X-ray Generator Cooling with Oscillating Heat Pipe
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional X-ray high-voltage generators require complex and costly cooling systems to manage high peak power losses, which are inflexible and heavy, posing challenges in design and assembly due to the need for uniform heat transfer across power-electronic circuitry parts connected to a heat sink.
Innovation Solution
A two-phase cooling system utilizing a polymer-based heat sink block with an internal oscillating heat pipe cooling duct loop, allowing for spatial decoupling of the heat sink and heat source, integrating heat dissipation with additional functions like electrical insulation, shielding, and structural support, and enabling flexible design and reduced component count.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional cooling system with intermediate heat accumulators is used, then the cooling system can dissipate maximum power loss input on a sustained basis, but the structure becomes comparatively complex, large, and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heat sink and heat source into a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate intermediate heat accumulators and multiple discrete parts. The heat sink block directly contacts the power-electronic circuitry parts, merging the heat dissipation function with the structural housing, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining cooling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat sink block serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a heat dissipation component, provides structural support, offers electrical insulation, and enables spatial decoupling of heat sink and heat source. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining reliable cooling performance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If power-electronic circuitry parts are connected to a heat sink over different routes, then the heat must be transferred over routes of different lengths, but the circuitry part furthest from the heat sink determines the performance of the entire system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heat sink and heat source into a single integrated component, ensuring that all power-electronic circuitry parts are in direct contact with the heat sink block. This eliminates the issue of different heat transfer routes and ensures uniform cooling performance across all components, as they are all equally close to the heat dissipation interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces spatial decoupling by separating the heat sink and heat source in different locations while maintaining thermal contact through the integrated heat sink block. This allows flexible arrangement of circuitry parts in three-dimensional space while ensuring all parts remain thermally coupled to the heat sink, improving both adaptability and cooling performance.
3Power
If a conventional cooling system is designed to dissipate maximum power loss input, then high peak power can be handled, but the system becomes comparatively large and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the heat sink block, including heat dissipation, structural support, and electrical insulation. This integration eliminates the need for separate intermediate heat accumulators and support structures, reducing the overall weight of the cooling system while maintaining the capability to handle high peak power losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat sink block is made from composite materials that provide both thermal conductivity for heat dissipation and electrical insulation. This allows the system to handle high peak power while reducing weight, as the composite material combines the beneficial properties of different materials in a single lightweight component.
4Reliability
If intermediate heat accumulators are used to store heat loss temporarily, then the power loss input can be stored and emitted to external cooling medium, but the assembly process becomes closely dependent on manufacturing tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates intermediate heat accumulators by integrating the heat sink and heat source into a single component. This removes the complex assembly process required to connect multiple separate parts with precise tolerances, while maintaining the heat storage and dissipation functionality through the unified heat sink block design.
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
The two-phase cooling system enhances cooling efficiency and flexibility, reduces weight and cost, and simplifies manufacturing by integrating multiple functions into a single component, effectively managing high power losses while maintaining thermal performance across larger distances.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling duct loop is filled at least partially with a working medium and acts as an oscillating heat pipe
Implementation Method 2
the cooling duct loop is filled at least partially with a working medium and acts as an oscillating heat pipe
Implementation Method 3
the heat sink block consists of a material which contains a polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A two-phase cooling system for an X-ray high-voltage generator comprises a heat sink block and a heat sink. The heat sink block spatially surrounds a cooling duct loop, wherein the cooling duct loop is at least partially filled with a working medium and is configured to act as an oscillating heat pipe. The heat sink is configured to dissipate heat from a heat source. The heat sink block includes a material including a polymer.