Shared Cooling Plate Layout for MRI Ramp Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current magnetic resonance devices face inefficiencies in cooling systems, particularly for electronic components outside the main magnet unit, leading to high infrastructure costs, space requirements, and complex logistics, especially when helium usage is minimized and high cooling demands arise during magnet ramp-up/down processes.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system featuring a cooling plate attached to the ramp component, with a carrier plate that supports and indirectly cools electronic components, using water as a coolant and eliminating the need for separate cooling units for individual components, thereby simplifying production and reducing mechanical interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If separate cooling units are used for each electronic component, then each component can be cooled effectively, but the device complexity and infrastructure costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate cooling units into a single shared cooling unit that serves multiple electronic components simultaneously. The cooling unit includes a heat exchanger with coolant channels that can dissipate heat from different components through thermal contact, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems for each component while maintaining effective cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared cooling unit is designed with universal applicability to cool multiple different electronic components. The heat exchanger can be thermally coupled to various components (power amplifiers, receiving units, control units) through different thermal contact arrangements, making the cooling system multi-functional rather than dedicated to a single component.
2Temperature
If water cooling systems are distributed over long distances to electronic components, then cooling can be provided to multiple components, but cooling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat exchanger from remote locations and positions it directly at the main magnet unit where heat generation occurs. The electronic components are thermally coupled to the heat exchanger through thermal contact plates, allowing heat to be removed at the source rather than transporting cooled water over long distances to distant components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces thermal contact plates as intermediary elements between the electronic components and the heat exchanger. These plates provide direct thermal coupling, enabling efficient heat transfer from the components to the coolant without requiring long-distance water circulation systems.
3Temperature
If individual coolers are equipped to each electronic component, then cooling is possible for each assembly, but material installation complexity and logistics costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual cooler functions into a single integrated heat exchanger unit. Instead of equipping each electronic component with its own separate cooler, the shared cooling unit provides centralized cooling for all components through thermal coupling, significantly reducing material installation complexity and logistics requirements.
4Quantity of substance
If helium is minimized as coolant for the main magnet unit, then resource usage is reduced, but cooling capacity must be redistributed to other components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from using helium (a gas) as coolant for electronic components to using water-based coolant in the shared cooling unit. This hydraulic cooling system provides sufficient cooling capacity for the electronic components without requiring additional helium, thereby reducing overall helium usage while meeting the increased cooling demand on electronic 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 solution provides efficient cooling without additional effort, reduces costs, and maintains effective heat dissipation without fans or complex components, accommodating high cooling demands during magnet shutdown and startup.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling plate attached to the ramp component and in thermally conductive contact therewith, to which a carrier plate is connected in thermally conductive contact with respect to the main magnet unit
Implementation Method 2
using water as a coolant
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Magnetic resonance device (1) comprising a main magnet unit (2) with a main magnet comprising a superconducting coil for generating a fundamental magnetic field, a ramp device designed for lowering and/or raising the main magnet with a ramp component arranged on the main magnet unit (2) which emits heat during a raising and/or lowering process, a cooling device and at least one electronic component (10) to be cooled, characterized in that the cooling device has a cooling plate (7) which is in thermally conductive contact with the ramp component towards the outside with respect to the main magnet unit (2), to which a carrier plate (9) is connected in thermally conductive contact, which carries at least one electronic component (10) in thermally conductive contact.