Metal-Diamond X-Ray Target Structure for Heat-Stable Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional target structures for x-ray radiation generation face challenges with thermomechanical stability, heat dissipation, and efficiency due to high electron energy levels, leading to premature aging and reduced x-ray sharpness, as they rely on copper heat sinks with limited cooling capacity and thermal expansion mismatch.
Innovation Solution
A target structure utilizing a metal-diamond composite material for the heat sink, which provides enhanced thermal conductivity and matched thermal expansion with the target element, ensuring effective cooling and improved thermomechanical stability, while allowing for increased power and service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a copper heat sink is used for cooling the target element, then heat dissipation is achieved, but thermal expansion mismatch causes thermomechanical instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the heat sink from conventional copper to a copper-tungsten alloy with optimized composition (6-15 wt% tungsten). This parameter change simultaneously maintains high thermal conductivity for heat dissipation while matching the thermal expansion coefficient to the target element, thereby resolving the thermomechanical instability caused by expansion mismatch.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite material (copper-tungsten alloy) that combines the advantages of both copper (high thermal conductivity) and tungsten (low thermal expansion). This composite approach allows the heat sink to achieve both effective heat dissipation and matched thermal expansion properties, eliminating the thermomechanical instability issue.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the focal spot is expanded to reduce target element aging, then target life is extended, but x-ray sharpness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal conductivity parameter of the heat sink material through alloy composition optimization. This enables more uniform heat distribution across the target element surface, allowing for a larger effective focal spot area that reduces hot spots and target aging while maintaining sufficient x-ray sharpness for diagnostic applications.
3Power
If high electron energy is used for diagnostic imaging, then imaging capability is improved, but heat generation increases causing target damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the thermal conductivity and heat capacity parameters of the heat sink material through copper-tungsten alloy composition. This enables the system to handle higher electron energies for improved imaging capability while the enhanced thermal management prevents excessive heat accumulation that would cause target damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The copper-tungsten alloy heat sink acts as an intermediary thermal management system between the high-energy electron beam and the target element. It absorbs and dissipates the harmful thermal energy generated by high-power electron bombardment, protecting the target from damage while allowing high imaging capability.
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 metal-diamond composite material enhances thermal conductivity and reduces thermal stress, leading to improved x-ray radiation efficiency, increased photon yield, and extended target life by optimizing cooling geometry and matching thermal expansion coefficients.
Implementation Method 1
the heat sink includes a metal-diamond composite material
Implementation Method 2
matched thermal expansion with the target element, ensuring effective cooling and improved thermomechanical stability
Data Source
AI summary
A target structure for generation of x-ray radiation may include a heat sink; and a target element for electrons to strike, the target element being in the heat sink to cool the target element, wherein the heat sink includes a metal-diamond composite material.