Liquid cooled anode x-ray tubes

Claim 2

In x-ray generating apparatus of the type including a rotating anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam, and including a heat exchange surface on the interior surface thereof, said apparatus including means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface, said liquid tending to include a viscous sublayer adjacent to said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein said heat exchange surface includes: means, disposed on said heat exchange surface, for forming nucleate bubbles or predetermined size and distribution to thereby increase heat flux.

Claim 3

In the apparatus of claim 1 the further improvement wherein said means for the efficient formation of nucleate bubbles comprises cavities of predetermined geometry and distribution created in said anode heat exchange surface, said cavities being spaced apart such that at maximum power dissipation the nucleate bubbles formed at said cavities do not coalesce to form an insulating vapor blanket.

Claim 4

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said means for forming pressure gradients comprises periodic variations in the anode wall thickness of said hollow rotatable anode in the proximity of said electron beam track, said wall thickness variations generating periodic curves at the anode heat exchange surface.

Claim 5

In apparatus of the type including an anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam, and including a heat exchange surface, said apparatus including means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on and removal from said heat exchange surface, said liquid tending to include a viscous sublayer adjacent to said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein said heat exchange surface includes means disposed thereon for breaking up said viscous sublayer to promote removal of said nucleate bubbles.

Claim 6

In apparatus of the type including an anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam, and including a heat exchange surface, said apparatus including means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on and removal from said heat exchange surface, said liquid tending to include a viscous sublayer adjacent to said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein said heat exchange surface includes means disposed thereon for breaking up said viscous sublayer to promote removal of said nucleate bubbles.

Claim 7

In the apparatus of claim 4, the further improvement wherein the apparatus comprises means for generating pressure gradients in said liquid having a component perpendicular to said heat exchange surface without substantially impeding the relative velocity between the anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, said component having a magnitude directly proportional to the square of relative velocity between said anode heat exchange surface and said liquid.

Claim 8

In apparatus of the type including an anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam along a first portion thereof, and including a heat exchange surface generally underlying and at least generally coextensive with said anode first portion, said apparatus includes means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface and removal of said nucleate bubbles from said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein: said apparatus includes means for generating pressure gradients in said liquid having a component perpendicular to said heat exchange surface along substantially the entirety of said heat exchange surface without substantially impeding the square of relative velocity between the anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, said component having a magnitude directly proportional to the square of relative velocity between said anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, to promote removal of said nucleate vapor bubbles from said heat exchange surface.

Claim 9

In apparatus of the type including an anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam along a first portion thereof, and including a heat exchange surface generally underlying and at least generally coextensive with said anode first portion, said apparatus includes means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface and removal of said nucleate bubbles from said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein: said apparatus includes means for generating pressure gradients in said liquid having a component perpendicular to said heat exchange surface along substantially the entirety of said heat exchange surface without substantially impeding the square of relative velocity between the anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, said component having a magnitude directly proportional to the square of relative velocity between said anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, to promote removal of said nucleate vapor bubbles from said heat exchange surface.

Claim 10

In the apparatus of claim 6 wherein said liquid tends to include a viscous sublayer adjacent to said heat exchange surface, the further improvement wherein said heat exchange surface includes means for breaking up said viscous sublayer.

Claim 11

In apparatus of claim 1, 4, 5 or 7 the further improvement wherein said anode heat exchange surface has intimately adherent thereto a thin porous metal layer.

Claim 12

In the apparatus of claim 8 the further improvement wherein said porous metal layer is of relatively uniform pore size.

Claim 13

In the apparatus of claim 5, 6, or 7, the improvement wherein said means for generating pressure gradients comprises a contoured heat exchange surface having a predetermined continuous periodic geometry.

Claim 14

In x-ray generating apparatus of the type including a rotating anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam, and including a heat exchange surface on the interior surface thereof, said apparatus including means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface, said liquid tending to include a viscous sublayer adjacent to said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein said heat exchange surface includes: means, disposed on said heat exchange surface, for breaking up said viscous sublayer to facilitate removal of said nucleate bubbles.

Claim 15

In x-ray generating apparatus of the type including a rotating anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam, and including a heat exchange surface on the interior surface thereof, said apparatus including means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface, said liquid tending to include a viscous sublayer adjacent to said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein said heat exchange surface includes: means, disposed on said heat exchange surface, for breaking up said viscous sublayer to facilitate removal of said nucleate bubbles.

Claim 16

In apparatus of claim 11, the further improvement wherein said anode heat exchange surface has intimately adherent thereto a thin porous metal layer.

Claim 17

An apparatus as described in claim 11 wherein said means for forming pressure gradients comprises periodic variations in the anode wall thickness of said hollow rotatable anode in the proximity of said electron beam track, said wall thickness variations generating periodic curves at the anode heat exchange surface.

Claim 18

In the apparatus of claim 11, 4, 5 or 7 the improvement wherein said means for breaking up said viscous sublayer comprises roughness elements formed on said heat exchange surface projecting into said liquid.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said viscous sublayer is of a first predetermined thickness, and said liquid includes a transitional sublayer of a second predetermined thickness adjacent to said viscous sublayer, the improvement wherein said roughness elements project into said liquid one or more distances ranging from 0.3 times said first predetermined distance to the sum of said first and second distances.

Claim 20

In the apparatus of claim 4 the further improvement wherein said roughness elements on the anode heat exchange surface are of predetermined geometry to provide an optimum formation of nucleate bubbles.

Claim 21

In the apparatus of claim 5, 6 or 7, the improvement wherein said means for generating pressure gradients comprises said heat exchange surface and said heat exchange surface comprises a contoured surface having a predetermined periodic geometry.

Claim 22

In the apparatus of claim 17 wherein said predetermined periodic geometry comprises flutes with rounded cusps.

Claim 23

An apparatus as described in claim 18 wherein the radius of said cusps is in the range of 1/8 to 1/2 of the radius of said flutes, the height of said radiused cusps varying from 1 mm to 9 mm above the bottom of said flute and the wall thickness of the said anode as measured from the bottom of the flute varying from 0.2 mm to about 5 mm with the maximum angle of the flute being about 20°.

Claim 24

In the apparatus of claim 17 wherein said predetermined geometry comprises flutes with cusp tips rolled over in a predetermined direction to induce swirl flow in said liquid.

Claim 25

In the apparatus of claim 17 the further improvement wherein said predetermined periodic geometry is disposed at an angle on said anode heat exchange surface relative to the axis of anode rotation to impart to the liquid coolant a component of velocity toward the discharge side of the anode.

Claim 26

In the apparatus of claim 21 the further improvement herein the anode heat exchange surface diverges towards the discharge side of the anode whereby a further component of velocity due to centrifugal force is imparted to the liquid coolant toward the discharge side of the anode.

Claim 27

A liquid cooled rotating anode x-ray generating apparatus comprising: a vacuum envelope including a vacuum tight x-ray transparent window; a hollow anode, rotatably mounted within said vacuum envelope; an electron gun, mounted within said vacuum envelope and electrically isolated from said anode, for generating an electron beam, said electron beam irradiating a circular electron beam track about the outer surface of said anode as said anode rotates; means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to the interior of said hollow anode, said means including a conduit formed in part by the interior surface of said anode corresponding to said electron beam track; said corresponding interior surface providing a heat exchange surface generally coextensive with said electron beam path, whereby heat is removed from said anode through formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface, said heat exchange surface being of a predetermined contoured geometry to facilitate removal of said nucleate bubbles from said heat exchange surface, said contoured geometry comprising streamlined periodic curves for generating pressure gradients in said liquid having a component perpendicular to said heat exchange surface, without substantially impeding the relative velocity between the anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, said component having a magnitude directly proportional to the square of the relative velocity between said anode heat exchange surface and said liquid.

Claim 28

A liquid cooled rotating anode x-ray generating apparatus comprising: a vacuum envelope including a vacuum tight x-ray transparent window; a hollow anode, rotatably mounted within said vacuum envelope; an electron gun, mounted within said vacuum envelope and electrically isolated from said anode, for generating an electron beam, said electron beam irradiating a circular electron beam track about the outer surface of said anode as said anode rotates; means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to the interior of said hollow anode, said means including a conduit formed in part by the interior surface of said anode corresponding to said electron beam track; said corresponding interior surface providing a heat exchange surface generally coextensive with said electron beam path, whereby heat is removed from said anode through formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface, said heat exchange surface being of a predetermined contoured geometry to facilitate removal of said nucleate bubbles from said heat exchange surface, said contoured geometry comprising streamlined periodic curves for generating pressure gradients in said liquid having a component perpendicular to said heat exchange surface, without substantially impeding the relative velocity between the anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, said component having a magnitude directly proportional to the square of the relative velocity between said anode heat exchange surface and said liquid.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said anode comprises: a hollow shaft rotatably mounted on said envelope and a generally cylindrical portion mounted on said anode shaft portion, the electron beam path being disposed about the circular outer wall of said cylindrical portion, and wherein said means for providing a flow of coolant liquid comprises; an interior hollow shaft coaxially disposed within said anode shaft portion and extending into said anode cylindrical portion; and a septum mounted on said interior shaft within said anode cylindrical portion, and generally conforming in shape to the interior of said anode, said anode, interior shaft and septum cooperating to form said conduit, whereby a first coolant path system is formed between said anode shaft and said interior shaft, a second coolant path segment is formed between the interior walls of said anode cylindrical portion and said septum, and a third coolant path segment is formed within said hollow interior shaft.

Claim 30

A liquid cooled rotating anode x-ray tube as described in claim 24 further comprising thin longitudinal vanes mounted externally to said interior hollow shaft, said vanes extending to close proximity of the interior wall of said anode shaft and continuing into the hollow anode, and remaining in close proximity to the rotating anode until terminating just prior to said anode heat exchange surface.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said anode cylindrical portion includes a V shaped portion extending into said cylindrical portion interior, said V shaped portion being disposed to receive said electron beam.

Claim 32

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said coolant liquid in at least the portion of said conduit formed in part by said interior surface of said anode corresponding to said electron beam path exhibits a Reynolds number of at least about 1000.

Claim 33

Apparatus as described in claim 23 wherein said liquid coolant includes viscous and transition sublayers in proximity to said heat exchange surface and wherein both the outer surface and the inner surface of said hollow rotatable anode, at the electron beam track and anode heat exchange surfaces respectively, are circular, and wherein said anode heat exchange surface is prepared with a calculated roughness having projecting elements of such a height that at the operating Reynolds number the height of said surface roughness is no less than 0.3 times the thickness of the viscous sublayer and no greater than the combined thickness of said viscous sublayer and the transition zone.

Claim 34

Apparatus as described in claim 23 wherein said coolant liquid comprises a liquid selected from the set consisting of polar liquids, dielectric liquids and liquid metals.

Claim 35

A liquid cooled rotating anode x-ray tube as described in claim 23 wherein the outer anode surface is provided with a "V" groove, the width of the vacuum side of the "V" groove being at least that of the electron beam track; the inner surface of said wall corresponding to said "V" groove comprising said anode heat exchange surface, both sides of the liquid cooled surface corresponding to the "V" grooves being prepared with a contoured surface; and said tube further comprises a septum having a predetermined geometry in the vicinity of the liquid cooled surface of the "V" groove to provide a conduit of predetermined geometry.

Claim 36

The liquid cooled rotating anode x-ray tube of claim 30 wherein said anode wall thickness in the vicinity of the "V" groove is variable.

Claim 37

The liquid cooled rotating anode x-ray tube of claim 30 wherein the sides of the liquid cooled surface corresponding to the "V" grooves are further prepared with a surface of calculated roughness.

Claim 38

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said anode comprises a hollow shaft rotatably mounted on said envelope and a generally cylindrical portion mounted on said anode shaft portion the electron beam path being disposed about the circular outer wall of said cylindrical portion, and wherein said means for providing a flow of coolant liquid comprises an interior hollow shaft coaxially disposed within said anode shaft portion and extending into said anode cylindrical portion; and a septum mounted on said interior shaft within said anode cylindrical portion, and generally conforming in shape to the interior of said anode, interior shaft and septum cooperating to form said conduit, whereby a first coolant path system if formed between said anode shaft and said interior shaft, a second coolant path segment is formed between the interior walls of said anode cylindrical portion and said septum, and a third coolant path segment is formed within said hollow interior shaft, the improvement wherein a thin walled tube mounted externally to said interior hollow shaft, said tube being in close proximity to the interior wall of said anode shaft and continuing into the hollow anode, and remaining in close proximity to the rotating anode until terminating just prior to said anode heat exchange surface whereby rotationally induced motion in said coolant liquid is minimized.

Claim 39

A liquid cooled rotating anode x-ray tube as described in claim 23 wherein the outer anode surface is provided with a "V" groove, the width of the vacuum side of the "V" groove being at least that of the electron beam track; the inner surface of said wall corresponding to said "V" groove comprising said anode heat exchange surface, both sides of the liquid cooled surface corresponding to the "V" grooves being prepared with a surface of calculated roughness, said tube further comprising a septum having a predetermined geometry in the vicinity of the liquid cooled surface of the "V" groove to provide a conduit of predetermined geometry.

Claim 40

The liquid cooled rotating anode x-ray tube of claim 34 wherein said anode wall thickness in the vicinity of the "V" groove is variable.

Claim 41

In x-ray generating apparatus of the type including a rotating anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam, and including a heat exchange surface on the interior surface thereof, said apparatus including means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface, said liquid tending to include a viscous sublayer adjacent to said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein said heat exchange surface includes: means, disposed on said heat exchange surface, for forming pressure gradients in said liquid having a component perpendicular to said heat exchange surface without substantially impeding the relative velocity between the anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, said component having a magnitude directly proportional to the square of relative velocity between said anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, to facilitate removal of said nucleate bubbles.

Claim 42

In x-ray generating apparatus of the type including a rotating anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam, and including a heat exchange surface on the interior surface thereof, said apparatus including means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface, said liquid tending to include a viscous sublayer adjacent to said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein said heat exchange surface includes: means, disposed on said heat exchange surface, for forming pressure gradients in said liquid having a component perpendicular to said heat exchange surface without substantially impeding the relative velocity between the anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, said component having a magnitude directly proportional to the square of relative velocity between said anode heat exchange surface and said liquid, to facilitate removal of said nucleate bubbles.

Claim 43

An apparatus as described in claim 36 wherein said means for forming pressure gradients comprises periodic variations in the anode wall thickness of said hollow rotatable anode in the proximity of said electron beam track, said wall thickness variations generating periodic curves at the anode heat exchange surface.

Claim 44

An anode as described in claim 37 wherein the periodic curves are flutes with rounded cusps, said rounding of cusps blending with the flutes, the radius of said cusps being from 1/8 to 1/2 that of the flute radius, the height of the radiused cusps varying from 1 mm to 9 mm above the bottom of the flute, and the wall thickness of said anode, as measured from the bottom of the flute, varying from 0.2 mm to 5 mm with the maximum angle generated by said flute being about 20°.

Claim 45

Apparatus as described in claim 37 wherein said periodic curves are of such a shape as to comprise means for inducing a swirl flow of the liquid against said anode heat exchange surface.

Claim 46

Apparatus as described in claim 39 wherein said periodic curves are in the shape of flutes having their cusps curved in the direction of anode rotation.

Claim 47

Apparatus as described in claim 40 wherein the conduit spacing between said anode heat exchange surface and said septum converges in the direction of fluid flow.

Claim 48

Apparatus as described in claim 40 wherein the conduit spacing between said anode heat exchange surface and said septum diverges in the direction of fluid flow.

Claim 49

In apparatus of claim 36, the further improvement wherein said anode heat exchange surface has intimately adherent thereto a thin porous metal layer.

Claim 50

A hollow rotatable anode as described in claim 37, 38 or 39 wherein said liquid coolant includes viscous and transition sublayers in the proximity of said heat exchange surface, said periodic curves being further prepared with a calculated roughness, said calculated roughness including projections of a height no less than 0.3 thickness of the viscous or laminar sublayer and no greater than the combined thickness of the viscous sublayer and the transition zone.

Claim 51

Apparatus as described in claim 37 or 40 wherein the conduit spacing between said anode heat exchange surface and said septum converges in a direction substantially at 90° to the path of anode rotation toward the discharge side of the anode.

Claim 52

Apparatus as described in claim 37 or 40 wherein said anode heat exchange surface diverges in the direction of substantially 90° to the path of anode rotation toward the discharge side of anode thereby providing a component of velocity to the liquid toward the discharge side of the anode by centrifugal force.

Claim 53

Apparatus as described in claim 37 or 40 wherein said conduit spacing, between said anode heat exchange surface and said septum, is characterized by a complex curve, said complex curve being either said anode heat exchange surface or said septum surface, or both, the curve defined by the intersection of the anode heat exchange surface and a plane parallel to, and passing through, the axis of rotation being constructed so that the fluid motion tangent to said curve, and substantially at 90° to the path of anode rotation will generate pressure gradients perpendicular to the heat exchange surface.

Claim 54

Apparatus as described in claim 37 or 40 wherein the entire anode heat exchange surface is simultaneously exposed to the coolant fluid.

Claim 55

In the apparatus of claim 38 or 40 the further improvement wherein said flutes with radiused cusps and said flutes with cusps rolled over in the direction of anode rotation are disposed at an angle to the axis of rotation of the anode whereby a component of velocity is induced in the liquid coolant toward the discharge side of the anode.

Claim 56

In the apparatus of claims 36, 6, 23 or 37 the further improvement wherein said means for forming pressure gradients in said liquid includes means for inducing a component of velocity in said coolant liquid towards the discharge side of the anode.

Claim 57

In a liquid cooled rotating anode apparatus of the type including a vacuum envelope, a hollow anode rotatably mounted within said envelope means for generating an energy beam for irradiating a circular track on said anode as said anode rotates, and means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to the interior of said anode, the improvement wherein said anode comprises: a first hollow shaft rotatably mounted to said envelope after the axis of anode rotation; a hollow cylindrical anode axially mounted within said envelope on the end of said first hollow shaft, said anode including a circular outer wall having a "V" groove about the periphery thereof, said groove being disposed for irradiation by said energy beam; a second hollow shaft coaxially mounted within said first shaft, and extending into the interior of said cylinder a generally cylindrical septum member, mounted on said second shaft within said cylinder, said first and second shafts, said cylinder and said septum cooperating to form a coolant path traversing the direction of anode rotation having a first segment between the interior of said first shaft and exterior of said second shaft, a second segment between the interior of said cylinder and said septum and a third segment comprising the interior of said second shaft, whereby high relative coolant velocity is established within the anode by the rotation of said anode.

Claim 58

In a liquid cooled rotating anode apparatus of the type including a vacuum envelope, a hollow anode rotatably mounted within said envelope means for generating an energy beam for irradiating a circular track on said anode as said anode rotates, and means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to the interior of said anode, the improvement wherein said anode comprises: a first hollow shaft rotatably mounted to said envelope after the axis of anode rotation; a hollow cylindrical anode axially mounted within said envelope on the end of said first hollow shaft, said anode including a circular outer wall having a "V" groove about the periphery thereof, said groove being disposed for irradiation by said energy beam; a second hollow shaft coaxially mounted within said first shaft, and extending into the interior of said cylinder a generally cylindrical septum member, mounted on said second shaft within said cylinder, said first and second shafts, said cylinder and said septum cooperating to form a coolant path traversing the direction of anode rotation having a first segment between the interior of said first shaft and exterior of said second shaft, a second segment between the interior of said cylinder and said septum and a third segment comprising the interior of said second shaft, whereby high relative coolant velocity is established within the anode by the rotation of said anode.

Claim 59

In apparatus of the type including an anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam along a first portion thereof, and including a heat exchange surface generally underlying and at least generally coextensive with said anode first portion, said apparatus includes means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface and removal of said nucleate bubbles from said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein: said heat exchange surface includes cavities of predetermined dimensions and distribution on said heat exchange surface whereby nucleate bubbles of a predetermined range of sizes, frequency and distribution emanate from said cavities.

Claim 60

In apparatus of the type including an anode adapted for irradiation by an energy beam along a first portion thereof, and including a heat exchange surface generally underlying and at least generally coextensive with said anode first portion, said apparatus includes means for providing a flow of coolant liquid to remove heat from said heat exchange surface by formation of nucleate vapor bubbles on said heat exchange surface and removal of said nucleate bubbles from said heat exchange surface, the improvement wherein: said heat exchange surface includes cavities of predetermined dimensions and distribution on said heat exchange surface whereby nucleate bubbles of a predetermined range of sizes, frequency and distribution emanate from said cavities.