Feedback Cooling System for Medical Imaging Detectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling systems for medical imaging systems struggle to maintain components within a narrow temperature range, especially when ambient room temperatures exceed the required operating range, leading to system shutdowns and difficulties in temperature compensation.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system that recirculates warm air from the component outlet, mixing it with scan room air to create a high airflow rate with a narrow temperature range, using a valve to control the recirculated air flow and maintain a desired control temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If fan speed is reduced when scan room is cold, then energy consumption is reduced, but component temperature control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a feedback control mechanism where a temperature sensor monitors the component temperature and a controller adjusts the fan speed accordingly. When the component temperature approaches the upper limit, the controller increases fan speed to enhance cooling; when the temperature is within the acceptable range, the controller reduces fan speed to save energy. This closed-loop feedback system maintains precise temperature control while optimizing energy consumption.
2Device complexity
If conventional open-loop cooling is used, then system complexity is reduced, but temperature control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the simple open-loop cooling system into a closed-loop feedback control system. A temperature sensor continuously monitors the component temperature and feeds this information to a controller, which adjusts the fan speed in real-time to maintain the component temperature within the specified range (e.g., 24-38°C). This feedback mechanism significantly improves temperature control precision while adding only moderate system complexity.
3Temperature
If ambient room temperature exceeds operating range, then cooling effectiveness is reduced, but system shutdown risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by proactively monitoring component temperature and preemptively increasing fan speed when the temperature approaches the upper limit of the operating range. This preventive measure counteracts the adverse effect of high ambient room temperature before it causes the component temperature to exceed the operating range, thereby preventing system shutdown and maintaining operational reliability even when room temperature is outside the specified limits.
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 solution effectively maintains components within a narrower temperature range than conventional systems, allowing for higher airflow and reduced temperature gradients across detectors, thus preventing system shutdowns and simplifying temperature compensation algorithms.
Implementation Method 1
a fan located in the inlet channel that draws scan room air into the inlet channel wherein the room air is mixed with the warm recirculated air
Implementation Method 2
mixed air that flows over the component to cool the component and wherein the mixed air absorbs heat that warms the mixed air
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system for cooling a component of an imaging system located in a scan room. The system includes inlet, outlet and return channels. A portion of warm outlet air from a component outlet flows in the return channel to provide warm recirculated air to a mixing zone in the inlet channel. A fan located in the inlet channel draws scan room air into the inlet channel to mix with the warm recirculated air in the mixing zone to form mixed air that flows over the component to cool the component and wherein the mixed air absorbs heat that warms the mixed air to form the warm outlet air. A valve located in the return channel restricts or allows additional warm recirculated air to flow to the mixing zone to mix with the scan room air to maintain a desired control temperature for the cooling system.