High-voltage X-ray generator

• US 8,675,378 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• 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): BAUER, SCOTT ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US13/068,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20110286580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 363/71
• 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 a load device comprising:

a frequency oscillator mechanism generating an oscillator frequency;

a plurality of magnetically coupled inverter modules for receiving the oscillator frequency, the plurality of inverter modules coupled to a plurality of resonant circuits, wherein the resonant circuit includes an inductor mechanism, a voltage limiting mechanism, and a resistor mechanism, wherein the plurality of inverter modules are each coupled to at least one transformer device, the transformer device having a primary winding and a secondary winding;

at least one DC voltage rectifier mechanism; and

a load sharing mechanism constructed to substantially equalize the power load on each resonant inverter module, wherein the equal load sharing mechanism comprises a tertiary winding wound bifilarly with the primary winding of the transformer of the resonant inverter module.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tertiary windings are connected in parallel.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tertiary windings have the same number of turns as the primary windings.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the equal load sharing mechanism electrically magnetically connects the primary windings in parallel but leaves the electrical circuit of the resonant inverter modules electrically open.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of inverter modules may be selectively disconnected from the electrical circuit.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a timing mechanism that periodically disconnects at least one of the plurality of inverter modules.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is tolerant of resonant inverter module failure due to substantially equalizing of the load between the at least one remaining inverter module by the load sharing mechanism.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a power balancing mechanism.

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

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

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a control constructed to provide timing signals to the inverter modules in a feedback loop arrangement.

12. An apparatus for supplying operating power to a load device comprising:

a frequency oscillator mechanism generating an oscillator frequency;

a plurality of magnetically coupled resonant inverter modules for receiving the oscillator frequency, the plurality of inverter modules coupled to a plurality of resonant circuits, wherein the resonant circuit includes an inductor mechanism, a voltage limiting mechanism, and a resistor mechanism, wherein the plurality of inverter modules are each coupled to at least one transformer device, the transformer device having a primary winding and a secondary winding;

at least one DC voltage rectifier mechanism including at least one diode; and

means for sharing the load of the load device substantially equally between the plurality of resonant inverter modules, wherein the means for sharing load comprises a tertiary winding wound bifilarly with the primary winding.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, including a control constructed to provide timing signals to the inverter modules in a feedback loop arrangement.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the plurality of inverter modules are connected in parallel.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the plurality of inverter modules are connected in series.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the apparatus is tolerant of resonant inverter module failure due to substantially equalizing of the load between the at least one remaining inverter module by the load sharing mechanism.

17. An apparatus for supplying operating power to a load device comprising:

a frequency oscillator mechanism generating an oscillator frequency;

a plurality of magnetically coupled inverter modules for receiving the oscillator frequency, the plurality of inverter modules coupled to a plurality of resonant circuits, wherein the resonant circuit includes an inductor mechanism, a voltage limiting mechanism, and a resistor mechanism, wherein the plurality of inverter modules are each coupled to at least one transformer device, the transformer device having a primary winding and a secondary winding; and

a load sharing mechanism constructed to substantially equalize the power load on each inverter module, wherein the equal load sharing mechanism comprises a tertiary winding wound bifilarly with the primary winding of the transformer.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the tertiary windings are connected in parallel.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the tertiary windings have the same number of turns as the primary windings.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, including a control constructed to provide timing signals to the inverter modules in a feedback loop arrangement.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the plurality of inverter modules are connected in parallel.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the plurality of inverter modules are connected in series.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the apparatus is tolerant of resonant inverter module failure due to substantially equalizing of the load between the at least one remaining inverter module by the load sharing mechanism.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the tertiary windings are connected in parallel.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the equal load sharing mechanism electrically magnetically connects the primary windings in parallel but leaves the electrical circuit of the resonant inverter modules electrically open.