High-voltage X-ray generator

• US 7,375,993 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: EMD Technologies Inc (Benchmark Electronics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: EMD Technologies Inc (Benchmark Electronics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beland, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, YOUNGHUIE JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US11/283,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 378/101, 378105-112, 363/41, 363/65, 363/67, 363/69, 363/71, 363/98, 363/132, 323/210, 62/555
• US Class Current: 363/71
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0077 Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/088 for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3376 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/49 Combination of the output voltage waveforms of a plurality of converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/10 Power supply arrangements for feeding the X-ray tube supply circuits with converters in general H02M; supply circuits for emitters and amplifiers H04B1/16 - H04B1/1623
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/12 with dc or rectified single-phase ac or double-phase
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 by winding or coiling

Abstract

A power supply for a device which has a load, comprising a first resonant generator and a second resonant generator, coupled in parallel, each generator having a phase output. The power supply further comprises a control circuit coupled to the first and second generators controlling the first and second phase outputs, wherein the first phase output and the second phase output are summed to provide a variable power supply to the load.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supplying operating power to an X-ray generating source comprising:

a voltage control mechanism including a frequency oscillator mechanism generating an oscillator frequency which is used by an inverter driver;

a plurality of magnetically coupled inverter modules each receiving a control signal from the inverter driver, the plurality of inverter modules being coupled to a plurality of resonant circuits, wherein the resonant circuit includes an inductor mechanism, a voltage limiting mechanism, and a resistor mechanism;

a step-up transformer including a primary side receiving power from the inverter modules and a secondary side;

said primary side constructed to provide magnetic coupling between the inverter modules; and

an X-ray generating source.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of inverter modules are connected in parallel.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of inverter modules receive at least one clock input having the same frequency.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a power balancing mechanism.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of inverter modules are connected in series.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a DC bus, wherein the DC bus includes a power limiting circuit to limit voltage supplied to the plurality of resonant inverter modules to operate in a reduced power mode.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inductor mechanism, the voltage limiting mechanism, and the resistor mechanism are connected in parallel.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inductor mechanism, the voltage limiting mechanism, and the resistor mechanism are connected in series.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step-up transformer uses any of a gaseous, liquid, and solid insulating material.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step-up transformer includes a solid insulating material that includes a thermosetting compound.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the thermosetting compound is doped with a thermally conductive filler material.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the thermally conductive filler material includes aluminum oxide.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resistor mechanism is a primary winding of the step-up transformer.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resistor mechanism has an impedance due to the load inherent in the X-ray source.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a high-voltage rectifier stack having a plurality of multiplication modules, each multiplication module having an AC input and a DC output.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the AC inputs of the multiplication modules are connected in parallel.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the DC outputs of the multiplication modules are connected in series.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the parallel connections of the multiplication modules are through at least one coupling voltage limiting device.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the plurality of multiplication modules further comprises a DC return resistor mechanism across at least one of the coupling voltage limiting devices.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of multiplication modules comprise an output filter voltage limiting device across each DC output of the multiplication modules.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein a capacitance of the coupling voltage limiting devices is at least less than a capacitance of the output filter voltage limiting devices connected across the DC outputs of the multiplication modules connected in parallel.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of multiplication modules comprises a full-wave bridge.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the full-wave bridge includes a four diode bridge.

24. An apparatus for supplying operating power to an X-ray generating source, comprising

a voltage control mechanism including a voltage controlled oscillator mechanism generating a signal having an oscillator frequency which is used by an inverter driver;

two resonant inverters each connected to receive a drive signal from the inverter driver including a phase shifter, wherein the drive signal has a phase output;

a control circuit coupled to the resonant inverters controlling the phase outputs; and

the X-Ray generating source, wherein the phase outputs are summed to provide a variable power supply to the X-Ray generating source.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a step-up transformer including a primary side receiving power from the inverter modules and a secondary side providing power to the X-Ray generating source.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the primary side includes:

a first pair of primary coils connected in parallel to receive a first output signal from a first of the two resonant inverters and including a second pair of primary coils connected in parallel to receive a second output signal from a second of the two resonant inverters; and

a first tertiary primary coil associated with the first pair of the primary coils and a second tertiary primary coil associated with the second pair of the primary coils, said tertiary primary coils being connected in parallel.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the primary side includes:

a first pair of primary coils connected in parallel to receive a first output signal from a first of the two resonant inverters and including a second pair of primary coils connected in parallel to receive a second output signal from a second of the two resonant inverters; and

a first two tertiary primary coils associated with the first pair of the primary coils and a second two tertiary primary coils associated with the second pair of the primary coils, said tertiary primary coils being connected in parallel.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the step-up transformer includes a solid insulating material.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the solid insulating material of the step-up transformer includes a thermosetting compound.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein the thermosetting compound is doped with a thermally conductive filler material.

31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein the thermally conductive filler material includes aluminum oxide.

32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a power balancing mechanism.