End-Hall Ion Source Thermally Conductive Cup Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
End-Hall ion sources face maintenance challenges due to excessive heating, which can lead to component damage and require complex cooling techniques that involve opening coolant lines and using thin layers of insulation, making them difficult to maintain and operate at high power levels without risk of damage.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a thermally conductive cup with internal passages for cooling fluid flow, eliminating the need for coolant line openings and thin insulation layers, using materials with low microhardness to enhance radiation cooling and increase clamping force as parts heat up, thereby simplifying maintenance and allowing operation at high discharge power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If direct cooling techniques are used to remove excessive heat, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase due to coolant line openings and thin insulation layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from complex coolant line systems and concentrates it into a single thermally conductive cup component. The cup contains internal passages for coolant flow, eliminating the need for multiple external coolant lines and thin insulation layers, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining effective heat removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the cooling function with the structural support function into a single thermally conductive cup component. The cup both supports the anode and provides thermal pathways for heat removal, eliminating the need for separate cooling lines and insulation layers, thereby reducing device complexity and maintenance requirements.
2Temperature
If thin layers of insulation are used for indirect cooling, then heat transfer is improved, but reliability decreases due to easy breaking and penetration during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the fragile thin insulation layers from the cooling system design. Instead, it uses a thermally conductive cup with internal coolant passages that provides robust thermal pathways without requiring delicate insulating materials, thereby eliminating the reliability issues associated with thin insulation layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a thermally conductive cup made of material with specific thermal conductivity properties that enables effective heat transfer without requiring additional insulating layers. The cup's material composition and internal passage design provide both structural integrity and thermal management functionality.
3Temperature
If complex cooling techniques are implemented, then cooling capability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to requirements for opening and re-connecting coolant lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling functionality into a self-contained thermally conductive cup with internal passages, eliminating the need for external coolant line connections during maintenance. The cup remains permanently installed while allowing routine maintenance of other components, significantly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cooling function into a dedicated thermally conductive cup component that can be independently maintained or replaced without affecting other system components. This modular approach allows routine maintenance without requiring disconnection of coolant lines, improving ease of operation.
4Productivity
If high discharge power is applied to increase productivity, then ion beam output is improved, but temperature increases causing component damage and demagnetization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermally conductive cup as an intermediary heat transfer component between the anode and coolant system. The cup provides efficient thermal pathways that conduct heat away from critical components, enabling high discharge power operation without causing demagnetization or component damage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables reliable, easy maintenance and operation at high power without damaging components, reducing the risk of overheating and demagnetization, while maintaining effective cooling without the need for direct coolant lines or fragile insulation layers.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally conductive cup with internal passages through which a cooling fluid can flow
Implementation Method 2
using materials with low microhardness to enhance radiation cooling
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an end-Hall ion source has an electron emitting cathode, an anode, a reflector, an internal pole piece, an external pole piece, a magnetically permeable path, and a magnetic-field generating means located in the permeable path between the two pole pieces. The anode and reflector are enclosed without contact by a thermally conductive cup that has internal passages through which a cooling fluid can flow. The closed end of the cup is located between the reflector and the internal pole piece and the opposite end of the cup is in direct contact with the external pole piece, and wherein the cup is made of a material having a low microhardness, such as copper or aluminum.