Cooling device and radiation device

Abstract

A cooling device, which can be used for a distributed X-ray source. The distributed X-ray source comprises N ray tubes, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The cooling device comprises: a storage mechanism configured to store a cooling medium; a power mechanism configured to suction the cooling medium from the storage mechanism and feed the cooling medium into a conveying pipe; and the conveying pipe comprising N conveying branches, wherein the N conveying branches are configured to be communicated with the N ray tubes in a one-to-one correspondence manner, so as to allow the cooling medium to flow through the N ray tubes by means of the N conveying branches for heat exchange.

Description

Cooling device and radiation device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410718311.5, filed on June 4, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of security inspection, and in particular to a cooling device and a radiation device. BACKGROUND

[0003] A distributed X-ray source, also known as an X-ray multi-source, refers to a vacuum device in which multiple X-ray point sources are arranged in a certain spatial sequence in a single vacuum cavity. The device can trigger X-ray generation according to a specific time and spatial sequence, providing a new type of X-ray source and CT, and having great application prospects in the fields of medical treatment, security inspection, and industrial non-destructive testing.

[0004] In the working process of a distributed X-ray source, such as a multi-focus carbon nanotube distributed X-ray tube, the cathode generates an electron beam, which is accelerated by a high-voltage electric field to bombard the anode target and generate X-ray emission. However, from the perspective of power, only a small part of the kinetic energy is converted into effective X-rays, and most of the kinetic energy of the electron beam is directly converted into heat and deposited on the anode target. If this heat is not handled in a timely manner, the temperature of the anode target will rise sharply and it will soon be unable to work stably. To ensure the long-term continuous and stable operation of the distributed X-ray source, the anode, which is the core power device, needs to be forcibly cooled. In addition to high temperature, the anode is also in a high-voltage state when it is working, so it must be cooled by a special high-insulation medium. When multiple X-ray tubes are working at the same time, more heat will be generated, and timely cooling is even more needed. To achieve the above purposes at the same time, a cooling system that can meet the simultaneous working of multiple X-ray tubes is needed, and the cooling medium must not be broken down under high-voltage working conditions.

[0005] The above information disclosed in this section is only for the understanding of the background of the disclosed concept of the present disclosure, and therefore, the above information can contain information that does not constitute the related art. SUMMARY

[0006] The present disclosure provides a cooling device for a distributed X-ray source, the distributed X-ray source including N X-ray tubes, N being an integer greater than or equal to 2, wherein the cooling device includes: a storage mechanism configured to store a cooling medium; a power mechanism configured to draw the cooling medium from the storage mechanism and send it into a delivery pipe; and the delivery pipe including N delivery branches, wherein the N delivery branches are configured to communicate with the N X-ray tubes one by one to allow the cooling medium to flow through the N X-ray tubes for heat exchange through the N delivery branches.

[0007] In some demonstrative embodiments, each delivery branch includes a first sub-branch, which communicates with an inlet of the corresponding ray tube, the first sub-branch defining a delivery channel for the cooling medium to flow into the corresponding ray tube, and a second sub-branch, which communicates with an outlet of the corresponding ray tube, the second sub-branch defining a delivery channel for the cooling medium to flow out of the corresponding ray tube.

[0008] In some demonstrative embodiments, the delivery pipe further includes a first conduit, the power mechanism is configured to deliver the cooling medium into the first conduit, and the cooling device further includes a valve block, the valve block including a first opening, which communicates with the first conduit, and N second openings, each of the second openings communicating with the first opening and with the first sub-branch of the corresponding delivery branch, wherein the first conduit, the first opening and the N second openings define a splitting section, to allow the cooling medium to flow into the N first sub-branches via the splitting section.

[0009] In some demonstrative embodiments, the cooling device further includes a heat sink, an inlet of the heat sink communicating with the power mechanism, and an outlet of the heat sink communicating with the first conduit, wherein the power mechanism is configured to deliver the cooling medium into the inlet of the heat sink, and to allow the cooling medium to flow from the outlet of the heat sink into the first conduit, and the heat sink is configured to dissipate heat from the cooling medium flowing therein.

[0010] In some demonstrative embodiments, the cooling device further includes a pressure sensor, which is coupled to the valve block, and is configured to detect a pressure of the cooling medium after the cooling medium enters the valve block from the first opening.

[0011] In some demonstrative embodiments, the delivery pipe further includes a second conduit, and the valve block further includes N third openings, each of the third openings communicating with the second sub-branch of the corresponding delivery branch, a fourth opening, which communicates with the N third openings and with the second conduit, wherein the N second sub-branches, the N third openings and the fourth opening define a merging section, to allow the cooling medium to flow into the second conduit via the merging section.

[0012] In some demonstrative embodiments, the cooling device further includes N flow meters, an inlet of each of the flow meters communicating with the corresponding second sub-branch, and an outlet of each of the flow meters communicating with the corresponding third opening, wherein each of the flow meters is configured to detect a flow rate of the cooling medium flowing therethrough.

[0013] In some demonstrative embodiments, the second conduit communicates with the storage mechanism, to allow the cooling medium to form a cooling circulation loop via the second conduit into the storage mechanism.

[0014] In some demonstrative embodiments, the cooling device further includes a temperature sensor, which is configured to detect a temperature of the cooling medium in the second conduit.

[0015] In some demonstrative embodiments, the cooling medium includes insulating oil, the storage mechanism includes an insulating oil tank, and the power mechanism includes an oil pump.

[0016] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a radiation device, comprising: an X-ray source; and the above cooling device.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or can be learned from practice of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] For a better understanding of the present disclosure, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0019] FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a cooling device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a delivery pipe according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a valve block according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a structural diagram of a radiator according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a working principle diagram of a cooling device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 100: cooling device 200: distributed X-ray source 110: storage mechanism 120: power mechanism 130: delivery pipe 131: first pipe 132: second pipe 133a, 133b, 133c: delivery branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1: first sub-branch 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2: second sub-branch 140: valve block 150: radiator 161: pressure sensor 162a, 162b, 162c: flow meter 163: temperature sensor 170: filter element 180: expansion tank 210a, 210b, 210c: ray tube P: first opening P1, P2, P3: second opening T1, T2, T3: third opening T: fourth opening DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below, it should be noted that the embodiments described herein are only used for illustration and do not limit the present disclosure. In the following description, a large number of specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure does not necessarily have to be implemented with these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures, materials or methods are not specifically described in order not to obscure the present disclosure.

[0026] Throughout this specification, the term "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "one example," or "an example" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," "one example," or "an example" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable

[0027] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. The use of the terms "including," "comprising," or "having" in the detailed description and the claims herein are used to mean one or more of the features, steps, or elements included can be present or added other than by way of one or more other features, steps, or elements. After reading this specification, skilled artisans will appreciate that other means exist for implementing the features, steps, or elements of the present disclosure than those specifically described in the detailed description and illustrated in the drawings.

[0028] All terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the meanings commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. It should be further understood that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with the understanding of those terms by those skilled in the relevant art and that the terms should not be interpreted in an overly rigid or overly formal manner unless clearly defined.

[0029] In the related art, when the distributed X-ray source is running, the temperature of the anode target will rise sharply. If it is not cooled in time, it will affect its stable work, especially when multiple X-ray tubes are working at the same time, the heat generated is more. In addition to high temperature, the anode target is also in a high pressure state, so there are higher requirements for the cooling device.

[0030] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cooling device for a distributed X-ray source. The cooling device comprises: N X-ray tubes, N being an integer greater than or equal to 2, wherein the cooling device comprises: a storage mechanism configured to store a cooling medium; a power mechanism configured to suck the cooling medium from the storage mechanism and send it into a delivery pipe; the delivery pipe comprises N delivery branches, wherein the N delivery branches are configured to communicate with the N X-ray tubes one by one to allow the cooling medium to flow through the N delivery branches to exchange heat with the N X-ray tubes.

[0031] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the cooling device for the distributed X-ray source is provided, and the N delivery branches are communicated with the N X-ray tubes one by one. The cooling medium can be delivered to meet the simultaneous emission of multiple sets of X-ray tubes, to timely take away the heat generated in the working process of the X-ray tubes, to ensure the continuous and stable work of the X-ray tubes, and to achieve the purpose of protecting the X-ray tubes.

[0032] For better understanding of the present disclosure, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings:

[0033] FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a cooling device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a delivery pipe according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a valve block according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a structural diagram of a radiator according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; and FIG. 5 is a working principle diagram of the cooling device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] It should be noted that the cooling device 100 and its components shown in FIGS. 1-4 are schematic to help those skilled in the art understand the technical content of the present disclosure, but do not mean that the cooling device 100 and its components of the embodiments of the present disclosure cannot have other structures or layouts.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the cooling device 100 can include a storage mechanism 110, a power mechanism 120, and a delivery pipe 130, and the cooling device 100 can be used for cooling and temperature reduction of core heat generating components in a distributed X-ray source 200. In the present embodiment, the distributed X-ray source 200 includes N X-ray tubes, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the distributed X-ray source 200 has three X-ray tubes 210a, 210b, and 210c, and the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described by taking three X-ray tubes as an example, but the number of X-ray tubes in the distributed X-ray source 200 is not limited to three in the present disclosure, and the number of X-ray tubes in the distributed X-ray source 200 can be reasonably selected according to the use requirements. For the sake of simplicity, the distributed X-ray source 200 is not shown in FIG. 1, and the principle of cooling and temperature reduction of the distributed X-ray source 200 by the cooling device 100 of the present embodiment will be further described below in conjunction with FIG. 5.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the storage mechanism 110 is configured to store a cooling medium. The power mechanism 120 is configured to suck the cooling medium from the storage mechanism 110 and send it into the delivery pipe 130. The delivery pipe 130 can include delivery branches 133a, 133b, and 133c, wherein the delivery branches 133a, 133b, and 133c are configured to communicate with the X-ray tubes 210a, 210b, and 210c one by one to allow the cooling medium to flow through the X-ray tubes 210a, 210b, and 210c through the delivery branches 133a, 133b, and 133c for heat exchange. The number of delivery branches is consistent with the number of X-ray tubes, for example, when the number of X-ray tubes is 4 or 5, the number of delivery branches is also 4 or 5 accordingly, so that each X-ray tube is independently connected to one delivery branch.

[0037] Understandably, the storage mechanism 110, the power mechanism 120, the conveying branches 133a, 133b, 133c and the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c form a closed circulation loop in which the cooling medium flows to take away the heat in the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c to achieve the purpose of cooling and cooling. The conveying branches 133a, 133b, 133c and the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c have a one-to-one correspondence, so that the individual cooling and cooling control of each ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c can be realized, and when the number of ray tubes needs to be increased, only the number of conveying branches needs to be increased accordingly. Not only is the cooling structure compact, but also has good expansibility.

[0038] As a preferred option, in the cooling device 100, the cooling medium can be insulating oil to ensure that the cooling medium is not punctured under high pressure working conditions. The insulating oil may, for example, be transformer oil No. 95, such as Shell Daya Na insulating oil purchased for use. When the cooling medium is insulating oil, the storage mechanism 110 can use an insulating oil tank, and the power mechanism 120 can use an oil pump. The insulating oil in the insulating oil tank is continuously delivered into the conveying pipe 130 by the oil pump, flows through the conveying pipe 130 to the distributed X-ray source 200, and cools the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c.

[0039] Generally, the heat generated by the distributed X-ray source 200 during operation is not constant, and the power of the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c can be different, and the heat generated can also be different. By detecting and controlling the flow rate and temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c, different cooling effects can be achieved to meet the use requirements of the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c under different heat generation amounts. For example, heat dissipation devices, flow control devices and other components can be added to the cooling device 100 to make the cooling device 100 of the embodiment of the present disclosure applicable to more use scenarios. When the insulating oil flows in the circulation loop, the cooling medium in the insulating oil tank will be disturbed, and a gas pressure adjusting device can be arranged in the insulating oil tank to balance the pressure in the insulating oil tank, which is beneficial to the flow of the insulating oil in the circulation loop. These components will be further described in the subsequent part of the present disclosure.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, each of the delivery branches 133a, 133b, 133c includes two sub-branches, i.e., a first sub-branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1 and a second sub-branch 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2. The number of delivery branches and the first sub-branches and the second sub-branches are equal. The first sub-branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1 is connected to the inlet of the corresponding ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c, and the first sub-branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1 defines a delivery channel for the cooling medium to flow into the corresponding ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c. The second sub-branch 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2 is connected to the outlet of the corresponding ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c, and the second sub-branch 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2 defines a delivery channel for the cooling medium to flow out of the corresponding ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c. When the cooling medium is a substance such as insulating oil, the first sub-branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1 can be understood as an oil inlet pipe of the ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c, and the second sub-branch 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2 can be understood as an oil outlet pipe of the ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c. Correspondingly, the first sub-branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1 can be understood as an oil outlet pipe of the cooling device 100, and the second sub-branch 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2 can be understood as an oil inlet pipe of the cooling device 100. This depends on the object of reference.

[0041] In the present embodiment, each of the delivery branches 133a, 133b, 133c can independently cool and lower the temperature of the ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c through the first sub-branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1 and the second sub-branch 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2, and has good expandability.

[0042] Please continue to refer to FIG. 2, the delivery pipe 130 can further include a first pipe 131, and the cooling device 100 can further include a valve block 140. At this time, the power mechanism 120 is configured to send the cooling medium into the first pipe 131, and the first pipe 131 is connected to the first sub-branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1 through the valve block 140.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, the valve block 140 can include a first opening P and second openings P1, P2, P3. The first opening P is in communication with the first pipe 131, and each of the second openings P1, P2, P3 is in communication with a corresponding first sub-branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1 of the first sub-branches 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1 of the delivery branch 133a, 133b, 133c while being in communication with the first opening P. The number of the second openings depends on the number of the first sub-branches, and the number of the first sub-branches depends on the number of the ray tubes, and the three have a one-to-one correspondence, i.e., one ray tube corresponds to one first sub-branch and one second opening. For example, corresponding to the three ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c described above, three second openings P1, P2, P3 are provided here, and the cooling medium flows into the first opening P through the first pipe 131, is divided into three branches at the first opening P, and flows out from the three second openings P1, P2, P3 to the three first sub-branches 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1, and finally flows into the three ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c. When the ray tubes have a larger number, the same can be applied by analogy, and thus will not be described again.

[0044] By dividing the first pipe 131 into multiple sub-branches through the valve block 140, the cooling of the multiple ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c is achieved, which can simplify the pipe design and pipe material, facilitate the reduction of the volume of the cooling device 100 to be installed in a relatively small equipment space, and facilitate maintenance.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the cooling device 100 can further include a pressure sensor 161. The pressure sensor 161 is connected to the valve block 140 and is configured to detect the pressure of the cooling medium after the cooling medium enters the valve block 140 from the first opening P. The pressure sensor 161 can be integrated on the valve block 140, and the pressure displayed by the pressure sensor 161 is used to determine whether the pressure of the cooling medium in the valve block 140 is normal, whether the valve block 140 has a blockage, and the like, and corresponding measures are taken to ensure that the pressure in the cooling device 100 is normal. For example, an overflow valve can be used to automatically adjust the pressure of the cooling medium. If the pressure is too small, the power of the power mechanism 120 can be increased to increase the pressure in the pipe.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, the cooling device 100 can further include flow meters 162a, 162b, 162c, the number of which is consistent with the number of the second sub-branches. The inlet of each flow meter 162a, 162b, 162c is in communication with the corresponding second sub-branch 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2, and the outlet is in communication with the corresponding third opening T. Each flow meter 162a, 162b, 162c is configured to detect the flow of the cooling medium flowing therethrough. For example, one flow meter 162a, 162b, 162c can be provided at each second opening P1, P2, P3, respectively, to detect the flow of the cooling medium at the second opening P1, P2, P3, respectively. When the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c are in operation, the heat generated thereby can not be the same, the temperature rise can be different, and the cooling intensity can be different, so the temperature of the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c can be detected in real time. The second openings P1, P2, P3 are connected to the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c, respectively, and the flow of the second openings P1, P2, P3 is detected, which is essentially the flow of the cooling medium flowing into the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c. The size of the second openings P1, P2, P3 can be adjusted by the respective temperatures of the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c and the respective flow values of the flow meters 162a, 162b, 162c, so as to adjust the flow and flow rate of the cooling medium flowing into the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c. The greater the flow and flow rate, the better the cooling effect, but the greater the pressure in the pipeline, so a material with strong pressure resistance can be selected. The process of adjusting the flow can be carried out separately or together, and the flow into each ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c can be accurately controlled, and then the temperature of each ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c can be controlled. For this purpose, an intelligent temperature meter, an intelligent flow meter, and an intelligent valve block can be used, connected to a control system, to feedback and adjust the flow of the cooling medium in the corresponding pipeline in real time, to realize intelligent temperature control.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the cooling device 100 can further include a heat sink 150. The heat sink 150 has an outlet and an inlet. The inlet of the heat sink 150 is in communication with the power mechanism 120, and the outlet of the heat sink 150 is in communication with the first pipeline 131. The power mechanism 120 is configured to send the cooling medium into the inlet of the heat sink 150 and allow the cooling medium to enter the first pipeline 131 from the outlet of the heat sink 150, and the heat sink 150 is configured to dissipate heat from the cooling medium flowing therein.

[0048] For example, the heat sink 150 can adopt a finned tube structure with good heat dissipation performance to increase the heat dissipation surface area and improve the heat dissipation efficiency. The heat sink 150 can be installed on the left side of the cooling device 100 or on the right side of the cooling device 100, and the specific position of the heat sink 150 is not limited in the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a fan can also be installed in the heat sink 150 to accelerate the speed of heat dissipation through air cooling.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the delivery pipe 130 can further include a second pipe 132. Correspondingly, the valve block 140 can further include three third openings T1, T2, T3 and a fourth opening T. The third openings T1, T2, T3 have a one-to-one correspondence with the second sub-branches 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2, and each third opening T1, T2, T3 is in communication with the second sub-branch 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2 of the corresponding delivery branch 133a, 133b, 133c. The fourth opening T is in communication with the third openings T1, T2, T3 and the second pipe 132. The second sub-branches 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2, the third openings T1, T2, T3 and the fourth opening T define a confluence part to allow the cooling medium to flow into the second pipe 132 via the confluence part. The confluence part and the distribution part are functionally opposite to each other, and both confluence and distribution can be implemented in the valve block 140, further simplifying the number of parts of the cooling device 100 and improving the integration of the cooling device 100.

[0050] Further, the second pipe 132 is also in communication with the storage mechanism 110 to allow the cooling medium to enter the storage mechanism 110 via the second pipe 132 to form a cooling circulation loop. Through this cooling circulation loop, the cooling medium can continuously flow into the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c of the distributed X-ray source 200 to timely take away the heat generated by the ray tubes 210a, 210b, 210c and gradually transfer the heat to the external environment in the process of flowing through each pipe and the heat sink 150. Moreover, the cooling medium in this cooling circulation loop does not come into contact with external gas, dust, water vapor, etc., and thus the purity of the cooling medium can be ensured.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, in some embodiments, the cooling device 100 can further include a temperature sensor 163 configured to detect the temperature of the cooling medium in the second pipe 132. In the entire cooling circulation loop, the temperature of the cooling medium in the second pipe 132 can better reflect the temperature after heat exchange with the distributed X-ray source 200.

[0052] Generally, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, in the cooling circulation loop using insulating oil as the cooling medium, the cooling device 100 can further include one or more of a filter element 170, an expansion tank 180, etc.

[0053] In these optional configurations, although the cooling medium is not in contact with the external environment in the circulation loop, the oil quality of the cooling medium will generally deteriorate after circulating for a period of time. The filter element 170 can filter out impurities in the insulating oil to ensure the purity of the insulating oil. The expansion tank 180 can absorb the thermal expansion and contraction pressure difference changes in the pipeline due to changes in the ambient temperature. The filter element 170 and the expansion tank 180 can be reasonably selected according to actual conditions, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0054] Based on the above, the working principle of the cooling device 100 of the present embodiment will be described in a general manner in combination with FIG. 5, so as to better understand the cooling device 100 and its beneficial effects.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 5, the cooling medium (for example, insulating oil) in the storage mechanism 110 can be pumped out by a power mechanism 120 such as an oil pump. The cooling medium flows through the radiator 150 to dissipate heat and reduce the temperature of the cooling medium. Then, the cooling medium flows into the flow dividing part of the valve block 140 through the first pipeline 131, the filter element 170, and the first opening P, and flows into the first sub-branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1 corresponding to the second opening P1, P2, P3, respectively, to reach the ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c corresponding to the first sub-branch 133a-1, 133b-1, 133c-1, thereby taking away the heat generated in the ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c and reducing the temperature of the ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c. At this time, the temperature of the cooling medium increases correspondingly. The heated cooling medium flows back to the third opening T1, T2, T3 in the valve block 140 through the second sub-branch 133a-2, 133b-2, 133c-2, and then flows out from the fourth opening T to the second pipeline 132 and back to the storage mechanism 110, thereby completing a cooling cycle. Through continuous circulation, the heat generated by the ray tube 210a, 210b, 210c is taken away, thereby achieving the purpose of cooling the distributed X-ray source 200. In this process, the temperature sensor 163, the flow meters 162a, 162b, 162c, and the pressure sensor 161 monitor the temperature, flow, and pressure values of the cooling medium in the circulation loop in real time, and dynamically adjust the cooling intensity according to these data, for example, adjust the power output of the power mechanism 120, control the opening and closing size of the valve in the valve block 140, or the wind speed of the fan in the radiator 150, and the like.

[0056] It is worth noting that when the distributed X-ray source 200 includes 2 or other number of ray tubes, the number of first sub-branches, second sub-branches, second openings, third openings, and flow meters can be changed accordingly, without changing the working principle of the cooling device 100 and the effects that can be achieved.

[0057] In summary, the cooling device of the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cooling device for a distributed X-ray source, which can meet the simultaneous emission of rays by multiple sets of ray tubes and timely remove the heat generated during the operation of the ray tubes. The insulation oil cooling method can meet the high-voltage working environment and is not easy to be broken down under high-voltage working conditions, thereby ensuring the sustainability of cooling. The flow, pressure and temperature of the insulation oil can be monitored in real time, thereby adjusting the cooling strength, performing overpressure protection, filtering and cleaning the insulation oil, ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the ray tubes, and protecting the ray tubes.

[0058] The one or more embodiments described above have the following beneficial effects:

[0059] 1) The cooling device for a distributed X-ray source is provided, N delivery branches are in one-to-one correspondence with N ray tubes, and the heat generated during the operation of the ray tubes can be removed in time by delivering cooling medium to meet the simultaneous emission of rays by multiple sets of ray tubes.

[0060] 2) The insulation oil cooling method can meet the high-voltage working environment and is not easy to be broken down under high-voltage working conditions, thereby ensuring the sustainability of cooling.

[0061] 3) The flow, pressure and temperature of the insulation oil can be monitored in real time, thereby adjusting the cooling strength, performing overpressure protection, filtering and cleaning the insulation oil, ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the ray tubes, and protecting the ray tubes.

[0062] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a radiation device (not shown in the figure), which includes but is not limited to an X-ray source and the cooling device of any of the above embodiments. The radiation device has all the beneficial technical effects of the cooling device of any of the above embodiments, and here, no further description is given.

[0063] The above specific embodiments further illustrate the purpose, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present disclosure, and it should be understood that the above are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure and are not used to limit the present disclosure. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A cooling device for a distributed X-ray source, the distributed X-ray source comprising N x-ray tubes, N being an integer greater than or equal to 2, wherein, The cooling device comprises: a storage mechanism configured to store a cooling medium; a power mechanism configured to draw the cooling medium from the storage mechanism and send into a delivery pipe; the delivery pipe comprises N delivery branches, wherein the N delivery branches are configured to communicate with the N ray tubes one by one to allow the cooling medium to flow through the N delivery branches to exchange heat with the N ray tubes.

2. Cooling device according to claim 1, wherein Each of the delivery branches comprises: a first sub-branch communicating with an inlet of a corresponding ray tube, the first sub-branch defining a delivery channel for the cooling medium to flow into the corresponding ray tube; a second sub-branch communicating with an outlet of the corresponding ray tube, the second sub-branch defining a delivery channel for the cooling medium to flow out of the corresponding ray tube.

3. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein the delivery pipe further comprises a first pipe, and the power mechanism is configured to send the cooling medium into the first pipe; the cooling device further comprises a valve block, the valve block comprising: a first opening communicating with the first pipe; N second openings, wherein each of the second openings communicates with the first opening and the first sub-branch of a corresponding delivery branch; wherein the first pipe, the first opening and the N second openings define a distribution part to allow the cooling medium to flow into the N first sub-branches via the distribution part.

4. Cooling device according to claim 3, wherein The cooling device further comprises: a heat sink, an inlet of which communicates with the power mechanism, and an outlet of which communicates with the first pipe; wherein the power mechanism is configured to send the cooling medium into the inlet of the heat sink and allow the cooling medium to enter the first pipe from the outlet of the heat sink, and the heat sink is configured to dissipate heat from the cooling medium flowing therein.

5. Cooling device according to claim 4, wherein The cooling device further comprises: a pressure sensor connected to the valve block and configured to detect the pressure of the cooling medium after the cooling medium enters the valve block from the first opening.

6. Cooling device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein The delivery pipe further comprises a second pipe, and the valve block further comprises: N third openings, wherein each of the third openings communicates with the second sub-branch of a corresponding delivery branch; a fourth opening communicating with the N third openings and the second pipe; wherein the N second sub-branches, the N third openings and the fourth opening define a collection part to allow the cooling medium to flow into the second pipe via the collection part.

7. Cooling device according to claim 6, wherein The cooling device further comprises: N flow meters, wherein an inlet of each of the flow meters communicates with a corresponding second sub-branch, and an outlet of each of the flow meters communicates with a corresponding third opening; wherein each of the flow meters is configured to detect the flow rate of the cooling medium flowing therethrough.

8. The cooling device of claim 6, wherein, The second pipe communicates with the storage mechanism to allow the cooling medium to form a cooling circulation loop via the second pipe into the storage mechanism.

9. Cooling device according to claim 8, wherein The cooling device further comprises: a temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of the cooling medium in the second pipe.

10. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling medium comprises insulating oil; the storage mechanism comprises an insulating oil tank; the power mechanism comprises an oil pump.

11. A radiation device, wherein, comprises: an X-ray source; and ​ The cooling device of any one of claims 1 to 10.

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