X-RAY HIGH-VOLTAGE GENERATOR HAVING A TWO-PHASE COOLING SYSTEM

Abstract

An X-ray high-voltage generator comprises: a circuit arrangement having at least one power electronics circuit part, wherein the at least one power electronics circuit part is configured to form a heat source during operation; and a two-phase cooling system having a heat sink. The at least one power electronics circuit part is directly thermally coupled to the two-phase cooling system to cool the heat source at the heat sink. The two-phase cooling system has a cooling element block that spatially surrounds a cooling channel circuit. The cooling channel circuit is at least partially filled with a working medium, and is configured to act as a heat pipe.

Description

Claims

1. An X-ray high-voltage generator for providing a high voltage for X-ray beam generation in an X-ray tube, the X-ray high-voltage generator comprising: a circuit arrangement having at least one power electronics circuit part, wherein the at least one power electronics circuit part is configured to form a heat source during operation; anda two-phase cooling system having a heat sink, wherein the at least one power electronics circuit part is directly thermally coupled to the two-phase cooling system to dissipate heat from the heat source at the heat sink,the two-phase cooling system has a cooling element block,the cooling element block spatially surrounds a cooling channel circuit, andthe cooling channel circuit is at least partially filled with a working medium, and is configured to act as a heat pipe.

2. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cooling capacity of the working medium circulating in the cooling channel circuit during operation is greater than a cooling capacity of the cooling element block surrounding the cooling channel circuit.

3. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein a channel wall of the cooling element block enclosing the working medium in the cooling channel circuit is composed of an electrically insulating material.

4. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling element block has an insert, and wherein a material of the insert has a higher thermal conductivity than a material of the cooling element block.

5. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cooling element block comprises: a further cooling channel circuit, wherein the cooling channel circuit and the further cooling channel circuit are thermally directly coupled via the insert.

6. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cooling channel circuit and the further cooling channel circuit are arranged in different respective geometric planes, wherein the different respective geometric planes have a spacing greater than zero and at least one extent of the insert correlates with a value of the spacing to thermally bridge the spacing between the cooling channel circuit and the further cooling channel circuit.

7. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the insert is arranged inside the cooling channel circuit and configured such that the working medium flows around the insert, and wherein the insert is configured to act as a supporting element for starting the two-phase cooling system.

8. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two-phase cooling system comprises: a supporting element configured to start the two-phase cooling system, wherein start of the two-phase cooling system includes starting the heat pipe.

9. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the supporting element is a liquid reservoir with an additional quantity of the working medium, and wherein the liquid reservoir is connected to the cooling channel circuit.

10. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the supporting element encloses an element for surface enlargement.

11. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the supporting element includes an auxiliary heat source thermally directly coupled to the cooling channel circuit.

12. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 8, wherein, as the supporting element, the cooling channel circuit adjacent to the heat source has a tapered cross-section.

13. An X-ray tube assembly, comprising: the X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 1, to provide the high voltage; andan X-ray tube configured to generate X-ray beams using the high voltage.

14. A computed tomography facility, comprising: the X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 1; anda circular gantry including a rotating part and a stationary part, wherein the two-phase cooling system is arranged on the circular gantry.

15. The computed tomography facility as claimed in claim 14, wherein the two-phase cooling system is arranged on the rotating part and the two-phase cooling system is oriented such that a plane of the cooling channel circuit forms a tangent in relation to the circular gantry.

16. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electrically insulating material is a polymer or a ceramic.

17. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the material of the insert includes at least one of copper or aluminum.

18. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 6, wherein the insert is arranged inside the cooling channel circuit and configured such that the working medium flows around the insert, and wherein the insert is configured to act as a supporting element for starting the two-phase cooling system.

19. The X-ray high-voltage generator as claimed in claim 10, wherein the element for surface enlargement includes at least one of a spiral spring or cooling fins.

20. A computed tomography facility, comprising: the X-ray tube assembly as claimed in claim 13; anda circular gantry including a rotating part and a stationary part, wherein the two-phase cooling system is arranged on the circular gantry.