includes a compressor module including a liquid cooler; and a cooling loop coupled between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid cooler and configured to provide a circulation path for circulating a liquid coolant of the liquid cooler between the inlet and the outlet. The cooling circuit comprises a liquid cooling part and an air cooling part, the liquid coolant flowing in the liquid cooling part is liquid-cooled, and the liquid coolant flowing in the air cooling part is air-cooled; a controller coupled to the cooling circuit and configured to detect a liquid cooling failure and determine whether the liquid cooling and / or air cooling is operating in an operating mode or an idle mode when the liquid cooling failure is detected; the cabinet body defines a first chamber and a second chamber through a separating wall, the air cooling part is located in the first chamber, and the other components are located in the second chamber. The reliability of the cooling system is improved by providing redundant or spare air cooling to dissipate heat of liquid coolant flowing through the compressor module.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical systems, and in particular to a cooling system for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. BACKGROUND

[0002] MRI systems use liquid helium to cool superconducting magnet coils. Heat is removed from the liquid helium via the use of a cooling system comprising a cold head-compressor combination. Typically, the cold head extends into a cryostat that cools the liquid helium of the magnet. The cooling system also employs helium as a refrigerant separate from the liquid helium of the magnet. The refrigerant gas is compressed by the compressor and the cold head acts as an expansion engine for removing heat. Typically, the cooling system includes a water circulation system, e.g. a water chiller, coupled to the compressor to provide liquid cooling for dissipating heat generated by the compression of the helium gas.

[0003] The cooling system is typically operated continuously (“24 / 7”) to prevent evaporation and subsequent loss of the liquid helium. When the cooling system fails, the expensive liquid helium starts to be lost and, if the cooling system is not quickly repaired, the magnet imaging function will be lost. Therefore, an expensive emergency repair service is typically required.

[0004] Due to size and efficiency limitations, it is not feasible to provide a redundant cold head compressor cooling system. A second cold head would need to be located in the cryostat reservoir and would introduce a significant amount of ambient heat (cooling loss) into the reservoir when the second cold head compressor cooling system is in “standby” (non-operational) mode.

[0005] Complicating the matter is that technical progress continues to be developed to reduce the size of the reservoir, thereby reducing the amount of expensive liquid helium required. However, for small reservoirs, evaporation of a relatively small amount of liquid helium can force the MRI system to shut down. Therefore, the reduction in size of the reservoir results in an increased reliance on the reliability of the refrigeration system to minimize evaporation of the liquid helium. US20190003743A1 provides a cooling system with a dual compressor. However, a cooling system with a dual compressor has a higher cost and a larger footprint. SUMMARY

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a cost-effective and compact cooling system that enables continuous operation of the cooling system.

[0007] According to the invention, this object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Various embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0008] According to the present invention, therefore, a cooling system for a magnetic resonance imaging system comprises a compressor module comprising a liquid chiller, a cooling circuit coupled between an inlet and an outlet of the liquid chiller and configured to provide a circulation path for circulating a liquid coolant of the liquid chiller between the inlet and the outlet. The cooling circuit comprises a liquid cooling section in which the liquid coolant flowing is liquid cooled and an air cooling section in which the liquid coolant flowing is air cooled. The cooling system further comprises a controller coupled to the cooling circuit and configured to detect a failure of liquid cooling and to determine whether liquid cooling and air cooling are to operate in an operational mode or an idle mode upon detecting the failure of liquid cooling. By providing redundant or backup air cooling to dissipate heat of the liquid coolant flowing through the compressor module, the reliability of the cooling system is improved.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the liquid cooling section and the air cooling section are coupled in parallel. The liquid cooling section comprises a first line extending from an outlet of a coolant module to an upstream inlet of a first check valve, the first check valve, a second line extending from a downstream outlet of the first check valve to the inlet of the liquid chiller, and a third line extending from the outlet of the liquid chiller to an inlet of the coolant module; and wherein the air cooling section comprises a second check valve, an air-cooled heat exchanger with a fan, and a pump connected in series between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid chiller. By connecting the air cooling section in parallel with the liquid cooling section, air cooling and liquid cooling can be operated independently from each other. Irrespective of whatever failure of liquid cooling, air cooling can be operated independently to provide continuous cooling to the liquid coolant flowing through the liquid chiller of the compressor module.

[0010] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the coolant module further comprises a refrigeration module configured to convert a working medium in a liquid phase into a gaseous phase by heat from the compressor module and to compress the working medium in a gaseous phase up to a higher pressure and a higher temperature, and a condensation module coupled to the refrigeration module to liquefy the high-pressure high-temperature working medium in a gaseous phase. This two-stage cooling of evaporation and condensation provides a more compact heat transfer structure.

[0011] According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the first and second check valves passively control the flow direction of the liquid coolant in the cooling loop based on the determined operating mode of the liquid cooling and the air cooling. In passive control, the first and second check valves, known as one-way flow valves, are mechanically placed in an "open" state due to the resulting liquid coolant flow without external power or influence.

[0012] According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the cooling system further comprises: a cabinet comprising an enclosure defined by a base wall, opposite side walls extending upwardly from side edges of the base wall, and a top wall connected to upper ends of the side walls, wherein the enclosure of the cabinet is configured to define an interior of the cabinet, wherein a front access opening defining an access to the interior of the cabinet is configured to be closed by a door panel attached to at least one of the side walls; and a separation wall extending between the top wall and the base wall, spaced apart from the side walls, and configured to divide the interior of the cabinet into the first chamber and the second chamber, and wherein the air cooling section is located in the first chamber while the rest of the cooling system is located in the second chamber. Advantageously, the components of the cooling system can be located in a single cabinet and thus the footprint of the cooling system is significantly reduced.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the present application, a portion of the door panel covering the first chamber has a plurality of openings and is configured to serve as an exhaust side of the air cooling.

[0014] According to another embodiment of the present application, the cabinet does not have a back wall and a back portion of the cabinet is configured to serve as an intake side of the air cooling.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the present application, the compressor module is configured to be pushed into the interior of the cabinet.

[0016] According to another embodiment of the present application, wherein the cooling loop comprises: an air-cooled heat exchanger having a fan, a line coupled between an outlet of a coolant module and the air-cooled heat exchanger, and a line coupled between the air-cooled heat exchanger and the inlet of the liquid cooler, thereby providing a combination of liquid cooling and air cooling coupled in series. Although the cooling system will encounter a failure in case of flow blockage, it is still attractive due to its low cost and compact structure.

[0017] According to the present application, a method of cooling a magnetic resonance imaging system comprises the steps of providing liquid coolant from an outlet of a coolant module, guiding the liquid coolant from the outlet of the coolant module to an inlet of a liquid cooler of a compressor module through a cooling circuit having a combination of liquid cooling and air cooling, dissipating heat generated by the compressor module to the liquid coolant through the liquid cooler, guiding the heated liquid coolant from an outlet of the liquid cooler to an inlet of the coolant module, detecting a failure of liquid cooling, and determining whether liquid cooling and air cooling operate in an operational mode or an idle mode upon detecting the failure of liquid cooling.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present application, the method can further comprise passively controlling a flow direction of the liquid coolant in the cooling circuit through first and second check valves respectively positioned in the liquid cooling and the air cooling based on the determined operational mode of liquid cooling and air cooling.

[0019] According to yet another embodiment of the present application, the method can further comprise arranging the compressor module, the cooling circuit, and the coolant module inside an interior of a cabinet, and dividing the interior of the cabinet into a first chamber and a second chamber through a separation wall.

[0020] Further, according to the present application, there is provided an MRI system comprising a cooling system according to any of the above embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] These and other aspects of the present application will become apparent from the following embodiments described hereinafter. Such embodiments do not necessarily represent the full scope of the application, however, and reference is made therefore to the claims and herein for interpreting the scope of the application.

[0022] Figure 1 illustrates an MRI system 100 comprising a conventional cooling system;

[0023] Figure 2 illustrates a cooling system 200 for an MRI system according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 illustrates a cooling system 300 for an MRI system according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4A illustrates a schematic diagram of a next generation liquid cooled cabinet 400 according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 4BDepicts a front view of a next generation liquid cooling cabinet 400 according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 A cooling system 500 for MRI according to yet another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated; and

[0028] Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate similar or corresponding features or functions. The drawings are included for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In the following description, for the purpose of explanation rather than limitation, specific details (such as specific architectures, interfaces, technologies, etc.) are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the concept of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In a similar manner, the text of this description relates to the example embodiments as illustrated in the figures and is not intended to limit the claimed invention beyond the limitations explicitly included in the claims. For the purpose of simplicity and clarity, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary details.

[0030] Figure 1 An example of an MRI system 100 including a conventional cooling system is shown. The MRI system 100 includes a conventional water-cooled compressor unit 120. The water-cooled compressor module 120 includes a compressor 122 that supplies compressed helium to a cold head 104 via a manifold 112 and receives expanded helium from the cold head 104 via a manifold 114. Figure 1 As shown, the internal components of the MRI equipment 110, and in particular the superconducting magnetic coils (not shown), are cooled by liquid helium in a reservoir 102. A cold head 104 is in thermal contact with the reservoir 102. In this manner, heat from the superconducting magnetic coils is transferred to the reservoir 102 of liquid helium cooled by the cold head 104. For the purposes of this disclosure, a "reservoir" is defined herein as the volume containing the liquid helium cooled by the cold head 104. The water-cooled compressor module 120 also includes a water cooler 124 through which high-pressure helium and / or high-pressure oil from the compressor 122 flows. Cooling water flows through the water cooler 124 in a countercurrent heat transfer relationship with the helium and oil. A water circulation module 140 (e.g., a water cooler) provides cold water via a first line 104 and receives hot water via a second line 106, thereby dissipating the heat generated by the compressor 122.

[0031] Figure 2An example of a cooling system 200 is illustrated in accordance with one embodiment of the present application. The cooling system 200 includes a compressor module 210, a cooling loop 220, a coolant module 230, and a controller 240. The compressor module 210 further includes a compressor 202 and a liquid chiller 204. Cryogenic coolant flows from an outlet 232 of the coolant module 230 through a line 222 to an upstream inlet of a first check valve 224. The first check valve 224 allows the cryogenic coolant to flow in a line 226 from a downstream outlet of the first check valve 224 and then to an inlet 206 of the liquid chiller 204. The high temperature coolant, heated by the heat generated by the compressor 202, is output to an outlet 208 of the liquid chiller 204 and then flows through a line 228 to an inlet 234 of the coolant module 230. The high temperature coolant is liquid cooled by the coolant module 230 and then output as cryogenic coolant to the outlet 232, providing a continuous supply of coolant in the cooling system. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the liquid coolant can be, but is not limited to, water with additives such as ethylene glycol.

[0032] To further enhance the reliability of the closed loop cooling system, the cooling loop 200 further includes a second check valve 242, an air-cooled heat exchanger 244, and a pump 246 coupled in series between the inlet 206 and the outlet 208 of the liquid chiller 204. More specifically, the pump 246 is connected to the line 228 to pass the high temperature coolant from the outlet 208 of the liquid chiller 204 to the finned tube bundle of the air-cooled heat exchanger 244. A fan 248 drives air through the finned tube bundle of the air-cooled heat exchanger 244 in countercurrent heat transfer relationship with the liquid coolant in the air-cooled heat exchanger 244. The low temperature coolant is output from the air-cooled heat exchanger 244 and flows through the second check valve 242 to the inlet 206 of the liquid chiller 204, the upstream inlet of the second check valve 242 being connected to the output of the air-cooled heat exchanger 244 and the downstream outlet being connected to the line 226 on the downstream side of the first check valve 224. In passive control, the first and second check valves 224, 242, known as one-way flow valves, are mechanically placed in an "open" state by the flow generated by the coolant module 230 and the pump 246, respectively, without external power or influence. In such an arrangement, the cooling loop 220 coupled between the inlet 206 and the outlet 208 of the liquid chiller 204 includes a liquid cooling portion 250 and an air cooling portion 260 coupled in parallel to provide a dual circulation path for the liquid coolant of the liquid chiller 204. The liquid cooling portion 250, enclosed in dashed lines, includes the line 222, the first check valve 224, and the line 228 connecting the liquid chiller 204 to the coolant module 230, and the liquid coolant flowing in the liquid cooling portion 250 is liquid cooled by the coolant module 230. The air cooling portion 260, including the pump 246, the air-cooled heat exchanger 244 with the fan 248, and the second check valve 242, provides air cooling for the liquid coolant flowing in the air cooling portion 260.

[0033] In operation, the controller 240 coupled to the cooling circuit 220 is configured to detect a failure of the liquid cooling and then select the liquid cooling section 250 and the air cooling section 260 to operate in either an operational mode or an idle mode accordingly. The failure of the liquid cooling can include, but is not limited to, loss of cooling function and flow obstruction. In one embodiment, upon detecting a failure of the liquid cooling, the controller 240 enables operation of the air cooling section 260 by activating the pump 246 and the fan 248. The second check valve 242 is in an "open" state due to the flow generated by the activated pump 246 to allow coolant of the liquid chiller 204 in the air cooling section 260 to flow, thereby providing air cooling. Since the liquid coolant flowing out of the air cooling section 260 is downstream of the first check valve 224, the first check valve 224 can prevent the liquid coolant from, for example, backflowing to a circulation path (not shown) of the cooling system 200 for cooling gradient amplifiers and / or radio frequency amplifiers of the MRI equipment. When the air cooling is in the operational mode, the liquid cooling can be placed in either the operational mode or the idle mode based on the determined failure mode of the liquid cooling. In one embodiment, when the failure of the liquid cooling results in a higher temperature coolant flowing into the inlet 206 of the liquid chiller 204, it is necessary to deactivate the coolant circulation in the liquid cooling because the higher temperature coolant will adversely affect the performance of the air cooling. In an alternative embodiment, both the liquid cooling and the air cooling can operate in the operational mode to improve reliability and efficiency via a redundant design. In summary, when there is a failure of the liquid cooling, the air cooling remains in operation or is activated from the idle mode to the operational mode to provide continuous cooling to the superconducting magnetic coil. When proper maintenance and repair of the liquid cooling is completed, the controller 240 returns the air cooling section 260 to the idle mode or keeps it in the operational mode. In the idle mode of the air cooling section 260, the pump 246 and the fan 248 are deactivated and the second check valve 242 is in a "closed" state due to the lack of flow generated by the pump 246. The first check valve 224 is in an "open" state due to the flow generated by the coolant module 230 to allow coolant to flow to the inlet 206 of the liquid chiller 204. The second check valve 242 in the "closed" state cuts off the coolant flow from the downstream outlet of the first check valve 224 to the air-cooled heat exchanger 244.

[0034] In summary, to enhance cooling reliability, the cooling system 200 provides a cooling circuit 220 that includes a liquid cooling section 250 and an air cooling section 260 coupled in parallel, thereby allowing a combination of redundant liquid cooling and air cooling or activating a backup air cooling upon detecting a failure of the liquid cooling.

[0035] Figure 3 FIG. 1 illustrates a cooling system 100 according to one embodiment of the present application. The cooling system 100 includes a cooling circuit 120 that is coupled to a superconducting magnetic coil 110. The cooling circuit 120 includes a liquid cooling section 150 and an air cooling section 160 coupled in parallel. The liquid cooling section 150 includes a liquid chiller 104 and a coolant module 130. The air cooling section 160 includes an air-cooled heat exchanger 144 and a fan 148. The liquid chiller 104 is coupled to the coolant module 130 via a first check valve 124. The air-cooled heat exchanger 144 is coupled to the coolant module 130 via a second check valve 142. The coolant module 130 is coupled to the superconducting magnetic coil 110 via a pump 126. The cooling system 100 further includes a controller 140 coupled to the cooling circuit 120. Figure 2like or identical parts. In Figure 3 In embodiments of the system 200, the coolant module 230 also includes a condensing module 310 and a refrigeration module 320. The cold liquid coolant flowing from the secondary side 342 of the evaporator 322 in the refrigeration module 320 is delivered to the water-cooled compressor module 210 and other water-cooled equipment 350, such as a gradient amplifier, a radio frequency (RF) amplifier, or a gradient coil, through a liquid cooling circuit 330 that includes a pump, water pipes, and check valves. As Figure 3As shown in the liquid cooling loop 330 of the cooling loop 360, a pump 332 is coupled in a line 334 to pass the cold coolant flowing out of the secondary side 342 of the evaporator 322 through the first check valve 224 to the inlet 206 of the liquid cooler 204. In the cooling system 300, the heat from the water-cooled compressor module 210 is passed through two stages of cooling by evaporation and condensation in the coolant module 230. In the first stage of cooling, the heat from the water-cooled compressor module 210 is passed to the first side 344 of the evaporator 322 in the refrigeration module 320 through the liquid cooling loop 330 of the cooling loop 360 and the secondary side 342 of the evaporator 322. The liquid cooling loop 330 of the cooling loop 360 together with the first side 344 of the evaporator 322 is also referred to as the secondary coolant loop or client coolant loop. As a result of the first stage of heat transfer, the low temperature and low pressure working medium in the liquid phase in the refrigeration module 320 is heated to the gas phase. The working medium in the gas phase flowing out of the first side 344 of the evaporator 322 is compressed by the compressor 324 in the refrigeration module 320 to a higher temperature and pressure. With the high temperature and high pressure working medium, the second stage of heat transfer occurs at the condenser 312 by liquefying the high pressure and high temperature working medium in the gas phase leaving the compressor 324. Finally, the heat passed to the condensation module 310 can be dissipated to the outdoors. The condensation module 310 is also referred to as the primary coolant loop. The two-stage cooling provides a more compact heat transfer structure, which will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4. This liquid cooling with two-stage heat transfer and arranged in a single cabinet is referred to as the next generation liquid cooling cabinet (NGLCC). In addition to providing coolant to the liquid cooler 204 in the compressor module 210, the client coolant loop also provides coolant to other water-cooled equipment 350. By controlling the on / off state of the client coolant loop and the flow direction of the coolant flowing out of the client coolant loop, the cooling of the heat exchanger 204 and other water-cooled equipment can be turned on or off, respectively. In addition, the condition (e.g., flow rate) of the coolant flowing to the heat exchanger 204 and other water-cooled equipment is not affected by the uncertainty of the coolant in the coolant module 230, which further improves the reliability of the cooling system 300. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that redundant or backup air cooling can be easily applied to liquid cooling including water coolers and conventional liquid cooling cabinets (LCCs). The specific structure of the LCCs not related to the present invention is not described in detail, and only those components related to the present invention are described with reference to the drawings in the above description.

[0036] Figure 4AA schematic diagram of a next generation liquid cooling cabinet (NGLCC) 400 is illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present application. The next generation liquid cooling cabinet (NGLCC) 400 includes a cuboid shaped cabinet 402. The cabinet 402 has an open housing 403 defined by a base wall 412, opposite side walls 414 and 416 extending upwardly from the side edges of the base wall 412, and a top wall 418 connected to the upper ends of the side walls 414 and 416 to define an interior of the cabinet 402. In Figure 4A an embodiment, a front access opening defining an access to the interior of the cabinet 402 can be closed by a door panel 420 as shown in Figure 4B . The door panel 420 can be pivotally attached to either or both of the side walls 414 and 416. The cabinet 402 is located next to and spaced apart from a wall of a room by a predetermined space, wherein the back side of the cabinet 402 is exposed. The interior of the cabinet 402 is further separated into a first chamber 404 and a second chamber 406 by a separation wall 408 extending between the top wall 418 and the base wall 412. The air cooling portion 260 of the cooling loop 330 (i.e., the air-cooled heat exchanger 244 with the fan 248) is arranged in the first chamber 404. The remaining components of the cooling system 300 (i.e., the coolant module 230, the liquid cooling portion 250 of the cooling loop 330, the controller 240, and the liquid cooling compressor module 210) are arranged in the second chamber 406. When the air cooling portion 260 is operating in the operating mode, cool intake air from the predetermined space at the back side of the cabinet 402 is drawn into the first chamber 404. Hot exhaust air is exhausted through a plurality of openings arranged on the portion of the door panel 420 closing the front access to the first chamber 404. Due to the separation wall 408, the hot exhaust air cannot enter the second chamber 406 and thus cannot be drawn from the intake side of the air cooling portion 260. In this way, hot air recirculation can be eliminated.

[0037] In Figure 4A an embodiment of the next generation liquid cooling cabinet 400, the liquid cooling compressor module 210 can be pushed into the second chamber 406 and placed on the base wall 412 of the cabinet 402 next to the separation wall 408. The refrigeration module 320 of the coolant module 230 is located on the base wall of the cabinet 402 between the liquid cooling compressor module 210 and the side wall 416 of the cabinet 402. In the middle of the second chamber 406, an electrical box 410 enclosing the controller 240 and other electrical components (e.g., inverters, electric actuators, etc.) is arranged above the liquid cooling compressor module 210. The primary coolant loop and the secondary coolant loop are arranged in the remaining space of the second chamber 406. More specifically, the condensing module 310 (also referred to as the primary coolant loop) is located in the middle of the second chamber 406 at the back of the electrical box 410, as shown in Figure 4AThe secondary coolant loop is arranged above the electrical box 410. In this way, the entire cooling can be achieved by inexpensive components located in a single cabinet 402. The next generation liquid cooled cabinet 400 provides a cost effective and small footprint cooling solution for MRI, benefiting from the compact structure and elimination of the expensive water chiller.

[0038] It can be contemplated by those skilled in the art that alternatively, the rear wall with the opening can also allow the suction of cool air from the predetermined space. It can also be contemplated that two or more door panels, each attached to a respective side wall, can also be placed in an open position or a closed position to open or close the front access opening. It can also be contemplated by those skilled in the art that the gist of the present invention is easily adaptable to other cooling systems, for example, cooling systems with water chiller and liquid cooled cabinet (LCC), by placing an air cooled heat exchanger with a fan into a dedicated chamber separate from the remaining space of the LCC and carefully designing the air cooled intake and exhaust directions.

[0039] In Figure 4A In an embodiment of the liquid cooled cabinet 402, the cabinet 402 is an integrated cabinet with a separating wall 408 dividing the interior of the cabinet 402 into a first chamber and a second chamber. In this configuration, the backup air cooling is an integral part of the next generation liquid cooled cabinet 400. In another embodiment of the next generation liquid cooled cabinet 400, the cabinet 402 can also be a modular cabinet (not shown) comprising assemblable modular cabinet units, for example, a first cabinet unit and a second cabinet unit for housing the air cooling portion 260 and the remaining components of the next generation liquid cooled cabinet 400, respectively. In this configuration, the modular unit housing the air cooling portion 260 in the first chamber is assembled with the modular unit housing the remaining components of the integrated liquid cooled cabinet 402 in the second chamber only when the backup air cooling portion 260 is to be activated. The abutting side walls of the first and second cabinet units, which are adjacent to each other when the first and second cabinet units are combined into a single modular cabinet, form the separating wall 408. Advantageously, the modular cabinet provides greater adaptability and flexibility in footprint and construction. The backup air cooling can be used as an optional function of the integrated liquid cooled cabinet 402. For ease of operation, the air cooling portion 260 can be slid into the first chamber only when the backup air cooling is to be activated.

[0040] Figure 5 An example of a cooling system 500 according to another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In Figure 5In an embodiment, before the cold coolant flows into the inlet 206 of the liquid cooler 204, the pipeline 522 coupled to the outlet 232 of the coolant module 230 for allowing the cold coolant to flow in is connected in series with the air-cooled heat exchanger 260. In one embodiment, both liquid cooling and air cooling can be activated to operate so that even if the liquid cooling fails, redundant cooling can ensure continuous and reliable operation of the cooling system 500. Alternatively, air cooling is used as a backup cooling solution, which is activated by turning on the fan 248 only when a failure of the liquid cooling is detected. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the combination of liquid and air cooling connected in series provides a more cost-effective and simple cooling system. However, when there is a flow blockage in the coolant circulation path, the cooling system 500 will encounter a failure. Given that flow blockage does not occur frequently, the cooling system 500 is still attractive due to its low cost, compact structure and relatively reliable performance. Alternatively, the coolant lines of the backup air-cooled heat exchanger 260 and the coolant module 230 are connected in parallel, and the pump for circulating coolant to the air-cooled heat exchanger 260 or the coolant line of the coolant module 230 is shared by both liquid cooling and air cooling. This configuration of the cooling system 500 is also within the spirit of the present invention.

[0041] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such illustration and description should be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand and implement other variations to the disclosed embodiments when practicing the claimed invention by studying the drawings, the disclosure and the claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the word "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Although certain measures are recited in different dependent claims, this does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, not all elements in the drawings have been provided with reference signs.

Claims

1. A cooling system (200) for an imaging system, comprising: a compressor module (210) comprising a liquid cooler (204); a cooling circuit (220) coupled between an inlet (206) and an outlet (208) of the liquid cooler (204) and configured to provide a circulation path for circulating the liquid coolant of the liquid cooler (204) between the inlet (206) and the outlet (208), wherein the cooling circuit (220) includes a liquid cooling portion (250) and an air cooling portion (260), and wherein the liquid coolant flowing in the liquid cooling portion (250) is liquid-cooled, and the liquid coolant flowing in the air cooling portion (260) is air-cooled; a controller (240) coupled to the cooling circuit (220) and configured to detect a failure of liquid cooling and, upon detecting the failure of liquid cooling, determine whether the liquid cooling portion and / or the air cooling portion operates in an operating mode or an idle mode; and A cabinet (402) defines a first chamber (404) and a second chamber (406) by a separating wall (408), wherein the air cooling portion is positioned in the first chamber (404) and the remaining components of the cooling system (200) are positioned in the second chamber (406).

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein: The liquid cooling section (250) is coupled in parallel with the air cooling section (260), wherein the liquid cooling section (250) includes: a first pipeline (222) extending from an outlet (232) of a coolant module (230) to an upstream inlet of a first check valve (224), the first check valve (224), a second pipeline (226) extending from a downstream outlet of the first check valve (224) to the inlet (206) of the liquid cooler (204), and a third pipeline (228) extending from the outlet (208) of the liquid cooler (204) to the inlet (234) of the coolant module (230); and wherein the air cooling section (260) includes: a second check valve (242), an air-cooled heat exchanger (244) having a fan (248), and a pump (246) connected in series between the inlet (206) and the outlet (208) of the liquid cooler (204).

3. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein: The coolant module (230) further includes: a refrigeration module (320) configured to convert a working medium in a liquid phase into a gaseous phase and compress the working medium in the gaseous phase to a higher pressure and a higher temperature; and A condensation module (310) is coupled to the refrigeration module (320) to liquefy the high-pressure and high-temperature working medium in a gas phase.

4. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein: The first check valve (224) and the second check valve (242) passively control the flow direction of the liquid coolant in the cooling circuit (220) based on the determined operation modes of the liquid cooling section and the air cooling section.

5. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The cabinet (402) includes a shell defined by a base wall (412), opposing side walls (414, 416) extending upward from side edges of the base wall (412), and a top wall (418) connected to upper ends of the side walls (414, 416), wherein the shell of the cabinet (402) is configured to define an interior of the cabinet (402), wherein a front entrance opening defining an entrance to the interior of the cabinet (402) is configured to be closed by a door panel (420) attached to at least one of the side walls (414, 416); and wherein, The separating wall (408) extends between the top wall (418) and the base wall (412), is spaced apart from the side walls (414, 416), and is configured to divide the interior of the cabinet (402) into the first chamber (404) and the second chamber (406).

6. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein: The portion of the door panel (420) covering the first chamber (404) has a plurality of openings and is configured to serve as an exhaust side for the air cooling.

7. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein: The cabinet (402) has no rear wall, and the rear of the cabinet (402) is configured to serve as an air intake side for the air cooling.

8. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The cabinet (402) includes: a one-piece cabinet with an integrated first chamber and a second chamber, or a modular cabinet with assemblable cabinet units for the first chamber and the second chamber, respectively.

9. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein: The cooling circuit (220) includes an air-cooled heat exchanger (244) having a fan (248), a line (522) coupled between an outlet (232) of a coolant module (230) and the air-cooled heat exchanger (244), and a line (524) coupled between the air-cooled heat exchanger (244) and the inlet (206) of the liquid cooler (204), thereby providing a combination of liquid cooling and air cooling coupled in series.

10. A magnetic resonance imaging system, characterized in that Comprising a cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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