Thermal management apparatus and uses thereof

• US 20050093543A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arik, Mehmet, Rohling, Kenneth William, Watkins, Ronald Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,140,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/318
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3804 Additional hardware for cooling or heating of the magnet assembly, for housing a cooled or heated part of the magnet assembly or for temperature control of the magnet assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3856 Means for cooling the gradient coils or thermal shielding of the gradient coils

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention is a cooling assembly for an electrical component. The assembly includes a non-magnetic, thermally conducting spreader substrate, and at least one serpentine cooling tube disposed on and in thermal contact with the thermally conducting spreader substrate so that said substrate is cooled when the one or more serpentine cooling tubes are operating.

Claims

1. A cooling assembly for an electrical component, said assembly comprising:

a non-magnetic, thermally conducting spreader substrate; and

at least one serpentine cooling tube disposed on and in thermal contact with said thermally conducting spreader substrate so that said substrate is cooled when said at least one serpentine cooling tube is operating.

2. An assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spreader substrate comprises a metal layer bonded to a thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer, and said metal layer is in thermal contact with said at least one serpentine cooling tube.

3. An assembly in accordance with claim 2 wherein said metal layer is broken to prevent eddy currents in said metal layer.

4. An assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein said metal comprises copper.

5. An assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein said metal comprises aluminum.

6. An assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein said serpentine cooling tube is welded to said metal layer.

7. An assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein said serpentine cooling tube is brazed to said metal substrate.

8. An assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein said serpentine cooling tube is soldered to said spreader substrate.

9. An assembly in accordance with claim 2 wherein said serpentine cooling tube is glued to said spreader substrate utilizing a thermally conductive glue.

10. An assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spreader substrate is flat.

11. An assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spreader substrate is cylindrical, said spreader substrate comprises a broken metal layer bonded to a thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer, and said metal layer is in thermal contact with said at least one serpentine cooling tube, and said at least one serpentine cooling tube is disposed on said broken metal layer.

12. An assembly in accordance with claim 11 further comprising a thermally conductive annular fin affixed to and thermally conductive to said spreader substrate, said annular fin essentially in a plane perpendicular to an axis of the cylindrical substrate.

13. An assembly in accordance with claim 11 wherein said thermally conductive annular fin comprises a broken metal layer bonded to a thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer.

14. An assembly in accordance with claim 13 wherein said thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer is outwardly directed from the cylindrical spreader substrate.

15. An electrical component comprising:

a non-magnetic spreader substrate having thermally conducting surfaces;

at least one serpentine cooling tube disposed on and in thermal contact with at least one said thermally conducting surface so that said contacted surface is cooled when said at least one serpentine cooling tube is operating; and

a cylindrical magnetic winding layer, said magnetic winding layer in thermal contact with said non-magnetic spreader substrate so as to conduct heat from said winding layer to said non-magnetic spreader substrate;

wherein said non-magnetic spreader substrate comprises a metal layer bonded to a thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer, said metal layer is in thermal contact with said at least one serpentine cooling tube, and said winding layer is in contact with said thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer.

16. An electrical component in accordance with claim 15 wherein said spreader substrate is cylindrical, said at least one serpentine cooling tube is inside said cylindrical spreader substrate, and said cylindrical winding layer is outside said cylindrical spreader substrate.

17. An electrical component in accordance with claim 15 wherein said spreader substrate is cylindrical, said at least one serpentine cooling tube is outside said cylindrical spreader substrate, and said cylindrical winding layer is inside said cylindrical spreader substrate.

18. An electrical component in accordance with claim 17 further comprising a thermally conductive annular fin affixed to and thermally conductive to said spreader substrate, said thermally conductive radial fin comprising a broken metal layer bonded to a thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer.

19. An electrical component in accordance with claim 18 wherein said thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer is outwardly directed from the cylindrical spreader substrate.

20. An electrical component in accordance with claim 19 further comprising a annular layer of insulation over a portion of said broken metal layer of said annular fin.

21. An electrical component in accordance with claim 20 wherein said cylindrical magnetic winding layer is a first cylindrical magnetic winding layer, and further comprising:

a filler layer covering said cylindrical substrate and said at least one serpentine cooling tube; and

a second cylindrical magnetic winding layer disposed over the filler layer and separated from said broken metal layer of said annular fin by said annular layer of insulation.

22. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device comprising:

a main magnet;

a non-magnetic spreader substrate having thermally conducting surfaces;

at least one serpentine cooling tube disposed on and in thermal contact with said thermally conducting surface so that said contacted surface is cooled when said at least one serpentine cooling tube is operating; and

a gradient coil comprising a cylindrical magnetic winding layer, said magnetic winding layer in thermal contact with said non-magnetic spreader substrate so as to conduct heat from said winding layer to said non-magnetic spreader substrate;

wherein said non-magnetic spreader substrate comprises a metal layer bonded to a thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer, said metal layer is in thermal contact with said at least one serpentine cooling tube, and said winding layer is in contact with said thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer.

23. An MRI device in accordance with claim 22 wherein said spreader substrate is cylindrical, said at least one serpentine cooling tube is inside said cylindrical spreader substrate, and said cylindrical winding layer is outside said cylindrical spreader substrate.

24. An MRI device in accordance with claim 22 wherein said spreader substrate is cylindrical, said at least one serpentine cooling tube is outside said cylindrical spreader substrate, and said cylindrical winding layer is inside said cylindrical spreader substrate.

25. An MRI device in accordance with claim 24 further comprising a thermally conductive annular fin affixed to and thermally conductive to said spreader substrate, said thermally conductive radial fin comprising a broken metal layer bonded to a thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer.

26. An MRI device in accordance with claim 25 wherein said thermally conducting, electrically nonconducting layer is outwardly directed from the cylindrical spreader substrate.

27. An MRI device in accordance with claim 26 further comprising a annular layer of insulation over a portion of said broken metal layer of said annular fin.

28. An MRI device in accordance with claim 27 wherein said cylindrical magnetic winding layer is a first cylindrical magnetic winding layer, and further comprising:

a filler layer covering said cylindrical substrate and said at least one serpentine cooling tube; and

a second cylindrical magnetic winding layer disposed over the filler layer and separated from said broken metal layer of said annular fin by said annular layer of insulation.