Contactless power transfer system

• US 7,197,113 B1
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Schmidt, Jonathan Richard, Katcha, Jason Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick; Edward J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiknadze; Irakli
• Application Number:
  US11/292,244
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 378/4, 378/15, 378101-118, 336120-129
• US Class Current: 378/101
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/18 Rotary transformers

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment, a contactless power transfer system is provided that comprises a stationary member including a power input configured to receive power at first voltage from a power supply. The system further includes a rotating member rotatably coupled to the stationary member and a rotary transformer. The rotary transformer has primary and secondary sides, with the primary side being disposed on the stationary member. The primary side has a primary winding that receives power at the first voltage from the power input. The secondary side is disposed on the rotating member and produces power at a second voltage. The secondary side has a rotating core and separate secondary sub-windings, each of which has forward and return paths that are circumferentially disposed about the rotating core. The forward and return paths of each of the sub-windings rotate proximate to, and are disposed a substantially equal distance from, the primary winding disposed on the stationary member.

Claims

1. A contactless power transfer system, comprising:

a stationary member including a power input configured to receive power at a first voltage from a power supply;

a rotating member rotatably coupled to the stationary member; and

a rotary transformer having primary and secondary sides, the primary side being disposed on the stationary member and having a primary winding configured to receive power at the first voltage from the power input, the secondary side being disposed on the rotating member and configured to produce power at the second voltage, the secondary side having a rotating core and separate secondary sub-windings, each said sub-winding including a forward path and a return path circumferentially disposed along the rotating core, the forward path and return path of each said sub-winding rotating proximate to and spaced a substantially equal distance from the primary winding disposed on the stationary member.

2. The power transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a high voltage (HV) component disposed on the rotating member, the secondary side providing the power at a high voltage to the HV component.

3. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein the rotating core includes an E-shaped cross-section divided into at least two arcuate sections, each of the sub-windings being wrapped about a separate and corresponding one of the arcuate sections.

4. The power transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a gantry coupling the stationary and rotating members to one another.

5. The power transfer system of claim 1, further comprising separate signal conditioning modules, each of which is joined to output leads of a corresponding one of the sub-windings.

6. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein each of the sub-windings has corresponding sub-winding output leads that output power at a low voltage, the low voltage being less than the second voltage at which the power is output from the secondary side.

7. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein each of the sub windings has corresponding sub-winding output leads that output power, the power from the sub-winding output leads being combined to form a high voltage power output from the secondary side.

8. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein each of the sub-windings has corresponding sub-winding output leads that output power, the power from one of the sub-windings constituting the power output by the secondary side as the second voltage.

9. The power transfer system of claim 1, further comprising separate rectifier circuits disposed on and distributed about the rotating member, the separate/rectifier circuits being joined to the separate sub-windings.

10. The power transfer system of claim 1, further comprising separate rectifier circuits joined to each of the sub-windings.

11. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein the contactless power transfer system is implemented in one of a CT system and a baggage scanning system.

12. The power transfer system of claim 1, further comprising an x-ray source and detectors provided on the rotating member, the secondary side providing high voltage power to the x-ray source and low voltage power to the detector.

13. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein the forward and return paths in each of the sub-windings forms a closed loop entirely contained within an arcuate section of the rotating core, the forward and return paths being aligned in a common plane defined by a side of the rotating core.

14. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein each of the sub-windings forms a closed loop having ends located proximate ends of adjacent sub-windings.

15. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein each of the sub-windings extends over a separate and independent arcuate section of the rotating core.

16. An x-ray scanning system, comprising:

a gantry having a stationary member coupled to a rotating member, the rotating member having an opened area proximate an axis about which the rotating member rotates;

an x-ray source provided on the rotating member;

a power supply configured to provide power at a first voltage; and

a rotary transformer having primary and secondary sides, the primary side being disposed on the stationary member and having a primary winding that receives power at the first voltage from the power supply, the secondary side being disposed on the rotating member and producing power at a second voltage, the secondary side having a rotating core and separate secondary sub-windings, each said sub-winding including a forward path and a return path circumferentially disposed along the rotating core, the forward and return paths of each of the sub-windings rotating proximate to and spaced a substantially equal distance from the primary winding disposed on the stationary member.

17. The system of 16, further comprising an x-ray detector disposed on the rotating member and configured to receive x-rays from the x-ray source.

18. The system of 16, wherein the x-ray source constitutes a high-voltage (HV) component, the secondary side providing power at a high-voltage to the x-ray source.

19. The system of 16, wherein the rotating core includes an E-shaped cross-section divided into at least two arcuate sections, each of the sub-windings being wrapped about a separate and corresponding one of the arcuate sections.

20. The system of 16, further comprising separate signal conditioning modules, each of which is joined to output leads of a corresponding one of the sub-windings, the signal conditioning modules being disposed evenly about and located on the rotating member.

21. The system of 16, wherein each of the sub-windings has corresponding sub-winding output leads that output power at a low voltage, the low voltage being less than the second voltage, at which power is output from the secondary side.

22. The system of 16, wherein each of the sub-windings has corresponding sub-winding output leads that output power, the power from the sub-winding output leads being combined to form a high voltage power output by the secondary side.

23. The system of 16, wherein each of the sub-windings has corresponding sub-winding output leads that output power, the power from one of the sub-windings constituting the power output by the secondary side at the second voltage.

24. The system of 16, further comprising separate rectifier circuits disposed on, and distributed about, the rotating member, the separate rectifier circuits being joined to corresponding separate sub-windings.

25. The system of 16, further comprising separate rectifier circuits joined to each of the sub-windings.

26. The system of 16, wherein the gantry is configured to receive one of a human or animal patient and the x-ray source is configured to perform a CT scan.

27. The system of 16, wherein the gantry is configured to receive luggage and the x-ray source is configured to perform baggage scanning.

28. The system of 16, wherein the x-ray source represents a high-voltage component, the system further comprising low-voltage detectors provided on the rotating member, the secondary side providing separate high-voltage and low-voltage power outputs to the x-ray source and the detector.

29. An x-ray generator comprising:

a stationary power supply configured to provide power to a rotary transformer having E-shaped magnetically permeable cores;

the rotary transformer having a primary winding and at least two secondary windings, and configured to step-up the power received from the stationary power supply to provide a high voltage output, wherein the primary winding and the two secondary windings are wound azimuthally and circularly around a middle leg of the E-shaped magnetically permeable cores; and

a rotatable x-ray tube coupled to receive the high voltage output from the rotary transformer.

30. The x-ray generator of claim 29 further comprising a plurality of high voltage rectifier circuits circumferentially distributed around the rotary transformer and configured to rectify the high voltage output of the rotary transformer to provide a high voltage DC power to the rotatable x-ray tube.

31. The x-ray generator of claim 30 wherein the plurality of high voltage rectifier circuits are connected in series.

32. The x-ray generator of claim 30 incorporated into a baggage/parcel inspection system.

33. The x-ray generator of claim 29 wherein the stationary power supply includes a voltage inverter having two outputs configured to provide a high voltage AC input to the rotary transformer through a pair of resonance circuits.

34. The x-ray generator of claim 29 wherein the rotary transformer further includes a segmented conductor shield that covers the at least two secondary windings, and prevents current flow in a circular manner.

35. The x-ray generator of claim 29 wherein the rotary transformer further includes a number of turns per secondary winding to provide at least a 160 kV output.

36. The x-ray generator of claim 29 incorporated into a CT system.