X-ray tube with improved anode head cooling.

Abstract

To provide an X-ray tube that can operate with higher power output and / or less wear. [Solution] An X-ray tube is provided, wherein a target 11 is formed on the end face 10 of an anode head 6 having a central axis ZA, and during operation, electrons collide with the target 11 in an excitation region 9, and the anode head 6 provides a flow path for cooling fluid that leads from at least one inlet connection through a radially outer section 20, further through a cooling gap 21, and further through a radially inner section 22 to at least one outlet connection, wherein the excitation region 9 of the target 11 is substantially ring-shaped, and in a region 26 of the anode head 6 located on the opposite side of the excitation region 9 of the target 11, the local heights H1, H2 of the cooling gap 21 gradually increase from radially outward to radially inward.

Claims

1. X-ray tube (1), It comprises a source (4) for emitting electrons and an anode head (6) having a central axis (ZA), A target (11) is formed on the end face (10) of the anode head (6), and during operation, electrons collide with the target (11) in the excitation region (9), In an X-ray tube (1), the anode head (6) provides a flow path (16) for cooling fluid that leads from at least one inlet connection (14a) through a radial outer section (20), then through a cooling gap (21), then through a radial inner section (22), to at least one outlet connection (15a). The excitation region (9) of the target (11) is substantially formed in a ring shape, In the region (26) of the anode head (6) located on the opposite side of the excitation region (9) of the target (11), the local height (H1, H2) of the cooling gap (21) gradually increases from the radially outer to the radially inner, An X-ray tube (1) characterized by the following.

2. The cross-sectional areas (F1, F2) of the cooling gap (21) in the region (26) of the anode head (6) located on the opposite side of the excitation region (9) for the target (11) are: It gradually decreases from the radially outer to the radially inner, remains the same, or gradually increases by up to 15%. The X-ray tube (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that...

3. The local cross-sectional areas (F1, F2) of the cooling gap (21) in the region (26) of the anode head (6) located on the opposite side of the excitation region (9) for the target (11) are: It gradually decreases from the radially outer side towards the radially inner side. In particular, it gradually decreases by up to 20%. An X-ray tube (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that...

4. The flow path (16) within the anode head (6) is Formed at least substantially rotationally symmetric with respect to the central axis (ZA) An X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that

5. The radial outer section (20) of the flow channel (16) is, Formed over at least substantially the entire circumference of the anode head (6) An X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that

6. A dispersed structure (28) is formed in the radial outer section (20) of the flow channel (16). The dispersion structure (28) allows the flow of cooling fluid from the at least one inlet connection (14a) to the cooling gap (21) to be distributed and made uniform in the circumferential direction of the anode head (6). An X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that

7. The dispersed structure (28) in the subsection (27b) of the radial outer section (20) that is closer to the target is The set (33; 33b) of the cooling fluid rectifier elements (34) is dispersed in the circumferential direction of the anode head (6), The rectifier element is, It extends between the inlet ring-shaped gap (29b; 29d) and the outlet ring-shaped gap (29c) or the cooling gap (21), The rectifying element sets up at least substantially parallel partial flows of the cooling fluid, and can separate them from each other. The X-ray tube (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that...

8. With respect to the radial outer section (20) of the flow path (16), the dispersion structure (28) in the subsections (27a; 27c) farther from the target is: The set (33a) of flow straightening elements (34) for the cooling fluid flow, which are dispersed in the circumferential direction of the anode head (6), The rectifier element is, It extends between the inlet ring-shaped gap (29a; 29b) and the outlet ring-shaped gap (29b; 29d), The rectifying element sets up at least substantially parallel partial flows of the cooling fluid, and can separate them from each other. The X-ray tube (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that...

9. The ring-shaped gaps (29b; 29d) on the exit side of the subsections (27a; 27c) that are farther from the target and to the rectifier element (34) are, At the same time, the ring-shaped gap (29b; 29d) on the inlet side of the subsection (27b) near the target to the rectifier element (34) is, The set of rectifier elements (34) (33b) in the subsection (27b) closest to the target is The set of rectifier elements (34) (33a) in the subsection (33a) that is farther from the target is offset from each other in the azimuthal direction with respect to the central axis (ZA). The X-ray tube (1) according to claims 7 and 8, characterized by the above.

10. The rectifier element (34) is The flow is directed at least substantially axially, and correspondingly, the partial flow of the cooling fluid is directed at least substantially axially. An X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that

11. The rectifier element (34) is, at least in part, - Parallel thin plates (34a; 34b; 34e), especially straight parallel thin plates (34a), and / or - A trapezoidal plate (34c) or a triangular plate (34e), and / or, - Formed from a teardrop-shaped thin plate (34b) or a rhombic thin plate, The thin plates (34a; 34b; 34c; 34e) are Formed on the radially outward-facing wall surface (38) and / or radially inward-facing wall surface (39) of the anode head (6), The radially outward-facing wall surface (38) and the radially inward-facing wall surface (39) together define the radially outer section (20) of the flow path (16). An X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that

12. The rectifier element (34) is, at least in part, The flow channel (16) is formed by a plurality of parallel hollow structures (34d) arranged in the radial outer section (20), In particular, the plurality of parallel hollow structures (34d) form a honeycomb structure. An X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that

13. With respect to the flow path (16), the dispersion structure (28) in the subsection (27a) of the radial outer section (20) that is far from the target is, It includes one or more swivel elements (30; 36), The aforementioned rotating elements (30; 36) Displaced between the at least one inlet connection portion (14a) and the outlet ring-shaped gap (29b), The swivel elements (30; 36) allow a swivel relative to the central axis (ZA) to be introduced into the flow of the cooling fluid. An X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that

14. The at least one of the pivoting elements (30) is The anode head (6) extends spirally around the central axis (ZA), This sets up at least one helical channel (31) for the flow of the cooling fluid. The X-ray tube (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that...

15. Multiple swivel elements (30) The anode head (6) extends spirally around the central axis (ZA), This sets up a plurality of helical channels (31) for partial flow of the cooling fluid, which are offset from each other in the azimuthal and / or axial directions. The X-ray tube (1) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that...

16. Between the dispersed structure (28) of the subsection (27a; 27c) of the radially outer section (20) that is far from the target and the dispersed structure (28) of the subsection (27b) that is close to the target of the radially outer section (20), a uniformization zone (32) for the flow of the cooling fluid is set up. In particular, the homogenization zone (32) is set as a ring-shaped gap (29b; 29d). An X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 15, characterized in that

17. The anode head (6) is It is formed comprising a first flow element (18) and a second flow element (19) that are inserted into each other and form at least a portion of the flow path (16) between them. An X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that

18. With respect to the flow path (16), at least the inner section (22) in the radial direction may also be the cooling gap (21), The area is partially defined by a pin (23) that protrudes from the end face (10) of the anode head (6) into the interior of the anode head (6). An X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that

19. X-ray tube assembly (40), The invention comprises an X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 18 and a cooling fluid supply device (17), The supply device (17) is Fresh cooling fluid is supplied from the outlet (14b), and the outlet (14b) is connected to at least one inlet connection (14a). In particular, the supply device (17) further, The heated cooling fluid is received at the recirculation port (15b), and the outlet connection (15a) is connected to the recirculation port (15b). X-ray tube assembly (40).

20. A use of the X-ray tube (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 18 or the X-ray tube assembly (40) according to claim 19, During the operation of the X-ray tube (1), - Electrons from the source (4) for emitting electrons collide with the ring-shaped excitation region (9) of the target (11), thereby generating X-rays. - The cooling fluid flows within the cooling gap (21) on the opposite side of the excitation region (9) from the radially outer to the radially inner side. use.

21. The average flow rate of the cooling fluid in the cooling gap (21) on the opposite side of the excitation region (9) is From the radially outer to the radially inward direction, it remains the same or increases, especially by up to 25%. The use according to claim 20, characterized by the features described herein.

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