X-ray tube anode support with thermal separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional X-ray tubes, particularly those using insulating oil immersion and forced liquid cooling types, face challenges in miniaturization, assembly, maintenance, and thermal dissipation, leading to increased costs and reduced reliability, with insufficient heat dissipation characteristics and early degradation of electrical insulating functions.
Innovation Solution
A fixed-anode-type X-ray tube design featuring a cylindrical vacuum envelope with a thermally separated supporting member and a heat dissipating member made of high thermal conductivity materials, utilizing a forced cooling system with air or liquid to efficiently dissipate heat while maintaining electrical insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If insulating oil immersion type cooling system is used, then heat dissipation is achieved, but housing size becomes larger and assembly/maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the insulating oil from the cooling system and replaces it with a solid block structure that provides both mechanical support and thermal management. The block structure is directly coupled to the anode, eliminating the need for oil-filled housing while maintaining heat dissipation through direct thermal conduction paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal management approach from fluid-based convection cooling (insulating oil) to solid-based conduction cooling (block structure). This parameter change in the cooling mechanism allows for compact integration without requiring large housing volumes to accommodate oil circulation systems.
2Temperature
If forced liquid cooling type is used, then heat dissipation is improved, but system complexity and maintenance cost increase due to closed-loop cooling system requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex closed-loop cooling system components (heat exchangers, circulating pumps, hoses, filters) and replaces them with a passive block structure that conducts heat away from the anode. This extraction of active cooling components dramatically simplifies the system while maintaining effective heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The block structure provides self-service thermal management by conducting heat away from the anode through its inherent thermal conductivity. No external power source, pumps, or control systems are needed—the heat dissipation occurs passively through the thermal gradient between the hot anode and the cooler block structure.
3Temperature
If purified water is used as cooling liquid, then cooling efficiency is improved, but electrical conductivity increases requiring special ion exchanging resin filters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the liquid cooling medium entirely and replaces it with a solid block structure. This eliminates the problem of electrical conductivity in cooling liquids and the need for ion-exchanging resin filters, while maintaining effective heat dissipation through solid thermal conduction.
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 design achieves excellent heat dissipation and long-term insulating characteristics, reducing the X-ray tube's size and complexity, improving reliability, and lowering maintenance and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
a heat dissipating member made of high thermal conductivity materials, utilizing a forced cooling system with air or liquid to efficiently dissipate heat
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a forced cooling system with air or liquid to efficiently dissipate heat
Data Source
AI summary
A supporting member supports an anode target at one end thereof and is provided with an attachment portion around the outer circumference of the other end. The attachment portion is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion of the second vacuum envelope member so that the heat conductivity from the supporting member to the second vacuum envelope member can be improved by means of the attachment portion. A terminal is provided at the end surface portion on the side of the other end of the second vacuum envelope member for applying a voltage to the anode target. The terminal is positioned away from the attachment portion so that the temperature of the insulating material that insulates the terminal can be kept low and the insulating characteristics can be ensured over the long term.