Remote X-ray Tube Cooling with Integrated Oil Dehydration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical X-ray tubes face challenges with moisture ingress in long cooling circuits, leading to suboptimal dehydration of dielectric coolant oil, which affects insulation efficiency and requires complex maintenance systems.
Innovation Solution
A medical imaging system with a remote cooling pump and dehydration device integrated into the oil circuit, allowing continuous or intermittent dehydration of coolant oil during normal operation, using methods such as equilibrium with dry air, injecting dry air, passing through desiccant filters, or applying vacuum to maintain low moisture levels without human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the cooling pump and heat exchanger are moved away from the X-ray tube into a maintenance room, then the weight and volume of the X-ray source are reduced, but the pipe length increases significantly (up to 70m or more)
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent parts: a compact cooling unit (pump and heat exchanger) located remotely in the maintenance room, and a simple connection system (tubes and dehydration device) at the X-ray tube location. This segmentation allows the heavy components to be separated from the mobile X-ray source.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling pump and heat exchanger are extracted from the X-ray tube assembly and placed in a separate maintenance room. Only the essential dehydration device and tube connections remain at the X-ray source location, significantly reducing its weight and volume.
2Adaptability or versatility
If long pipes (70m or more) are used to connect the remote cooling unit to the X-ray tube, then the cooling system can be remotely located, but moisture ingress increases and dehydration becomes suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
A dehydration device is introduced as an intermediary component in the cooling circuit at the X-ray tube location. This device actively removes moisture from the coolant oil, compensating for the increased moisture ingress risk from long pipe connections and maintaining the required dielectric efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The dehydration device operates autonomously within the cooling circuit, continuously or intermittently removing moisture from the coolant oil without requiring external intervention. This self-service mechanism ensures the coolant maintains its insulating properties despite the long connection pipes.
3Reliability
If conventional dehydration systems are used for maintenance outside normal operation, then moisture can be removed from the oil, but the system becomes complex and requires additional maintenance equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The dehydration function is merged with the normal cooling circuit operation. The dehydration device is integrated into the existing cooling loops, allowing moisture removal to occur during regular system operation rather than requiring separate maintenance equipment and procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The dehydration device operates continuously or intermittently during normal system operation, maintaining constant moisture removal from the coolant oil. This continuous action ensures optimal dielectric efficiency without requiring separate maintenance interventions.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the coolant oil is circulated through long pipes with multiple moisture sources (pipes, seals, expansion volume), then the cooling system can be remotely located, but the moisture load on the oil increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The dehydration device acts as an intermediary that actively removes moisture from the coolant oil, counterbalancing the moisture ingress from long pipes, seals, and expansion volume. This mediator component is essential for maintaining oil quality in the remote cooling configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The dehydration device continuously discards moisture from the coolant oil through evaporation or adsorption mechanisms, recovering dry coolant oil that maintains its insulating properties despite repeated circulation through moisture-prone components.
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 approach achieves exceptional dehydration rates of the coolant oil, ensuring dielectric efficiency and reducing maintenance needs, while allowing for lighter and more versatile X-ray sources with improved insulation and reduced noise.
Implementation Method 1
a device for dehydrating the oil... provide or maintain dehydration of said oil during this use
Implementation Method 2
using methods such as equilibrium with dry air
Implementation Method 3
or applying vacuum to maintain low moisture levels
Data Source
AI summary
A medical imaging system including a support, an X-ray emitting tube, and, facing the latter, a detector, the X-ray emitting tube being intended to accept displacements relatively to at least one portion of the support, the system also including a remote piece of equipment providing circulation of an oil intended to provide cooling and electric insulation of the X-ray emitting tube on the one hand, pipes in which said oil circulates, connecting the remote piece of equipment and the X-ray emitting tube, and a device for dehydrating the oil on the other hand, wherein the dehydration device includes means positioned in the circuit through which the oil flows during normal use of said imaging system and which provide or maintain dehydration of said oil during this use.